Cam Ward

On the road to the 2006 Stanley Cup, Ward set several milestones- all of which were last achieved by Roy in 1986. He became the first rookie goalie in 20 years to record a shutout in the Stanley Cup Finals, the first rookie in 20 years to start a game in the Finals, and one of eleven rookies to record a shutout in the Finals. He tied the rookie record for wins in the playoffs, previously held by only Roy and Ron Hextall, and became the first rookie goalie to win the Conn Smythe Trophy since Hextall in 1987.

Great Rookie Tenders with Stanley Cup Success.

Cam Ward #30 Goaltender Carolina Hurricanes Height: 6-1 Weight: 200
Shoots: Left
Born: Feb 29, 1984 - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Draft: 2002 - 1st round (25th overall) by the Carolina Hurricanes


Dream comes true for Ward
By Larry Wigge | NHL.com columnist
June 21, 2006

A piece taken from this article:

But seeing a rookie goalie like Ward overcome the usual nerves and pressures that normally requires a veteran netminder's poise and guile to take a team all the way to a championship becomes more than just a sidelight to the story behind the success of the Hurricanes this season. Especially when you consider that Ward is only the fourth rookie goaltender to win a Stanley Cup, joining Frank McCool with Toronto in 1945, Ken Dryden with Montreal in 1971 and Patrick Roy, also with Montreal, in 1986.

Great Rookie seasons, Do outstanding Rookie Netminders bring Stanley Cup Success?

The idea that a never before seen talent could come into a side, a National League and have the impact of heavily contributing to a teams Stanley Cup success is a romantic idea I would like to research, the undiscovered talent that shuts out the leagues celebrated legends. As I am also really interested in finding out more about net minders, where better to start than Ed Belfour and one of the greatest rookie seasons in NHL history.




In the 1989-90 season, Belfour began with the Canadian national men's hockey team, but was recalled by the Blackhawks for their postseason and set a 4-2 postseason mark with a 2.49 GAA. The next season, Belfour became the starting goalie, and turned in what many consider to be one of the best rookie seasons in NHL history. He notched 43 victories in 74 games (both NHL rookie and Blackhawk team records), finished the season with a 2.47 GAA and 4 shutouts. For his success, he received the Calder Memorial Trophy for outstanding play by a rookie, the Vezina Trophy for best goaltender and the William M. Jennings Trophy for fewest team goals-against. He was also nominated for the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's most valuable player, unprecedented at that time for a goaltender and rookie (Brett Hull of the St. Louis Blues won the award). He would win the Vezina Trophy again in 1993 and the Jennings Trophy in 1993, 1995, and 1999.

Belfour helped lead the Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup Finals in the 1991-92 season, where they eventually lost in 4 games to the Pittsburgh Penguins, led by Mario Lemieux.


Great season, but no Stanley Cup.

Is it just about whose between the pipes?

Doing this research I have found that in many cases great net minders definitely contribute to their teams championship succeeds, if not being the complete reason. However, in some cases great net minders have got their teams to the final and been denied the ultimate gaol. So, what else plays a part if not the greatest of net minders? In the next part of this research idea I am going to return to Ed Belfour and then further explore the impact of Great Rookies and draft picks, does getting the draft pick right or finding new undiscovered talent move a side closer to Stanley Cup success?

Do great netminders bring Stanley Cup success?

The Edmonton Oilers dominated the National Hockey League (NHL) throughout the 1980s, in no small part due to the goaltending talents of Grant Fuhr. Fuhr was an indispensable component of a team that won five Stanley Cups in seven years, a sometimes brilliant defender who was particularly effective in playoff games. In 1988 Ralph Wiley called Fuhr—who was then 25—"the best goalie in the NHL. The best on earth."

Grant Fuhr.

In 1979, at the age of seventeen, Fuhr joined the Victoria Cougars of the WHL. After two stellar seasons in Victoria, which included the league championship and a trip to the Memorial Cup in 1981, Fuhr was drafted 8th overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft. He played for the Oilers for ten seasons, where he teamed up with Andy Moog for several of them to form one of the most formidable goaltending tandems in history, and won five Stanley Cups. He was the team's starting goaltender on the first four teams, but was injured and did not play in the 1990 playoffs, when the Oilers won for the fifth time. Fuhr played in the National Hockey League All-Star Game in 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, and 1989. In 1987, he played in goal for the NHL All-Stars in both games of the Rendez-Vous '87 series against the Soviet National Team. In 1987, Fuhr backstopped Canada to a victory at the Canada Cup, playing in all nine games, then played in 75 regular season and 19 playoff games. He won his only Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goaltender that year and finished second in voting for the Hart Memorial Trophy as league MVP, behind Mario Lemieux and ahead of teammate Wayne Gretzky.

