Quote :

"Vokoun? Seriously? Mason at 7?"

The GW rankings are kind of weird. There's a big emphasis on consistency, keeping bad games to a minimum, and stealing games. There's also a part of the formula that gives a boost to goalies who play well down the stretch, and a factor that weighs save percentage based on the quality of each shot. Also, this set of rankings doesn't include playoffs. They save that for the "Goalie of the Year" issue, which works on a calendar year as to include the stretch run, playoffs, and opening of the new season.

As an example, Toskala is #37 and Raycroft is #48 despite having almost identical SV%/GAA, because Raycroft, even during his 7-game win streak, couldn't string together more than two games above .920 SV%.

FWIW, Vokoun and Mason both have better numbers than Cam, and Vokoun's number with Florida are better than Luongo's with Florida in his last year there.

The whole list, just for fun:

1. Niklas Backstrom
2. Tim Thomas
3. Tomas Vokoun
4. Henrik Lundqvist
5. Cam Ward
6. Ryan Miller
7. Steve Mason
8. Dwayne Roloson
9. Miikka Kiprusoff
10. Roberto Luongo
11. Marc-Andre Fleury
12. Chris Mason
13. Ilja Bryzgalov
14. Martin Biron
15. Evgeni Nabokov
16. Pekka Rinne
17. Marty Turco
18. Jonas Hiller
19. Nikolai Khabibulin
20. Kari Lehtonen
21. Craig Anderson
22. Mike Smith
23. Scott Clemmensen
24. Jonathan Quick
25. Carey Price
26. Jose Theodore
27. Peter Budaj
28. Joey Macdonald
29. Jaroslav Halak
30. Alex Auld
31. Martin Brodeur
32. Cristobal Huet
33. Ty Conklin
34. Antero Niittymaki
35. Jean-Sebastien Giguere
36. Yann Danis
37. Vesa Toskala
38. Manny Fernandez
39. Brian Boucher
40. Dan Ellis
41. Martin Gerber
42. Brian Elliot
43. Chris Osgood
44. Jason LaBarbera
45. Patrick Lalime
46. Erik Ersberg
47. Kari Ramo
48. Andrew Raycroft
49. Johan Hedberg
50. Manny Legace
51. Josh Harding
52. Kevin Weekes
53. Mikael Tellqvist
54. Brent Johnson
55. Stephen Valiquette
56. Curtis Sanford
57. Michael Leighton
58. Jeff Deslauriers
59. Dany Sabourin
60. Mathieu Garon
61. Mike McKenna
62. Curtis McElhinney
63. Ondrej Pavelec
64. Curtis Joseph
65. Pascal Leclaire
66. Tuukka Rask
67. Daniel LaCosta
68. Alvaro Montoya
69. Simeon Varlamov
70. John Curry
71. Olaf Kolzig
72. Rick DiPietro
73. Peter Mannino
74. Matt Climie
75. Ben Bishop
76. Michal Neuvirth
77. Cory Schneider
78. Tobias Stephan
79. Josh Tordjman
80. Fredrik Norrena
81. Wade Dubielewicz
82. Antti Niemi
83. Jimmy Howard
84. Justin Pogge
85. Marc Denis
86. Riku Helenius
87. Brent Krahn
88. Marek Schwarz
89. Chris Holt

Justin Peters finished #12 of 100 in the AHL rankings, and Canes prospect Mike Murphy finished #1 of 50 in the OHL rankings.

Not that any of this really means anything.

Also, since I can't sleep, the 1972-73 Goalies' World rankings:

1. Ken Dryden
2. Tony Esposito
3. Doug Favell
4. Cesare Maniago
5. Jim Rutherford

7/24/2009 5:10:29 AM

I actually thought Mason should have been higher. As for Vokoun, I'm not even sure he was the best goalie on his team last year.

7/24/2009 5:39:41 AM

did dipietro get a cash bonus for not being in the bottom 15?

7/24/2009 2:45:15 PM

Happy Birthday, Zach Parise!!!

7/28/2009 12:06:47 PM

Tampa Bay just bought out Prospal's contract.

