On Niemi vs. Leighton
Friday, May 28th, 2010
A lot of analysts seem to be giving Philadelphia’s Michael Leighton the edge over Chicago’s Antti Niemi. Many cite Leighton’s superior GAA (1.45 to Niemi’s 2.33) and save percentage (.948 to Niemi’s .921), and lone post-season loss as indications that he’ll emerge victorious in the series.
But those numbers aren’t nearly as strong as they appear at first blush. Keep in mind that Leighton has started only seven games this post-season. One playoff loss to Niemi’s four may look impressive, not when you remember that Niemi has played in more than twice as many games. Niemi has also faced a much higher level of competition than Leighton played against a Boston team that was torn apart by injuries. That made his job easier, especially when the Philadelphia defense was able to neutralize much of Boston’s remaining power and prevent quality chances.
