RoyalDude wrote:
Any goalie would look great playing for the Bruins when you boast the best defensive defenseman in the game in Chara who plays like every 2nd shift and the best defensive forward in Bergeron not to mention that the Bruins are the best face off team in the league. The same applies to the Babcock Wings. Datsyuk and Zeterberg give Bergeron a run for his money on best defensive forwards in the game. Howard is not an elite goalie, he benefits from a sound team system like Elliot has with the Hitchcock Blues.
Chara plays 24 minutes per game, on average. Not quite every other shift, but I digress on that. The Bruins do have a very good defense, probably top 3 in the NHL. In fact, most goaltenders, who earn that "elite" status, play behind a very good defense, and failing a very good defense their team boasts an incredible offense that controls the puck and dominates with possession. But nonetheless, Rask took the starting job from Thomas for a while, then Thomas took it back, they seemed to share it for a while, now Thomas is gone and Rask is the man. He's been projected to be a top 10 goaltender since he was drafted. I remember watching him at the WJC, and he was lights out for Finland. There is no denying that a goalie who earns a Vezina nomination, and plays like he does, has earned the right to at least be considered as an elite goaltender.
The Red Wings defense is not very good any more. They have to win by committee and rely heavily on puck possession. That being said, early on in the year they weren't looking good, and it was when Howard finally hit his stride that they limped into the playoffs. Shutting out the opponent in the must win game to end the season has no bearing on how good a goaltender is though.....especially when he goes on a tear, when his team is battling for their playoff lives, and only allows 4 goals in the final 5 games to end the year. I'm not saying Howard is elite. Just that he gets hot and plays at an elite level more often than your average streaky goaltender.
Elliot is a good example of team defense. But, then again, I said he let in bad goals. Didn't say he was elite or even playing like he could be considered as such.
RoyalDude wrote:
The Blackhawks are the best team in the game. Emery and Crawford? LOL. Toews is another amazing defensive forward, that is a very good team. Corey Hirsch would look like Bernie Parent there.
Yep, all true.....except for the part about Hirsch. Crawford posted a 1.94 GAA and a .926 SV% this year. The GAA can reflect the team, the SV% not as much. In the first round of the playoffs he has 1.32 GAA and a .950 SV%. If you've watched those games you have seen how good he has been with the exception of game 3.
RoyalDude wrote:
Elite goaltending is overrated. However if the Kings win the cup again you may win this argument but it does help that Kings also have some damn fine players in front of Quick, that being said, the best goalie in the game - Rinne has been golfing this post season
You need good goaltending, for sure but the record shows that you can get by with average goaltending if you got the pieces in front if you, if you don't elite goaltending will not make up for that i.e., the Vancouver Canucks!
I'm curious as to why you think Rinne is the best goaltender in the NHL. He's top 5. Actually I think that the top 5 is a list that is in constant flux as one of those names will sometimes beat another and so forth. The Trotz coached Preds are a team that relies totally on team defense, it's their first and only priority out there, they score off of their opponent's screw ups. Interesting that Rinne's numbers dipped after they lost some key pieces, most notably Suter.....oh, he's a Norris candidate this year isn't he.....
Outside of Fleury and Osgood, what team has won the Stanley Cup in recent years without getting an elite level of play from their goaltender? Not necessarily an "elite" top 5 goaltender, but that level of play.
But if you go back to the first two lines of the post that you just argued against.....
Mëds wrote:
When it comes to goaltending in (most) playoff series, you need it to be elite.
That being said, it doesn't have to be an "elite goalie".
.....hmmmmm.
Maybe you need to actually read what you're responding to...