Up-And-Down Booberry Start

[CowboyinAmerica 2,840]

 

Helsinki -- Last season, Helsinki Titans goalie Xavier Booberry was by almost any measure one of the best players in the league. He won the league's Most Outstanding Player, Goalie of the Year, and Best GAA awards in a season that included 10 shutouts and an average goals allowed under 2 per game. It was a tremendous step forward for the third year goaltender.

 

However, in his fourth season, Booberry looks to have taken a bit of a step back. Sure, a .926 save percentage, 2.32 GAA and 3 shutouts in 34 games is nothing to scoff at. Still, for a player who was hoping to garner MVP consideration this year, merely being an above average goalie isn't what he wanted.

 

"I hold myself to a high standard, because I think I should be able to live up to it," Booberry said after a recent Helsinki loss to Moscow. "I know I can be playing better than this, which makes things frustrating. But at some points, I just need to trust the process."

 

Before the season, Booberry had put not only his first playoff birth, but a first round bye as his goal for Helsinki. So far, though, the team sits in fourth in Europe at 41 points, 3 points behind Riga for third and just 1 point ahead of Davos for fifth. He did remind fans of last season though, hoping for a repeat.

 

"Last year, it was a late season run that put us within striking distance of the playoffs. So maybe we're just late bloomers," Booberry joked. "But with that said, I think these next couple of games are going to be crucial. If we're going to be in that top three, it needs to happen sooner rather than later. And I hope to get us there."