LCS Hockey Player Ratings: Top Goaltenders

LCS Hockey Top Rated Goaltenders
By Michael Dell, editor-in-chief

1. Patrick Roy, Colorado Avalanche: Sure, a lot of people are hyping Dominik Hasek as the best goalie in the world, but we can't hear 'em. We've got Patrick Roy's Stanley Cup rings in our ears.

Patrick Roy

It was clearly a three-horse race for the number one spot. Hasek is the flavor of the month with most of the national media, claiming the Hart and Vezina trophies after his sterling 1996-97 performance. No doubt, Hasek is an amazing goaltender. But the minute he wins a playoff series, let us know. The other chief rival for Roy's crown is New Jersey's Martin Brodeur. The 25- year-old Brodeur makes no secret that Roy is his hero. There's a good reason for that admiration. Roy's better than he is.
St. Patrick had a remarkable season with the Avalanche last year, leading the league in wins (38) and finishing fourth in save percentage (.923), while tying his career high in shutouts (7) and setting a new personal best with a 2.32 goals-against average. Roy also had a strong playoff showing, surpassing Billy Smith for most career playoff victories (96) and almost single- handedly carrying the Avalanche past the Red Wings in the Western Conference finals.
Aside from his picturesque butterfly style, it's the intangibles that really separate Roy from the pack. He just seems to have an aura of invincibility about him. His confidence in net, and in the room, can't help but permeate his teammates. Combine this with his fierce competitiveness, and Roy just may be the biggest impact player in the game. It's hard to imagine any other player in the NHL, Mark Messier included, that could have such an overwhelmingly positive effect on a club. And while the benefits to his own team are invaluable, Roy's impact on the opposition is almost as profound. He can squelch a scoring chance without ever coming in contact with the puck. His legendary status in net has opponents intimidated well before the opening faceoff. Shooters know they're in for a long night when they face Roy and often try to be too fine with their shots, causing the boards and glass behind him to take a serious beating.
The guy's got three Stanley Cups, two Conn Smythes, and is undoubtedly the best big-game goaltender in today's game, if not the sport's entire history. Hockey is all about winning. If you're not winning, who the hell cares what you do? Patrick Roy is a winner.
2. Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils: With each passing season, Brodeur begins to look more and more like his idol, Patrick Roy. Brodeur is effortless in net, always in position to make the big save without ever having to make it look spectacular. Of course, playing behind the New Jersey defense is hardly the toughest gig in show business, but hey, somebody's gotta do it. Brodeur's game really doesn't have any weaknesses, although Marty might want to work on those wraparounds to his stickside. Giving up two series-clinching, overtime goals the same way twice in a career can't be fun. Other than that, Brodeur is the man.
3. Dominik Hasek, Buffalo Sabres: He has a Hart Trophy, three Vezinas, and a Lester Pearson, now he just has to win a playoff series. Hasek continues to stockpile amazing numbers in the regular season, but until he finds success in the playoffs it's impossible to rate him on the same level as Roy. Unless, of course, winning doesn't matter and you're just looking for somebody to flop around and look cool. Then, by all means, select Hasek.
The Dominator's career postseason record stands at 6-11. He saw some spot duty with Chicago early in his career and won a game as Grant Fuhr's backup in 1992-93 for the Sabres, but it wasn't until 1993-94 that Hasek got his first chance to be the number one guy during playoff action. That season the Sabres, playing without the services of an injured Pat LaFontaine, lost a grueling seven-game series to the New Jersey Devils and good ol' Martin Brodeur. The next season saw the Sabres get bounced in five games by the Philadelphia Flyers, with Hasek looking extremely mortal in yielding 3.50 goals a game. That brings us to this past Spring when Hasek split the opening two contests with the Ottawa Senators before injuring his knee in Game Three and missing the remainder of the series. It may not be fair to pin all the playoff woes to Hasek, his teammates certainly have to share in the blame. But still it would have been nice to see him steal at least one of those series. After all, that's what superstar goaltenders are supposed to do.
There's also been all the recent hype about Hasek not getting along with his fellow Sabres and former Buffalo coach Ted Nolan. That's never good to hear. Hasek did earn bonus points with us for throttling the sportswriter guy that questioned the validity of his knee injury, but tearing some ink-stained wretch's shirt isn't exactly lifting the Cup.
