greatest NHL goalies

I think of Kolzig in the Belfour/Osgood/Turco level. Good goalies, better than most of their contemporaries but not an elite one.

 

Sawchuck, Hasek, Osgood, Cheveldae (okay now I'm just being ridiculous.)

 

agreed, Kolzig was a great regular season goalie, but to be in that company he needed to take it to another level in the playoffs, which he never came close to doing ...

 

One of the best trash-talk lines ever. Just ahead of Varitek's "We don't throw at .250 hitters."

 

The position has changed so much over the years this is difficult. In no particular order:

Roy changed the way the position was played. He adapted to the game.

Plante made a stand on his style of play and equipment and not many, if any, could do that at the time.

Sawchuk was a tortured soul, but he could play.

Glen Hall because of the balls it took to practice with Bobby Hull.

Broduer belongs in the conversation.

 

What charmers, those Espositos.

 

Oh, how I love Tony and Phil!

 

Growing up, the Vernon house was the place to go on Halloween. Full chocolate bars.

But I do think Dryden was the most dominant goalie in any era. Brodeur and Roy would stop more pucks against the same shooters, but Dryden gets my vote as greatest.

 

OK, that was just unfair.

 

My old man used to say Sawchuck.
Youngest brother says Bernie Parent (74 Cup finals still burn at him).
Me, I say Wayne Garrett. No, really, it's Dryden. Or Jacques Cloutier.

 

I'd like to say Dryden, but those Canadiens teams were so far ahead of everyone else that it's hard to tell how good he really was. I want to dismiss Fuhr from any top goalies list, but I don't know if his high GAA's were really that bad for his era. Out of the ones I've seen, I'd have to say Roy or Brodeur.

 

Dryden had one of the most difficult challenges a goalie can face: go for five minutes without seeing a shot then making a key save.