Stanley Cup Winning Goalies of the 21st Centuru Ranked from Worst to Best (Starters)

Before I really get into this, I want to say that to win a Stanley Cup alone, no matter your role on the team, is impressive and I would never downplay that accomplishment. And to win it as the starting goalie for the team means that you did exactly what you were supposed to: stop the puck.

That being said, over the last 25 years (24 seasons, 1 lockout season), some goalies have had to go above and beyond for their team to capture Lord Stanley’s cup. In some cases this meant that even as the underdogs, some teams rose up and stunned everyone to win.

Today, I will be looking at every starting goalie for every NHL team that won the Stanley Cup since the year 2000 and ranking them from worst (relative) to best performances throughout the playoffs. I will be considering many things during the rankings including personal stats, how strong the goalie’s team were in front of him, how strong the opposition was, and how valuable the goalie was to the overall playoff run, among other smaller things.

Again, this is simply a list I did for run, I’m sure there will be placements you don’t agree with. I understand every goalie on this list is a top tier athlete and if the year that they won, they were arguably the best goalie in the world (if you don’t count whoever won the Vézina).

Ready? Let’s go!

24.Darcy Kuemper (2022)

GP: 16

Record: 10-4

GAA: 2.57

Save %: 0.902

SO: 1

Team Seed: 1st (Central)

Conn Smythe: No

This was a tough one cause like I said, every goalie has to play well. However, stuff like injuries can also take its toll when it comes to grading. Take Darcy Kuemper of the 2022 Colorado Avalanche. Kuemper ending up missing part of Game 3 and all of Game 4 against Nashville in the first one after taking a stick to the eye, played all 6 games of the second round against St. Louis, but left part way through Game 1 of the West Final against Edmonton for an upper body injury. For the rest of the four game series, Pavel Francouz took over even when Kuemper was good to play for Game 4. However, Kuemper was back in for the Stanley Cup Final against Tampa Bay and played all six games before winning and played quite well, especially in Games 4 and 6, as well as posting a shutout in Game 2. Despite this, Kuemper didn’t put up great numbers (see above) and was hampered by injuries. As well, Colorado was just a pure powerhouse in 2022 and only had four losses in the playoffs, all of which Kuemper played in and were a clear favourite to win the cup. Still, Kuemper showed up when he needed to and provided steady back .

23.Antti Niemi (2010)

GP: 22

Record: 16-6

GAA: 2.63

Save %: 0.910

SO: 2

Team Seed: 2nd (West)

Conn Smythe: No

It still blows my mind that the Blackhawks didn’t keep Niemi after this but as you’ll see later on, it didn’t make much difference. After taking over during the season for Cristobal Huet, Niemi played every playoff game for a very strong Chicago team that was a favourite after their previous run the year before. Despite an up and down first round 6 game battle against Nashville, where Niemi had two shutouts but also four goals in three separate games, a back and fourth second round 6 game against Vancouver where again Niemi allowed at least four goals in three games, Niemi found his groove against a tough San Jose team in a four game conference final sweep where he allowed no more than two goals a game. In the final against Philadelphia, Niemi played well against a hot Flyers team and the Hawks took the series in 6 and the Cup as well. Playing behind what would become almost a dynasty like team, Niemi made big saves when he needed and did play against some strong teams that finished high in the standings but had to rely on high powered offence to help him out at times. Unfortunately after being traded to the Sharks, Niemi would never again see the Final but would have good showings.

22. Marc-Andre Fleury (2009)

GP: 24

Record: 16-8

GAA: 2.61

Save %: 0.908

SO: 0

Team Seed: 4th (East)

Conn Smythe: No

Now before I’m lynched, let me just say I think Fleury is a national treasure and an all time great goalie. And I will fully it that he made some big saves in this playoff run that often changed games. After a 6 game first round win against a good Flyers team where Fleury had several high save games, Fleury and the Pens faced Ovechkin and the Caps in a hard 7 game series where, despite Ovi getting his goals in, Fleury maintained relatively low scoring games, the best a 6-2 Game 7 victory where he made a lovely breakaway save on Ovi. After a four game sweep of the underdog Hurricanes, Fleury and the Pens had a rematch from the previous year with a powerhouse Detroit Red Wings team. After a back and fourth first four, Fleury got lit up for 5 goals in Game 5 but rebounded and only allowed a goal in each of the next two games, capped off with a highlight save on Nicklas Lidstrom in the dying seconds of Game 7 to win the Cup. As a middle of the pack team, the Penguins were strong but also played some very strong, offensively powered teams in longs series. Despite this, and some higher scoring games, a nice combination of timely saves and offensive from players like Malkin and Crosby, Fleury was a strong part of this team despite his less than stellar numbers and no shutouts. He would continue to show this in future playoff performances.

