Adrian Dater at Versus.com gives his Top 10 goaltenders in the NHL and has Lundqvist at #8...8. Henrik Lundqvist, N.Y. Rangers - How great was Hank in that final game against Philly? (Unfortunately, not great enough to win that shootout). The fact he almost carried a terrible Rangers team into the playoffs says it all.
Here's the rest of the list:
1. Ryan Miller, Buffalo Sabres
2. Ilya Bryzgalov, Phoenix Coyotes
3. Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils
4. Craig Anderson, Colorado Avalanche
5. Roberto Luongo, Vancouver Canucks
6. Niklas Backstrom, Minnesota Wild
7. Tomas Vokoun, Florida Panthers
8. Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers
9. Miikka Kiprusoff, Calgary Flames
10. Jimmy Howard, Detroit Red Wings
Greg Wyshynski at Puck Daddy has his own list and ranks Lundqvist #6.
...obviously I'm obviously biased here but Lundqvist deserves to be in the Top 5 ahead of Anderson (one good year), Vokoun (no playoff appearances) and Backstrom (much worse numbers).
...Rangers aren't in the playoffs four of the last five years without Hank, who probably has the smallest margin of error of any goaltender in the league.
...give me your top ten goaltenders in the comments section.
23 comments:
1. Ryan Miller, Buffalo Sabres
2. Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils
3. Roberto Luongo, Vancouver Canucks
4. Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers
5. Tomas Vokoun, Florida Panthers
6. Ilya Bryzgalov, Phoenix Coyotes
7. Craig Anderson, Colorado Avalanche
8. Niklas Backstrom, Minnesota Wild
9. Miikka Kiprusoff, Calgary Flames
10. Jimmy Howard, Detroit Red Wings
That is my opinion, when you look at games played, and overall level of play for each goalies team, that is how those specific goalies should be rated. Vokun is a great goalie playing for a terrible team. Lundqvist is an amazing goalie playing for an underachieving team. Put lundqvist on Chicago and he would have won the cup as well... Also i think Nabakov deserves to be on that list.
The main reason why I think Hank should be higher on the list is the strength of the division he plays in. & I don't think the Rangers are so terrible, either. If this team played in the west it would be a top 5 team easy.
1. Ryan Miller, Buffalo Sabres
2. Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils
3. Roberto Luongo, Vancouver Canucks
4A. Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers
4B. lya Bryzgalov, Phoenix Coyotes
6. Tomas Vokoun, Florida Panthers
7. Craig Anderson, Colorado Avalanche
8. Miikka Kiprusoff, Calgary Flames
9A. Jimmy Howard, Detroit Red Wings
9B. Jaraslov Halak, St. Louis Blues
I like Bryz a lot but can't agree that he's in the top 3 after only one amazing season. Most if these guys have season after season with those kind of numbers. However, I'd rank Backstrom a bit higher--his numbers are often brought down by a Minnesota system that begs teams to play in his zone most of the game. And I'd rank Luongo a bit higher too. You can't have one bad season after being known as considered the beat goalie in the league for three years and then drop that much; it doesn't happen. And I agree with Mike--Nabokov should be up there, especially above Anderson and Howard.
1. Ryan Miller
2. Martin Brodeur
3. Roberto Luongo
4. Henrik Lundqvist
5. Ilya Bryzgalov
6. Nicklas Backstrom
7. Miika Kiprusoff
8. Evgeni Nabokov
9. Tuuka Rask
10. Jaroslav Halak
1. Miller
2. Lundqvist
3. Luongo
4. Brodeur
5. Vokoun
6. Bryzgalov
7. Kiprusoff
8. Anderson
9. Hiller
10. Halak
Not sure backstrom gets rated so highly with his .903 save % last year, he could easily bounce back this season though.
These are strong lists, minus fatso at #2 or 3. I think its fair to take into account the team a goalie plays behind for the purposes of ranking him, but it works both ways. In the case of the aforementioned Mr. Brodeur, i believe that for his entire career he has benefitted from and been overrated by the teams he has played behind. and I canlt rate him that high, especiallly at this stage of his career.
I maybe a little biased ranger fan but Lundqvist is a top 4 goaltender. Outside NY it's harder for a Europen goalie to get his due in the North American media. Anything Broduer, Miller, Luongo does good, will be magnified to great...I feel that Cam Ward is a highly underrated goaltender. He carried his team to a cup one year and has always played solid without putting up monster stats... As for overrated goaltenders, I feel Luongo is highly overrated. What has he done to carry any team? The Canadien media has been praising him for years but dare to trash him accordingly. And without question Broduer should top this list. As much as I hate the Devils, he's the standard of what a franchise player does for a franchise.
How is Brodeur so high on everyone's list? I don't even see him as a top 5 goalie anymore. If I'm starting a team right now, I go Miller, Vokun, and then Lundqvist/Luongo. Jimmy Howard may rise quickly on the list, but he need to provie it for a few more years, as do Anderson and Bryzgalov.
