Today on the Buzzcast we are joined by the great Kevin Woodley, who many consider the best of the best when it comes to reporting on the most important position in hockey...my personal favorite..goalie..
Many say this sport should actually be renamed "goalie" and I agree...so let's look at the best goalie of each of the last 5 decades...(opinions may vary...and please make your arguments in the comments section..)
1970s: Ken Dryden
Dryden won 5 Vezinas in the decade and was just about as dominant as any goalie in any decade...with a very notable exception of the two Vezinas won in the middle of the decade by Bernie Parent, who in any other decade probably wins "goalie of the decade."
1980s: Billy Smith
He won 4 Cups in the decade and doesn't often get the credit he deserves...The Islanders were an incredible team, but Smith played a much bigger part than is usually portrayed. The end of this decade would see the rise of Patrick Roy.
1990s: Dominik Hasek
Patrick Roy would win for the ten years between 1985 and 1995, but the 90s really belonged to Dom. Hasek was not only the best, but still to this day the most fun to watch for his crazy style and acrobatic saves. I miss Hasek in the NHL.
2000s: Marty Brodeur
Marty owned the 2000s. No one was better making key saves at key times and his ability to handle the puck took what Ron Hextall started and turned it into an art form. The Devils had a strong defense, but were only able to play with the confidence they played with because they had the ultimate confidence on #30.
2010s: Marc-Andre Fleury.
The last decade saw 9 different Vezina winners, with only Bobrovsky winning twice, but it was a goalie who never won the Vezina that I am putting as my best of the decade...Fleury not only won with Pittsburgh but its what he did at the end of the decade with Vegas that was the most remarkable and makes him my goalie of the 10s. The Vegas run as an expansion team to the Cup Finals doesn't come close to happening with MAF.
Best Goalie of the Last 50 years: Brodeur
While Hasek was my favorite to watch, but Brodeur had the most impact and was the best all-around goalie of the last 50 years. Marty made huge saves at huge times and helped the a Devils team that wasn't full of offensive talent become dominant.
Who are your goalies of the decades and the best of the last 50 years?
Join us for the podcast at 1pm ET today when we will be joined by goalie expert Kevin Woodley. We will discuss the best goalies of the last 50 years and then focus on the next generation of young goalie stars who have recently entered the NHL.
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