21. Jordan Binnington (2019)

GP: 26

Record: 16-10

GAA: 2.46

Save %: 0.914

SO: 1

Team Seed: 3rd (Central)

Conn Smythe: No

Despite a few years in the minors, being thrown in as a starter in your rookie year in the NHL can be daunting. However, if you’re Jordan Binnington, it can prove to be how you make your name. After a strong season, Binnington was chosen to start the playoffs against a strong Winnipeg Jets team. After winning in 6 games, four of those games only allowing 2 goals or less, the Blues took on Dallas in a back and forth low scoring series that St. Louis emerged victorious. In the conference final, Binner was a little up and down against the Sharks in some higher scoring games scoring games but played well enough for the Blues to win in 6, with Binner getting a shutout in Game 5. Facing the always tough Boston Bruins, it would take 7 games for Binnington and the Blues to take down the Bruins who had plenty of fire power themselves and showed it. However twice in the series, Game 5 and 7, Binnington only allowed one goal and took home his first Stanley Cup. While not good enough for Conn Smythe, Binnington had his moments where he was the deciding factor and played behind a very inspired St. Louis team that played only two fewer games than the maximum possible in the playoffs, tied for most games on this list. Ever since however, Binnington has had glimpses of that same rookie season skill but has just fallen short.

20. Sergei Bobrovsky (2024)

GP: 24

Record: 16-8

GAA: 2.32

Save %: 0.906

SO: 2

Team Seed: 1st (Atlantic)

Conn Smythe: No

If this had been 2023 Bobrovsky winning the Stanley Cup, he would definitely be much higher on the list. However, it isn’t though Bob still played well in this run despite middle of the road numbers. After a pretty handy defeat of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round, the Panthers came up against old foe Boston in the second round. After allowing 5 goals in Game 1 and raising questions, Bobrovsky shut down the door the next 5 games, never allowing more than 2 goals and helping a strong Florida team win in 6. In the conference final against New York, Bob had to be sharp as opponent Shesterkin was having a strong run of his own. Posting a shutout in Game 1 but losing the next two in overtime, Bob held New York to two goals or less in the next three to help the Panthers rally and advance in 6. So far, so good, right? Numbers were pretty good up to this point. In the first three games of the Final against Edmonton, Bob had one shutout and helped the Panthers take a 3-0 series win. Smooth sailing right? Well, the next three were as bad as those were good, with Bob allowing 5, 4, and 3 goals respectively, forcing a Game 7. However, Bobrovsky shut the door on Edmonton’s offense in Game 7, allowing just one goal as the Panthers took the game 2-1. The story of this run was when he was on, Bobrovsky was on but if he had a bad day, look out. It also helped the Florida had a wicked strong team in front of him that could offend to give him some against the more offensively minded teams they played and crack strong goalies like Vasileskiy, Swayman, and Shesterkin.

19.Jonathan Quick (2014)

GP: 26

Record: 16-10

GAA: 2.58

Save %: 0.911

SO: 2

Team Seed: 3rd (Pacific)

Conn Smythe: No

Jonathan Quick’s second cup as a starter (more on him later) required him to be more of an endurance players as the first three rounds of the playoffs all went to seven games. The team in front of Quick, while strong, didn’t finish the season as a powerhouse per se but still had plenty of talent. Starting off against the rival Sharks, Quick had a rough first three games and the Kings fell behind 3-0 in the series with the lowest goals allowed being 4. However for the next three games, Quick turned the corner and helped the Kings come back and win in Game 7, allowing only 2 goals in the last three games of the series. Moving on to face the favoured Anaheim Ducks, this series was back and forth low scoring affair that only saw the Kings explode in Game 7 offensively for 6 goals so Quick kept things close for the previous six games. In the conference final, LA came up against the Hawks who they were no strangers to. After a strong first four games, with the Kings taking a 3-1 lead, Chicago’s offense exploded against Quick in Games 5 and 6 to tie things up, scoring 5 and 4 goals respectively. In Game 7, the Hawks again put four goals past Quick but this time he had the goal as his own team scored 5 on Corey Crawford and the Kings took the game 5-4 in OT. In the Finals, Quick and the Kings faced Lundqvist and the star studded Rangers. While he allowed four goals in a Game 2 win, Quick held New York to 2 goals or less in the other four games, even shutting them out in Game 3 with 32 saves. This all helped the Kings dispatch New York in 5 and help Quick take home his second Stanley Cup. While he had his off games, Quick knew when he really needed to be at his best and showed it, especially in a dominating finals performance against a very strong Rangers team. It did help that the core of the Kings team had already won a cup and had that experience but Quick had his games where he needed to pick up the slack on occasion against some very strong teams. Tied with Binnington for most games played on the list, Quick played a big part in three Game 7 wins and has continued to be consistent even in the twilight years of his career.

18.Adin Hill (2023)

GP: 16

Record: 11-4

GAA: 2.17

Save %: 0.932

SO: 2

Team Seed: 1st (Pacific)

Conn Smythe: No

The story of Adin Hill’s Stanley Cup victory is one of opportunity. Starting the playoffs as the backup behind Laurent Brossoit for Vegas, it wasn’t until Game 2 of the second round against Edmonton that Hill was called after a poor start. The following game, again starting as the backup, Hill was called in when Brossoit suffered an injury and played every game from that point on. After splitting his first two games (3 and 4) against Edmonton, Hill played solid in Games 5 and 6 to help Vegas advance to the Conference Final where the Dallas Stars awaited. After Vegas took both Game 1 and 2 in OT, Hill posted a nice shutout in Game 3. Dallas fought back and won two close games before Hill slammed the door again for another shutout in Game 6 to help Vegas move on to the final. Once there, Hill and the Knights took on the surprising Panthers who were having a bit of Cinderella run. This was Hill’s most solid round, never allowing more than 3 goals which was really helpful considering how strong Vegas was. Like the team was just steamrolling whatever got in its way and Hill played well and shut down any momentum the opposition could muster. While posting fairly good numbers, Hill was helped out by just how strong the team was in front of him as much as anything but still was a strong candidate for the Conn Smythe though he ultimately lost out. Hill continues his solid play with the Golden Knights.