1. Miller
2. Loungo
3. Bryzgalov
4. Lundqvist
5. Brodeur
6. Vokoun
7. Fluery
8. Kiprusoff
9. Backstrom
10. Halak
Comments on versus' picks-
1. Ryan Miller, great skills but chokes the big games.
2. Ilya Bryzgalov, great goalie who benefited from dave tippet ultra defensive hockey last season so looked even better.
3. Martin Brodeur, very consistent, but i could have looked good in net behind some of those teams! Massively overrated.
4. Craig Anderson, good guy with a great name, only 1 strong season though.
5. Roberto Luongo, big clumsy oaf who cant handle pressure or anything around his feet. Most overrated goalie in the league
6. Niklas Backstrom, not a bad goalie but lacks consistency.
7. Tomas Vokoun, if he played for a half decent team he would be rated much higher.
8. Henrik Lundqvist, hard to find a reason not to rate him top, bias aside he plays like a champion pretty much every night on a team that would be fill of top draft picks without him. Also never complains or makes excuses despite being on a team full of them. The King.
9. Miikka Kiprusoff, iron man, great goalie even on sub-standard teams, getting a bit wrinkly now though.
10. Jimmy Howard, getting over some early jitters, not been around long enough to justify a top ten spot though.
If you take into account the team in front of each goalie, only vokoun is in anywhere near the same situation as hank, and hank has the better numbers.
Ryan Miller
Ilya Bryz
Thomas Vokoun
Henrik Lundqvist
Mikka Kiprusoff
Craig Anderson
Niklas Backstrom
Tuuka Rask
Jaroslav Halak
Anti Niemi/Jimmy Howard
Roberto Luongo and Martin Brodeur are perhaps the two most overrated goalies in the league. Brodeur is simply old and declining. Luongo has shown he's not capable of carrying a team. That said, you have to give a lot of credit to Vokoun for the consistently awesome numbers he's put up. He carried mediocre teams in Nashville for a while, and has not missed a beat while playing for the lowly Panth. Also, don't forget his performance at the World Champs this past Spring playing for an NHL deprived Czech team. Miller and Bryz were stalwarts this year. No question they are 1 and 2 for now.
Hank comes in at 4 for obvious reasons. we all know his value to the Rangers. Kiprusoff, a consistent All-Star for years now, actually had a very good season on a disappointing Calgary team (35 wins,.921% and 2.31 playing Lundy minutes. He rounds out the top 5. 6-10 includes Anderson, with his great year; Backstrom, who despte an off year, remains one of the marquee goaltenders in the league; Tuuka Rask (I don't he think he's a one-hit wonder a la Andrew Raycroft) comes in at 8, followed by playoff heroes Jaroslav Halak and Anti Niemi, who ties with Howard. My 3 main criterion were consistent statistical performance over past 3 years, durability/workhorse factor, and RECENT playoff fortitude. Note Brodeur has sucked in the playoffs the last few years.
1- Hank
2- Miller
3- Marty.. Gotta give him credit
4- Rest of the clowns
1. Miller
2. Lundqvist
3. Luongo
4. Brodeur
5. Vokoun
6. Ward
7. Bryzgalov
8. Fluery
9. Halak
10. Backstrom
Seems to be the consensus... Miller is great, Brodeur is second because of his body of work... Luongo and then Henrik... Dont know if the original list was based on body of work till now or just last season. I think Hanks play slipped a bit last season which is why he was rated 8Th and not lower. But he does have the smallest margin of error of any goalie in the league I think. We dont score goals for long stretches. Then score 5 in two games in a row... Not to mention his workload has been insane the past 4 years. Who has played more games than Henrik last 4 years... 285 out of a possible 328... Miller 267, Brodeur 263, Luongo 271...
If we made this list 2-3 years ago, Ryan Miller would barely crack the Top 5.
Add the Winter Olympics, NBC/Versus marketing and the Vezina (thanks for the Eastern Conference GMs who vote together), Ryan Miller suddenly becomes Dominik Hasek.
I have to say, Miller has been amazing this past year, he deserves the top spot...
I'm not saying he doesn't deserve the top spot for the 2009 season, but it takes more than one season to be the best. Tim Thomas had an incredible 2008 season, but he's not on most of these lists.
Furthermore, I lived in Buffalo for 4 years and watched a lot of Sabres games. Henrik Lundqvist is a superior goalie (other than puck handling and angles).
High glove side.
I cant disagree with you because I only watch Miller sporadically, and Hank has better career stats, but Miller does have the edge for this past year due to stats. His run in the Olympics was great to watch too. Man for a hockey fan those Olympics where awsome...
No disrespect to Lundqvist, but check out the 2007 Rangers-Buff EC Semis series, Miller was ridiculous and outplayed Lundqvist.
How do you judge - the last 5 years, last years record. How do you leave off Nabokov - he had his usual top 10 performance. Why doesn't Rask make a splash but Howard does with the same body of works(more or less). IF you were to combine the body of works with current performances
Miller
Brodeur
Nabokov
Lundqvist
Vokoun
Kiprusoff
Bryzgalov
Backstrom
Rinne
Huet
I see a lot of talk about fatties in top 5. Unless this is an all time list. I see no reason for him to #2 or #3. I think Howard should be higher and without doubt. The king should be top 5 with his consistency this past year. And as said. He is the reason for making the playoffs a possibility.
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I think Kip, Miller, and Henrik are pretty much an interchangeable top 3 in the league depending on if they're ht or cold. Miller probably deserves the 1 spot now after the Olympics, but that could change.
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