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March Madness bracket: Who’s the greatest NHL goalie of all time?

By Dave Stevenson

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 27: NHL Top 100 players Scott Niedermayer, Scott Stevens, Brian Leetch, Martin Brodeur, Dominik Hasek, Patrik Roy and Chris Chelios pose for a portrait at the Microsoft Theater as part of the 2017 NHL All-Star Weekend on January 27, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 27: NHL Top 100 players Scott Niedermayer, Scott Stevens, Brian Leetch, Martin Brodeur, Dominik Hasek, Patrik Roy and Chris Chelios pose for a portrait at the Microsoft Theater as part of the 2017 NHL All-Star Weekend on January 27, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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SUNRISE, FL – MARCH 07: Henrik Lundqvist #30 of the New York Rangers lmakes a save during a game against the Florida Panthers at BB&T Center on March 7, 2017 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
SUNRISE, FL – MARCH 07: Henrik Lundqvist #30 of the New York Rangers lmakes a save during a game against the Florida Panthers at BB&T Center on March 7, 2017 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

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What a classic matchup. The two most unorthodox goalies in NHL history. If you hate the trapezoid, guess who you can blame? Marty. On the other hand, Hextall is the career leader in penalty minutes for goalies. Brodeur wins this one because of his overall resume. Yes, he’s a product of his system. But it’s worth noting some of his best years came after the Devils lost Scott Stevens and Scott Niedermayer.

Two eras collide here. Jacques Plante is the best goalie in Canadiens history while Parent gets the nod for the Flyers. The masked one pulls away as expected, though the Flyers goalie nearly pulls off the upset.

This is one of the toughest match ups in the tournament. Mostly because the two goalies couldn’t come from more different eras. Clint Benedict dominated in the early years of the NHL while Henrk Lundqvist has done so in a much tougher era. King Henrik will get the nod here. Their excellence is roughly equal as far as their resumes, but once you adjust for era, Lundqvist is clearly the more dominant goalie.

Two goalies who backstopped some impressive dynasties will face each other here. There’s a good argument for both sides. However, Johnny Bower gets the slight nod here. His numbers, in context, were better than Smith’s. During a time when goalies dominated, Bower constantly stood out. That’s telling.

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Both goalies backstopped a historic franchise. However, Terry Sawchuk’s impressive resume outweighs Bill Durnan’s. The Red Wings legend has longevity on his side despite playing through, among other injuries, ruptured disks in his back, severed hand tendons, and a collapsed lung. Until Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy came along, Sawchuk led all goalies in games played. He ranks second only to Marty in shutouts.

This matchup is going to cause a lot of debates. What do you look at when evaluating a goalie’s legacy? Do you prefer longevity (Glenn Hall) or short-term dominance (Ken Dryden)? It’s a tough question, one that might not have a concrete answer. Hall trails Dryden in Stanley Cups, but his durability stands out. “Mr. Hockey” holds a record with 502 consecutive complete games. The slight nod here goes to the guy who nearly won the St. Louis Blues a Stanley Cup. But you wouldn’t be wrong for picking Dryden here either.

Geez, what a matchup this one is. Two of the best goalies of the early days. There’s a good argument for both sides. While George Hainsworth has the overall numbers, Alec Connell played for a lesser team and made them better. Both goalies got two Stanley Cups. Connell gets the slight upset here, playing for the lesser team but still consistently being among the top goalies.

Between these two Bruins legends, they have six Vezina Trophies and three Stanley Cups. Frank Brimsek and Tiny Thompson are so close to each other. However, the latter pulls off the minor upset. His excellence lasted a tad bit longer than Brimsek’s.

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