Goalie spotlight: Toronto Maple Leafs
ESPN.com
Curtis Joseph
|  | | Joseph challenges opponents to beat him up high. |
Height: 5-10 | Weight: 182 | Age: 32
Experience: 11th NHL season
The lowdown: Another ho-hum 30-plus win season for Joseph, who is at his best when facing a lot of shots. That way, he's always involved in the game. He faced fewer shots this season than in years past, but it didn't negatively affect his performance.
The Leafs made it to the conference finals last season, but if they are to go a little farther, it may be up to Joseph, whoes 2.44 GAA in the 1999 playoffs was actually a bit high relative to the competition.
Injuries to the defense corps place more pressure on Joseph than last year, but he's played a lot of postseason hockey, so if anyone can steal one for his team, the Leafs are a threat in the East.
| DARREN PANG'S ANALYSIS OF CURTIS JOSEPH |
| How to beat Joseph |
How Joseph beats you |
| You beat Joseph by pounding the net. In tight, the puck has to go up top because he has a propensity to take away the lower part of the net and rely on reflex to take away any shots up top. |
CuJo beats teams with his fighting instincts; he is a scrapper. He makes his teammates around him better. Because of who he is and how he treats his teammates, they will do anything for him. It's not just about his ability in the net. He never blames anybody else. Joseph is an unselfish, team player. |
Career playoff games: 75 | Career playoff record: 35-38
1999-2000 stats: GAA: 2.49 | Record: 36-20-7 | Save. pct: .915 | Shutouts: 4
Vs. Senators in 1999-2000: G: 5 | GAA: 2.98 | Record: 1-3-1 | Save. pct: .924
Post All-Star Game stats: G: 20 | GAA: 2.70 | Record: 11-8-1 | Save pct: .914
Career stats: GAA: 2.88 | Record: 284-216-68 | Save. pct: .907 | Shutouts: 26 |
