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Out on a Lalime

Marty Turco may be heading toward a career flameout

Posted: Wednesday April 26, 2006 12:50PM; Updated: Wednesday April 26, 2006 2:37PM
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An unfortunately all-too-familiar sight in the postseason for the Stars and their fans.
An unfortunately all-too-familiar sight in the postseason for the Stars and their fans.
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
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You know how people are. They tend to forget that Roman Cechmanek won 35 games for the Philadelphia Flyers in 2000-01. Or that he shared the Jennings Award for the fewest goals allowed in 2002.

But everyone remembers that he was a massive flop in the playoffs, going 3-7 over those two seasons. And that he lasted just one more year in Philly before being pawned off on L.A. And no one's surprised that two years later, he's out of the NHL.

That Patrick Lalime averaged 32 wins a year from 2000 to '04 with the Senators is pretty much an afterthought, as is the sub-2.00 GAA he sported over those seasons.

Instead, when Ottawa fans think of Lalime, all they can remember is that he failed to gets the Sens past the Maple Leafs in three of those postseason runs.

Following a humiliating first-round loss to the Leafs in 2004, Lalime was dealt to St. Louis. He spent much of this season in the minors and, after failing miserably with the Blues, could be out of the NHL in 2006-07.

While neither of those goalies is active in these playoffs, their names come to mind when considering the struggles of one who is.

Marty Turco has won 109 games in his three seasons as a starter with the Dallas Stars, including a team-record 41 in 2005-06. He shattered the NHL mark for lowest GAA in a season (1.72 in 2002-03) and made the Canadian Olympic team this winter. From October to April, he's as dependable as an atomic clock.

But as the legacies of Lalime and Cechmanek demonstrate, reputations are made in the playoffs. And coming into this season, Turco was just 7-10 with one series victory, despite playing behind teams that were among the best in hockey.

And now, after giving up a whopping five goals to Colorado in each of his first two games of this postseason, Turco is 7-12, and seemingly headed toward another springtime flameout.

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