Earlier this week, I broke down the net for ten teams. I have gone in order by who I deem..."/> Earlier this week, I broke down the net for ten teams. I have gone in order by who I deem..."/> Earlier this week, I broke down the net for ten teams. I have gone in order by who I deem..."/>
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Breaking Down The Net, Part 2

By Andrew Slawson

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 13. Corey Crawford can finally quiet his haters, well sort of. I might not be able to stay quiet, but at least I can’t pull the, “Niemi won a Cup, and Crawford didn’t” card anymore. Either way, Crawford is a good goalie, but he has his days where he doesn’t look quite as on as he should. And like I said earlier, numbers don’t always reflect a goaltenders skill level. Crawford’s numbers last season, were much in part a result of the Blackhawks puck control and dominance in the defensive zone.

Crawford had a good year last year, and even got the Blackhawks to over pay him for the next 6 years. Crawford posted a record of 19-5-5, with a goals against average of 1.95, and a save percentage of .926%. There’s no denying Crawford put up great numbers last season, but can he do it again? He’ going to be relied on a bit more this season with the departure of Ray Emery, and Crawford needs to rise to the occasion to avoid criticism of his contract before his extension even kicks in.

Behind Crawford is veteran netminder, Nikolai Khabibulin. Khabibulin has spent 17 seasons in the NHL, including 4 in Chicago. He signed with the Blackhawks this offseason, and will likely see limited time behind Crawford. Khabibulin is aging, and won’t be a top notch goalie like we’ve seen him be in the past.

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