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On Saturday, December 18, the New York Islanders surprised the hockey world when they recalled Bridgeport Sound Tigers goaltender Nathan Lawson on an emergency basis. He was called up to cover for Rick DiPietro, who has minor swelling in his knee. The shock continued when Islanders management opted to have the rookie start over veteran goaltender Dwayne Roloson that night against the Phoenix Coyotes, leaving both fans and pundits with questions.
Lawson found himself in the midst the most exciting opportunities of his career. The 27-year-old was going to make his NHL debut, where to buy Cheap NHL Jerseys, maybe ujersy is a good choice.
"I was a little nervous before the game," Lawson said. "But then Roli (Roloson) talked to me, and Ricky (DiPietro) had talked to me earlier in the day. I also played with a lot of these guys in Bridgeport so I felt comfortable. And with Cappy (Capuano) coaching, it was a familiar face on the bench. I just kind of rolled with it, and tried to play my game."
The Islanders had a 3-2 lead over the Coyotes until there was 1:28 remaining in regulation, when Phoenix leveled the score. Lawson had 29 saves at the end of regulation and he added three more in the overtime period to send the game to a shootout.
"Lawson played awesome," Islanders defensemen Travis Hamonic said after the game, which ended in a 4-3 shootout loss. "For the first little bit in Bridgeport, when I was down there with him, he kept us in games; game after game after game. He made some huge saves tonight that turned the game around for us. He played really well, so congratulations to him on his first game."
Going into a shootout is a lot of pressure for any goaltender, but add in the nerves of your first NHL game, and that would be enough to send some into panic. Although Lawson's first NHL game didn't end the way he would have liked, he handled himself like a veteran.
After all, Lawson has three years of professional experience. He played three seasons at the University of Alaska, Anchorage and, after going undrafted, signed with the Phoenix Roadrunners of the ECHL at the start of the 2007-08 season. He played in a mere five games before being traded to the Utah Grizzlies, if you want to buy Montreal Canadiens #13 Jerseys, go to ujersy.
"When I was coaching in the ECHL and I look at (Tomas) Vokoun and Alex Auld, and a lot of guys that I see now in the NHL they've all paid their dues in the ECHL, playing a lot of games and they worked their way up to the American Hockey League," Islanders interim head coach Jack Capuano said. "Jason Labarbera (of the Phoenix Coyotes) the other day was the same way, playing for the Reading Royals."
Working his way up, Lawson began the 2008-09 season in Utah, playing just three games for the Grizzlies before landing a professional tryout with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. He was eventually signed to an AHL deal and in 31 games for the Sound Tigers, posted a 2.16 goals against average and a .927 save percentage. Lawson recorded 19 wins, nine losses and two ties that season and was named the American Hockey League Rookie of the Year.
"It was kind of surprising, since I started the year off in the East Coast," Lawson said. "I didn't really play at all when I first got called up. And then when (Peter) Mannino got called up (to the Islanders), it gave me ...
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