7/28/2009 4:21:28 PM

kind of awesome security fail: a pens fan at game 7 got himself out on the ice and tricked security into letting him into the celebration, locker room, and he even hoisted the damn cup

http://is.gd/21vjO

photos are here

http://projects.daytondailynews.com/galleries/Sports/General/080209ryankraft/

8/3/2009 11:25:25 PM

that's pretty damn impressive

8/4/2009 12:05:01 AM

that... is fucking awesome!

8/4/2009 12:36:09 AM

So the Rangers are letting Zherdev walk... lol.

8/4/2009 1:29:18 PM

Quote :

" Parise tops list of best U.S.-born players Tuesday, 08.04.2009 / 9:00 AM / NHL Insider By Mike G. Morreale - NHL.com Staff Writer Americans might have to take a back seat to the Canadians when it comes to producing NHL All-Stars, but the United States has made great strides in recent years with the influx of stellar young talent taking the League by storm. Of the 34 players invited to attend the U.S. Olympic men's orientation camp this summer, 12 are 24 or younger. Many of those players hope to follow in the footsteps of players like Brett Hull, Jeremy Roenick, Mike Modano and Brian Leetch. With that in mind, there's no better time for NHL.com to take a stab at naming the top 10 American-born players in the game today: 1. Zach Parise, F, New Jersey -- Parise was a big reason the Devils won the Atlantic Division in 2008-09. He ranked third in the League in goals (45), fifth in points (94), tied for first in overtime goals (3) and tied for seventh in game-winning goals (8) while setting a team record for shots in a season (364). The 2009 All-Star also is regarded as one of the NHL's finest defensive forwards, accruing 65 hits, 34 takeaways and a career-best plus-30 rating. 2. Tim Thomas, G, Boston -- The native of Flint, Mich., took the long path to stardom, spending years in Europe and the minors before finally making it big with the Bruins. In 2008-09, he became only the second Boston goalie in more than 65 years to win the Vezina Trophy while setting high with 36 wins. He finished the regular season as the NHL leader in goals-against average (2.10) and save percentage (.933), and had a 1.85 GAA and .935 save percentage in 11 playoff games. Top 10 Who's the top Canadian? Mike G. Morreale - NHL.com Staff Writer Crosby? Iginla? Brodeur? NHL.com takes a shot at picking the 10 best Canadian-born players in the League today. READ MORE › * Lidstrom leads the way for fellow Swedes * Finland producing more than just great goalies * Ovechkin headlines list of top 10 Russian players * Hawks, Capitals lead list of NHL teams on the rise * Knuble, Scuderi could have major impact MORE NHL INSIDER STORIES › 3. Patrick Kane, F, Chicago -- What isn't there to like about the No. 1 pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft? He's gifted, enthusiastic, adored by fans and has posted at least 70 points in each of his first two seasons in the League -- not bad for a kid who won't celebrate his 21st birthday until November. Kane had 70 points -- the second-highest total among American players -- and a career-high 25 goals last season, then added 9 goals and 14 points in 16 playoff games. 4. Ryan Miller, G, Buffalo -- The Sabres have received consistency between the pipes since naming Miller the full-time starter in 2005. Despite the fact the team failed to qualify for the playoffs last season, Miller finished 34-18-6 with a 2.53 GAA and .918 save percentage -- despite missing a month with an ankle injury. He's won at least 30 games in four straight seasons. 5. Brian Rafalski, D, Detroit -- Rafalski finished with career highs in assists (49) and points (59) in 78 games last season. He averaged 23:10 of ice time per game and finished with a plus-17 rating, mostly playing alongside Nicklas Lidstrom. Rafalski, who has never finished a season with a negative plus/minus rating, has produced 425 points in 692 career games in his nine NHL seasons. 6. Mike Komisarek, D, Toronto -- The 2009 NHL All-Star isn't the type to produce incredible offensive numbers; instead, he's made a living as one of the more physically gifted defensemen in the game. Komisarek, who signed with Toronto during the summer, registered 191 hits and 207 blocked shots in 66 games with Montreal last season. 7. Jamie Langenbrunner, F, New Jersey -- The versatile forward had the most productive season of his NHL career in 2008-09. Langenbrunner produced personal highs in goals (29), assists (40), points (69) and plus/minus rating (plus-25) while finishing tied for first among American players with 3 shorthanded goals. 8. Phil Kessel, F, Boston -- In his third NHL season, Kessel established career highs in goals (36), assists (24) and points (60) in 70 games -- becoming the Bruins' first 30-goal scorer since 2005-06. He also had the longest point-scoring streak in the NHL last season, at 18 consecutive games, from Nov. 13 through Dec. 21 (14 goals, 28 points). Kessel also had 6 goals and 11 points in 11 playoff games. 9. Dustin Brown, F, Los Angeles -- The Kings' captain, a 2009 NHL All-Star, plays an all-round game with an edge. He had 24 goals and 53 points last season -- and was second among American players with 285 hits in 80 games. 10. Paul Stastny, F, Colorado -- The son of Hall of Famer Peter Stastny missed 37 games due to a fractured arm and fractured foot last season after posting 70-plus points in each of his first two seasons. He still managed 36 points in 45 games in 2008-09 and has 63 goals and 185 points in 193 career games. With dual citizenship (U.S. and Canada), Stastny has opted to play for the United States in international competitions."