Do great Netminders bring their teams The Stanley Cup. Arguments against continued.

Marty Turco, who had a spectacular regular season in 2002-03, his first as the starter in Dallas. He went 31-10-1-0 and set a record for the lowest goals-against of the modern era (1.72). He was nearly as good in his first playoff experience, but that wasn't good enough as the Stars were upset in the second round by the Ducks, four games to two.

Miikka Kiprusoff in 2003-04. With only two playoff starts to his credit, he entered the playoffs that year as the league's top goalie, having just broken Turco's record. Kiprusoff was magnificent throughout the postseason but still failed to lead the Flames to the Cup.

Do great Netminders bring Stanley Cup victory. Arguments against. A return look at Fleury.

Reference source:

Article pasted from Puck Daddy.

Puck Daddy
Tuesday, Jun 10, 2008 9:22 am EDT
Despite 205 saves, Marc-Andre Fleury cost Penguins the Cup
By Greg Wyshynski

The carcass of a Stanley Cup runner-up is usually picked clean by now, but there's been curiously few blame games played involving the Pittsburgh Penguins after they lost to the Detroit Red Wings.
Most of the criticism has fallen to Evgeni Malkin, but it's been more curiosity about injuries than outright culpability. Perhaps the sense of inevitability that Sidney Crosby and the Penguins will return to the finals at some point has drained the desperation that accompanies a championship defeat. Perhaps the looming decisions this summer regarding Pittsburgh's free agents, and next year's free agents, have overshadowed any reviews of what could have been.
More likely, however, is that it quickly became apparent during the finals that the Red Wings were the superior team playing superior hockey. When the Penguins broke through, it was due to Detroit's complacency or lack of discipline. Game 5 is a classic not only for the litany of sports legends born from it, but because the odds seemed practically insurmountable for Pittsburgh at that point in the series.
So it's a little jarring to see blame heaped on any single Penguins player for the loss in the finals; especially when that player had 205 saves against the Red Wings and the game of his life in Game 5. But MSG's Stan Fischler, through an unnamed source, faults Marc-Andre Fleury:
Let's not get carried away with the Marc-Andre Fleury phenom stuff. One prominent goalie coach tells us that if anyone cost Pitt the series, it was the Pens' netminder. "He started the series badly and that's how he ended it-with two terrible goals in Game Six. The second [rebound] goal was bad and he had no business letting the puck go through his legs before he eventually knocked it in on the winner. By contrast, Chris Osgood made the saves that he had to make." The bottom line on Fleury is simple; his consistency is missing.
There's no question that Fleury's rebound control sucked for much of the series, and that he made Roman Cechmanek look like Marty Brodeur whenever he played the puck. And that "sit and score" goal in Game 6 officially replaced Tomas Holmstrom's rump as the butt of all postseason posterior jokes.
But he "cost Pitt the series?" Seriously? With a save percentage at .900 or above in Games 2-6, facing that many shots? With his Conn Smythe candidacy clearly announced? All due respect to the Maven, who's the only hockey journalist to witness both Jacques Plante's rookie season and the discovery of fire, but we disagree quite vehemently.

Do Great Netminders bring their teams The Stanley Cup...arguement in favour, contiuned.

Patrick Roy.

Nicknamed "St. Patrick", Roy split his professional career between the Montreal Canadiens and Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League, winning two Stanley Cups with each franchise. In 2004, Roy was selected as the greatest goaltender in NHL history by a panel of 41 writers, coupled with a simultaneous fan poll.[1] On November 13, 2006, Roy was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.[2] He is the only player in NHL history to have won the Conn Smythe Trophy, the award given to the most valuable player in the Stanley Cup playoffs, three times.

(Information from Wikipedia.)

In the '86 season, Roy started playing regularly for the Montreal Canadiens. He played 47 games during the regular season and won the starting job for the playoffs, where he emerged as a star,[3] leading his team to an unexpected Stanley Cup title and winning a Conn Smythe Trophy for the Most Valuable Player.As a 20-year old, he became the youngest Conn Smythe winner ever and was chosen for the NHL All-Rookie Team.

In the 1993 playoffs, after the Canadiens lost their first two games to their archrival Quebec Nordiques in the first round series, a newspaper in Roy's hometown district suggested that he be traded. Nordiques goaltending coach Dan Bouchard also proclaimed that his team had solved Roy. These comments seemed to fire up Roy, who responded by winning the next four games against the Nordiques, sweeping the Buffalo Sabres in the next round, and winning the first three against the New York Islanders to complete an eleven postseason game winning streak. Roy set a record during the postseason with 10 straight overtime wins, won the Stanley Cup, and was once again the Conn Smythe Trophy winner.