17.Corey Crawford (2015)

GP: 20

Record: 13-6

GAA: 2.31

Save %: 0.924

SO: 2

Team Seed: 3rd (Central)

Conn Smythe: No

So far we’ve seen a goalie start a playoff and leave because of an injury and return, a goalie come in because of an injury and stay the guy the team goes with, but what happens when poor play becomes a factor? Well here’s one example! Corey Crawford, having already won one cup (more on that later) with the Blackhawks started the playoffs against Nashville but after allowing 9 goals in two games, even though the series was 1-1, was taken out in favour of Scott Darling. Darling started the next four games but was taken out in exchange for Crawford after a poor start in Game 6. The Hawks rallied around Crawford who didn’t allow a goal and they advanced. Crawford kept going for the second round against Minnesota, helping the Hawks sweep the Wild and only allowing 7 goals in 4 games and moving on to face the powerhouse Ducks. After a back and forth series with Crawford playing solid, Chicago won Game 7 with Crawford receiving plenty of goal from the usual suspects like Kane and Toews. Moving on to the final against Tampa Bay, Crawford probably had his best series and, after losing Games 2 and 3 and going down 2-1 in the series, Crawford posted back to back 2-1 wins and then capped it off with a 2-0 victory in Game 6 to secure his second Stanley Cup as a starter. While he did play well and had games that he was certainly a big reason they won, Crawford did have plenty of goal on a team that usually didn’t have trouble scoring goals. As well, although he did have a poor start, Crawford did pick it up when given the chance.

16.Braden Holtby (2018)

GP: 23

Record: 16-7

GAA: 2.16

Save %: 0.922

SO: 2

Team Seed: 1st (Metropolitan)

Conn Smythe: No

Although not getting the nod for Game 1 of the first round against Columbus, Holtby did replace Philipp Grubauer in Game 2 after Grubauer struggled in both games, causing Washington to go down 2-0 in the series. But Holtby would prove to be the answer as he rattled off 4 straight wins and helped Washington move on in six games with his solid play. But old enemy and two time defending champion Pittsburgh awaited in the second round. The Caps and Holtby however seemed to have figured it out though and aided by strong play from Holtby and some overtime heroics from Evgeny Kuznetsov in Game 6, the Caps moved on to round 3 against the daunting Tampa Bay Lightning. After a back and forth first five games, Washington found themselves down 3-2 and on the brink of elimination, Holtby took matters into his own hands and posted back to back shutouts in Game 6 and 7 to help the Caps and Ovi move on to the final against the newcomer Vegas Golden Knights. After a tough Game 1 loss, Holtby and the Caps took the next four games after Holtby made a ridiculous stick save on Alex Tuch. While Caps were definitely top contenders and a powerhouse in the East, Holtby did play well and made big saves that often turned the tide of the game and even series, helping Washington shed their identity as playoff chokers.

15.Matt Murray (2016)

GP: 21

Record: 15-6

GAA: 2.08

Save %: 0.923

SO: 1

Team Seed: 2nd (Metropolitan)

Conn Smythe: No

While maybe considered a bit of a bust nowadays, you can’t deny the magic of 21 year old Matt Murray. After splitting the first two games of the first round against the Rangers, the Pens decided Jeff Zatkoff (playing for an injured Fleury) wasn’t the answered and decided to put Matt Murray in. Murray would go on to win the next three games, shutting out New York in Game 4 before moving on to face perennial rival Washington. After losing Game 1 in OT, Murray helped the Pens win the next three, allowing only 5 goals in that span while facing some high shots from Washington. The Pens took the series in 6, shocking Ovi and the Caps, with Murray being a large part to shutting down Washington’s offence. Moving on to face Tampa Bay, Murrary was pulled in Game 4 after allowing 4 goals for Marc-Andre Fleury. After warming the bench in Game 5 and going down 3-2 in the series, Murray was back in for Games 6 and 7, which he won both, only allowing a single goal in Game 7. Now in the final against the hungry San Jose Sharks, Murray and opponent Martin Jones played a back and forth series that went six games, mostly low scoring, which the Pens won. Murray was so good at keeping games generally low scoring and despite the setback in the third round, he rebounded and came back all the better for it. I know he’s kind of fallen off now, but to think how impressive it was for a 21 turning 22 year old to come in like he did and play was truly impressive, even if he was playing with the likes of Sidney Crosby, Malkin and the rest of the mighty Pens of the time.

