Here’s more from Lombardi, about O’Sullivan, Bryzgalov, Bernier, LaBarbera and the future of Dan Cloutier…
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Q: How about O’Sullivan? You guys made it clear that he would have to earn a spot, and he’s been bounced around quite a bit. What are you seeing in his game right now?
LOMBARDI: His ability, in terms of puck protection and doing things in traffic, is markedly better. I don’t know if you remember the game where he had two guys on him and kept the puck and drew a penalty. From where he was last year, in those areas, versus where he is now, there is a marked improvement. He had a great summer of development and he has applied that. Now, that being said, you still have to get better. But if he continues to make half the improvement he’s made, it’s going to be a huge stride. That’s what usually happens with these kids. The kid was always able to put up numbers at the minor-league level but he didn’t have to do these things. Now, he went back and learned these things. If he keeps doing them, eventually he will start getting the chances again, where his natural instincts are going to come into play again.
To his credit, he’s been responsible defensively and he has learned to battle harder. Again, he still has to get better. In terms of his work in traffic, it’s one of the biggest improvements I’ve seen. Maybe that’s because he had so far to come, but I give him a lot of credit. And he’s also grown up. I’ve noticed, and from everything I’ve heard and understood, he’s also grown up in terms of his attitude. It has to continue along that line. He’s still a young guy. So overall, those things that don’t necessarily show up on the score sheet, that he’s doing now, you’ve got to be happy with it but it still has to get better.
Q: I know it’s an irrelevant point, but was there no interest in Bryzgalov on your part?
LOMBARDI: Let’s just say, not really. The question was moot anyway, with Phoenix having the pick. I think Jason (LaBarbera) has done a good job, and you also know how I feel about developing from within. Overall I think our goaltending, most nights, has been what we should expect. Some nights it hasn’t been great, just like some nights our forwards haven’t been great, but overall I think Jason has done a good job.
Q: Did you get to see Bernier play when you were on your scouting trip?
LOMBARDI: Yeah.
Q: Did you get to talk to him? Is he handling the whole situation the way you hoped?
LOMBARDI: No. (laughs) No, but you know what? I drove six hours from Montreal down to Lewiston to see him. Not only to see him play but to see where his head was at. He wasn’t very good. I guess I wasn’t totally surprised, because I’ve seen this with young players who get a taste of `the show’ and think they might be staying, and oh boy…particularly goalies. All the sparkle, and all the things you saw, they weren’t there, but this is all part of dealing with adversity and he’s got to learn to fight his way through it.
At the end of my trip, the last game in Quebec. I’ve known Patrick Roy and I was downstairs talking to him. I was talking to him about Bernier and I said, `What’s wrong with all you goalies? How long is this going to go on?’ And he said, `Let me tell you something. First, no 19-year-old goalie should be in the NHL. You did right. But don’t expect him to come back (to junior) and play like he can play.’ I said, `What do you mean?’ He said, `The same thing happened to me in Montreal.’ I didn’t realize that. He said, `The year after my draft year, they kept me up for nine or 10 games and I went back down. My save percentage was like .850 and I couldn’t stop a basketball. Nor did I care.’ I said, `Why is that?’ He said, `You don’t understand. It’s something… it’s so hard. If you would have seen me then, you never would have thought I would have the career I had.’
So it’s not like, `Well, if Patrick Roy did it, it’s OK.’ No. He’s got to start finding his way through that. He’s got a new team up there and it’s disappointing. Hey, that’s why I made the ride down there. It’s having an impact on him. He goes to Las Vegas and plays and he’s the first star. He plays in Austria and he plays in London, then he comes back and he’s in Hollywood and then, guess what? He’s driving somewhere in Lewiston. It’s dark, it’s cold, it’s raining, and you go in that rink and I’m telling you, it ain’t Staples Center. I was just sitting there thinking, `Wow, what a difference.’
That’s the whole thing with these young guys, when they go back to junior and they can’t go to the AHL. They go from Hollywood back to Lewiston, Maine. There’s no in-between, but that’s the system and they have to deal with it. But I was thinking about it as I was walking through the parking lot. I thought, `Holy smokes,’ But I thought about what Patrick said. He said, `When you’re going through it, nobody understands, but looking back, it’s always been the right thing.’ He turned out all right.
Q: You put Jon Quick in Manchester. Was that just because of Ersberg getting hurt?
LOMBARDI: Yeah, he got hit in the head and he got a mild concussion.
Q: Where are things with Cloutier? Numbers-wise, he doesn’t seem to be doing very well. What have you seen or what’s the plan there?
LOMBARDI: I guess we’re in the process of sorting through that. Ask me that question in another month.
Q: You’re evaluating all your options at this point? Is that safe to say?
LOMBARDI: We’re looking at everything, and seeing the way some of the kids are coming along. I think we had set a timeline for ourselves, as far as looking at it closer. So we’ll give it a little more time here and then we’re going to have to have more of a definitive answer to your question.
