Preds goalie coach Mitch Korn on the SC Finals matchup

by Dirk Hoag on May 29, 2009 10:03 AM EDT

In today's Globe & Mail, David Shoalts gets Nashville Predators goaltending coach Mitch Korn to break down the matchup between Chris Osgood and Marc-Andre Fleury, who meet once again in the Stanley Cup Finals. It's a fine, detailed discussion of the craft that we unfortunately don't get enough of.

On Osgood:

The biggest difference between the goaltenders is in their athleticism. Korn considers Osgood's physical skills "average." He compensates with his intelligence and experience.

"I think Osgood is very strong between the ears," Korn said. "He has great mental toughness and a passion for that Red Wing crest. It elevates his game.

"He reads and reacts to things. He is excellent at recognizing the patterns in a game."

And Fleury:

Marc-André Fleury's physical skills are superior and at this point in his career he relies on his athleticism a little too much to get out of jams. But Korn says he made a lot of improvement over last season, when an ankle injury kept Fleury out for six weeks.

"That injury changed his game," Korn said. "Before, he was an overactive goalie and he still is to some degree. He was overactive in challenging [shooters], in his movements and in making saves. As a result, he gave up rebounds.

"When he hurt his ankle, he had to reel in his game. Now he's far more patient and in control."

It is remarkable how Osgood has risen to the challenge in this playoff run; he boasts a .925 Save Percentage so far, after a horrid .887 during the regular season, the worst among goalies with at least 40 games played. On the way to last year's Stanley Cup championship, he posted a .930 in the playoffs, and a respectable .914 in the regular season.

Fleury, on the other hand, was sensational last year with a .933 playoff save percentage for Pittsburgh, but this year stands at a mediocre .906. The skaters up front have carried more of the load this time around, but against Detroit, he'll need to elevate his game if the Penguins hope to avenge last year's defeat.