14.Cam Ward (2006)

GP: 23

Record: 15-8

GAA: 2.14

Save %: 0.920

SO: 2

Team Seed: 2nd (East)

Conn Smythe: Yes

Our first Conn Smythe winner on the list, Cam Ward’s journey is a fun one for sure. Initially the backup behind Martin Gerber for the 2006 playoffs, Ward was called in after Gerber lost Game 1 and allowed 3 first period goals in Game 2 against Montreal. Despite losing in double OT, Ward got the nod for Game 3 and never looked back, winning the next four games and only allowing 2 goals in one of those games (Game 4) with the rest only allowing one goal against. After the 6 game series win, Carolina moved onto face New Jersey who they defeated in five games. Sans allowing 4 goals in Game 4 and being pulled while being up 3-0 in the series, Ward continued his excellent play and held New Jersey to 2 goals or less, even getting a shutout in Game 1. In the conference finals, the Canes faced the a hot Ryan Miller and the rest of the Buffalo Sabres. Ward and Miller went back on fourth and had somewhat of a goalie duel through seven games, despite being pulled in games 3 and 4 and returning in Game 5 to replace Gerber, however it was Ward’s Canes that won out on Game 7. I would just like to say that the constant switching was an odd choice but I’m not a coach either. In the Stanley Cup Final, the Hurricanes took on the underdog Oilers. Despite taking a 3-1 series lead on Edmonton, aided by Ward’s strong play, the Oilers did force Game 7. However, Ward regained his composure after allowing 4 goals in Game 6, holding Edmonton to a single goal as he helped Carolina to their first Stanley Cup. For his efforts, Ward was awarded the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP. While I do agree that Ward played great, especially for a 22 year old rookie, he did have a great team in front of him that included Justin Williams, Ray Whitney, Rod Brind’Amour and some guy named Eric Staal. Still it is impressive how well Ward did.

13.Jean-Sebastian Gigure (2007)

GP: 18

Record: 13-4

GAA: 1.97

Save %: 0.922

SO: 1

Team Seed: 2nd (West)

Conn Smythe: No

In a similar case as that as Sergei Bobrovsky, if Giguere had won in 2003, the year he won the Conn Smythe despite losing in the final, there’s a very strong chance he’d be even higher on this list. But as it stands, he didn’t so here we are. Initially starting on the bench behind Ilya Bryzgalov, Giguere came in relief when Ilya was pulled in Game 4. Giguere would start Game 5 and go on to win, helping Anaheim close out the first round against the Wild with a 4-1 win. After dispatching Vancouver in the second round in 5 games, all of which Giguere allowed 2 goals or less and won two games in OT, the Ducks were faced with the mighty Red Wings. After going down 2-1 in the series, including a 5-0 loss in Game 3 that saw Giguere get pulled, the Ducks gave Giguere some goal and took the next three, with Game 5 being another close 2-1 OT win. In the finals now against the Ottawa Senators, Giguere returned old form, posting a 1-0 shutout in Game 2 and helping the Ducks win in five games. While the Ducks did have a good team in their own right, they did come up against some solid competition that Giguere had to be sharp for. His numbers show how good he was at keeping his opponents goals down but he also had a pretty good defensive team in front of him as well.

12.Matt Murrary (2017)

GP: 11

Record: 7-3

GAA: 1.70

Save %: 0.937

SO: 3

Team Seed: 2nd (Metropolitan)

Conn Smythe: No

This was probably the hardest one to place. Yes, he has the fewest losses of any goalie on this list and some truly great stat numbers…he also has the fewest games played. So what’s the deal with 2017 Matt Muarry? So prior to Game 1, in warmup, Murray got injured and was replaced by Marc-Andre Fleury. Fleury would go on to play, and play quite well, the entire first and second rounds against Columbus and Washington respectively. However, after splitting the first two games of the conference final against Ottawa, Fleury and the Pens were lit up four times in the 1st period Game 3 and Murray was called back in. Though they lost the game, the Pens went with Murray in Game 4 which proved to be a good choice as he won 3 of the next 4 games, including a Game 5 shutout and allowing Ottawa to score two in the other three games, which was capped off by a Game 7 3-2 double overtime win. Back in the final for a second straight year, the Pens rolled with Murray who played well in Games 1 and 2 and got the wins but faltered in Games 3 and 4. Unfazed, Murray would proceed to put up back to back shutouts in Games 5 and 6 to help Pittsburgh win back to back. It’s hard to deny that Fleury did a large part of the work but when Murray was called upon to come in, he knocked it out of the park. Against Ottawa and Craig Anderson, he had to be amazing and he was. Against Nashville, yes he stumbled a little but what a way to respond after that. He would be higher up but the team in front of him was excellent and didn’t let him get too bombarded and he came in fresh when most everyone else had been playing for over a month already. Still, very impressive that he came back from an injury and played as well as he did.

