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In this edition of the hotstove, we rank the top-5 goaltenders in the Western Conference.
Todd Cordell
1. Corey Crawford (CHI)
The Blackhawks are not as good as they once were, especially defensively, but they still win a lot of games in large part due to Crawford. He owns a .921 save percentage over the last two years, which ranks him 4th among all goaltenders.
2. Devan Dubnyk (MIN)
I'm still not sold on him as a truly elite goaltender but it's hard to argue with the numbers he's put up since joining the Minnesota Wild.
3. Cam Talbot (EDM)
Talbot was worked into the ground last season and still managed to post really sold numbers. He's been great for the Oilers.
4. John Gibson (ANA)
Gibson is as athletic and talented as any goaltender in the league and his numbers back that up. He's quietly tied with Sergei Bobrovsky and Braden Holtby for 1st in save percentage (.923) over the last two seasons. When healthy, he's very good.
5. Steve Mason (WPG)
Mason owns a .931 save percentage at 5v5 over the last four seasons, which is good for 4th in the NHL. Last season was a down year for him but I expect he'll bounce back nicely.
Honorable mention: Jonathan Quick. If you count his injury shortened 2016-17 season, Quick has posted an above average save percentage for three consecutive years, the longest stretch of his career.
Peter Tessier
This list seems far more subjective than the Eastern ones and much tighter in terms of how they would be placed.
#1 Devan Dubnyk- He could be number one or he could be number 3. The fact that he's played lights out since being in Minny is huge.
#2 Corey Crawford- I like consistency and Crawford has been consistent for years.
#3 Cam Talbot- For some this ranking is too high, others not high enough but he carried the Oilers with 73 gp last year.
#4 Martin Jones- I don't think he gets enough love. Quietly doing his thing while all the stars in SJ get the press.
#5 Jake Allen/John Gibson- Gibson might be higher if he had played more and perhaps Allen gets a bit more praise because he played 61 games.
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