In 1995 the Canadiens traded Roy and captain Mike Keane to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Jocelyn Thibault, Martin Rucinsky, and Andrei Kovalenko, which is sometimes called "Le Trade" ("The Trade").[10] After the trade, the Canadiens did not have a solid starting goaltender until Jose Theodore arrived in 2001. Since Le Trade, the Canadiens have won only four playoff series and missed the postseason several times; In contrast, Roy enjoyed great success in Colorado and won two Stanley Cups and two Presidents' Trophies. Montreal Gazette columnist Jack Todd, in a nod to other teams that have struggled since making odd personnel decisions, has written numerous times that the Canadiens are under "The Curse of St. Patrick." In hindsight, the trade was one of the most one-sided deals in NHL history. In 2004, ESPN called Roy's trade to Colorado a steal, and one of the worst moves ever made during the first 25 years of ESPN's existence. Canadiens General Manager Réjean Houle, who was in his first year on the job, was criticized for making the trade instead of resolving the tension between Roy and Tremblay.

The same season he was traded to the Avalanche, Roy helped lead them to their first Stanley Cup. He played for Colorado until his retirement in 2003, adding another Cup and capturing a record third Conn Smythe Trophy in 2001.

(Information for Wikipedia.)

Two teams. 4 Cups. One Patrick Roy.

Ed Belfour.

When Belfour became the Blackhawks starting minder in the 1989-90 season he had what many consider to be the greatest Rookie seasonso far in NHL history.

43 victories in 74 games, both Rookie and Blackhawk records, 2.47 GAA and 4 shut outs. Recieving the Vezina, Calder and William M. Jennings Trophies and nominated for the Hart Memorial Trophy.

Belfour went on to reach the Stanley Cup finals in 1991-92.

Great keeper or squad rebel?

1995-6, 1996-97 time spent in disputes with teams and back up minders.

1997, Belfour played 61 games for Dallas, 1.88GA, in the next season he won play offs against Patrick Roy and Grant Fuhr. 1999 the Stars won the cup. Belfour making 54 saves in the final game.

Cup winner, personal trophy winner, but renown for falling out with back up keepers and a mixed run of form, Great? Statistics would say yes, reasons for winning the Stanley cup, with 54 saves statistics would say yes, best ever Rookie season, yes. But only one Cup success with Dallas, this achievement was not replicated at San Jose, Chicago, Toronto, Florida, so was Balfour the reason for the Stars 1999 cup win?

Dominik Hasek-1999

1999 Stanley Cup Final

In 1999, Hašek averaged a career best 1.87 GAA and .937 save percentage, capturing him his third consecutive Vezina, and fifth overall. He was also a finalist for the Hart and Pearson trophies. Though the Sabres did not have a stellar regular season and finished with the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference, they defeated the Ottawa Senators, Boston Bruins, and Toronto Maple Leafs in the playoffs en route to a best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final against the Presidents' Trophy-winning Dallas Stars. The Sabres eventually lost the series four games to two, with the decisive sixth game being one of the longest Stanley Cup playoff games in NHL history. Hašek and Ed Belfour made 50 and 53 saves, respectively, in a sudden-death triple-overtime duel that only ended when Brett Hull scored a controversial Cup-winning goal with his foot in the goal crease.

During the 2007-08 season, he initially struggled and after his injury he was replaced by backup Chris Osgood. When Hašek recovered and got back into his stride, Detroit chose to alternate goaltenders in tandem instead of designating either as the backup. Detroit coach Mike Babcock announced Hašek to start in the 2008 playoffs. Through the first two games against the Nashville Predators, Detroit were victorious the first two games but after a lackluster performance in the next two, Osgood was declared as the number one goaltender for the playoffs.[38] Despite expressing disappointment at losing his starting position, Hašek maintained his professionalism in practice and continued to support his teammates, with Darren McCarty citing close relationship between Hašek and Osgood.[39] Eventually the Red Wings beat the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games for the Stanley Cup.
Hašek is now contemplating retirement from the NHL, and is expected to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

Stanley Cup Record:

Most Wins, Goaltender - Dominik Hasek: 41
Lowest Goals-Against Average - Dominik Hasek: 2.17
Most Shutouts - Dominik Hasek: 5

A five-time winner of the Vezina Trophy as Best Goaltender in the NHL, Hasek also picked up two Hart Trophies as the league's Most Valuable Player. The sport's most prestigious award, the Stanley Cup, eluded Hasek until his final season in the NHL, when he helped the Detroit Red Wings become NHL champions in 2002. Outside the NHL, Hasek also claimed an Olympic Gold Medal as part of the Czech Republic's hockey team at the 1998 Nagano Games. Each of these accomplishments helped to maintain Hasek's image as "The Dominator," a nickname he earned for his commanding presence on the ice.