11. Dominik Hasek (2002)

GP: 23

Record: 16-7

GAA: 1.86

Save %: 0.920

SO: 6

Team Seed: 1st (West)

Conn Smythe: No

For a long time, he was the best goalie never to win a Stanley Cup. After being traded to the absolutely stacked Detroit Red Wings and starting the playoffs against the Vancouver Canucks, Hasek stumbled out of the gates and the Wings found themselves down 2-0 to an 8th seeded Canucks team with Hasek allowing 9 goals in those two games. However Hasek and the Wings turned it around and won the next four games with Hasek settling things down and even recording a shutout in Game 5. Moving on to face the St. Louis Blues, Hasek started the series with a shutout in Game 1 and ended with a shutout in Game 5, with a single loss in Game 3 being the only show of weakness. In the conference finals, it was heavyweight clash between the Wings and the Avalanche, with Hasek facing Roy in a battle of goaltending titans. A tight series all the way through, the Wings went down 3-2 after Game 5 but Hasek had a plan. That plan was to shut out Colorado in Games 6 and 7. This plan worked and the Wings moved on to face the Carolina Hurricanes. This was arguably the Hasek’s best round as, after losing in OT in Game 1, the Wings and Hasek rallied for four straight low scoring wins, with Hasek picking up his 6th shutout (record at the time) in Game 4, to win the Stanley Cup. Hasek might have been a little past his crazy prime but he still put up solid numbers, had 6 shutouts, and played some challenging teams during the run. Yes, the Red Wings were ridiculously talented at the time but Hašek still made big saves when called upon, especially against Colorado and Carolina.

10. Andrei Vasilevskiy (2020)

GP: 25

Record: 18-7

GAA: 1.90

Save %: 0.927

SO: 1

Team Seed: 2nd (East)

Conn Smythe: No

The wildest thing about Vasilevskiy’s 2020 run is that he had two more wins then you normally need. The guy had 18 wins. Normally, a team needs 16 wins to win the Stanley Cup. COVID had other plans. A year after having a great regular season and choking hard in the first round to Columbus, Tampa Bay found themselves in a very strange place: the COVID Cup. Finishing in the top 4 teams in the East meant them, Washington, Philadelphia, and Boston played a seeding round. Tampa finished 2-1 with Vasilevskiy as their starter, placing them as second. The meant a rematch with Columbus. After trading wins in the first two games, Vasy and the Lightning took three straight games to eliminate the Blue Jackets, backed Vasy’s steady goaltending. In the second round, Boston took Game 1 but just like the first round, Tampa stormed back to take the next four, backed by several high save performances from Vasy where he allowed either 1 or 2 goals. And backed by the team he was, there wasn’t a whole lot to worry about. In the third round, Tampa took on the Islanders. Jumping out to a 3-1 series lead with Vasy holding down the fort, the Islanders took Game 5 to stay alive but Vasilevskiy responded by holding them to 1 goal in a narrow OT victory. This brought them to the Stanley Cup Finals against the Dallas Stars which proved to be a close series. Tampa’s team seemed stronger but in Game 6, up 3-2 in the series, Vasilevskiy put the cherry on top with a 2-0 to clinch the victory and the Cup. While he didn’t have the shutouts of Hašek or have to be the backbone of some of the later people on this list, Vasilevskiy kept games close and kept scores low for the most part. Yes, he had an excellent team in front of him but his own stats speak for themselves. That, and I can’t imagine playing in those bubbles for COVID was that easy.

9.Corey Crawford (2013)

2013: Corey Crawford

GP: 23

Record: 16-7

GAA: 1.84

Save %: 0.932

SO: 1

Team Seed: 1st (West)

Conn Smythe: No

Hey, it’s Crawford again! Second time on the list, first outing as a starter! The 2013 season was shortened yes, but the Hawks went into the playoffs on fire and heavy favourites to win. In the opening round, Crawford and the Hawks took out the Minnesota Wild in 5 games, the Wild’s lone win in Game 3 in OT. The other four games Crawford allowed 1, 2, 0, and 1 goal respectively…pretty good. The second round proved a little tougher as the Blackhawks took on the Red Wings. In the first four games, close as they were, Detroit’s Jimmy Howard was looking like the stronger goalie as Detroit took a 3-1 lead in the series. However, the Hawks squad decided to give Crawford a little more goal and Crawford kept his steady play going, coming back to tie the series and force Game 7 where in overtime, Chicago emerged victorious 2-1 to move on. In the third round, the rival LA Kings kept the series low scoring but often the combination of Crawford’s consistency and the Hawks timely scoring helped Chicago win in 5. Now on the final against a strong Boston Bruins team, Chicago fell behind 2-1 in the series. Sans a wild 6-5 in Game 4, the entire series was low scoring due mostly in part to Crawford and counterpart Tuukka Rask. Crawford however, seemed to be a little better and took Games 4, 5, and 6 to help him to his first cup win as a starter. Again, had a very well rounded talented team behind him, but the competition they faced were no pushovers. Detroit, LA, and Boston were every bit the team Chicago was but Crawford would keep the games close until either Kane, or Sharp, or Toews, or some other hero would score a goal. While he didn’t get many shutouts in this run, Crawford’s stats are quite good especially considered that.

