Best Goaltender?

Question

What NHL team do you think has the best goaltender? why?

Answer 1

This season is pretty much a dead heat between New Jersey (Martin Brodeur) and Vancouver (Roberto Luongo).

Both have similar stats, at the top of the league in wins and save percentage. However, Brodeur is tearing away from the rest of the league in shutouts.

BUT - one thing to consider is that Brodeur has enjoyed continuity with the Devils for many years. Luongo only got traded to Vancouver during the summer (to a team that missed the playoffs and now has less offensive skill than before with Bertuzzi gone). Once Luongo got past an adjustment period in the first couple months, he has been easily the best goalie in the league for the last 40 games or so.

If you give Luongo a bit of a break for adjusting to a new team (and one that showed last year that it was not very good without him) I would have to give the edge to Luongo.

3rd place: Hasek (Detroit)

Answer 2

The New Jersey Devils with Martin Brodeur. In years past, Brodeur had the luxury of playing with defencmen like Scott Stevens and Scott Niedermeyer in front of him. Now, he only has Brian Rafalski out of the big group that he had for years. He is up in the top 5 in each of the four major goaltending categories in the league: wins, shutouts (where he has as many as Hasek and Kiipprusoff combined, who sit 2 and 3 in that category), goals against average and save percentage. Also, no goaltender in the league has faced more shots than Brodeur this year. He is so far showing this season that he can win games without Stevens and Niedermeyer. We will see whether or not he can continue to do so when the playoffs come around. But, as it stands right now, he is the best.

Answer 3

I'm going to go against the grain a bit and say Dominek Hasek. This year everyone is saying Brodeur. Yes he has 12 shutouts... yes he will win 40+ games and is having one of the best years of his career. Is he the best goalie in the NHL?

I think Hasek is better. He has been dominating over a long stretch of his career, has won 6 Vezina awards to Brodeur's 2, Won 2 Hart trophies which Brodeur has never won, has a better career save percentage than Brodeur (Hasek has a career sv pct of 92.3% and had 5 years with 93% or better save percentage.. Brodeur has a career sv pct of 91.3% and has never had a save percentage greater than 93% in any year)...etc

Everyone says Brodeur may be the best goalie ever... well I say he is certainly VERY good but I think Hasek was and still is better.

Brodeur's biggest asset is his remarkable ability to play 90%+ of his teams games and he piles up a lot of shutouts and wins this way... and to his credit staying healthy and being durable and consistent is a HUGE asset for New Jersey. I'm not saying Brodeur is just OK by any stretch. He is truly a great Hall of Fame goalie, but I think many other goalies are having great years this year as well... Luongo, Mason and Kiprusoff just to name a few.

So all in all he is having a great year and will probably win the Vezina.. although my vote would likely go to Luongo.

The question is who is the best goalie and I take that to mean best goalie overall...not just this year.. and that title goes to Hasek in my opinion.

Answer 4

ummmm patrick roy, yes martin brodeur is sensational and the old goalies are great too, but back in the old days players werent as good as today the game is harder because of goaltending patrick roy has the record for most season wins and most playoff wins and has 4 cups, the Vezina trophy three times, The William Jennings Trophy four times and has played in 10 NHL All-Star Games. He has won 20 games or more 16 times, 30 or more 12 times and 40 or more one time in his noteworthy career. most shutouts, games played in the postseason, patrick roy all the way

but the goalie for right now
martin brodeur even though he doesnt have the best goals against average his save percentage is great 143 goals let in on 1882 shots thats sensational even though i love ray emery having 28 penalty minutes haha

Answer 5

The Devils have Brodeur. Sorry but I will taken the proven guy over my team's goalie. Yeah I'm a Pens fan and Fleury can be good to great. Still say Brodeur is the best in the league.

Answer 6

Martin Brodeur- plain and simple is the best goalie in hockey.
Hes the one constant for the Devils. He could pass Patrick Roy on the All Time win list before he calls it a career.

Answer 7

Martin Brodeur. He's going to break a record that every one said could not be broken--Terry Sawchuk's record for most shut outs ever. 103. Brodeur is 12 or 13 shut outs away. He should break the record next season. Plus, for years, every one said he wasn't that great of a goalie, he just did good because of the defence in front of him. He no longer has Scott Stevens and Scott Niedemayer and he is as strong as ever.

Answer 8

Rest of the season and playoffs? Brodeur with the Devils
Short term (who the heck knows?) Hasek with the Red Wings

Hasek is very fragile...I'm a Sens fan, and I know way more about the Dominator's groin than I ever wanted to...

Answer 9

Anaheim with J.S. Giguere, but that's because I'm from So Cal, or probably New Jersey, Martin Brodeur puts on a clinic anytime he gets in goal, and he just got his 4th 40 win season of his career.

Answer 10

New Jersey Devils. Because Martin Brodeur is one of the best clutch goalies in the league. I don't care for the devils but he is one the best in the league. He can play almost the whole season every year.