So, "The Dominator" was so close to bringing The Stanley Cup to Buffalo, but the Trophy avoided his grasp until 2002, when he was part of a remarkably tight and physical defensive unit and 2008 when he lost his starting position to Chris Osgood. His stats are excellent, but was he the reason Detroit lifted the Cup?

Martin Brodeur- New Jersey 1995.

In his 15-year tenure, he has led the team to three Stanley Cup championships and has taken them to the playoffs all but once.

Brodeur has been among the NHL's most consistent goaltenders over the past decade, winning at least 35 games each of the last ten seasons as well as being the only goalie in NHL history with seven 40-win seasons.

New Jersey, The only team outside the top 3 to take Stanley cup victory, was this down to Brodeur? or their "trap method"?

The his 1995 season, which was shortened to forty-eight games due to a four month lockout that was focused on salary cap issues, the Devils finished tied for 9th overall, 5th in their conference, and were not considered a Stanley Cup contender. However, with the leadership of Brodeur, they defeated the Boston Bruins in the 1st round after shutting them out in three of their four wins. Brodeur had another stellar performance in the second round against Pittsburgh, where he gave up only eight goals and helped the Devils soundly defeat the Penguins in five games. In the third round the Devils defeated Philadelphia in six games, giving them their first Stanley Cup finals appearance in franchise history, opposite the heavily favoured Detroit Red Wings. But the strong play of Brodeur and the Devils' infamous "trap" method would make this series lopsided in favour of New Jersey, who would go on to sweep the Red Wings while holding them to only seven goals in four games. Brodeur now had a Stanley Cup in only his second full season in the NHL. After the victory, he was quoted as saying the following:
“
In the last game against Detroit, the time from ten minutes left to one minute left was probably the longest nine minutes of my life. But from one to zero was probably the greatest time I've ever had. I didn't want the clock to run out. It was such a great feeling: people crying in the stands, people jumping up and down, people cheering. Guys couldn't even sit up on the bench. It was probably the best minute of my life.
”

Do great Netminders win their teams the Stanley Cup- The great.

Questions have been asked as to how great both Osgood and Fleury are, so I will now look at goal tenders to whom the title "Great" would definitely apply and I shall investigate their contributions to Stanley Cup successes.

Do great Netminders win their teams the Stanley Cup- A look at this years two starting goalies.

Marc Andre Fleury.

Fleury was 10-2-1 in his last 13 starts and did not allow more than two goals in 20 of his final 21 games in the regular season. He has also put together a remarkable 17-game winning streak on home ice and hopes to extend it Saturday night in Game 4 of the final.“Since Marc came back from his injury, he has been one of, if not the best, goalie in the NHL,” said teammate Maxime Talbot. “He is awesome out there. He’s loose and having fun and we would not be here if it was not for him. He has matured a lot and it is fun to see him out there kicking it and having fun.”

But what about his early season form?

Do great Netminders win their teams the Stanley Cup- A look at this years two starting goalies.

Chris Osgood
Has Chris Osgood finally moved out of MIke Vernons Shadow?

Wings' Osgood delivers command performance
by Graham Couch Kalamazoo Gazette
Tuesday May 27, 2008, 3:29 AM

Two games into the series, Detroit's goaltender is perfect -- none of the Penguins' 41 shots have passed him.
Monday's 3-0 shutout in Game 2, on the heels of Saturday's 4-0 victory, makes Osgood the fourth goalie in National Hockey League history to open the Stanley Cup finals with consecutive shutouts.
New Jersey's Martin Brodeur was the last to do it in 2003. The 1945 Toronto Maple Leafs began with three scoreless wins and the 1926 Montreal Maroons also accomplished the back-to-back feat.
"I had no idea, to be honest with you," said Osgood, who extended his scoreless streak to 137 minutes, 33 seconds, dating back to the third period of Game 6 of the Western Conference finals. "I try not to think about that or other (historical) things. If I do happen to pass things, I usually don't know about it. I like it that way. I need to be told after. I like to keep my mind on the game and what I have to do during the game, and not let my mind wander to things that really matter the most when I'm done playing."
But is Osgood Great?

Do great Netminders win teams the Stanley Cup?

To make my blog more unique, I want to start reseacrhing ideas that really interest me.

So, Do great Netminders win teams The Stanley Cup?