8. Andrei Vasilevskiy (2021)

GP: 23

Record: 16-7

GAA: 1.90

Save %: 0.937

SO: 5

Team Seed: 3rd (Central)

Conn Smythe: Yes

Another guy who’s back again! As nice as Vasy’s first cup was, the second was so much better. Another altered playoff due to COVID, Tampa started their defence run by playing a very strong Florida Panthers team. Through the first five games were very back and forth and Tampa entered Game 6 up 3-2. Vasilevskiy, who had played decent up to this point, decided to clutch up and post a shutout to help Tampa advance to round 2. There, they encountered the Carolina Hurricanes who were favourites themselves. Vasy played strong in the first two games, getting back to back 2-1 wins. The next two games were traded wins but in the 5th game, with the chance to close it out, Vasilevskiy delivered with another shutout to move on. In the third round, Tampa faced the Islanders and it was the closest series of the year. The two teams split the first four games of the series, all close low scoring games with Vasy playing well. In Game 5, Vasy and the Lightning cruised to an 8-0 shutout win though the Islanders stayed alive with a 3-2 OT win in Game 6. But just like the previous two rounds, Vasy ended it off with another shutout, 1-0 to bring Tampa back to the Stanley Cup Final where they took on the surprising Montreal Canadiens. In the first two games, Vasy held the Habs to one goal a piece, despite being heavily outshot in Game 2. Game 3 was also Tampa’s though Vasy allowed 3. Game 4 was a Habs win in OT, but Tampa Bay and Vasilevskiy weren’t willing to risk it and posted a 1-0 shutout for his fifth of the postseason. His effort was so good, he was awarded the Conn Smythe and rightfully so. While they were a strong team, they were by no means the top pick to win but Vasy pulled up clutch, especially when it came to closing out a series.

7.Martin Brodeur (2000)

GP: 23

Record: 16-7

GAA: 1.61

Save %: 0.927

SO: 2

Team Seed: 4th (East)

Conn Smythe: No

And now we go back to the first winner of the decade, most winningest goalie of all time Martin Brodeur. Already a one time cup champ at this time, Brodeur and the Devils faced the Florida Panthers in round 1. Sans a 4-3 win in Game 1, Brodeur and the Devils held Florida to one goal in each of the next three and swept them. In the second round, Brodeur was tasked with shutting down the Leafs and old buddy Cujo. After dropping Game 1 2-1, Brodeur rebounded with a 1-0 shutout victory in Game 2. After taking 2 out of the next 3, Brodeur posted another shutout in Game 6, though he only needed to make 6 saves (yes 6) to do so as the Devils advanced. Taking on the top seeded Philadelphia Flyers, Devils took Game 1 but dropped the next three afterwards in close games. Down 3-1, Brodeur and the Devils doubled down and held the Flyers to one goal on each of the next 3 games and came back to advance. But waiting in the Finals were the uber talented defending champ Dallas Stars. After splitting the first two games, Brodeur held Dallas to one goal in each of the next two games but lost a tight triple OT Game 5. Much like Game 5, Game 6 went into double OT tied at 1-1. Brodeur and counterpart Ed Belfour put on a clinic but the Devils’ Jason Arnott capped things off and secured the win, and Cup for Brodeur and the Devils. Brodeur’s numbers speak for themselves, despite facing lower shots often as the Devils defence did their job. He did face several high shot games which he was more than up to the task.

6. Nikolai Khabibulin (2004)

GP: 23

Record: 16-7

GAA: 1.71

Save %: 0.933

SO: 5

Team Seed: 1st (East)

Conn Smythe: No

As good as Andrei Vasileskiy was, I personally think this guy had a little bit better of a run. Nikolai Khabibulin and the Lightning started their playoff push by taking on the New York Islanders. And Khabibulin had a good round, recording three shutouts (Games 1, 3, and 4) and helping the Lightning advance in 5. Hot start right? In the second round, Tampa took on Montreal and held them to just 5 goals in four games, with Khabibulin recording a shutout in Game 1 and helping the Lightning sweep the Habs. In the conference final, Tampa took on a more challenging Flyers team. Splitting the first two games, the second of which saw Khabibulin get pulled, Khabibulin bounced back with a 3-1 win. After three more close games, Game 7 saw Tampa and Khabibulin win 2-1 to advance to the Stanley cup final to face the Calgary Flames. After going down 2-1 in the series to a hot Flames team, Khabibulin rebounded with a 1-0 win in Game 4. After losing a close one in Game 5, Tampa and Khabibulin hung on for double OT in Game 6 and close hard fought 2-1 win in Game 7. I mean what else can I say? 5 shutouts, great numbers, clutch performances both to ease the workload against easier teams and to keep Tampa in it against tougher opponents. His Game 6 performance in the Final was especially gutsy to keep the Lightning alive.

5.Chris Osgood (2008)

GP: 19

Record: 14-4

GAA: 1.55

Save %: 0.930

SO: 3

Team Seed: 1st (West)

