Petersen thriving with heavy workload | TheAHL.com

by Zach Dooley | AHL On The BeatAfter Cal Petersen posted a 41-save shutout on opening evening, his head coach described his play as “Cal-like.”Fairly flattering when your title turns into an adjective for good play in web.The next day, Mike Stothers discovered himself at a loss for adjectives to explain his goaltender’s play.“I imply, I don’t know what extra superlatives you may say about him,” Stothers stated. “He simply stands tall, he covers up for some errors. He makes the routine saves after which he makes the troublesome saves truly look routine too. Actual good.”Ahead Matt Luff referred to as Petersen the Ontario Reign’s MVP after a 2-1 win in Bakersfield in late October, a sport during which Petersen stopped 35 of the 36 photographs he confronted.Defenseman Paul LaDue has described Petersen’s play as “lights out,” whereas ahead Jaret Anderson-Dolan has already come to know his teammate as among the best goalies within the AHL.“A few of these saves he’s making, he shouldn’t have the ability to make and it’s positively comforting to know you may have him again there… With out a goalie like that, these are at the back of the online,” Anderson-Dolan stated.Because the season has progressed, so have the statistics for Petersen. The third-year goaltender has began each sport for the Reign to date and has posted a 7-Three-2 document. He leads all AHL netminders in minutes performed, photographs confronted, saves and wins heading into the weekend’s two-game set in his residence state of Iowa.Don’t search for a break to come back within the close to future both. Petersen’s 12 begins have included 4 back-to-backs, in addition to a stretch with three video games in 4 nights. As long as his head coach needs him beginning, Petersen is up for the problem.“I’m high-quality taking part in all of the video games that Stutts needs me to place in,” Petersen stated. “I wish to satisfaction myself on being referred to as upon each time I must be. I performed lots of video games in faculty, performed lots of back-to-backs, so I’m pretty used to that. Like Stutts says, all the opposite guys should play, so why doesn’t the goalie should play too. I’m high-quality with it each time my quantity is named.”Most just lately, coming off a heavy workload of 39 saves on 43 photographs in a Four-Zero loss in Colorado on Tuesday, Petersen bounced again with a 23-save shutout the next evening, which included a decrease general workload however a number of high-quality probabilities in opposition to. Petersen has confirmed to be good for spotlight reel stops in most video games this season, with a flashy right-pad save on Wednesday the most recent within the bunch.The goaltender’s play this season has positioned him amongst the AHL’s high netminders and it’s no shock to those that work with him closest.Petersen’s regular demeanor and quiet competitiveness in web lends itself effectively to the goaltending place.“You see these attributes in Cal, his calmness,” Matt Millar, goaltending improvement coach for the Kings, stated. “His demeanor is sort of chill within the web, however in apply, you understand how elite of a competitor he’s. It doesn’t matter if it’s a capturing drill throughout a apply or a shootout, no matter it’s, he’s an elite competitor.”Millar famous that it’s the competitiveness that brings Petersen to a different degree and completes the bundle as a goaltender. Once you add that fireplace and drive to the naturally proficient participant, it takes him to the subsequent degree.Photograph: Juan Ocampo“He has an elite ability set as a goalie and he’s an incredible particular person,” Millar added. “You add that competitor piece on high of that and you’ve got a extremely good mix of attributes that enable somebody to be an unbelievable goaltender.” For Petersen, he additionally provides a component of management to the equation. Goaltender and chief don’t all the time go hand-in-hand with one another, a minimum of on the floor. By rule, goaltenders aren’t allowed to put on both a “C” or “A” on their jerseys within the AHL and NHL ranges, one thing that Petersen did in faculty on the College of Notre Dame.“If I might put a letter on Cal I most likely would,” Stothers stated. “I feel that a lot of him as an individual and I do know his teammates do the identical. He’s a pure chief.”There are apparent challenges to a goaltender being in that place, in that the goalie can’t be the participant speaking to officers in the course of the sport. Simply because he doesn’t have the letter on his jersey, nonetheless, doesn’t imply he isn’t a frontrunner on the Reign. Petersen is part of Ontario’s six-man management group that meets commonly with coaches and now in his third season, he exhibits management qualities in several methods.“I feel simply, based mostly on the place, you’re on the ice always and I feel there’s a pure management place that comes with being the final line of protection,” Petersen stated. “I feel it’s extra so simply making an attempt to be the toughest working man on the ice and serving to guys out while you get the prospect, simply being there for everyone.”Millar factors to a robust system of “peer management” in place within the Kings group, beginning on the high with Kings netminders Jonathan Fast and Jack Campbell. He notes that the selfless effort that Fast, Campbell and Peter Budaj did, working with Cal earlier in his profession, now sees the torch handed on as Petersen works with youthful Ontario netminders Cole Kehler and Matt Villalta.“Cal does a extremely good job off the ice of speaking with guys, connecting with them and spending the time to get to know the youthful goalies like Matt and Cole,” Millar stated.Petersen signed a three-year contract with Los Angeles within the offseason, which exhibits the dedication from the group to him, and vice versa. The development path for the Waterloo, Iowa, native since he initially signed with the Kings in 2017 has bolstered the depth within the group behind Fast and Campbell. Whereas his time within the NHL awaits, Petersen is taking his time in Ontario as an opportunity to proceed to develop as a frontrunner.“I assumed, if I used to be again [with Ontario] that was one thing I might make the most of and it will be an enormous alternative,” Petersen stated. I had some nice leaders after I first got here into the league and for lots of those younger guys, it’s an enormous step. In case you have a great, strong group of fellows who’re in a management place, who could make everyone really feel welcome and assist everyone attain their potential, there’s an incredible alternative.”