Felix Potvin

Potvin was drafted in the 2nd round, 31st overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1990 NHL entry draft. In the 1991-1992 season, Potvin played 35 games for the St. John's Maple Leafs, compiling a 2.93 GAA. For his efforts, Potvin was awarded the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award (rookie of the year), the Baz Bastien Memorial Trophy, as the top goaltender in the AHL, and selected to the AHL First All-Star Team. During that season, Potvin was called up to the NHL and saw brief action in 4 games, compiling a 2.28 GAA and a .933 save %.
It wasn't until the 1992-1993 season that Potvin became a regular in the NHL. That season he played 48 games, compiling a 2.50 GAA (1st in the NHL) and a solid .910 save %. The rapid acceleration of his development led the coaching staff to establish him as their #1 goaltender, and prompted the trade of Grant Fuhr to the Buffalo Sabres. That season, Potvin also backstopped the Maple Leafs to the Stanley Cup conference finals, only to lose to a Wayne Gretzky-led Los Angeles Kings in a grueling seven game series. His efforts did not go in vain, however. His dynamic performance made him a finalist for the Calder Trophy.
In the 1993-94 season, Potvin silenced any doubts of a sophomore jinx. He posted 34 wins and a solid 2.89 GAA, including tying Kirk McLean's then NHL record for most wins in October with nine.[1] He was also voted to his first NHL All-Star Game. Felix again brought his team to the conference finals, this time losing to the Vancouver Canucks in five games.
In the 1993-94 playoffs, Potvin recorded 3 shutouts in the first-round series against the Chicago Blackhawks, all by a 1-0 margin, including the final NHL game ever played at the illustrious Chicago Stadium. He also became the first Maple Leafs goaltender to stop a penalty shot in a Stanley Cup Playoff game, when he stopped Chicago's Patrick Poulin.
In the 1995-1996 season, Potvin was selected to his 2nd NHL All-Star Game. However, the Toronto Maple Leafs exited in the first round of the playoffs.
In the 1996-1997 season, with the aging of the defense corps in front of him, Potvin and the Maple Leafs would miss the playoffs. He would set an NHL record for most shots faced in a season, 2,238, later broken by Roberto Luongo during his stint with the Florida Panthers.
In the 1998-1999 season, Toronto signed free agent Curtis Joseph, leaving Potvin expendable. He would play in only 5 games due to a knee injury, before he and a 6th round pick (Fedor Fedorov) were traded to the New York Islanders for defenseman Bryan Berard and a 6th round pick. Despite the new surroundings, Potvin was unable to reclaim the success he had earlier in his career.
In the 1999-2000 season, Potvin, a 2nd round, and 3rd round draft pick were traded to the Vancouver Canucks for Kevin Weekes, Dave Scatchard, and Bill Muckalt. Potvin struggled with the Canucks and in the 2000-2001 season he was dealt to the Los Angeles Kings for future considerations. Immediately, Potvin made an impact in a Kings uniform. He led the Kings to the 7th seed, recording 13 wins and 5 losses, and a remarkable 1.96 GAA and a .919 save %. Potvin led the Kings to a first-round upset of the Detroit Red Wings, and pushed the eventual Stanley Cup Champions, the Colorado Avalanche, to a 7th game, recording 2 shutouts in that series. Potvin again led the Kings to the 2002 playoffs, where they pushed the Colorado Avalanche to seven games in the 1st round.
In September of 2003, Potvin was signed to a 1-year contract by the Boston Bruins. He backed-up Calder Trophy Winner Andrew Raycroft during the 2003-04 season. Coincidentally, Raycroft broke Potvin's record for consecutive games played by a Maple Leafs goalie during the 2006-07 season. Potvin has not played for an NHL team since the 2003-04 season.
Early in the 2005-06 season, the Atlanta Thrashers were in talks with Potvin in hopes of signing him after starting goaltender Kari Lehtonen and backup goaltender Mike Dunham went down with injuries. However, Potvin did not have equipment that conformed to the new NHL standards, nor did he wish to accept the two-way contract that was being offered to him, so the Thrashers instead decided to sign Steve Shields.
The General Manager of the RSL's Lada Togliatti Leonid Vaisfeld confirmed to Togliatti News correspondent Nikita Sukhachev that he's negotiating the deal with Potvin.

Awards
1995-1996 NHL All-Star Team
1993-1994 NHL All-Star Team
1992-1993 NHL All-Rookie Team
1991-1992 AHL Dudley "Red" Garret Memorial Trophy
1991-1992 AHL Baz Bastien Memorial Trophy
1990-1991 CHL Goaltender of the Year
1990-1991 QMJHL Jacques Plante Trophy
1990-1991 QMJHL Guy Lafleur Trophy
1990-1991 QMJHL Hap Emms Trophy

Robert Luongo

Playing career


Luongo began his major junior hockey career at the age of 16. He joined the QMJHL's Val-d'Or Foreurs in 1995-96, but posted only 6 wins in 23 games. The following season, as the team's starter, he improved to 32 wins, a club record, and was also awarded the Mike Bossy Trophy as the league's best professional prospect. In 1997-98, Luongo established a QMJHL single-season record with 7 shutouts[1] and backstopped the Foreurs to a Memorial Cup appearance. After he was traded to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan for the 1998-99 season, he made his second straight Memorial Cup appearance, but was ousted in the round robin.
During his major junior career, Luongo also made two apperances for Team Canada in 1998 and 1999, winning silver, as well as Best Goaltender and All-Star Team honours in 1999.