Conn Smythe: No

Coming in to take over a series is tough. Coming into a freshly tied series is even tougher. Coming into a freshly tied series in relief of one of the all time greats is even tougher still. Ask Chris Osgood. After relieving starter Dominik Hasek in Game 4 against the Nashville Predators after he allowed three goals and had struggled, Osgood finished off the game not allowing a goal and got the nod for Game 5, series tied at 2. Game 5, Osgood led the way to a 2-1 OT victory and in Game 6 he had a 3-0 shutout. Suffice to say, Detroit was going with Osgood. The second round saw the story not be Osgood, though he was steady, but the Red Wings offence which exploded to help sweep the Colorado Avalanche, though Osgood never gave up more than 3 goals in a game. In the conference final, facing Dallas, Osgood came out strong, helping Detroit take the first three games while only allowing four goals during those games. While Games 4 and 5, were loses to a desperate Stars team, the Wings and Osgood rebounded with a 4-1 victory to advance and face the Pittsburgh Penguins in the final. Osgood started even stronger, recording back to back shutouts in Games 1 and 2. Pittsburgh took 2 out of the next 3 games, although they were close. Game 6 proved to be the end as Osgood helped the Wings win 3-2 and clinch the Stanley Cup. Stats aside, though they are quite good in their own right, Osgood did have a great team in front of him but played plenty of tough competition. Coupled with his having to come in relief and pick up the slack, especially giving that he was both a smaller goalie at 5’10 and wore what I would call old school gear, Osgood’s run was super underrated.

4.Patrick Roy (2001)

GP: 23

Record: 16-7

GAA: 1.70

Save %: 0.934

SO: 4

Team Seed: 1st (West)

Conn Smythe: Yes

Finally, we get to our old friend Patrick Roy, who was nearing the end of his career at this point, but still quite good between the pipes. To start, Roy and the Avs took on the lowly Canucks. Not a whole lot to say here other than the Avs swept them in four games, twice Roy held them to a goal a game. Pretty simple, nothing crazy. Now the second round was a little different where Colorado played the underdog Kings who had already upset the favoured Red Wings. After a stunning OT loss in Game 1, Roy responded by shutting out the Kings in Game 2, winning Game 3 4-3, and again shutting them out in Game 4. Pretty good responses huh? The Kings rebounded though and won two back to back 1-0 games, the second in double overtime to force Game 7. Can’t really blame Roy there. Roy did the same thing in Game 7, allowing one goal against but this time he had the to win 5-1 and move on to the conference finals against the Blues. Once there, Roy continued his strong play, holding the Blues to low scores as his own offence was now rolling, pushing the Avs past St. Louis in six games. But the dominant defending champion Devils awaited and it was showdown between Roy and Brodeur ( him?). After shutting out the Devils in Game 1, Roy would trade wins with Brodeur all throughout the low scoring series, posting another shutout in Game 6 when his team was down 3-2 in the series. Finally Game 7 arrived and Roy did his Roy thing and held New Jersey to a single goal on 26 shots. His boys tallied three to lead them to the Stanley Cup. Finishing with four shutouts and strong play throughout (a lot of one goal allowed games), Roy was awarded the Conn Smythe. I know Colorado had a good team but they also faced a lot of real good players and teams who very easily could’ve taken them out too. LA and New Jersey in particular proved challenges but Roy stood firm and held off onslaughts when he needed to keep things under control until the talented Avs players could strike back even if they had spans where they struggled to score. Even faced with fellow great Brodeur, Roy went game for game with him and proved that he still had enough gas in the tank. But Brodeur would get another chance very soon…

3.Martin Brodeur (2003)

GP: 24

Record: 16-8

GAA: 1.65

Save %: 0.934

SO: 7

Team Seed: 2nd (East)

Conn Smythe: No

See? I told you it would be coming soon! We’ve already since Marty once, in 2000, which was pretty good in its own right, but this run…wow. So it’s starts in the first round against Boston. Brodeur holds them to three goals in two games and New Jersey is up 2-0. Brodeur then has a shutout in Game 3, followed by a loss in Game 4 where he was actually pulled at the end. Brodeur responded in Game 5 by having a second shutout and helping the Devils advance. See a trend here? In the second round, against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Brodeur shut out the Devils in Game 1 and backed the team to a 3-2 OT win in Game 2. A close 4-3 loss in Game 3 did little to slow down the Devils and Brodeur who held Tampa to just a goal a piece in the next two games to advance, Game 5 being a triple OT marathon that Brodeur made 38 saves in. Conference finals arrive and it’s the top two teams in the East left, Ottawa and New Jersey. This was the definition of a low scoring series with Ottawa scoring a max amount of goals per game of 3 which they did in two of their wins. Brodeur, for his part, shut out the Sens in Game 3 1-0 and, after a scary comeback to force Game 7, held them to two goals so the Devils could advance. Suffice to say, Marty was the backbone of this team. In the finals, the Devils fought the 7th seeded Mighty Ducks whose goalie, J.S Giguere (sound familiar?) was having his own magical run. However, it was Brodeur who made his mark first, posting back to back shutouts in Games 1 and 2. The Ducks rallied to tie the series, scores low of course. Until the two teams traded odd (for them) high scoring wins in Games 5 and 6 to force Game 7. So what does Brodeur do after allowing 5 goals and getting pulled in Game 6? Goes out and posts another shutout…his seventh. To win the Stanley Cup. Just looking at those stats, it’s crazy to see that they gave the Conn Smythe to Giguere, though to be fair, his numbers were a little better. Still, Brodeur and the Devils, yes they were a very defensive team, put on a clinic and simply silenced any challenge they had. Almost half his wins were shutouts. And he clutched up big when it mattered, even against another goalie who was having just as good a playoff run.

