NHL Goalies

Arthriticbutterflystyle · Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2009 1:39 am Post subject: NHL Goalies

So what truly is the deciding factor to say that someone is the best goalie? Is it GAA or SV%? Perhaps it's S/O or even Wins? What makes a goalie "the best goalie in the league"?

I'd personally say that SV% is the best goalie because you may get 5 shots and let in 2 goals but still win. Or even 5 shots, no goals and a win. That doesn't mean you're good, just means your team is good. As far as GAA, with today's faster shooters, faster games, smaller gear and new rules, it's hard to say that a 2.5 GAA is bad anymore.

montreal961 · Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2009 1:43 am Post subject:

All of the above.
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Arthriticbutterflystyle · Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2009 1:46 am Post subject:

If that were true there wouldn't be four different categories on NHL.com for Goaltending "League Leaders" there'd just be one.

montreal961 · Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2009 1:49 am Post subject:

No, there wouldn’t.

To be the BEST goalie, you should be leading all of these categories. You are not THE BEST unless you are THE BEST in every possible way. You are the leader, if you have some of those qualities. But you need them all to be THE BEST.
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Arthriticbutterflystyle · Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2009 1:53 am Post subject:

That's a totally flawed theory. Because NO goalie in the NHL leads all the categories. No goalie in the NHL even leads 2 of the categories. So to say that you have to be leading all 4 to be the best goalie, is wrong...because to be the best you only have to be above the others...and obviously one of them is. So which of the 4 is the BEST determining factor?

montreal961 · Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2009 1:56 am Post subject:

Arthriticbutterflystyle · Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2009 1:59 am Post subject:

I think you're wrong about everything. There has to be a best goalie, and "league leaders" are a secondary thing. When Luongo was healthy I don't remember hearing "He's one of the league leaders this year." I remember hearing "He's the best goalie so far this season." What determined that? He didn't control even 3 out of 4 of the league leader slots.

montreal961 · Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2009 12:04 pm Post subject:

canadian_man_44 · Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2009 12:52 pm Post subject:

Okay, on this subject I've got to disagree with you Monty. The best goalie in the league would have to be determined by the SV%. I come to this conclusion because it is the only true determination of how a goalie performs. For instance, if a goalie has 10 shutouts, a 1.5 GAA and a perfect record while facing an average of 15 shots per game while another goalie may have a .500 record, 2.5 GAA and 0 shutouts while facing an average of 40 shots per game. Which goalie is the best? The answer: the one with the best SV%.
One goalie obviously would have a great defense in front of him while the other faces a lot more shots because of poor defense. The goalie with the least amount of shots would have a .900SV% while the other goalie would have a .938SV%....therefore the goalie facing the most shots, regardless of GAA, wins or shutouts, is the best goalie.
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Arthriticbutterflystyle · Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2009 2:20 pm Post subject:

And that's the way I see it because there's absolutely no way that SV% can be adulterated by any outside influence such as team performance, bad penalties or number of shots. It's simply a measure of you and the puck. That's why I say that SV% is the most accurate way to judge "the best goalie"

TheAntiw00t · Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2009 5:56 pm Post subject:

I think it's kind of a mixture of many of those categories because you could be the best goalie and still not be able to catch all the b.s. backdoor and breakaways all the time. I mean there is huge differences between the types of shots a goalie can be seeing that can greatly affect the SV% category. Between shots from the blue line and backdoor shots/breakaways, there is a huge difference and to say that one guy is better than another for making saves on perimeter shots all day. So saying this i can kind of see where monty is coming from, but it's difficult to explain. But I guess if I had to choose the most important ones that greatly influences calling someone the best goalie in the league i would have to say SV% and wins because grinding it out and getting it done is part of being the best too.
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Arthriticbutterflystyle · Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2009 6:01 pm Post subject:

I really should've said which one is MOST important in naming the best goalie. Because I of all people agree...you can't stop those 3-on-1 tap ins or the blazing speed datsyuk breakaways...but it is probably the best factor in naming the best goalie...just my opinion.

TheAntiw00t · Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2009 7:15 pm Post subject:

yeah it's probably one of the most determining factors in naming a great goalie but yeah... can't stop those damn hands of pavel d... dude just kills goalies everywhere.
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FutureSuperstar93 · Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2009 7:27 pm Post subject:

I think it goes further than stats. You aren't going to have good stats in any of those categories if the Islanders or Blues defense is playing in front of you.

Save percentage is alright, but if you have a bad defense that allows other teams to pass around and get 30 quality shots, then that won't compare to the goalie that has a good defense in front of him seeing 30 average shots.

Arthriticbutterflystyle · Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2009 7:40 pm Post subject:

I think that's debatable because if you're seeing 30 shots, specially at the NHL level, they're more then likely going to be quality. If they're not quality they're probably not going to punch through to count as shots. So it somewhat negates the defensive factor. Cman explained best why I see SV% as the most qualifying factor to say who is the best goalie in the NHL because if you see 30 shots and make 28 saves that certainly makes you better then the goalie that sees 5 shots and makes 5 saves thus negating defensive issues, play time issues, and any other minute factors that would cause a goalie's team to effect his GAA, S/O or win numbers.