Noronen may be Sabres' savior

By Kevin Winter, Special to CNNSI.com

BOSTON (Ticker) -- Frustration, as much as jubilation, is a part of sports. That frustration can be transcended from a player's performance during a game or a season or even from the lack of playing time that the player feels that he is receiving.

When training camp rolled around last fall, Mika Noronen figured he would get a shot to make the Buffalo Sabres roster. And why not? After all, all-world goaltender Dominik Hasek had moved along to the Detroit Red Wings, meaning Martin Biron would assume the No. 1 goaltending position. The question was who would be the backup?

"I was a little excited that [the Sabres] might give me a chance [to] try and give a good battle to Marty [Biron]," Noronen said. "But, I played in only one of the seven pre season games."

Noronen, who was the 21st overall selection by the Sabres in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft, lost the backup job to Bob Essensa and returned to Buffalo's top minor league affiliate in Rochester, New York for the third consecutive season.

The 22-year-old netminder did have a chance to play in five games with Buffalo at the end of December and went 2-1-1 with a 2.63 goals against average.

"It was nice to get up there over Christmas and see what it was like," Noronen said. "I made some good saves. The game is a lot faster, but I was happy with my play."

Noronen's NHL stint was short lived and his departure somewhat perplexing. He started against the Carolina Hurricanes on December 31, allowed two goals in the first period and was then pulled.

"We were trailing, 2-1, and I was pulled off the ice," he recalled. "I don't know why. They said that I didn't look confident."

Throughout much of this season, Noronen has attempted to maintain his focus while playing at a lower level than he'd like. He classifies this season as "so-so" thus far, correlating the fact that his team, which took the Western Division championship last season, is not playing well and that he hasn't been on top of his game.

"I haven't been able to be focused some nights at 100 percent, and I don't know why," he said. "There's not one reason."

"I think for a person who has accomplished so much at this level, it's a natural reaction," said Rochester coach Randy Cunneyworth in response to whether Noronen seems to be getting frustrated. "He has to remember that there's plenty of time ahead, and his turn will come. He has to be patient, and it's hard to do when you've accomplished so much so quickly."

In 40 games with Rochester this season, Noronen owns a 15-15-10 record with a 2.60 goals-against average. Over the previous seasons, Noronen went a combined 59-28-9 with a 2.18 GAA. His team is currently seven points out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference.

"I've got to control rebounds better," said Noronen. "This year, they've been getting a lot more second chance goals."

Even though he sounds frustrated about not playing in Buffalo, Noronen understands that where he is at this point in his career may be the best thing for him.

"It's good to be down here," Noronen said. "Right now, this is where you want to be, because if you get thrown in there in your first year and you give up a lot of goals, it gets harder and you might lose confidence. Maybe, when I make the NHL, I will appreciate this even more then I do now."

"I think he's very bright, and he understands the whole concept," Cunneyworth said. "He knows that Marty had to be patient while Dom [Hasek] was running the show. I know he understands the whole picture, and he just has to continue to prove himself game in and game out and everything will work out for the best."

Noronen is in the final year of his contract. But, unlike a Hasek, don't expect the Finnish netminder to skip town. Noronen says he wants to play for the Buffalo organization in the NHL.

With the Sabres sitting seven points out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and time running out, Noronen may have a chance to see more action between the pipes on an NHL ice surface in due time.

 

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