Honestly, I don't know how Hank has manged to keep his GAA under 3 with the defense he was surrounded by.
Totally different ERA in hockey with goalie statistics. It seems every goalie now has a low GAA in the low 2's and a save percentage over 920. During Richter's prime years the goalie stats were a lot worse.
Richter was always considered a top 5 goalie for many years. Hank also has been easily considered a top 5 goalie for many years now also. Richter has a ring. Hank does not yet. Hank needs to create his legacy in the playoffs. He had some good enough teams in past playoffs years to have some playoff runs but fell short. He does has a great opportunity to put a stamp on his career this year in the playoffs. Hank is primed to overtake Richter real soon with some serious playoff success.
Welcome to hockey. Always nice to see new fans to the sport hop on board.
I know theres 3 finalists, i was making a joke, hence the lol in my post. My point was normally the finalists are at the top of the league in most goaltending categories. Or atleast more than 1.
Mike is my favorite Ranger or all time but if I am objective I have to give it to Henrik. At the same time Mike didn't have disciplined play in front of him for half of his career and blew two knees and well... having said that I mean... Henrik is a monster. And the hard thing is they both played such different styles of goaltending. Lundqvist just stays back and is more focused while Richter was a little more acrobatic and balls to the wall. I'm glad we've had both.
I know theres 3 finalists, i was making a joke, hence the lol in my post. My point was normally the finalists are at the top of the league in most goaltending categories. Or atleast more than 1.
He was 3rd in Save PCT.
1991 was a runaway year for Belfour. Everybody knew it. Roy also had an excellent season.
After those two, it wasn't really close. The fact that Richter played the majority of games over Beezer in just his 2nd year in the league tell you how well he played that season.
How easily people forget. The Rangers were the best team in the Wales Conference with three weeks to go. Richter was a huge part of that. For some reason, Smith traded Kevin Miller for Joey Kocur and it threw the team off.
Richter was one of the best goalies in the NHL his 2nd year in the league. When Team USA was put together for the 1991 Canada Cup, Tim Taylor and Bob Johnson chose Richter over Vanbiesbrouck and Tommy barrasso (who Johnson coached), who had just won a Stanley Cup.
As far as I'm concerned, hockey is a team sport. As an individual player, Lundqvist blows away Richter.
I agree that it's a team sport, but as the season winds down and the games become to matter more, it presents a goalie with an opportunity to distinguish himself above all others regardless of what team he plays for.
There's a reason why goalies have won the Conn Smythe on teams who dont win the Stanley Cup.
I agree that it's a team sport, but as the season winds down and the games become to matter more, it presents a goalie with an opportunity to distinguish himself above all others regardless of what team he plays for.
There's a reason why goalies have won the Conn Smythe on teams who dont win the Stanley Cup.
Lundqvist never had the same caliber players as Richter had in front of him during his prime years. Lundqvist has never had a Leetch/Zubov to log half the game comfortably on the blue line, no Messier/Tikkanen to provide 2-way play and factor in all those grizzled veterans with winning experience (Lowe, MacTavish, Anderson, etc) and compare it to what Lundqvist played behind in the post-season. Scott Gomez? Michael Roszival?
Lundqvist, if he retired today would be the Rangers' best goalie in franchise history and deserves a place in the rafters even if he doesn't win it.
I'm going to go with Lundqvist on this one. Even though he has yet to win a cup i believe that will happen in his future. He won a gold for Sweeden so that is even with Richter...He will surpass Richter's wins...Richter was never a #1 goalie in the NHL...Lundqvist has a better glove than Richter...Lundqvist is the second Rangers goaltender ever (after Eddie Giacomin) to record back-to-back 30-win seasons with 30 in the 2005–06 season and 37 in the 2006–07 season...He also holds a record for the most shutouts at MSG for any goaltender...
Lundqvist never had the same caliber players as Richter had in front of him during his prime years. Lundqvist has never had a Leetch/Zubov to log half the game comfortably on the blue line, no Messier/Tikkanen to provide 2-way play and factor in all those grizzled veterans with winning experience (Lowe, MacTavish, Anderson, etc) and compare it to what Lundqvist played behind in the post-season. Scott Gomez? Michael Roszival?
Lundqvist, if he retired today would be the Rangers' best goalie in franchise history and deserves a place in the rafters even if he doesn't win it.
I´ve voted for Mike but it´s damn close in my eyes. The only thing which keeps him in front is his unreal run in the 93/94 season which was almost godlike!
If it's game 7, I'll take my childhood hero over any goaltender that has played this game.
Mike Richter - Clutch
Bigger the game, better he played. There is no chance in hell, the Rangers win the 94' Cup w/o #35. The saves he made in O/T, and D/O/T against the Devils, wasn't human.
I think Henrik is a better 'Tender though. He just doesn't come up big when the game is on the line. Mikey did though.
How many chances has he really had to show that, honestly? You really can't compare these two goaltenders because there hasn't been nearly half as good of a team in front of hank until this year. When the playoffs are all said and done i think we will have an answer to this question. There is going to be a lot more riding on this year because lets face it, this team has some actual expectations.
I love Henrick, he is having an unbelievable year, but can he get by the 2nd round first before we give him the title of Rangers best goalie ever because if this team gets upst in the first round I could think of some other titles people will come up with!
