Raymond’s spinarama leaves Sens dizzy
Ottawa coach MacLean blows gasket after Leaf winger ‘blows snow’ on goalie Anderson in shootout
The secret’s out. Mason Raymond has a spinarama shootout move. And because of it — plus a three-point performance from the former Vancouver Canuck — the Maple Leafs are off to a 3-0-0 start.
Raymond’s controversial spinarama held up as the winner as the Leafs defeated the Ottawa Senators 5-4 on Saturday night in their home opener.
“I’ve been in the West for six years,” said Raymond, who signed a one-year deal with the Leafs in training camp. “Do they know it in the East as much? Maybe not. We’re in this market now. I’m sure that move will be the subject of a little bit of talk. It spreads quick.”
The Senators didn’t like the move at all. Coach Paul MacLean was screaming at the officials after it was allowed.
“I was on a conference call at the start of the year with all the other coaches and was informed at that time, I was with Bryan Murray, that that play would be seriously reviewed and you’re taking a chance that it would be an illegal play and the goal would be disallowed in the spinarama move,” said MacLean.
“And we informed our players of that, and we don’t do that. I think it’s a very unfair play for the goaltender for the guy to come in and blow snow on him. To me, he came to a full stop and the puck went backwards and came forwards, but that’s me. I’m only a fisherman from Nova Scotia, so I don’t know nothin’ about nothin’. Raymond said it’s his go-to move. “What I like most about it is I’ve been successful at it. It’s one that seems to raise some debate. It’s been successful, why not?” said Raymond. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it. From my standpoint, I don’t know why I can’t keep using it.
“I’ve been stopped a few times on it, too. It’s not a move you can use every day.”
The Leafs went 0-5 in the shootout last year and are a team historically bad at the novelty tiebreak.
“It went in the net,” said Leafs coach Randy Carlyle. “Which word didn’t you understand?”