EBUG system has its bugs

The National Hockey League enjoyed its best story of the season on Saturday. In fact, when 42-year-old Zamboni driver David Ayres was forced into action as the emergency backup goalie for the Carolina Hurricanes against his hometown Maple Leafs on Saturday — and won — it very well may have been the best sports story in years.

But it should never happen again.

This is not about being a killjoy on this feel-good story. It had everything. Saturday night in Toronto. Hockey Night in Canada. And the very likable Ayres, a kidney transplant recipient, embracing everything about the moment with a an ear-to-ear grin.

Yet the idea that two teams who are barely hanging on to a playoff spot should have at least part of their fates in the hands of not only a non-professional but one who was employed to one of the two teams’ minor league affiliates really is ludicrous. What would have happened if Ayres had allowed more than the two goals he did and let the Leafs win a game in which they’d been outplayed when he entered?

Instead of a Ayres going on a whirlwind media tour, it would have been a public relations disaster.

Andrew Raycroft has an interesting perspective. The current NESN analyst not only played in the league, but he’s been on the EBUG list at the Garden in the past. When Tuukka Rask was knocked out of the game against the Rangers last season, a Bruins’ intern had to race to Raycroft’s home in the Boston ‘burbs to retrieve his pads while he fulfilled his television duties (Raycroft never did suit up).

Raycroft believes this situation is so rare that it doesn’t make sense for teams to have a goalie waiting in the wings for 82 games. But he does believe that the league could tweak the system, perhaps holding a tryout in training camp for aspiring EBUGS.

“And say ‘OK these are the names,’” said Raycroft. “These guys are prepared to to do this. It’s not just some guy off the street. It’s completely above board. It’s not the Zamboni driver, for the Maple Leafs, which can create a massive conflict. And the way this shakes out, these guys could get in or out (of the playoffs) by one point. Either way, this part of the story is going to be incredible on April 5.”

And that’s not to say Ayres was just a guy off the street. In fact, Raycroft felt quite the opposite.

“Three days later as you watch the commentary from people that aren’t hockey people … it’s not as much as fun for me when you hear, ‘Anyone can do it.’ I don’t think it’s good for the league. The narrative should have been a little more, ‘Hey, he does practice all the time. He sees these shots often,’” said, Raycroft, thinking of all the goalies toiling in the minors and Europe who’ll never get that same shining moment.

GM Don Sweeney did not want to douse a good story when he was asked about it on Monday. But it certainly sounded like he was in favor of some sort of change.

“We have our upcoming meetings and I’m sure it will be on the docket as to whether or not we can tweak it or improve it. It’s been an area that we’ve talked about addressing but I’ll refrain from commenting further other than it was great theater,” said Sweeney.

With the B’s playing a late game in Vancouver on Saturday, coach Bruce Cassidy and his staff had an opportunity to watch the game. Cassidy found his thoughts and emotions bouncing between that of a fan to a coach to one of the stewards of the game.

“It could have been (a disaster), but it’s a great story instead,” said Cassidy. “I think it’s great for hockey, the way they celebrated it. Even Toronto. They knew this kid, they shoot on him sometimes. Afterward, he was saying ‘The only reason I missed the (John) Tavares shot was because he usually shoots high in practice.’ And I’m like ‘Am I really hearing this?’ And this is a game with playoff implication! But anyway, it turns out to be a good story. And, yes, it could have gone the other way. In a hurry.”

And the NHL should thank it’s stars, because David Ayres and his Hurricane teammates-for-a-night got the league out of a mighty big mess.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/2HXRyOh