If a poll was conducted among NHLers, Hasek would probably be named as the toughest goaltender to beat. That's because he's so unpredictable. He doesn't have a set style, he just does whatever is needed to stop the puck. If that means sprawling along the ice and catching one in the head, then so be it. No one in the game can match Hasek's speed post to post. And beating him down low is almost an impossibility, his feet are just too damn quick. He does have a tendency to drop his gloves at times and he doesn't always come out to challenge like he should, so that means he could be had upstairs. But knowing how to beat Hasek and actually doing it are two different things. Our advice is to follow Owen Nolan's lead and pipe one glove side. Outside of that, good luck. And it all goes back to his being so unpredictable. At least with Roy and Brodeur a shooter knows what to expect. With Hasek, he'll give a shooter a different look on every chance. That's just nutty. How dominating can Hasek be? Well, he won first-star honors in 28 games last season. That deserves a wow...
We pretty much already explained why Roy is listed ahead of Hasek, what with all the Cups and leadership and stuff. That leaves why Brodeur is number two, and not the beloved Dominator. Well first, Brodeur's got a Cup. Tough to argue with that. Second, Brodeur is seven years younger and far more durable. Hasek got a late jump on his North American career and checks in now at a rather advanced 32 years of age. The years might be catching up with him in the form of a bad back that has plagued him at times the past few years. Third, Brodeur is better with the stick. Hasek likes to come out and play the puck, and he isn't that bad with it, but he's nowhere near as skilled with the lumber as Brodeur. And finally, Brodeur is just more reliable. He's a classic butterfly goalie that's always in position. Meanwhile, Hasek's jumpin' around like a chimp on ether. It's fun to watch, but it can also be a little unsettling at times.
4. John Vanbiesbrouck, Florida Panthers: The Beezer is just the consummate pro. He's probably the most consistent goaltender in the league. He puts forth the same level of excellence night after night. I know we say the same thing about him every year, but that just goes to show how consistent he is. A stand-up goalie, Vanbiesbrouck's angle play is superb. There's just nothing to shoot at. He doesn't make that many highlight-reel saves, but that's just because he's never out of position. He makes it all look easy. If he's got a weak spot it's high glove side. He's not bad with the catcher, it's just he's so strong with the blocker that it makes his glove look weak in comparison. But there's not a whole lot wrong with the Beezer. If you want to score against Vanbiesbrouck, you have to earn it. He doesn't give the opposition anything. That's the best trait a goaltender can have.

Old school Joseph

5. Curtis Joseph, Edmonton Oilers: CuJo moved up in our rankings thanks in large part to his miraculous performance against the Dallas Stars in the first round of the playoffs. Joseph carried the Oil into the second round on the strength of some of the most impressive goaltending in recent memory. Folk songs have already been written about his lunging glove save on Joe Nieuwendyk in overtime of Game Seven. As amazing as he was against the Stars, the showing was just a continuation of the incredible work he put in during the regular season. Joseph was a workhorse for the Oil, appearing in 71 games and posting very respectable numbers (2.93 GAA, .907 SV%) while playing behind the flighty young Edmonton squad. He also rang up six big shutouts.
Joseph is just an athlete in net. He can get scrambly at times, but his lightning quick reflexes and agility usually make up for any mistakes in positioning. He isn't scared to flash the leather, owning perhaps the best glove hand in hockey. The guy's just fun to watch play. At any moment he's capable of busting out a once-in-a-lifetime save. He made a split stop on Pavel Bure a few years back that is still being studied by a team of German scientists to find out if it really happened or if it was just a mass hallucination brought on by a faulty air conditioning vent. Joseph has been known to give up a soft one at times and can play too deep in his net, but he's one of only a handful of players that can dominate a game from the goal crease.
6. Mike Richter, New York Rangers: Ranking Richter is always a tough call. When he's on his game he's virtually unbeatable. He stays on his skates, cuts the angles, and uses his amazing reflexes to snuff most every shot. His work at the World Cup and during the second round against New Jersey this past Spring are perfect examples of Richter at his best. There is a flip side, tho'. When Richter struggles, he struggles hard. During such troubled times, it seems like he begins to rely too much on his reflexes and not enough on positioning and technique. His glove tends to drop and he isn't as aggressive in challenging shooters. It also seems the longer Richter sees a shot, the worse he reacts. That's not to say he isn't a great goaltender. Because, let's face it, he's on his game more than he's off.
It was hard to decide whether Richter should be number five or six in the rankings. Richter and Curtis Joseph are two very similar goaltenders. Both have tremendous reflexes. Both can do a split a champ. And both can steal games by themselves. Richter has the advantage in the hardware department, owning a Stanley Cup and a World Cup. That World Cup victory even came in a head-to-head meeting with Joseph. That little fact right there would seem enough to give the man with Aunt Jemima on his helmet the edge. But not so fast there, Pedro. Joseph gets the nod for one simple reason: he's cooler. Richter's a nice guy and all, but he doesn't have a nifty nickname like "CuJo". Joseph also comes out on top in the intensity department. Richter is just a little too friendly in net, almost making it seem like he can be intimidated at times.
