10-09-2009, 01:26 AM
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#1
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Franchise Player
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Leland Irving Article
http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/H...229/story.html
Quote:
But Irving found his game, and he was stellar the rest of the way. At year's end, his 2.23 goals against average was good for fourth-best in the league, and his save percentage bounced back to a healthy .912.
"I've got to build on that and try to be one of the best goaltenders in this league and put this team in a good position for a playoff run," Irving said.
Jamie McLennan, the Calgary Flames' goaltending coach, said he was impressed with how Irving handled the learning curve as a rookie pro.
"He's come a long way in one year," McLennan said. "The biggest thing that Leland has adjusted to is the speed and the size of the professional game. When you come from junior, it's a real big adjustment — even living on your own instead of at a billet's. On and off the ice, he's grown so much.
"Now he's got to fine-tune his game so he can bring it every night and be consistent. He's come a long way, but he still has a way to go. But that's the truth about a lot of young goaltenders in the AHL. From an organizational standpoint, in my opinion, he's on pace to become a solid NHL goaltender."
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