2.Tim Thomas (2011)

GP: 25

Record: 16-9

GAA: 1.98

Save %: 0.940

SO: 4

Team Seed: 3rd (East)

Conn Smythe: Yes

Good ol’ Tim Thomas. Believe it or not, Thomas’ playoff run didn’t start out spectacular. At 37 years old, Thomas was actually in his prime as he had been a late bloomer and was chosen to start for Boston against historic rival Montreal. Series was back and forth, both teams fairly even in all categories. Every game was within two goals and Thomas shone in Games 3, 4, 5, and 7 all where he faced 30 plus shots. Boston triumphed and moved on to face Philadelphia, who had previously made a historic comeback back against Boston the year before. In response, Thomas and the Bruins swept the Flyers, allowing only 9 goals in the series while Thomas again faced high shot numbers. It seemed like Thomas did better the busier he was. In the third round, Boston came up against a skilled Tampa Bay team. After splitting the first two games where Thomas didn’t seem his usual self, he settled down for Game 3 with a 2-0 shutout. After Tampa tied the series (twice) it came down to Game 7 in Boston which Thomas again delivered a shutout to help the Bruins squeak out a 1-0 win to advance to the Stanley Cup final against the heavily favoured Vancouver Canucks. Now up until this point, Thomas’ playoff run had been good. But he turned it up to 11 for the final. After losing Game 1 1-0 in the last minute and losing Game 2 3-2 in OT, Thomas and the Bruins responded with an 8-1, 40 save win in Game 3 and a 4-0 38 save show in Game 4. The Canucks struck back with a 1-0 win in Game 5, Thomas responding with a 36 save, 5-2 victory in Game 6 to force Game 7. And in that game, Boston dazzled with a 37 save, 4-0, Stanley cup clinching victory. Thomas and the Bruins outscored Vancouver 23-8 in a seven game series, which the fact it went seven despite that, shows how good Thomas had to be. For his crazy run, especially in the finals, Thomas was awarded the Conn Smythe and in case you forgot it, he was 37 at the time. Boston played some good teams on the way, an amazing Canuck team in the finals that was essentially iced (heh) by Thomas and timely scoring from talent such as Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Krejci, among others as they did have a skilled team in their own right. Some consider it the greatest playoff performance by a goalie of all time, which is a valid argument.

However when I looked back at all the stats, all the runs, there was one guy who was head and shoulders above everyone else with how important he was to his team’s run to Lord Stanley. He had the best GAA, the best save percentage, the biggest win-loss ratio (+12 wins over), his team was the lowest seed, and he won the Conn Smythe. Ladies and Gentleman, I give you…

1.Jonathan Quick (2012)

GP: 20

Record: 16-4

GAA: 1.41

Save %: 0.946

SO: 3

Team Seed: 8th (West)

Conn Smythe: Yes

Those numbers are not a typo. Jonathan Quick was really that good in the 2012 playoffs. Nobody expected the 8th seed Kings to beat the President’s Trophy Winning Vancouver Canucks, who looked primed to avenge their loss from the year before (see Tim Thomas stones the Canucks above). Nobody expected LA to beat a team that finished 26 points ahead in the standings, much less do it quickly. Which is why when the Kings jumped out to a 3-0 series lead, with Quick only allowing four goals in those games and pitching a shutout in Game 3, were shocked. They were even more shocked when Quick and the Kings dispatched Vancouver in 5 games total. While the team played well, Quick had dazzled with a couple of 40 save wins. In the second round, the Kings came up against the 2nd seeded St. Louis Blues who were also fan favourites to finally win the big one. These hopes were dashed again by Quick and the Kings who swept the Blues, out scoring them in four games by a total of 15-6. Quick and the Kings had just stomped out the top two teams in the West and were moving on to the West Final against Phoenix, the 3rd seed. Southern fans salivated at the thought of the Coyotes finally going to the Finals. Can you guess what happened? Yeah, Quick and the Kings. Much like the first round, the Kings jumped out to a 3-0 series lead, aided by a Quick shutout in Game 2. The Kings finished the Coyotes off in 5 games, outscoring them 14-8 so a little better than St. Louis did I guess but still not great. Amazing for Quick though. Now in the Stanley Cup final against the East’s 6th seed New Jersey Devils, the Kings and Quick had an ideal start going up 3-0 in the series with a pair of 2-1 OT wins in the first two games and Quick posting a shutout in Game 3. Brodeur and the Devils countered, matching Quick’s stinginess with a 2-1 and 3-1 win in Games 4 and 5. However, in Game 6, everything came together for the Kings as Quick allowed only a lone goal and the offence exploded for 6 goals to lead the way to the Kings, and Quick’s first Stanley Cup. Looking at the entire run, it took all the way up until Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals for a team to beat Quick and the Kings more than once in a series. The numbers don’t lie: Quick’s own stats are phenomenal, he helped his team beat the top three teams in the West that year, quite handily at that, all while being a team that barely made it into the playoffs as the last seed. Yes, the Kings had a deceiving good team that really turned it on, but none of it would’ve be possible without Quick putting on the performances he did, which is why he takes the top spot.

So what did you guys think? This took a fair bit of work and research and I’m really proud the way it turned out! Again this is my opinion based on what I found and I’m curious to hear what you think, whether it’s someone else at the top or a displacement of someone, feel free to leave your thoughts below!