7. Guy Hebert, Anaheim Mighty Ducks: Hey, get a load of this, Guy Hebert made the top ten! Yes, it's hard to believe, but Guy Hebert is one of the NHL's best goaltenders. Hebert started out as Curtis Joseph's backup in St. Louis and shaking the "backup" label is quite the chore, just ask Kenny Wregget. Hebert finally pried the monkey off his back this season with an outstanding campaign for the mighty water fowl. Hebert was a mission man, posting a 2.67 goals-against average, a .919 save percentage, and four shutouts in 67 appearances. And he did it all playing behind a blue line that boasted the likes of J.J. Daigneault and Dmitri Mironov as two of its top defensemen. It's never a good sign when a club trades with Pittsburgh in hopes of finding defensive help.
Yet through it all Hebert was a sterling example of goaltending excellence. He got off to a terribly slow start last season, but by the end of the year a case could be made that he was the best goaltender in the league. He was in net so much that backup Mikhail Shtalenkov started his own settlement at the end of the Anaheim bench. Shtalenkov's makeshift town was called "Lonelyville", population one. And while Mikhail was trying to establish a public school system and a health care plan for his new homeland, Hebert was busy putting on a ghetto clinic each night.
A recent convert to the Francois Allaire school of goaltending, Hebert isn't the classic butterfly netminder in the form of Patrick Roy or Felix Potvin, but he has incorporated enough of Allaire's teachings to create an effective hybrid with his old stand-up style. Hebert has existed in the shadows long enough. It's time people start to take notice of his achievements. Then everyone can share in the famous Duck chant: Quack, quack, quack... nice save, dude... quack, quack, quack.
8. Ed Belfour, Dallas Stars: The Eagle dropped a bit in the rankings because of an injury-plagued 1996-97 season that was split between Chicago and San Jose. Reported squabbles with fellow netminder Jeff Hackett punched Belfour's ticket out of Chicago, but he hardly got his feet wet in the Shark Tank before a knee injury sent him to the sidelines. When he returned to action for the boys in teal, it wasn't long before a bulging disk in his back ended his season prematurely. Once summer hit, Belfour jumped ship and signed a three-year deal with the Dallas Stars. So basically San Jose gave up Ulf Dahlen, Michal Sykora, and Chris Terreri for the pleasure of watching Belfour play 13 games in a Shark uniform. Yeah, that sounds about right.
The Sharks did there best to try and re-sign him, but Belfour opted for less money in order to play for a legitimate Stanley Cup contender in Dallas. That goes to show you that his head's in the right place. Belfour's a fierce competitor. He's got money, he's got Vezinas, now he wants a Cup.
Belfour used to catch a lot of grief because he always seemed to falter in the playoffs, but that's a bunch of jive. Most of that criticism stemmed from the Minnesota North Stars knocking the Hawks off in the first round in 1990-91. Belfour tore the league up that season, leading the NHL in appearances (74), minutes (4127), wins (43), goals-against (2.47), and save percentage (.910). Yet once the Cinderella Stars dispatched Chicago in six games, Belfour was the guy that took most of the heat. The following year Eddie led the Hawks to the Stanley Cup Finals before running into the buzz saw of Mario Lemieux and the Pittsburgh Penguins. But even a Finals appearance wasn't enough to silence all of Belfour's critics. The next two seasons brought two more first round exits for Belfour and the Hawks. Then in 1994-95, Belfour started to turn things around. Eddie practically put the Hawks on his back and carried them into the Western Conference finals against the Detroit Red Wings. The Wings were a far superior club, and eventually prevailed in just five games, but Belfour was spectacular in trying to keep his team alive. 1995-96 saw another inspired postseason effort from Belfour, as he went head-to-head with Patrick Roy and the mighty Avalanche in the second round before finally yielding in six games to the eventual Cup champs. These two performances have all but put doubts about Belfour's ability to show up in the postseason behind him.
What makes Belfour so great is his aggressiveness in net. He's absolutely fearless in coming out to challenge shooters. When guys bust in down the wing there just isn't any net to speak of. He purposely shows a big five-hole to bait the shooter and then takes it away with a cruel ease. When Belfour's on his game he catches most shots in the belly, a sign of his good angle work and the opposition's failure to pick the five-hole. On scrambles around the cage, Eddie likes to go down to one knee and take away the bottom of the net. That leaves him open upstairs. The only catch is that he's usually in such good position that any shots over his shoulders also end up over the net.
