Hasek's Shaky Start A Troubling Sign?

I'm not sure when the end comes for goaltenders past 40 years of age. Though I'm pretty certain that they don't collapse and break into little pieces, like some children's game of Tinker Toys.

One reason for my lack of clarity is that not too many goalies are still card-carrying members of the NHL at such an advanced age. The 40s, for most of them, means lots of golf and a growing paunch. Definitely not sprawling on the ice, flailing at discs of vulcanized rubber.

Dominik Hasek is a couple years past 40, and will be three years past it come January. Last season, returning to the Red Wings after two years in exile, Hasek had an All-Star season, though he was rooked and left off the team. His GAA and save pct. were constantly in the top three of the league. He racked up eight shutouts. He was splendid in the playoffs, and only showed some wear in the Red Wings' final game of the post-season.

But this season, early on, Hasek looks more like a 42-year-old playing goalie than a goalie who happens to be 42.

His GAA is 2.94, with an unsightly save pct. of .874.


Hasek has been a shadow of his 2006-07 self, early on

Now, realizing that numbers can be as misleading as a political ad, it's not all about the stats. But already, I've seen pucks bounce off Hasek's helmet, off his shoulder, through his pads, and they've all ended up in the net. He's been a mediocre netminder, truth be told, in his 306 minutes played.

It hasn't been mentioned, and perhaps it's too early to do so -- especially with the Red Wings doing alright with a 4-2-1 record -- but I don't think it's overreacting to suggest that we need to keep an eye on Hasek to see whether this bumpy start is an anomaly or the start of a trend downward. Again, how quickly does a 42-year-old goalie start to go downhill?

No, there weren't any comments about Hasek's age last year, one of his finest. Nor should there have been. And I bring it up now, only because we're kind of in unchartered territory here. We've seen it happen in other sports -- where the aging veteran can so quickly lose his mojo. Playing such a high-profile position as goalie makes us notice as it's occurring. You don't have bad goalie play and then only notice it at the end of the season. Its impact is immediate, its unraveling very public and potentially very ugly.

Hasek keeps himself in marvelous shape. Few, if any, goalies work as hard as he does -- on and off the ice. But at what point does the calendar overtake the reflexes, the instincts, the peripheral vision? Working hard isn't the only prerequisite.

Maybe Dom Hasek will work his way out of his little funk. Maybe some blame can be placed at the doorstep of his teammates. Maybe there's nothing to worry about, after all.

But maybe not. So then what do the Red Wings do? And when would they consider doing it?

Just something to think about. Watch him and see if you don't agree.