Jonas Gustavsson: The Flake

Here's my problem with Jonas Gustavsson. The dude's a FLAKE!

It's much of the same we've often seen from "The Monster". He makes big saves, and blows the collective minds on saves no goalie has any business saving. And yet, he flakes out, and often allows a bad goal, or two a game. This explains a lot, and in why it took him so long to win a game in the league, without 4 or more goals in his favour.

On this night, he wasn't good. Three questionable goals, one of which was particularly frustrating, allowed the Penguins back into a contest in which they had zero business being in. The third goal, scored on a scramble in front of Gustavsson, could have easily been smothered, whistle blown, and a faceoff to his left. But instead of covering the puck, he attempted to casually scoop up the puck. That gave the Penguins time to keep the puck alive, and stuff it in for the 4-3. That goal made it possible for the Penguins to tie the game on a flukey goal by Malkin (deflected in off his arm/shoulder). The problem with Gustavssons poor play, is keeping a good team like Pittsburgh in a game like that, you know it will come back to haunt you.

Now I'm not completely down on Gustavsson. He has performed admirably in January and, deserves part of the credit for keeping the Leafs in the playoff picture. But I stress only part of the credit. Much of the credit should go to a Leafs penalty kill that (since December 31st), has not allowed a goal against.

Until Gustavsson can improve his focus in game, and clean up those goals that stink to high heaven, he is not a number one goalie in this league. The man has all the skill in the world but, he's just not focused enough to maintain a high level of play.