Montreal Canadiens: Antti Niemi’s Shelf Life as the Backup

For the time being, Antti Niemi is the backup goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens, but given his track record, how long will that last?

Marc Bergevin has done some shocking things with the Montreal Canadiens in his tenure as general manager and claiming Antti Niemi may be one of them. Goaltending was a problem for the team as Carey Price was going through his funk and the team was struggling to improve defensively. The only positive from all of this is that fans have gotten a chance to see the second raising of the Wall of Charlie Lindgren in the past week and a half.

With Al Montoya being out with a concussion, and Price claiming he’s soon to return, the Habs needed some insurance to help Lindgren out. Apparently giving Zachary Fucale his first NHL start wasn’t an option, but considering the state of the team and where they are in the standings, there isn’t any wiggle room for an experiment like that. Hence Niemi.

Lindgren is set to start his sixth consecutive game Thursday night against the Arizona Coyotes. He’s played great but, you have to think he needs a rest soon. The old saying is that a team should run the hot goaltender, so they maintain their rhythm, but Lindgren is still only 23.

Niemi may very well get his first start soon. If not Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and I hope that isn’t the case, then probably next week when the Montreal Canadiens play the Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators in back-to-back nights.

Many have discussed the topic already, but the Niemi claim was nothing short of a, ‘just in case.’ If that’s what is truly going on here, then how long does the 34-year-old have to be the Habs, backup goaltender? Let’s see what Twitter said on Twitter Poll Thursday.

Poll Results

If the future follows what the poll said, then Niemi may be on waivers again after the Montreal Canadiens play the Detroit Red Wings on the 30th. However, I think there’s something we’re failing to keep in mind here. Niemi stays as long as Price and Montoya are out, not necessarily based on how he plays, which is hopefully decent.

We’re all keeping our spirits high that Price will come back to the lineup soon. What if he doesn’t? What if there’s a snag in his recovery and the Habs are forced to keep him out longer than initially expected. Management has already indirectly voiced its reluctance to play Fucale, so if that’s the case, regardless of how Niemi performs, any of those options are a possibility.

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I rewatched some of Niemi’s blowout losses with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers. The main thing I noticed, besides the lopsided score, was that the veteran is caught out of position a lot and doesn’t have the greatest rebound control. When you compare that to the way the Habs play in that they leave a man in front a lot, it may not look to be a perfect combination.

However, that’s an element of their game Montreal has been trying to clear up. If there were any time to start doing that, it would be now. Unless Niemi proves otherwise, the Habs can’t afford a significant defensive lapse and need to make sure coverage in their end is executed correctly.

It would be a win for both sides. Not only will the Habs play a more secure style and not give up high scoring chances, but it could give Niemi some room to get his feet wet and gain some confidence.

It’ll be interesting to see how this tandem of Lindgren and Niemi plays out for the Montreal Canadiens. Things may not look as dark here as some think.

Next: Meaning Behind the Niemi Claim

How would you have voted and why? If you missed this poll, follow @FSAWinningHabit to take part in next week’s!