He's Not All That

Ron Tugnutt, who was at best a slightly above average goalie, posted a modern day record 1.79 goals-against average with the Ottawa Senators during the 1998-99 season. In four seasons with the Sens, his GAA was roughly 2.30. Damian Rhodes, whose weaknesses were exposed in all their glory during his notorious Atlanta days, had a GAA of about 2.50 while playing for Ottawa. He was so highly regarded following his tenure with the Senators that virtually all observers originally felt that the Atlanta Thrashers had hit a home run in acquiring him for their inaugural season. And Patrick Lalime, a marginal backup on most teams, was made to appear a legitimate, perhaps even formidable NHL starter when he played in Canada's capital city. He even appeared in an All-Star game once during his Senators tenure.

Meanwhile, Scott Clemmenson, who couldn't beat out Andrew Raycroft to be Toronto's back up in 2007, steps into the Devils lineup last year in place of injured superstar Martin Brodeur and posts a 25-13-1 record along with two shutouts, a 2.39 GAA and a .917 save percentage before being unceremoniously sent to the minors upon Brodeur's triumphant return. Speaking of Brodeur backups, little-used Corey Schwab found his way into just 14 games with the Devils from 2002-2004. His numbers in those 14 appearances? A save percentage of over .940, a goals against average of roughly 1.25, and no less than three shutouts. This year the honor of serving as understudy in the New Jersey net falls on Yann Danis. Danis has made seven appearances, posting a record of 3-0, a 1.69 GAA, and, yes, a .940 save percentage.

So we come to the man himself: Martin Brodeur, owner of more than 552 NHL wins, 100 shutouts and three Stanley Cups. His career GAA over almost 1,000 games is an astonishing 2.20. His save-percentage is a good (not great) .914.

So, what might have happened had the Senators been able to sustain for 15 years the extraordinary team defense that enabled the likes of Tugnutt, Rhodes and Lalime to shine? And what if one of the three had somehow managed to remain Senator during that entire time? Or what if Brodeur had not returned from his arm injury as quickly last year, leaving Clemmenson to finish what he had started in New Jersey. (Bear in mind that folks were so impressed with Clemmenson's play that some wondered in all sincerity whether Scott Clemmenson would become the first goaltender in NHL history to earn a Vezina nomination in a year that he finished in the AHL)

It is rare that we run across team defenses like the one Ottawa had in the late 90's and early 00's. It is rarer still to find a team that sustains for 20 years this extraordinary ability to bottleneck any offense. Rarest of all (so rare that it has happened only once in NHL history) is one goaltender blessed enough by the hockey gods to play all 20 years of his career behind that kind of defense.

Martin Brodeur is an excellent goalie, with impressive staying power. He is not, however, as good a goaltender as Lou Lamoriello is a general manager. His ability to shut down an opponent is secondary to the combined efforts of a Scott Stevens, a Ken Daneyko, and Scott Niedermeyer, a John Madden, a Jay Pandolfo, and countless other Devils who flourished under the tutelage of coaches like Jacques Lemaire and Pat Burns. Brodeur has much to be proud of in his storied career, but who among us can think of a series that he stole for the Devils the way Curtis Joseph used to for the Oilers and Leafs. Think of Patrick Roy's four Stanley Cups. Did Brodeur's personal heroics in any of his three Cup runs match what Roy did in any one of those four years? Could Brodeur have risen to the occasion, when the rest of his team needed him to carry them on his back? It appears we will never know.

Think, for a moment, of the success an excellent goalie like Curtis Joseph might have had playing behind that kind of team for 20 years. How about, let's say, Mike Richter? Sean Burke? Jeff Hackett? (stop me when you think I've gone too far)

They often say that it's lucky to be good, and good to be lucky. Martin Brodeur, who is considered by some as the greatest goalie in NHL history, has his share of one of those traits. He has a massive surplus of the other.