New York Islanders
Using the Toronto Maple Leafs' first round pick in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft (acquired in a deal that sent Wendel Clark back to Toronto), the New York Islanders drafted Luongo fourth overall, making him, at the time, the highest drafted goaltender in NHL history.
Although the Islanders returned 18-year-old Luongo to the QMJHL, they had every intention of getting him dressed for a 1998-99 NHL game, but contractual problems changed the plan.[citation needed] In 1999-00, Luongo made his professional debut with the Lowell Lock Monsters, the Islanders' AHL affiliate. Early in the season, Luongo was called up by the Islanders and made his NHL debut on November 28, 1999 stopping 43 shots in a 2-1 win against the Boston Bruins.[2]
However, after just 24 games as an Islander in his rookie season, GM Mike Milbury would trade Luongo to the Florida Panthers on the day of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft along with Olli Jokinen for Mark Parrish and Oleg Kvasha. As both Jokinen and Luongo would eventually develop into superstars with the Panthers, the trade would earn Milbury widespread criticism.
In Luongo's only season with New York, he posted 7 wins with a 3.25 GAA and a .904 save percentage.

Florida Panthers

Atlanta Thrashers forward Peter Bondra scores on Luongo.
In Luongo's first few seasons with Florida, he posted impressive numbers, featuring a consistently high save percentage. However, on a struggling Panthers team, he would not record more than 20 wins in a season until 2003-04 — somewhat of a breakout campaign for Luongo.
In 2003-04, he placed second in voting for the Vezina Trophy after facing the most shots in a single season by an NHL goaltender (2,475), a mark previously held by Felix Potvin.[3] Despite facing an unprecedented amount of shots, Luongo posted a 2.43 GAA and a .931 save percentage, which was first among goalies with 50-plus starts (Luongo had 72). Not surprisingly, Luongo also set an NHL record for most saves in a single season with 2,303 while picking up 7 shutouts, good enough for fifth in the league. Ultimately, Luongo lost out to fellow Montrealer Martin Brodeur for the league's top goalie.
Prior to the announcement of the 2004-05 NHL lockout, Luongo competed for Team Canada in the 2004 World Cup as Brodeur's backup, earning gold. Two years later, he would also play behind Brodeur in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.
When the NHL resumed in 2005-06, Luongo posted 35 wins and a career-high 8 shutouts for Florida before being traded away to Vancouver in the off-season.
Because Florida never made the playoffs in Luongo's duration with the team, he was a regular competitor for Team Canada in the World Championships, earning two gold medals (2003, 2004) and one silver (2005).

Vancouver Canucks

Luongo warming up before a game in 2007
Prior to the start of the 2006-07 season, Luongo was in the midst of contract negotiations with Florida, and expected to sign[4] when GM Mike Keenan traded him to the Vancouver Canucks. In a blockbuster deal, Luongo was packaged with defenceman Lukáš Krajíček and a sixth round draft pick in exchange for forward Todd Bertuzzi, defenceman Bryan Allen and goaltender Alex Auld. Immediately following the deal, Vancouver signed Luongo to a four-year, $27-million deal.
Luongo's first season with the Canucks was hugely successful from both individual and team standpoints. Midway through the campaign he made his first All-Star Game appearance as a starter — his second appearance overall — and was named the Skills Competition's top goalie. He led the Canucks to a Northwest Division title, and consequentially, a playoff appearance after they failed to make one the previous season. At the end of the regular season, Luongo had shattered Kirk McLean's franchise record of 38 wins in a season with 47. That same mark would also tie Bernie Parent's thirty-three-year record of wins in a season, although Martin Brodeur would also reach and succeed that mark in the same season (Luongo and Brodeur's achievements are, however, considered to be somewhat skewed, given that it was the first season the NHL made ties obsolete with shootouts, generating more wins than in the past). It was also assumed that Luongo would achieve better statistics than in the past, backstopping a more successful team compared to the Panthers, who had never made the playoffs in Luongo's tenure with them.
Incidentally, the 2007 postseason was Luongo's first playoffs of his career; in his first game, he almost set an NHL record for most saves in a game with 72, en route to a 5-4 quadruple overtime victory over the Dallas Stars. He was just one save shy of tying the mark set by Ron Tugnutt and Kelly Hrudey of 73. Luongo would go on to win his first playoff series in seven games, but would lose to the eventual Stanley Cup champions, the Anaheim Ducks in the second round. Game 5 of the series with Anaheim saw Luongo come close to his previous 72-save performance, stopping 60 of 62 in a losing effort, in which Vancouver was eliminated. Oddly, Luongo had missed the first three minutes of the first overtime, to what was first believed to be an equipment malfunction. However, after the series had ended, it was revealed that Luongo, instead, had an untimely case of diarrhea.[5]
Shortly after the end of the post-season, Luongo was up for three major NHL awards, the Vezina, Pearson and Hart. However, Luongo finished second in voting for all three awards, behind Brodeur for the Vezina and Sidney Crosby for the Hart and Pearson.[6]
After a season of great accomplishments, 2007-08 paled somewhat in comparison. For the most part of his second campaign with the Canucks, Luongo kept pace with his previous season's work and continued to set impressive statistics, most significantly, a three-game shutout streak spanning 210:34 (a Canucks franchise record).[7] Also, although he did not attend in order to be with his pregnant wife, he was also voted in as the 2008 NHL All-Star Game's Western Conference starter for the second consecutive season. However, in Luongo's last eight games, crucial to the Canucks' playoff hopes, he went 1-7 and allowed an uncharacteristic 25 goals in that span. The Canucks, who at several points in the season had the division lead, would end up missing the playoffs.

