I'm giving this week to "The Backup Goalie"


Saboo (or Sabou, if we want to be French about it) aka Dany Sabourin of the Penguins

went into their game on Thursday 2-0-1 with a 2.06 goals against average and .920 save percentage. He's been playing more as Fleury puts his head back together, and dammit, the first time we saw him, the guy won the Pens a shootout. Granted, that was a little while ago, but as he's kept it going this week, with only a one point loss, I think he counts.

He's also counting because this week he's riding the second string wave with Cheezer, aka Daren Machesney of Hershey.

Cheezer played his first game of the season on Friday against Albany, a team that handily beat the Bears here at home, and delivered a 1-0 shutout with 32 saves. Cheezer, after having Kris Mayotte (not a second string goalie) mistaken for him more times than you can shake a stick at (goalie or otherwise) at Caps camp, has seriously wormed his way into my "favorite goalies of all time" list. Because, yes, Cassivi is a good guy and he makes a lot of saves and helps carry the team, but Cheezer is just so very unassumingly always a presence on the Bears bench. It just warms the cockles of my little hockey heart to see him handing out extra sticks to the guys, and the fact that Cassivi came over and seemingly ASKED for him to go in last night? See? Even Freddy knows he's having the Best Week Ever.


Cheezer being awesome in warmups.

(And Bryz, we love you too, as you're a second stringer, even though Giggy has gotten better and you're playing less.)

Honorable mention for Best Week Ever also goes to the Third Sedin Twin from Caps Camp weekend, who suddenly and inexplicably showed up during the first intermission last night outside the women's restroom next to section 121 hanging around and generally looking creepy. I then attempted to get a photo of him on a digital SLR while simultaneously talking on the phone and buying a hat, and it didn't turn out so well.
HOWEVER.
It turns out he was unsuccessful at hiding his wonky big puck hat behind Cheezer during warmups.

Ah, the joys of the super zoom.