Update on Brodeur

He’s out. 3-4 Months. Needs surgery on his bicep. Won’t be breaking Roy’s record anytime soon. I’m upset. I really wanted him to break it before Roy’s jersey retirement in Montreal. New Jersey is now in serious trouble. Don’t really care about the Devils, just about Marty. This sucks and I don’t want to talk about it.

Martin Brodeur vs. Patrick Roy

With only 9 wins seperating Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur as the NHL’s winningest goalie, the debate about which tender is the greatest is sure to rage on. So… Let it rage.

Roy currently holds the record with 551 wins, is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, has won many NHL awards including the Conn Smythe 3 of the 4 times he has won the Cup. He also has his number retired by the Colorado Avalanche and is due to have his number 33 retired by the Montreal Canadiens on November 22nd. His 551 wins came in 1029 games for a winning percentage of 0.535 while posting a GAA 2.53 with a SV% of 0.910. His post-season total of 151 wins in 247 games for a percentage of 0.611 with a  GAA 2.30 and a SV% of 0.900, proof that his game elevated during the Spring Season.

Brodeur is fast approching Roy’s record with 542 wins, he is a lock for the Hall, also winning many NHL awards, not including the Conn Smythe however. He will for surely have his number retired by the New Jersey Devils upon his retirement from the game. His 542 wins have come in 973 games for a percentage 0.557, posting a 2.19 GAA and a SV% of 0.914.  His post-season totals of 95 wins in 169 games for a percentage of 0.562 and a GAA of 1.96 with a SV% of 0.922, indicating he would also elevate his play for the play-offs.

So I’ll be honest I hate Roy, and if this was completely open to opinion I would say that Brodeur is a better goalie just because I hate Roy. However, this debate isn’t just based on opinion. Marty has posted better stats in his career, both in play-offs and regular season, but one has to keep in mind that these guys did playing a portion of their careers in slightly different eras. Roy broke in during the high flying 80s, while Marty didn’t break in until the Clutch-and-Grab 90s. The other glaring difference that one has to consider, is the fact that Roy has won three Conn Smythes. This, I think, is because he had to stand on his head much more than Brodeur ever had to. Brodeur did what was expected of him, which was still a lot, but everyone is always so used to him being the best player on the ice, that I think his performances didn’t seem as stellar.

While this is a tough call, I pick Brodeur because I hate Roy. And to top it all off, just because I hate Roy so much, I hope Brodeur breaks his record before Roy’s retirement party, just so that they can’t retire his number whilst calling him, “The Winningest Goalie of All-Time.” Oh, and by the way… Brodeur, barring any injuries has more than enough games to play to do it too.

Canadiens Putting Hopes With Rookie Goalie: Part 3 & Hossa Hurts His Knee

Everyone knows that Canadien’s GM, Bob Gainey dropped a bomb on the hockey world they other day when he traded his Number 1 All-Star goalie, and therefore putting the teams season on the shoulders of rookie, Carey Price. Gainey has a serious love affair with Price. He drafted him way high than he was expected to go, and now this. Gainey is a smart hockey man, and I am sure he knows what he is doing.

Carey Price, who I think is making a solid case for the Calder so far this season, says he is ready to step in and be “that guy” for the Habs. He is insanely cool under pressure, and he has the skills to back it up, that was evident when he helped Canada win the World Juniors. But we have to honest, everyone was shocked when Huet (pronounced Whuo-ette or something like that now,) was traded.

If there is one team that can ride a rookie to a championship though, it is the Habs. They did with Ken Dryden back in the day, and then proceeded to do it again with Patrick Roy.

Can they do it again though? I would highly doubt it. Granted the Canadiens are making a solid push in the East right now, I just find it hard to believe that any Eastern team can knock off the powerhouse teams of the West.

If there is one thing that is for sure, it is going to be interesting to see how the rest of the season works out for Les Habitants. I know I’ll be keeping an eye on it, and the other thing that I’ll be watching, is who that 2nd draft pick turns out to be. I personally thought a guy like Huet could have garnered more than a 2nd rounder, but then again, the Ducks gave Bryzgalov away for free.

//update//

Marian Hossa sprained his MCL tonight in a 5-1 loss to the Boston Bruins. Wow, that deal is looking greater by the minute. This does suck for the Penguins though, but I kind of find myself not feeling bad for them. Hopefully he isn’t out too long, and then Sid the Kid can come back too, and we can see just how potent the Penguins will be, and if they have a legitimate shot at taking the East and getting their hands on the Holy Grail.