Awards & achievements
NHL
NHL YoungStars Game - 2002
Named to the NHL Second All-Star Team - 2003, 2007
Mark Messier Leadership Award - March 2007
NHL All-Star Game - 2004, 2007 (starter)
Team
Most Exciting Player Award (Vancouver Canucks) - 2007
Cyclone Taylor Award (Canucks MVP) - 2007, 2008
Molson Cup (Most Canucks three-star selections) - 2007, 2008
International
Best Goalie (World Junior Ice Hockey Championships) - 1999
All-Star Team - (World Junior Ice Hockey Championships) - 1999

Marc-Andre Fleury

Playing career
Fleury was drafted first overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft and is widely considered to be one of the premier young talents in the league.[2] [3]
He made his debut in 2003-04, and played 21 games. He was rotated regularly and split the season with fellow netminders Jean-Sébastien Aubin and Sebastien Caron. He immediately began to show promising results with a 46 save performance against Los Angeles and 31 saves in a 4-3 win over Dominik Hašek and the Detroit Red Wings.[4] His first NHL shutout came October 30, 2003 in a 1-0 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks.[4] However, as the season progressed, his performance began to sink, largely due to Pittsburgh's poor defense-[4] the team regularly gave up over 30 shots per game, and rarely managed to become an offensive threat.[5]
During the labour dispute, Fleury played for the Penguins' American Hockey League affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, where he posted a 26-19-4 record with a goals against average of 2.52 and a save percentage of 0.901.
In 2005-06, Fleury started the season at the AHL affiliate, but was called up for the fourth game against Buffalo Sabres on October 10 to replace an injured Jocelyn Thibault. Because of management concerns over the payment of an NHL appearance bonus, he continued to move up and down until November 28 when he was called up to play in Pittsburgh for the rest of the season. While his team fared poorly throughout the year, Fleury's statistics remained relatively good. The Penguins finished last in the Eastern Conference and with the worst defense, allowing 316 goals,[6] but Fleury managed to hold a save percentage of 0.898, which was about .020 higher than Sebastien Caron or Jocelyn Thibault.
Despite playing behind a very shaky defense, Fleury was able to impress the team management with his technique and performance. During the summer of 2006, he signed a two-year contract extension worth $2.59 million.[7]
On March 1, 2007 Fleury became the first Penguins goaltender since Tom Barrasso in the 1997-98 NHL season to record thirty wins in a season by defeating the New York Rangers 4-3, in a shootout.
On April 7, 2007 Fleury joined Barrasso as the only Penguin goaltenders to win forty games in a season by beating the Rangers 2-1 in Pittsburgh's regular season finale.
On January 25, 2008 Fleury's #29 was retired by his junior team, the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.

Martin Brodeur

Martin Pierre Brodeur (IPA: [mɑʁˈtẽ bʁoˈdœʁ]) (born May 6, 1972, in Montreal, Quebec) is a professional ice hockey goaltender who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the New Jersey Devils. In his 15-year tenure, he has led the team to three Stanley Cup championships and has taken them to the playoffs all but once. He holds more than thirty Devils franchise records.