Belfour's just a tremendous goaltender. If he's healthy this year in Dallas, the Stars and Avalanche will be battling it out in the Western Conference Finals. Health is the only question mark for Belfour, and it's not due to a lack of conditioning. Belfour is always in superb shape. And we're talkin' iron-man- triathlete shape, not average-Joe-hockey-player shape. His back has been an area of concern the past few years, but he should be good to go. At 32, though, an injury like that could linger. If we were sure he was back to full strength, Belfour would be fighting John Vanbiesbrouck for the number four spot in our rankings. As is, the eight hole seems fair.

Felix Potvin

9. Felix Potvin, Toronto Maple Leafs: Oh, that wacky Cat. Potvin was brutal at the start of last season. Soft goals were routine and more than a few fans in Toronto were willing to send him packing. But as the season wore on, Potvin started to find his stride. By the end, the 26-year-old was back to his old self. Quickness is still Potvin's forte. And he needs to be quick with how far back he plays in net. Questionable positioning aside, he's still a study in perfection when it comes to butterfly technique.
Considering the sad state of the Maple Leaf team in front of him, Potvin's numbers were quite staggering. He had a naturally inflated 3.15 goals-against average, but his save percentage was a very respectable .908. It was Potvin's endurance, however, that took center stage. He led the league in both games (74) and minutes played (4271). That workload is even more impressive when it's considered he faced a league-leading 34.2 shots per game. It's amazing he didn't collapse from exhaustion. And who can forget Felix dropping the gloves and workin' Ron Hextall? That pummeling alone would have earned him a spot in the top ten.
10. Nikolai Khabibulin, Phoenix Coyotes: By now, everyone should know that we love ourselves some Khabby. He is a bona fide LCS cult hero. Every day at noon we bow in his direction. We've even started spelling our names with silent K's. We'd have liked to rate him higher than ten, but one thing was holding Khabby back: consistency. He just doesn't have any. He'll post a shutout one night and then get used for six the next time out.
The good news is that Khabby's only been in the league for three seasons and is just 24 years old, so there's plenty of time to work on becoming consistent. If he could become more stable in net, Khabby definitely has the tools to become a superstar. He's a little unorthodox in there, but he gets the job down. His style is reminiscent of Billy Ranford, especially when he starts breaking out the lunging kick saves. He's got great quickness, challenges well, and is sturdy as they come. Khabby started the final 42 games of the regular season and then tacked on seven straight in the playoffs. That there is something special. But the best thing about our Russian friend is that he has that rare ability to step up and take over a game. At one point last season he notched three straight shutouts. That's hard to do. All hail Khabby. Khabby is great.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Sean Burke, Carolina Hurricanes: Burke is a swell goaltender. He has great size and knows how to use it. When he's on his game there's just nothing to shoot at it. Burke's big problem, though, is a chronic bad back that seems to cost him several key games each season. If Burke could just stay healthy, he could make any team a serious playoff contender. Which is why his name is always involved in trade rumors.
Grant Fuhr, St. Louis Blues: How amazing has Grant Fuhr been the past two years? The soon to be 35-year-old netminder has played more hockey than any other NHL goalie during the past two regular seasons, appearing in an astounding 152 games and logging 8,626 minutes between the pipes. Fuhr still has the razor-sharp reflexes and cat-like agility of his younger days. He even showed a tremendous work ethic this past off- season, something he was always questioned for, when he recovered from a serious knee injury suffered in the 1995-96 playoffs. Fuhr still has the ability to steal a game on his own. Yet somehow he never quite cracks our top ten. Go figure?
Bill Ranford, Washington Capitals: Ranford is, without doubt, the most exciting goaltender in the league. Every save this guy makes is one for the time capsule. He's been battered by injuries the past two seasons and hasn't been his usual sparkling self. This is the first year that Billy hasn't made our top ten. But it should just be a one-year absence. Look for Ranford and the Caps to have a monster season this year in Washington.
MOVIN' ON UP
Stephane Fiset, Los Angeles Kings: The good news is that Fiset finally got his chance at being a number one goaltender this season after never quite reaching that status during his time in Quebec and Colorado. The bad news is that his chance came with the Los Angeles Kings. Even though he had one of the worst teams on the planet in front of him, Fiset proved that he has what it takes to be a legitimate number-one guy in the NHL. His stats weren't that great, but the Kings could make Jacques Plante look like scrap. Fiset's other big problem was a nagging back injury that always seemed to derail him right when he started to string together some impressive outings. If he can stay healthy, he's definitely on the rise.