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=457924&navid=DL|NHL|Home
Yeah, that's right!

[Edited on August 5, 2009 at 12:32 AM. Reason : .]

8/5/2009 12:32:10 AM

This list highlights the fact that anything less than a medal at the Olympics this year is totally unacceptable.

8/5/2009 2:24:24 AM

but why isn't Cole on the list?

8/5/2009 6:20:46 AM

The US goaltenders in 2006:

Rick DiPietro
John Grahame
Robert Esche

THINK ABOUT THAT.

Keep in mind that Ryan Miller took Buffalo to the ECF that year but was left off the team because he had a broken hand when the selections were made, despite the fact that he was healed and starting when the Olympic break rolled around. *sigh*

8/5/2009 7:03:14 AM

Phil Kessel might be out until December.

For the lulz:

Quote :

"Strange story developing this morning as Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane(notes) and his cousin were arrested in Buffalo for robbing and assulting a cab driver over a fare dispute. Aaron Besecker of the Buffalo News picks up the details: "Kane, 20, and James M. Kane, 21, were arrested about 5 a.m. on Eastwood Place, according to Buffalo police reports. The pair allegedly punched the cab driver and grabbed money they had handed him after he told them he didn't have twenty cents in coins to give them their change, the report said. Their fare was $13.80 and they handed the driver $15, according to a report. The cab driver told police he was punched in the face and head, grabbed by the throat and had his glasses broken during the incident." Kane and his cousin have been charged with second-degree robbery, fourth-degree criminal mischief and theft of services. A native of Buffalo, Kane had just attended a press conference on Thursday with Mayor Byron W. Brown announcing funding for a local ice rink. WIVB in Buffalo reports that an attorney for the Kane's entered a not guilty plea in City court."

8/9/2009 12:27:40 PM

Quote :

"Capitals Hire Irbe as Goaltending Coach TSN.CA ARLINGTON, Va. - The Washington Capitals have hired former NHL all-star Arturs Irbe as their goaltending coach. The Capitals made the announcement on Thursday. Irbe replaces Dave Prior, who resigned after 12 years with the Capitals. Irbe was an NHL goalie for 13 seasons with San Jose, Dallas, Vancouver and Carolina, compiling a 2.83 goals-against average and .899 save percentage. He appeared in the 1994 and 1999 NHL All-Star games. Irbe last was in the league in the 2003-04 season, then played professionally in Europe. He was the goaltending coach for his hometown Dinamo Riga in Latvia in the Kontinental Hockey League last season."

8/13/2009 12:16:33 PM

will he teach Varlamov how to run over his pads with a truck, then re-stitch them?

8/13/2009 12:47:41 PM

When does hockey season start?

8/14/2009 4:39:53 PM

October 1

8/14/2009 5:03:14 PM

Quote :

"When does hockey season start?"

Not soon enough.

8/14/2009 6:14:15 PM

How about a THEO FLEURY comeback!!!