Brodeur has been among the NHL's most consistent goaltenders over the past decade, winning at least 35 games each of the last ten seasons as well as being the only goalie in NHL history with seven 40-win seasons.[1] He is a three-time Vezina Trophy winner, a four-time Jennings Trophy winner, a eight-time NHL All Star, and one of only two NHL goaltenders to have scored goals in the regular season and the playoffs. In the 2006-07 NHL season, Brodeur surpassed Terry Sawchuk and Ed Belfour on the all-time wins list and Glenn Hall on the all-time shutouts list to rank 2nd in each of those categories. He also passed Bernie Parent's record of 47 single-season wins with his 48th win on April 5, 2007.
Brodeur is considered a hybrid style goalie, which differs from the typical butterfly style of his native Quebec. He is best known for his reflexes, especially with his glove hand, his puck handling, and his positional play.[2]

Henrik Lundqvist

Henrik Lundqvist ['hɛn.rɪk 'lɵnd.kvɪst] (born March 2, 1982, in Åre, Sweden) is a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has been nominated for the Vezina Trophy three times, finishing third the first two times with the third result yet to be released. His dominating play during his rookie season resulted in the New York media and Rangers fans giving him the nickname "King Henrik".[1] During the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy, he led the Sweden national men's ice hockey team to their second Olympic Gold Medal.
Before joining the Rangers, Lundqvist played for Frölunda HC in the Swedish Elitserien. During his years in Sweden, he developed into the league's finest goaltender, winning the Honken Trophy three consecutive seasons; 2003, 2004, and 2005. In 2005 he also won two of the most prestigious awards in Swedish ice hockey, the Golden Puck and the Golden Helmet.
Lundqvist is considered a butterfly style goalie, though unorthodox due to the aggressive way he performs the butterfly.[3] He is best known for his sensational quickness, athleticism, and strong positional play.[4]

Evgeni Nabokov

Playing career

Russia and minor league
San Jose Head Scout Tim Burke saw Nabokov on a advertisement during his trip to Russia while Burke went to scout another player. Taken late in the ninth round, the Sharks had never seen him play; rather, they were more interested in the skill of Nabokov's father, a professional goaltender who played 18 years in Kazakhstan.

San Jose Sharks
After a few years in the AHL, Nabokov played his first NHL game on the first day of the new millennium, stopping his first four shots, all breakaways,when he replaced Steve Shields in a game against the Nashville Predators.
On January 19th, 2000, Nabokov started in his first NHL game, playing against the Colorado Avalanche and famed goalie Patrick Roy. Impressively, Nabokov stopped all 39 shots he faced in a 0-0 tie. In his first four appearances, Nabokov stopped all but one of his first 104 shots, and the one goal he allowed was when Stephane Matteau put the puck into an empty net while Nabokov was skating to the bench on a delayed penalty.
In the second game of the 2001 season, Shields hurt his ankle, leaving San Jose without a number #1 goalie. Instead of giving the job to the very well known Miikka Kiprusoff, whom the Sharks brass considered the "goalie of the future," they left Kiprusoff in the AHL so he could get more experience, and gave the starting position to Nabokov, and he ran away with it, winning the Calder Memorial Trophy as the rookie of the year. Also, he played in the 2001 All-star game and took San Jose to the playoffs.
On March 10, 2002 he became the first netminder in NHL history to score a powerplay goal, doing so against the Vancouver Canucks. He was also the first European goaltender to score a goal.
Nabokov was considered one of the elite goaltenders in the NHL, and is often ranked as one of the top ten, if not top five goaltenders in the NHL by magazines like ESPN The Magazine and The Hockey News. However, the 2005-2006 season was an off year for Nabokov. His save percentage of under .900 was a big concern to the team. More notably, he was relegated to the role of backup goaltender, in deference to a red-hot Vesa Toskala.
Nabokov is known for his excellent positioning and his ability to challenge shooters, but has recently been hampered by a groin injury. During the 2006-07 NHL season, Nabokov has split the starting goaltending duties with Toskala. As of March 18, 2007, the Sharks have played 78 games, with Nabokov starting 45 . Nabokov played all 5 games in the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2007 NHL playoffs, helping the Sharks defeat the Nashville Predators in 5 games.
During the first half of the 2007-08 NHL season, Nabokov started the first 43 games for the San Jose Sharks, however on January 13, 2008 in Anaheim he received his first day off when Thomas Greiss started his first NHL game.
Nabokov was recognized as one of the 'Three Stars' for the NHL in the last week of December 2007, along with Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals and Jaromir Jagr of the New York Rangers. [5] In addition to that honor, Nabokov was named the “Sharks Player of the Month” by Seagate Technology in December. Since the 1996-97 season, Seagate Technology has recognized Sharks players who made contributions to further the team’s accomplishments and makes a donation of $2,500 to The Sharks Foundation on the players’ behalf. Nabokov holds the franchise-record for having won this award nine times.
Nabokov played in his second NHL All-Star Game on January 27, 2008. He stopped all eight shots that came at him in the second period, making it the first time since 2002 that a goalie has played a period where no goals were scored. Nabokov secured the scoreless period when he blocked both of Ilya Kovalchuk’s shots in the last minute of the second period.