When Andy Moog decided to call it a career, he stood at 372 career wins and 7th all time.
He had 4 All-Star Game appearances and 3 Stanley Cup rings. All of those Cups came as a secondary goaltender to Fuhr, but he would help lead the Bruins to two Stanley Cup Finals appearances and collected 68 career playoff wins, still good for 10th place ( 8th at time of retirement ).
He received a Jennings Trophy in 1990.
Hall of Famer? Not in a million years, yet of all those players who will never be inducted, Andy Moog stands as one of the more peculiar cases. It's as easy as seeing him win the 3 Oiler Cups instead of Fuhr ( and he probably could have ) and he may be regarded as one of the greats. He did not, and joins the forgotten.
Perhaps his biggest moment came early in his career when he stoned the Canadiens in a 3 game sweep. After that he was an adequate goalie with points for longevity and fortunate to play on winning teams.
Perhaps his biggest moment came early in his career when he stoned the Canadiens in a 3 game sweep. After that he was an adequate goalie with points for longevity and fortunate to play on winning teams.
Well no LeBlondeDemon. He totally stoned your Habs HC in 81 and because he was drafted so lowly, was usurped by Fuhr in Edmonton. "He" of the fast catcher & feet. The Mike Palmateer Academy Award Performance trophy for turning an ordinary save into the spectacular. ... Moogs old Man was a star with the Penticton Vee's Sr. A Team. Lad had it in his blood. Seriously under-rated. Gypped from a path and dang it, the Rings that he deserved. Gone on to be a "Professor of Goaltending" with various NHL teams, camps, amateurs, semi & minor pro players. When will you Quebec people give BC some credit?. Hell, we gave you John Ferguson already. We accommodate your kids up at Whistler. Cut me some slack wiil ya?... even though Im not from here, a Torontonian to boot, hate your guts...
I put him a bit higher on the HHOF pecking order than some do around here although I agree that he should never get in.
But I really have never seen a reason for all the Osgood hype when Moog is at least his equal. Moog may best be remembered as Fuhr's back up, but the truth is he played a heck of a lot of playoff hockey in his career and a heck of a lot of hockey in general. He was the starting goalie on those very, very good Bruins teams.
Bottom line is this, like Osgood, he was relatively safe. He wasn't going to give up the bad goal to cost you a series (okay Osgood did in 1994). But he wasn't usually going to steal a series either although he and Gretzky did in 1981. He was a good goalie and steady and solid. That's how I describe him. He just had a very good career along the way I felt and if I compare him to someone on the HHOF pecking order I would compare him closely to the hard luck Liut.
Well no LeBlondeDemon. He totally stoned your Habs HC in 81 and because he was drafted so lowly, was usurped by Fuhr in Edmonton. "He" of the fast catcher & feet. The Mike Palmateer Academy Award Performance trophy for turning an ordinary save into the spectacular. ... Moogs old Man was a star with the Penticton Vee's Sr. A Team. Lad had it in his blood. Seriously under-rated. Gypped from a path and dang it, the Rings that he deserved. Gone on to be a "Professor of Goaltending" with various NHL teams, camps, amateurs, semi & minor pro players. When will you Quebec people give BC some credit?. Hell, we gave you John Ferguson already. We accommodate your kids up at Whistler. Cut me some slack wiil ya?... even though Im not from here, a Torontonian to boot, hate your guts...
Perhaps I'm biased. But hey, what do you expect from a Winnipegger?
hmmm First let me say thanks for the background information, Killion. Everyone knew Moog was very compeitive but having it in your blood that way motivates like few other things, obviously. Second, hard to know with Moog wether he was an overahiever, a benficiary of one great and one very good team, or most likely, both. I always thought that he went over the cliff fast, but 12 or 13 years is a long time to play at the highest level while making deep playoff runs every year. One note about Moog the goalie. He was capable of stealing a series or at least stoping the flood waters as he did against Hartford in 90-91.?
Here's a question, if Moog and the Bruins win the Cup in 1990, is he considered a much stronger candidate for the HHOF?
hmmm, i don't see it. i think that puts him somewhere between a poor man's rogie vachon and a rich man's ranford. i guess it puts him closer, but i still don't think it's a strong case when you match him up against vernon, barrasso, beezer, joseph, and maybe you could put him somewhere in the ballpark of osgood and richter.
I put him a bit higher on the HHOF pecking order than some do around here although I agree that he should never get in.
But I really have never seen a reason for all the Osgood hype when Moog is at least his equal. Moog may best be remembered as Fuhr's back up, but the truth is he played a heck of a lot of playoff hockey in his career and a heck of a lot of hockey in general. He was the starting goalie on those very, very good Bruins teams.
Bottom line is this, like Osgood, he was relatively safe. He wasn't going to give up the bad goal to cost you a series (okay Osgood did in 1994). But he wasn't usually going to steal a series either although he and Gretzky did in 1981. He was a good goalie and steady and solid. That's how I describe him. He just had a very good career along the way I felt and if I compare him to someone on the HHOF pecking order I would compare him closely to the hard luck Liut.
Agreed. Moog was more than just your typical backup, too. Many seasons he and Fuhr split the goaltending duties 50/50 (or very very nearly); each rotated games. And while its true that Fuhr was the main guy come playoffs, Moog ended up being a pretty key factor in at least a couple cups.
The Oilers first championship, Fuhr was injured and Moog played games 4 and 5 vs the Islanders, both victories, and he played well in each.
If I'm not mistaken, he also closed out one of our series's vs the Flyers, again when Fuhr was injured. Fact is, Moog was good enough that had the Oilers never drafted Fuhr, they still would have won all the cups they did, except maybe the 7 gamer vs Flyers.
Growing up in Edmonton and watching both goalies play, I honestly felt that Fuhr was the better goalie when he was at the top of his game, but he was also MUCH more prone to giving up weak goals. Moog wasn't as spectacular, but he was also much more consistant. He wouldn't steal you as many games, but he also wouldn't give up 5 goals in the 3rd period and another in OT to cost you the series vs the Kings
Growing up in Edmonton and watching both goalies play, I honestly felt that Fuhr was the better goalie when he was at the top of his game, but he was also MUCH more prone to giving up weak goals. Moog wasn't as spectacular, but he was also much more consistant. He wouldn't steal you as many games, but he also wouldn't give up 5 goals in the 3rd period and another in OT to cost you the series vs the Kings
Hey now, give the kid a break, he was just shy of 20 years old! But yeah, there was a goal or two that he should have had in his back pocket.
But yeah, there was a goal or two that he should have had in his back pocket.