Highly unlikely, but would be awesome (especially for those who grew up in Calgary in the 90s)

8/15/2009 8:53:34 AM

NHL 10 demo is out now on XBox Live.

8/20/2009 12:07:50 PM

wooooo

8/20/2009 12:11:16 PM

can't wait to play it

09 is probably my favorite game ever

8/20/2009 12:18:28 PM

What are your xbox gamertags my sons

I am Dale Cooper 91

[Edited on August 20, 2009 at 12:19 PM. Reason : .]

8/20/2009 12:19:20 PM

jdboone21

8/20/2009 12:21:31 PM

I have to go to guitarguy's house to play since I don't have a 360 and he's in Arizona til next week

8/20/2009 12:30:32 PM

fuck

gotta run home and download that demo

8/20/2009 1:44:46 PM

canes get yelle, another quality pickup for cheap... can we trade GMs? I'm sick of high priced busts by sather

8/20/2009 3:41:10 PM

day late, $1 short, and the wrong thread.

HAT TRICK OF FAIL!

[Edited on August 20, 2009 at 4:00 PM. Reason : .]

8/20/2009 3:59:41 PM

yeah i realized it afterwards. How bout team usa though. I hope oshie makes it, that kid has got lots of potential

8/20/2009 6:41:19 PM

xbox id: slricks

8/20/2009 8:14:27 PM

8/24/2009 11:12:51 AM

1) after his bitching about getting checked in the throat by hemsky, some of those clips looked like he had intent to injure

2) no matter how many hits he dishes out, he's still a man named robin

8/24/2009 11:39:25 AM

Yeah, not sure why the main hit celebrated in that clip is a very obvious crosscheck and board.

8/24/2009 3:06:18 PM

Ray Emery will not attract controversy in Philly. I guarantee it.

THIS JUST IN:

8/26/2009 5:08:11 AM

Picked up the THN Yearbook today and LOL'd at this line in the first article:

Quote :

"There are no worries in Chicago about what kind of players and people Toews and Kane will turn out to be. They already are the face of the franchise and a marketer's dream - good, respectful kids whose heads are on straight."

8/28/2009 7:54:56 PM

1) props to Emery for the hot blonde
2) the Kane incident seems blown massively out of proportion
3) Team Canada sold out the scrimmage for the final day of camp, I cannot wait for Vancouver 2010

8/28/2009 7:59:12 PM

Heatley to SJ; Marleau to LA; Frolov to OTT

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=4463628

9/10/2009 9:00:47 PM

Heatley to Thornton

Thornton to Heatley

Heatley to Thornton

to Heatley

to Cheechoo

back to Thorton

to Heatley

Thornton

Cheechoo

SCORES

9/10/2009 9:06:27 PM

that powerplay could be... shhhh.. nasty.

9/10/2009 9:08:25 PM

Quote :

""It's simply not true," Murray told ESPN.com Thursday night . "I've had conversations with teams today but still I'm not close to a deal [involving Heatley].""

9/10/2009 9:35:36 PM

I thought it was bogus when I couldn't find it on TSN or Sportsnet in Canada. I'm sure they wouldn't have waited this long to post something that huge.

9/10/2009 10:15:21 PM

No joke this time:

Quote :

"Dany Heatley and a fifth round pick have been traded to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Milan Michalek, Jonathan Cheechoo and a second round pick."

9/12/2009 2:58:39 PM

Quote :

"San Jose Sharks Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Wilson announced today that the team has acquired left wing Dany Heatley and a fifth round selection in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for right wing Jonathan Cheechoo, left wing Milan Michalek and San Jose’s second round selection in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft "

So it finally went down. I can't help but think Bryan Murray just caved in on this one and went for the best offer that was out there that Heatley would actually accept. Michalek is a good player but Cheechoo has seriously tapered off since his 50+ goal season. Change of scenery might do him good but is Ottawa the right place? Guess we'll find out.

