Brodeur's Legacy?

Question

So this season the Devils have changed their style of play from a tight defensive game to a wide open offensive game which really isn't working for them. Now with the change of system Martin Brodeur has been letting in a lot of goals and doesn't look like Brodeur of previous seasons. Do you think that the change of playing styles has exposed Brodeur as an average goalie who just had a really good defensive corps in front of him all these years? The reason I mentioned this is because the year after the Devils won their 1st Stanley Cup they changed from a defensive style game to an offensive style game and ended up missing the play-offs and Brodeur had his worst season. So in the end will this affect his legacy as one of the leagues best goalies?

So the season after they won their 1st Stanley Cup was the 1995-96 season and Brodeurs numbers were
1995–96 : New Jersey Devils : NHL : 77 games : 34 wins : 30 loses : 12 ties: 4434 mins. : 173 goals against : 6 SO : 2.34 gaa : .911 save %. Those are good numbers for a regular goalie but Brodeur is not a regular goalie. The focal point here is 30 loses (most of his career thus far) and missing the play-offs (the Devils were the 1st Championship team to miss the play-offs the following year in 26 years back then). Keep in mind I'm not saying that he's horrible but it is food for thought as to how some might remember him.

The main reason I asked this question is because Brodeur has looked average thus far. So it made me wonder while we all were praising Brodeur's play maybe we all should have been paising the defensive unit instead. It also leads me and hopefully all of you to answer if Marty would have been the same caliber goaltender if he was drafted by another team with a lesser defensive corps.?

Answer 1

Brodeur is famous for slow starts. he has a losing record in October in his career, a high goals against average, and October is the month in which he has his fewest shutouts. This year is no different and is slightly behind last year, and ahead of the year before.

Currently the devils are 4 points out of the playoffs. This time two years ago, they were 7 points out of the playoffs, and came back to win their division. The last three years Brodeur's SPCT has been below 89% in October.

He has always been better at home than on the road (and to date, he's only had one home game - and it came against the best team in hockey). The team still has to adapt to Sutter's system and it will.

Contrary to your post, Sutter's style is nowhere near a wide offensive game. Like his GM, he is a Defence first coach and the proof is red Deer constantly finishing in the top 3 in defence in the WHL and his team's performance at the World Juniors (twice leading the tournament in Defence).

His style is a balanced transition style reminiscent of Al Arbour and Scotty Bowman. The team will eventually settle down and the defence will be there. Sadly, I think the offensive part of the balance transition is still lacking, but I still have the Devils in the playoffs, and Marty with 35+ wins.

Every year I read an article in October/November about how Marty's career is done.....and he does his job to perfection.

Answer 2

Nice observation but you are dead wrong. The Devils just lost scott gomez and Brian rafalski and have a new coach and style of play. Its going to take the whole team a mont or so to get used to the new system. Brodeur is not overrated. He is 500 times more fun to watch than all those boring butterfly goalies. The butterfly style requires very little skill and only covers the highest scoring percentage areas of the net. Ever wonder why butterfly goalies give up so many juicy rebounds. Brodeur has 7 different ways he approaches a certain shot. Butterfly goalies just fall on their knees and make a V. Wow. How exciting.When Brodeur was a rookie he wasnt playing for a very good defensive team and he did just fine. $5,000 says brodeur gets 600+ career wins and passes Terry Sawchuk for most shutouts.

Answer 3

Marty is a fantastic goalie and I think it will only be a matter of time before he adapts to more shots. Look at goalies like Patrick Roy who had straight up snipers on his offensive side. All the greats are surrounded by great offense or defense. Right now the Devils have neither but it will all come around w/ the core of youth they have. Even last year the Devil's defense basically sucked and Marty broke the shut out record so even if this is a tough year he'll still get 30 + wins.

Answer 4

Yep. That's exactly what I've been saying all along. He is vastly overrated. He is indeed just a bit better than average. Playing in a superb, choking, defensive system that allows only around 20 meaningful shots a game; of course he's gonna stop those. Any average goalie in the league would have been catapulted to superstar status playing for the Devils. But now, with Rafalski and Gomez gone; the Devils suck. Their defense isn't as good, and Brodeur is showing that he can't carry a team on his back. That doesn't surprise me, and it never will. He is overrated. Like I said a month before the season; the Devils will not make the playoffs, Brodeur will suck and not get 30 wins. So far, I'm right.

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Ronnie Gardocki: I completely agree with you; Roy had a real bad end to his career. I don't know of many great goalies that come out in style. All these great goalies had bad ends to their careers; Roy, Belfour, Brodeur and Hasek. Usually goalies either go out playing bad, but being starters. Or playing OK, but being backups (Sawchuk). Belfour and Hasek have dragged their careers on for much, much too long. They should have both retired two years ago. Brodeur and Roy got worse in their last couple of seasons, but Roy retired a starter (I think Brodeur will too).

Brodeur's bad play is another sign Brodeur doesn't have many years left in him. No goalies have retired being at the absolute top of their game and leading their team to the Cup. As is many times the case with players, like Bourque, or Selanne, for example.

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No, he wouldn't have been. If he were drafted by the Islanders for example, he would have been no better than DiPietro is now.

Answer 5

Wow great question. And some good points as well.

I think he will go down in NHL history as one of the best goalies ever.. 3 Stanley Cups in a 8 year span kind of makes him one of the best. But I think with the new offensive minded play, as they did in the 01 season, I think it will bring his ranking down a few notches. He doesnt have as many defenders crowding the net like in the days of old, so he has more shots to try to block. Not to mention that as he is getting older, his reflexes might be slowing down a bit

Answer 6

I had this debate the other day. as far as my view, i think it seems like brodeur starts slow every year (or pretty close). you never see the devils come out of the blocks hot and go 8-0. they are always metiocre until december and they start to turn it on. hes let in goals but big deal, his legacy will not change. he will go down as one of the best goalies ever.

besides, roy had a horrible last year of his career (not stat wise but goalie wise), and was terrible his last few trips to the playoffs. and they changed the size of goal pads because of him but hes still the best goalie ever.

Answer 7

For the correct answer read LITY's post. I guess Kipprusoff and Luongo are done too. The Devils have not changed their style. Brodeur will one day be widely recognized as the best ever.

Answer 8

Marty is a great goalie. Maybe one of the best ever.

Answer 9

Come on now, its obvious you don't like the Brodeur.
Look at his stats career wise, how can you argue with them.
Give the guy his due, he has the rings, he has the stats.

Answer 10

Once more I nominate LITY to be Mayor of Hockeytown!