NOW I GOT WORRY
Kirk McLean, Vancouver Canucks: It wasn't long ago that McLean was considered one of the game's best. In 1991- 92, he tied for the league lead in both wins (38) and shutouts (5). In 1993-94, McLean spearheaded the Vancouver charge to the Stanley Cup finals by playing all of his team's 24 games, earning 15 wins and four shutouts. Sadly, it's been downhill ever since.
The 31-year-old has been hampered by knee injuries the past two seasons in compiling a 36-39-12 record. It's hard to believe but his 1996-97 goals-against average of 3.21 was actually a dramatic improvement over his 3.54 mark the previous year. It's tough to tell if his recent struggles are a result of the Canucks having problems as a team, or if the team's problems are in large part due to McLean's woes. It's probably 50/50... a little bit of this, a little bit of that.
McLean's rigid, stand-up style is a throwback to the old days. Come to think of it, maybe that's what he should do with it... throw it back. McLean's game is all about positioning. He has to be aggressive in order to play well, since cutting the angle is pretty much the only chance he has to stop a low shot, but he can't get crazy with it. If he roams too much, he lacks the foot speed and agility to make up the difference and the mistake usually ends up in his net.
Maybe Mark Messier's arrival will be enough to snap McLean back to his old self. If not, newcomer Arturs Irbe will be waiting in the wings. And, as we all know, Irbe like wall... chomp, chomp, chomp... Irbe like wall.
WHICH WAY DO I GO, GEORGE
Tom Barrasso, Pittsburgh Penguins: After playing just five games last season with a 5.78 goals-against before shoulder surgery ended his season, word on the street was that Tom Barrasso would never again suit up for the Penguins. That rumor was greeted by a chorus of applause all throughout the Steel City. It's hard to believe, but the two-time Cup winner and local hero had become everyone's least favorite Penguin due to his perceived arrogance and a series of bizarre rumors about his off-ice behavior. Kenny Wregget was clearly the fan favorite in town. Barrasso's miserable start and season-ending injury seemed to be the nail in his coffin. Having rookie Patrick Lalime come out of nowhere and rewrite the NHL record book certainly didn't help his chances of a return, either. Toss in a $2 million a year salary, and Barrasso's days in the Burgh definitely seemed over.
That's why it was all the more shocking when Pittsburgh GM Craig Patrick announced this summer that Barrasso will be back in 1997- 98. While appearing on a local sports talk show, Patrick said that Barrasso is healthy and ready to go. When viewers called in to question the move of bringing him back, Patrick defended Barrasso, even going as far to say that he is a better goaltender than Ed Belfour, who could have been signed as a free agent. The only thing more puzzling than Barrasso's return is Patrick's apparent blind devotion to the former star goaltender. We're talking about a guy in Barrasso who has played only 56 games the past three years and has done his best to distance himself from his fans and teammates.
If he's healthy and his head is on straight, Barrasso can still be a great goaltender. It's just that most Penguin fans would prefer to see a tandem of Wregget and Lalime next season, with the money spent on Barrasso going elsewhere, like trying to sign former number one pick Alexei Morozov. But Patrick and the Penguin brass seem intent on giving Barrasso another chance. Now he has to prove he deserves it.
Jocelyn Thibault, Montreal Canadiens: When Thibault was acquired in the Patrick Roy trade, he was expected to be the Canadiens' number one goaltender for the next ten years. Unfortunately, owning the spotlight in his hometown seemed a bit more than the 22-year-old Montreal native could handle. By the time the playoffs rolled around, 20-year-old rookie Jose Theodore had won over the fans and the starting job. The Habs also went out this off-season and signed Andy Moog to provide some veteran leadership in net. The question now is will Moog be the mentor to Thibault or Theodore? If the Habs think Theodore is ready, Thibault could be on a different roster this season. Wherever he plays, the youngster has a lot to prove in 1997-98.
SCARY MOTHER
Damian Rhodes, Ottawa Senators: Late last season, ESPN was running some piece during one of their broadcasts that involved short clips of a number of players voicing their opinions on the subject at hand. I can't remember what they were talking about, it might have been the goal-crease rule, but one of the brief video clips was taken from an interview with Damian Rhodes. This was the first time we had ever heard Rhodes speak, or seen him out of his equipment for that matter. He was only on screen for about two seconds, but it was enough to scare the hell out of us. It's hard to explain why exactly. I can't even remember what he said. It was more how he said it. His demeanor was, shall we say, peculiar? I guess the best way to describe it was that he reminded me of Foo Fighters guitarist Pat Smear. Now Pat Smear is a great guy and all, but I'm not sure that a hockey player would want to be confused with Pat Smear... not that there's anything wrong with that. It's just, you know, different...