With Carey Price still out with an undisclosed upper-body injury and no timetable for his return, and Al Montoya out indefinitely with a concussion, the Montreal Canadiens needed someone to be the backup for Charlie Lindgren, the undrafted 23-year-old goalie who has been a revelation filling in as the team’s de facto No. 1.
But when the team claimed Antti Niemi of waivers, the reactions weren’t exactly positive.
The 2010 Stanley Cup Final is a distant memory. Back then, Niemi was finishing his first full season as an NHLer and was the starting goalie for the Chicago Blackhawks as they won their first Stanley Cup since 1961, breaking the longest championship drought in the league. The Hawks, of course, went on to become something of a modern dynasty, but Niemi was in San Jose at the start of the next season — and he reached a conference final in his first season there, too.
But after a few years in San Jose, Niemi joined up with the Dallas Stars to, conceivably, make a two-headed monster with Kari Lehtonen behind a high-powered offence. Instead, his time in Dallas marked a sharp downturn in Niemi’s career.
This season has been especially putrid as Niemi joins his third team already. He had a .797 save percentage in three games with Pittsburgh and an .872 save percentage in two games with Florida — he hasn’t allowed fewer than five goals in a game yet and has only played two of the five appearances to completion. He’s been waived twice and will now be the guy providing experience in Montreal’s net.
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But he says to get back on track in Montreal, he doesn’t believe he needs to make big changes to the way he plays.
“Just be confident and track the puck well and battle,” Niemi said Wednesday. “There’s nothing really technical about it. Just playing simple.”
As uninspiring of an addition as Niemi is right now, one thing he could have going for him with the Habs is Stephane Waite.
The Montreal goalie coach previously worked with Niemi when the two were with the Blackhawks for that 2010 championship. The team and player are hoping the two can find some of that lost magic again.
“I think he gave me lots of structure on how to play goalie,” Niemi said of Waite’s influence on his career. “He didn’t try to change me then too much.”
Niemi arrives in Montreal with a white helmet and pads from his short term in Pittsburgh that have the black and gold colours covered. With the Pens, he was backing up Matt Murray, but the organization has since turned to 22-year-old Tristan Jarry since Niemi’s departure.
In Florida, there certainly isn’t the same media attention and his role there always appeared to be as a short-term band-aid as Roberto Luongo worked his way bak from injury. Sure enough, Niemi was waived upon Luongo’s return.
But in Montreal, the feeling is much different. This is a team that was supposed to be a contender, but are off to an 8-9-2 start. Adding to the pressure of having to get back into the race is the Price injury and the team’s sudden reliance on Lindgren. With Montoya out, too, Niemi may have to play an important game or two. And should the injury bug strike Lindgren too, suddenly this year’s worst goalie in the NHL would be centre stage in one of the league’s most electric markets.
“Everything’s exciting being here,” Niemi said. “There’s lots of media and it’s Canada, it’s Montreal.
“For sure it’s a tough market and everybody wants to win and everybody’s going to be watching you here. But I feel like you have to be honest to yourself any place you play so you have to perform wherever you are.”
Despite the atrocious start, the 34-year-old Finn who is making $700,000 against the cap before becoming UFA eligible again, still believes he can play in this league.
“I’m feeling pretty good and I like to work and being on the ice,” he said. “I’m just having fun and I think I can play in the top level.”
Time will tell if that is still the case or not. The Habs have two sets of back-to-back games in the next two weeks, and if Price is still out or if Niemi still is with the team as the backup when the true No. 1 returns, odds are he’d get the start in one of those.
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