Comments on: Blackhawks say they have goalie luxury, not controversy

By: danphipps01

danphipps01 — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 09:07:59 +0000

The Caps tried that for several years. Couldn’t make it to the third round, let alone the Finals. The reason the Flyers got to the Finals against the ‘Hawks? Their fairly low-tier goalie, a career backup, went on a baffling hot streak. Leighton did to them what Halak did to a godawful Canadiens roster – took them farther than they had any right to go. Contrast this with the forget-your-own-backyard Caps. Both have come closer on their goalies’ backs than the Caps have on their forwards’.

By: blomfeld

blomfeld — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 03:00:27 +0000

danphipps01 – fair comment and probably true “today” for the most part … but there are exceptions … never forget that the best defense is often a powerful offense (ie: forget your own backyard, take the fight to your enemy’s turf) …

By: pudgalvin

pudgalvin — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 15:53:50 +0000

I don’t disagree, but Niemi was better in the regular season in ’09 than he was during the playoffs. It’s not an ideal way to win, but it’s not unheard of. With a great offense, you don’t absolutely have to have Brodeur in net.

By: danphipps01

danphipps01 — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 06:21:42 +0000

Pudgalvin – playoff GAA is often lower than regular season. If Crawford’s doing this questionably now, he wouldn’t make it through two rounds in the playoffs. Goalies are under LESS pressure in the regular season. Everyone dials up the performance in the playoffs, so unless he pulled out Halak-level craziness, he’d crash and burn. Emery’s looking like he’s trying to return to his old glory, and that’s an interesting prospect, but… well, so did Roloson. Now what’s he got going for him? No-one can count on Emery lasting, and Crawford might not achieve playoff contender form in the immediate future. If it’s not looking completely turned around by game sixty or so, I’d consider a trade a must-do to make a playoff run.

Blomfeld – it was the eighties. Scoring talked. Also, they had Gretzky, Messier, Kurri, Coffey, Anderson… don’t get me wrong, the ‘Hawks have a lot of star power, but that team has never been rivalled before or since. There’s never been anything else like it. Three fifty-goal forwards and a forty-goal defenseman meant they didn’t really need to know what their own zone looked like – they didn’t play in it all that much. Modern hockey is a lot more even – both teams get plenty of scoring chances and defense and goaltending are overwhemingly critical. A great goalie can take an awful team to the Finals, but a great offense can’t get far with a bad one. The Ovechkin-era Capitals have yet to see the Conference Finals. The Tampa Bay Lightning, currently one of the worst teams in the NHL, took the champions to a one-goal game seven just LAST YEAR. Same roster. Only difference is, Roloson isn’t playing out of his mind anymore.

I get what you’re saying, guys. I do. But reliable, high-level goaltending is pretty much required in the post-lockout NHL. Osgood in clutch mode for the Wings, Ward playing at one-season glory levels so the ‘Canes could edge out the Oilers (themselves the eighth seed of the West in the Finals only because of Roloson’s LAST glory run), Tim Thomas for the Bruins… Fleury and Niemi might not have earned the Conn Smythe in their respective runs, but even they played well by playoff standards. Without higher-level performance than either of the current guys seem to be putting out, I don’t think another Cup is possible.

By: blomfeld

blomfeld — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 05:33:43 +0000

I agree … back in the 80′s, the Oilers won 4 Stanley Cups in five years with supreme firepower, despite “up & down” goal-tending from Andy Moog and Grant Fuhr …

By: anotheryx

anotheryx — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 02:29:58 +0000

Bruins has a goalie luxury, I’m not quite sure what Hawks have.

By: pudgalvin

pudgalvin — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 01:59:10 +0000

I don’t know, that’s pretty much how they won the cup year before last. Niemi didn’t play that well through the playoffs, 2.63 GAA, right in the wheelhouse of what Crawford/Emery are doing. Defense was probably a little better that year, but it’s not far off this year.

By: danphipps01

danphipps01 — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 00:33:37 +0000

Having great offense and hit-and-miss goaltending isn’t a Cup-winning combination. Ask the Flyers and Capitals about how their Cup-hunting quests have gone the past few years. You have to wonder if they might have been better-served signing a couple of their top six forwards to slightly more conservative contracts and trying to keep Niemi on hand. I mean, if he can put up good numbers with a team as questionable in its own zone as the Sharks… yeah, he’s a good goalie. Crawford… well, he’s had flashes, but you really have to wonder what he’s got. I hope he turns it around. He’s the only real hole on the whole team.