Manitoba goaltender on offensive

      There is little chance of watching Fred Brathwaite play hockey and comparing him to, oh, Wayne Gretzky or Jaromir Jagr.
      But the Manitoba Moose goaltender, who along with his teammates will play the Thunder tonight at 7:05 at the Thomas & Mack Center, has been putting up some pretty strong offensive numbers this year.
      Offensive? Yes, offensive.
      Brathwaite became the first goalie to score a goal in an International Hockey League game earlier this season, lighting the lamp against Long Beach.
      But Brathwaite also has five assists, giving him six points. That might not sound like much, but consider this: nine IHL players who have played 30 or more games have less points this year, and three have the same total.
      Brathwaite, in training camp with the Thunder before being traded to Manitoba along with Jeff Ricciardi on Oct. 1, laughs when his scoring is brought up.
      "I just think I've gotten lucky and had some things go my way," Brathwaite said. "When I scored the goal, I didn't even know I had gotten it until they made the announcement."
      Brathwaite, who also scored a goal in junior hockey for the Detroit Junior Red Wings, didn't shoot the puck into the net. There was a delayed penalty on Long Beach and the Ice Dogs pulled their goalie.
      Long Beach defenseman Viktor Ignatjev then made a pass that went down the ice and into the net. Since Brathwaite was the last Manitoba player to touch the puck, he got credit for the history-making goal.
      But Brathwaite's defensive work can't be overlooked. On an average team, Brathwaite record is above .500 and his save percentage over 90.
      He is playing more, which he hopes will lead him to the NHL. Brathwaite spent much of the past three seasons with the Edmonton Oilers, but played little behind Bill Ranford and then ex-Thunder goalie Curtis Joseph.
      Brathwaite has played 40 NHL games, but just 1,876 minutes, the equivalent of 31 full games.
      This year, he has played in 50 games and is 20-18-5 with a 3.31 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage.
      "I sure hope it's helped me," Brathwaite said of his effort to move up to the NHL.
      His chances are probably better than his chances of playing for Las Vegas. Twice, Brathwaite has been on the verge of playing for the Thunder, and twice it didn't happen. Before the club's inaugural season, he was signed and was expected to be a backup goaltender to Peter Ing.
      But Brathwaite had a tryout with Edmonton and played so well he made the team.
      Thunder general manager Bob Strumm didn't forget about Brathwaite, though, and signed him last summer as a backup for Parris Duffus. But rookie Igor Karpenko had a strong camp, and the Thunder faced salary cap problems, so he was dealt to Manitoba.
      "I would have liked to have played in Las Vegas," Brathwaite said. "But I knew they were committed to Parris as their guy, so when I got traded to Manitoba, I went with an open mind and just wanted to do what I could to help."
      Even if it meant putting in a goal here or there.