Ivan Fedotov made his much-anticipated debut against the New York Islanders on Monday night, replacing starting goalie Sam Ersson in the second period.
The Russian goalie, who has been generating tons of excitement since his surprise arrival to Philadelphia last week, was met with roaring applause when he skated out to the goal. Fedotov expressed his gratitude to those who cheered him on and created a supportive environment for him to play in.
"I want to say thank you to all the fans," he said after the game. "I'm excited, too. I'm happy to be here. All of the guys [fought hard] today, and I have a lot of respect for them."
Although head coach John Tortorella wasn't too happy with the team's performance during the second period, he called Fedotov's playing "terrific," especially since he was put in "a hell of a spot."
Fedotov agreed that the middle period could've used some work, but that his team steadily improved and secured a much-needed point against their Metro Division rivals.
"In the second period, we should've played more aggressive, but the third period was much better," he said. "Next game, we'll come and we'll battle again. [My teammates] did some really, really good work. We got a really important one point."
As for being thrown into the game unexpectedly, Fedotov said he wasn't fazed at all coming in partway through.
"I'm not a young guy, I have some experience and know how it works," the 27-year-old stated. "I don't care if I'm playing from the first minute or during the game. I just want to help the team and give energy and that's it."
Fedotov is, of course, renowned for his physical abilities—he stands six-foot-seven, dwarfing an NHL regulation-size net—but he also showed off his puck handling skills, sending the puck all the way to the other end of the ice on one particular clearance.
"I just try to help out the guys, the [defensemen], so that they feel more comfortable with the goalie playing behind them," he said. "When you stop the puck, small details like that are so important."
