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| Corey Crawford |
I posted the following commentary in the Chicago Blackhawks community on Google+ recently:
I've argued that the Hawks team defense + goaltending have been an underrated bright spot in an up and down season. Here is how the GA/G numbers stack up over their Cup run:
2010: 2.48 (5th)
2011: 2.68 (12th)
2012: 2.82 (22nd)
2013: 2.02 (1st)
2014: 2.59 (12th)
2015: 2.26 (3rd)
Carey Price and the Canadiens defense have been rather beastly on preventing goals, but over their seven games in March, their GA/G is a positively porous 2.43. Overall they're at 2.17 (1st), but if Corey Crawford keeps standing on his head just to stop pucks and our defense remains stout the rest of the season, the Hawks can be the toughest team to score on in the NHL. This is crucial of course at weathering any scoring droughts in the playoffs. Moreover, among the top 10 goalies, Price has played the 3rd most games at 56; because of injuries, Crawford has played just 47 games. I anticipate this will be an issue (i.e. stamina and energy) for a possible Hawks-Canadiens SCF.
The reasons I posted this article - Islanders GM Snow's shrewd moves earning him respect around the NHL - are: (a) Islanders GM Garth Snow is commended for grabbing Nick Leddy. Leddy languished as a 3rd pair defenseman under the often unforgiving scrutiny of Joel Quenneville. I don't follow the Islanders, but clearly he's found his stride and value with a new team. So congratulations to him! But while losing Leddy created a turmoil in our defensive corps, it appears to have improved our overall GA/G from last year. Go figure.
(b) Also, Crawford may never earn the approbation that, in my humble opinion, he roundly deserves. But I challenge the view that he is a weak link or a dispensable part of a championship team. Right now, his GAA is 2.20 (tied for 7th). But because team defense must be factored into GAA, SVPCT is actually a better indicator of a goalie's performance: Crawford at .924 (tied for 9th). However, what separates him from Price (.936 for 1st) is a mere 12/1000. Yes, there are a lot of goaltenders between the two of them, but this is one evidence of how much Crawford belongs among the stellar in the NHL. Stan Bowman knows this perfectly well, and that's why he nailed him to a 6-year, $36 million contract after the 2013 Cup. Hardly a weak link, is he.
Finally, what must worry opposing GMs and coaches is the fact that Crawford has two stellar backups: Antti Raanta at 1.89 and .936 over 14 games, and Scott Darling at 2.18 and .930 in 9 games. Their netminding contributes significantly to the Hawks' terrific GA/G this season. Methinks there is a Jimmy Waite Factor at play here.
Let's go Hawks!
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