Last season, we always heard how the Chicago Blackhawks had a strong goalie pairing. Corey Crawford was more than a solid starter, and backup goaltender Ray Emery was on fire. These two players were great together. They were always on the upswing, and they eventually lost a couple of games, but they won the Stanley Cup. This brings us to this upcoming season. With Ray Emery moving to Philadelphia, and Crawford signing a fat contract, it’s obvious that they cannot be the best goaltending duo again this year. But who is going to be that duo?
Sep 24, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; New Jersey Devils right wing Mike Sislo (56) celebrates his goal with teammates center Jacob Josefson (16) and defenseman Bryce Salvador (24) against the Philadelphia Flyers during the third period of preseason game at the Wells Fargo Center. The Devils defeated the Flyers, 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
At the NHL Draft this year, Vancouver made a huge move by sending backup goaltender Cory Schneider to the New Jersey Devils. In return, they received the 9th pick in the first round and drafted a skillful young Bo Horvat for offense. What they didn’t realize is that they had quite possibly created one of the toughest goaltending duos to face in the league. Jersey’s front man Martin Brodeur has been on top of his game since he started in 1991. His age is no problem, and he performs game in and game out. He even has 3 goals on his stats sheet. And Schneider was battling Roberto Luongo in Vancouver for the number 1 spot. With these two together, who knows what they can accomplish?
Sep 23, 2013; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens left wing Max Pacioretty (67) misses a chance to score a goal against New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur (30) during the third period at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports
Martin Brodeur is one of the best goalies out there, but hasn’t had as much luck in the playoffs. In his 1,220 NHL games, he has recorded an impressive 669-380-105-43 record (the 105 is ties, before the 2004 lockout season). He has been a rock in net, even though he has let in 2,668 goals. He has recorded 121 shutouts, with a 2.23 GAA and a save percentage of .913. His playoff stats seem a bit better, but he hasn’t won the Stanley Cup since 2003. He had a 113-91 playoff record. He has played 205 games, and let in 428 goals. His 24 shutouts are impressive, and he has a 2.02 GAA with a .919 save percentage. In conclusion, this guy is solid! And his new mate will be impressive too.
Sep 24, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; New Jersey Devils goalie Cory Schneider (35) takes a break during preseason game against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Cory Schneider was drafted by Vancouver in 2007 and played for their AHL affiliates Manitoba Moose for a year and a half before being called up. He had bounced back down to the AHL once more before being called up for good. In his 136 NHL games, he has a record of 84-45-5. He has 306 goals against, with 12 shutouts and a GAA of 2.28. He is a strong influence between the pipes, but he hasn’t played much in the playoffs, only playing in 10 games. I think he will be a great pairing for Brodeur.
This team is looking scary good right now in terms of goaltending. They also added offensive power like Jaromir Jagr and Damien Brunner recently. This could be a team who has a fair chance at the Stanley Cup this year. Comment below what you think about these players.