9/12/2009 2:59:29 PM

wow.. thats a pretty good return for OTT

9/12/2009 6:51:52 PM

Quote :

" NHL 10: An early review NHL 2010 reviewTuesday is one of the biggest days on an NHL fan's calendar: the release of NHL 10, the latest version of EA Sports' NHL series. It goes without saying that a blogger as important and popular as I am would be sent an advance reviewer's copy. I had a chance to give it a try over the weekend, and the results were mixed. Bugs Let's get the bad news out of the way first. I'm not sure if this game was rushed onto shelves without enough time for testing, but there are a ton of bugs that simply should have been caught. * Simming ahead several years in franchise mode can lead to unrealistic results. For example, I simmed ahead to 2011, and the game listed one of the teams as playing in "Phoenix". * In Front Office mode, the "fire general manager" option is permanently greyed out for the New York Rangers. * Somebody at EA needs to seriously prune the roster file to clear out guys who haven't even been in skates for years. This year's game still has guys like Jason Allison and Theo Fleury kicking around. * While the post-whistle scrums are a nice addition, they don't feel realistic because announcer Jim Hughson fails to break into an overwrought lecture about how terrible they are. * The financial AI is just terrible. Teams like Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia kept signing players to contracts that would clearly ruin their long-term salary cap situation. * AI-controlled teams occasionally make roster moves they'd never make in real life. For example, in one sim I noticed the Leafs had signed another team's RFA, which of course is ridiculous since Brian Burke hates when teams do that. * While experimenting with the GM mode, I attempted to trade a star player to Edmonton. The deal was accepted, but when I checked the Oilers roster immediately afterwards, the star player was not there. Cheats What major video game release these days doesn't come with a few cheats and easter eggs? Sure enough, NHL 2010 has its share. * When you're prompted to enter your name on the opening screen, type in "Jim Balsillie" to unlock an extended slideshow of Gary Bettman giving you the finger. * If you manage to win the Stanley Cup, hit "exit" before the handshake line finishes. When you enter the off-season, the game's musical soundtrack will be replaced by the sound of Red Wings fans crying. (Note: there is apparently no undo for this feature.) * Enter your name as "Howard Berger" on the opening screen, and then sim a season. All 82 of your games will be scheduled during the month of November. * Inspired by the legendary NBA Jam series, NHL 10 includes a hilarious "tiny mode" in which all the regular players on a team are comically shrunk down to a fraction of their normal size. To enable this mode, go to the Team Select screen and choose "Montreal Canadiens". New features Now for the good stuff. As fans have come to expect, this year's version comes packed with new and enhanced features. * The much-hyped "first person fighting" mode is every bit as good as advertised. When you throw a perfectly timed uppercut that connects with your unsuspecting opponent's face, you can actually see the blood splatter onto the cab's dashboard. * The game includes an interesting new feature called "Ask Burkie". You can type in any hockey question, and a simulated Brian Burke will provide an answer. Unfortunately, due to an apparent programming error the screen lacks an "exit" button, and Burke just keeps talking and talking non-stop. Even removing the CD and unplugging the system doesn't help. I eventually had to burn my Xbox and bury the ashes in the backyard to get him to be quiet. * In a neat bit of crossover promotion, the game will check your hard drive for any Resident Evil saved game files. If it finds any, it will replace the final zombie boss with Chris Chelios. * The "Be A Player" mode is super realistic. In my first game against Toronto I lightly nudged one of the Leafs' skill players, and the game immediately cut to a full-motion video montage of my funeral. * The all new board play is great fun. You can get a puck to an open teammate by using the new "kick-pass" button. In addition, when controlling Martin Havlat you can also use the "kick-groin" button. * Players can now snatch a puck out of the air with their glove hand (note: feature does not apply to Andrew Raycroft). * Finally, the game features an intriguing new mode in which two teams can play each other up to seven consecutive times, with the first team to win four games advancing on to play a different team. As a Leaf fan I thought this was really unqiue and creative, and hope the real NHL implements something similar in the future. "

9/15/2009 1:55:05 PM

I lol

9/15/2009 2:04:14 PM

anyone played it yet? i haven't had a chance to yet

9/15/2009 5:13:13 PM

^^^

LOLOLOLOL

9/15/2009 9:56:56 PM

I'm on it now. really fucking good! PS3: dammit100

9/15/2009 10:33:29 PM