I remember watching the Leafs on Hockey Night in Canada and thinking your goalie Jiri Crha was the worst goalie in the world. Recently, I read that he was the best European goalie in the world next to Tretiak. Which is closer to the truth?
DAVID SHAND: Jiri Crha was the worst goaltender on the planet. We played St. Louis one night when Red Berenson was coaching the Blues and Mike Liut was his net minder. We had Jiri. Shots on net in the first period were 25 to 1 for us and and the score was 1 to 0 St. Louis. We had 50 shots. They had 12. We lost 4 to 1. Nuff said.
Shand is a moron. Jiri Crha was hardly great but he had the best stats by far among the five goalies who played for the Leafs the only season Shand and Crha played together (80-81).
On a serious note though, Gustavsson is not an NHL calibre goalie. Adequate AHL starter maybe.
Save this post and we can revisit it next year.
What he's done this season, in the very least, has shown that he can play well for decent stretches (and as a result, could become a very serviceable backup goalie - say to Vancouver, if they flip Schneider at the deadline for a team need etc).
He has a job in the NHL lined up after the summer, and he's earned that.
Dave Shand who was hardly much of an NHL defenseman may be forgetting the night in Minnesota when Crha faced about 70 shots against. Crha was totally unconventional compared to a North America goaltender playing ridiculously deep in the net. Crha wasn't even the worst goalie during that period in Leafs' history. Paul Harrison and Vincent Tremblay were far worst. There was a parade of failures in goal after Crha throughout the 1980's, none of whom did better.
Dave Shand who was hardly much of an NHL defenseman may be forgetting the night in Minnesota when Crha faced about 70 shots against. Crha was totally unconventional compared to a North America goaltender playing ridiculously deep in the net. Crha wasn't even the worst goalie during that period in Leafs' history. Paul Harrison and Vincent Tremblay were far worst. There was a parade of failures in goal after Crha throughout the 1980's, none of whom did better.
Yes but Minnesota's shot clock operater was known to be VERY one sided in his assessments of shots on goal.
Crha was OK.
He was the #1 goalie for the LEafs for a time which means his back-up might be the worst goalie of all time.
Crha wasn't that bad, but had one of my favorite Leaf goalie masks (hence avatar ) But what Shand did was pretty low class. He was no superstar himself.
Last edited by BleedsBlueAndWhite: 02-15-2012 at 09:38 AM.
Shand is a moron. Jiri Crha was hardly great but he had the best stats by far among the five goalies who played for the Leafs the only season Shand and Crha played together (80-81).
And the Leafs didn't lose 4-1 to the Blues that year...
Shand should get his facts straight before going for a cheap laugh.
Crha wasn't that bad, but had one of my favorite Leaf goalie masks (hence avatar ) But what Shand did was pretty low class. He was no superstar himself.
He was definitely one of the coolest looking goalies at that time, his mask was amazing.
Cool mask or not, and I never saw him play, but how bad could he have been??
Shand's comments seem pretty stupid.
Anyone bringing up Aastrom or Millen should look up Steve Buzinski....a wartime replacement who had absolutely no business being in the NHL.
Toskala spent a season as an adequate starter with the Leafs, but after his phantom groin injury, he had the flat out worst stats in the NHL by a shocking margin. "Worst Leafs goalie ever" would have to go to Toskala during that period, unless you want to count obvious non-NHLers like Sebastien Centomo, and that's kind of pointless.
Anyone bringing up Aastrom or Millen should look up Steve Buzinski....a wartime replacement who had absolutely no business being in the NHL.
Toskala spent a season as an adequate starter with the Leafs, but after his phantom groin injury, he had the flat out worst stats in the NHL by a shocking margin. "Worst Leafs goalie ever" would have to go to Toskala during that period, unless you want to count obvious non-NHLers like Sebastien Centomo, and that's kind of pointless.
Worst "good" goalie of all time? May be Jim Carey. Vezina at 22 years of age, permanently retired before his 25th birthday.
I recall Jiri making 61 saves in a game against The North Stars in the 80's, I wouldn't say he as the worst goalie I have seen, no doubt his style was unorthodoxed.
I recall Jiri making 61 saves in a game against The North Stars in the 80's, I wouldn't say he as the worst goalie I have seen, no doubt his style was unorthodoxed.
I recall that Crha played a style not unlike fellow Czech Hasek's style. Both were deep in the net and played much of the time on their knees. And I seem to remember both had the habit of just dropping their goal stick when attempting to cover the puck.
) But what Shand did was pretty low class. He was no superstar himself.
