San Jose Sharks pick Dimitri Patzold as Nabokov’s backup goalie
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) _ Dimitri Patzold won the San Jose Sharks’ backup goalie job Sunday when the club sent Thomas Greiss to the minors.
Greiss had better statistics than Patzold during the exhibition season, which the Sharks finished 5-0-2 with a 2-1 win over Calgary on Saturday night. The 21-year-old Greiss went 2-0 with a 1.45 goals-against average, while the 24-year-old Patzold had a 2.88 GAA and a meagre .813 save percentage.
But the Sharks want their younger goalie to play regularly, so Greiss will start for the club’s AHL affiliate in Worcester, while Patzold sits behind Evgeni Nabokov, who allowed just four goals in his three pre-season games.
The Sharks had a vacancy behind Nabokov, their starter since 2000, after trading Vesa Toskala to Toronto during the summer.