This year an unusual number of contenders find themselves not knowing what type of goaltending they can expect night-to-night.
Where the heck have all the good goalies gone?
Given the fact there will be only one 50-goal scorer in the NHL this season, you would think big-league goalies would be standing on their heads en masse.
But that is not that case. In fact, I can’t recall a time when so many teams had question marks between the pipes entering the playoffs.
I can’t count the number of times this season I have heard people speak glowingly about the Boston Bruins only to caution they may not go far in the playoffs because Tim Thomas doesn’t have a proven postseason pedigree.
And yet with the playoffs just days away, I’m not so certain the Bruins aren’t playoff favourites because of Tim Thomas. Despite the fact he has only been to the playoffs once in his blossoming career, Thomas has been one of the NHL’s most consistent stoppers this season and stands a very good chance to win the Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goalie.
Other teams should be so lucky.
Outside of Boston (Thomas), San Jose (Evgeni Nabokov), Carolina (Cam Ward) and Vancouver (Roberto Luongo) among teams that are certain to be in the playoffs, which teams feel secure about their goaltending?
The defending champion Detroit Red Wings? I happen to think Chris Osgood is a very competent goaltender, but based on his play this season, which has been decidedly inconsistent, he’ll need to make huge strides if the Red Wings are to win back-to-back Cups. Osgood insists he’ll be fine when the playoffs start, but I’ll believe it when I see it. His backup, Ty Conklin, has blown numerous opportunities to steal the No. 1 job away from him.
The Washington Capitals are hoping this is the season they take a huge step in the playoffs and with the probable MVP in Alexander Ovechkin and best defenceman in Mike Green, you’d have to think it is a distinct possibility.
But can they do it with Jose Theodore in net?
The 2002 Vezina and Hart Trophy winner with the Montreal Canadiens has fallen on hard times ever since. He actually played quite well for the Colorado Avalanche last season, but when the team ran into injury problems in the playoffs, he was exposed.
His goals-against average rose from 2.44 in the regular season to 3.15. Hard to imagine him winning four rounds in the playoffs regardless how good the players are that help defend him.
What about the other top contenders? The Calgary Flames have shown signs at times of being a bona fide Cup threat, but at other times they look soft and confused. Their goalie, Miikka Kiprusoff, can be one of the best at his position in the league…on a good night. On a bad night, however, he can be shockingly weak. Lately he gets pulled more often than a sophomore’s finger at a frat party. Worse, the Flames did nothing to address their lack of a competent backup goaltender at the trade deadline.
That, more than anything else, could be their undoing.
Staying with the Western Conference, the strength of the Anaheim Ducks used to be in net where Jean-Sebastien Giguere won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in a year when his team lost in the Final and then stood tall as the Ducks won the Cup two years ago. Now he is unreliable and if they make the playoffs, there is no guarantee he’ll be the starter.
Chicago should make the playoffs and Nikolai Khabibulin has been pretty good of late, but he hasn’t played a playoff game since helping the Lighting win the Cup in 2004.
There are two teams in the West, which, if they get in, can thank their rookie stoppers, so I guess it’s not all bad. The Columbus Blue Jackets have Steve Mason, my pick for rookie of the year and top goalie, while the Nashville Predators have Pekka Rinne, whom I believe should be a Calder Trophy finalist. And if the St. Louis Blues get in, it will be largely because of goalie Chris Mason.
In the East, the Philadelphia Flyers have had goaltending issues, it seems, since Bobby Clarke had all his teeth. All you need to know about the Flyers is their No. 1 guy, Martin Biron, allowed five goals in a win against Toronto Friday night.
Five goals!
Marc-Andre Fleury has been hit-and-miss with the Penguins this season and the usually reliable Henrik Lundqvist has looked ordinary down the stretch for the Rangers. In Montreal youngster Carey Price was supposed to be the next Patrick Roy, but for the most part has been the next Steve Penney.
Even the winningest goalie in the history of the NHL isn’t immune to the woes that have plagued goaltenders this season. Shortly after he passed Patrick Roy in career wins to climb to the top of the mountain, Martin Brodeur hit the skids and dropped six in a row. Suddenly the Devils, who looked like a good bet to win the Eastern Conference and advance to the Stanley Cup Final, don’t look so invincible. Not only that, but for years people have criticized the Devils for overworking Brodeur only to have him look fatigued in the playoffs. But when he missed 50 games with an elbow injury, and then returned winning seven of his first eight starts, it looked like that would no longer be a factor. But six losses in a row have some wondering if he’ll be able to work his Marty Magic in the playoffs?
Can’t wait to see which one is the last goalie standing.
