Zachary Focale’s perfect dream

Detroit | On 26, Zachary Fucale blocked a puck for the first time on the NHL ice. After 85 MLS games and 116 Premier League games, Focale got his first chance at the major tournaments in a Washington Capitals backpack.

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Called out from the Hershey Bears the day before, Fucale had begun a Caps visit to the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. He didn’t disappoint on his National Hockey League debut, blocking 21 shots in a 2–0 win over the wings.

“I’ve had good and bad times over the past few years,” Focale told the newspaper. But like Scotty (Scott Murray), the goalkeeper coach, he just told me it takes patience all too often to get things right in life. I’ve been working hard for this moment. I was patient in Tabriot. “

“It’s really special,” he continued. I couldn’t have asked for a better time. “

Fucale hasn’t broken the ice in the NHL. His first win and his first closing occurred. became 26^NS The goalkeeper in NHL history to get the closure on his first start. He is the first to achieve this feat since Garrett Sparks on November 30, 2015 with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

“Honestly, closing is just a bonus,” Focale replied. I just wanted to make a good first impression when I debuted. But the guys worked really hard in front of me, it was a huge defensive effort. There was five to three in the second period and my team-mates saved the shots. It was a stupid attempt. “

number 60

After interviews with colleagues from Washington and Newspaper For an additional two minutes in French, Foucali searched for his parents who had made the trip to Detroit. He had a big smile on his face when he saw his dad and mom coming down the ring steps to find him near the opposing team bench.

In Hershey, Fucale wore No. 35. In Washington, he now has No. 60, a reference to José Theodore.

“It is no coincidence,” he explained. When I was young, I watched Jose with the Canadian and Martin Browdor with the Devils. I had received a wand from Jose when I was very young. It’s a beautiful memory. “

kinda calm

Fucale, a former 2013 Memorial Cup winner with the Halifax Mooseheads, found ways to chase the tension early in the game. In the first period, he repelled 11 shots from the wings. He made his best saves against Robbie Fabri.

The caps allowed him to breathe easy by scoring two goals in ten seconds halfway through the first. Dmitriy Orlov and Lars Eler defeated Thomas Grace. In search of her 742^NS The goal, to beat Bret Hull for fourth place in NHL history, Alex Ovechkin collected an assist past Orloff.

Along the way

choose 2^NS round (36^NS overall) in the 2013 draft by Montreal Canadiens, Fucale went a long way before finally making it to the NHL.

Since his professional debut in 2015-2016, Quebecers have worn the colors of five MLS teams: Saint John Ice Cups, Laval Rockets, Chicago Wolves, Syracuse Crunch, and the Hershey Bears. He also visited four different ECHL locker rooms: Brampton Beast, Fort Wayne Komets, Orlando Solar Bears, and South Carolina Stingrays.

During the 2019-2020 season, Fucale did not have a contract with the NHL team. But he never gave up. Hold on to his dream. With the Capitals Regulating, he put his career back on track.

Last year, Fucale had a solid season at Hershey, going 9-2-0 with a 1.80 GAA and 0.932. The Capitals acknowledged his good job as a goalkeeper in MLS by awarding him a two-year contract extension on March 28.

Prior to his call-up to Washington, Vocal still had very good numbers with the Bears. It was 3-0-2 with a 1.73 GAA and 0.933 save rate. That was enough to pique the curiosity of Brian McClellan, CEO of the hats company.

The Capitals currently plays a triple role in goalkeeping with Ilya Samsonov, Vitek Vanecek and Fucale.

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