The Carleton Ravens men’s hockey team currently sits third in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) east division with a 17-5-0 record thanks in part to the goaltending tandem of Francis Dupuis and Patrick Killeen.
Both goaltenders have posted impressive stats this season. Dupuis improved his record to 11-2 after a 4-1 win over the Concordia Stingers on Jan. 23 at the Ice House, and boasts a save percentage of 0.923 per cent and a goals-against average of 2.04. Killeen, meanwhile, is also having a strong season with a record of 6-3 along with a save percentage of 0.919 per cent and a goals-against average of 2.33.
“It’s quite a luxury as a coaching staff to have two excellent goaltenders, and they’ve pushed each other to be really top-end guys and we’re really happy about that,” said Ravens head coach Marty Johnston.
“Both are given the opportunity to play and they’re playing well. The good thing with our group is if anyone ever went down we have full confidence in the other guy and I think depth in all areas is key,” he said.
The duo are in their second season as teammates at Carleton and are very familiar with the abilities of the other.
“[Killeen is] really quick. It’s odd to see a goalie who’s as quick as him and who’s as tall as him be as quick as he is,” Dupuis said. “He covers a lot of the net, he’s very quick to get across, and doesn’t let a lot of pucks through him. Big goalies, they usually let in a lot of stuff, like cross-creases, but him, he’s so quick.”
“[Dupuis is] positionally sound,” Killeen said. “He never gets into too much trouble, he seems to be in the right spot all the time, and that’s one of the best parts, just making things look easy.”
Both goaltenders have looked to each other in an effort to improve their craft.
“I look up to him, having played pro, to see what it takes to get to the next level,” Dupuis said.
Killeen was selected in the sixth round of the 2008 NHL entry draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins. He spent three seasons with their affiliates, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League and the Wheeling Nailers and Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL.
He also played with the Brampton Battalion of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for over three seasons.
Before attending Carleton, Dupuis plied his trade in the Central Canada Hockey League with teams such as the Pembroke Lumber Kings, Carleton Place Canadians, and Gloucester Rangers, and appeared in three games with the Guelph Storm of the OHL.
“The way he moves when he’s down, the short, controlled bursts of pushing with your legs when your down and getting to pucks quicker is definitely something I’ve looked to him to help myself,” Dupuis said.
Killeen said he has also noticed areas in the game where Dupuis excels and has made an effort to add that to his game.
“One of the knocks I’ve always had against me was just staying composed,” Killeen said. “That’s something that especially when I was sitting out and watching him play, he’s very good at staying calm and collected. I kind of tried to adopt that into how I play and it’s worked out well.”
Although both goaltenders are eager to play as much time in net as they can, they agreed that splitting the duties benefits the team.
“Every goalie wants the net all the time, but being with Killer [Killeen], it’s not a bad thing because we get along very well,” Dupuis said. “Like when I’m in there he encourages me and when he’s in there, I’m his number one fan too . . . It’s not so hard to be told you’re going to be sitting on the bench when you have a goalie that good taking over. As long as the guys know we’re both going to be there, it doesn’t matter which one of us is in the net,” he said.
“I’m the kind of guy where obviously I want to play every game and he’s the same way,” Killeen said. “I think at a competitive level every goalie will want to tell you they want to play every game, but when you have two guys that push each other, it’s good for both of us and good for the team to have two guys that need to be at their best every night.”
