A recent “Vezina Contenders” graphic appearing on the NHL Network highlights goalies with award-winning credentials—with a notable exception: Corey Crawford.
I don’t know. I have only a casual interest in the NFL. I like MLB when the White Sox are good (or were good). NBA, meh. I’m pretty much 24/7/365 hockey and in particular the NHL. Yet I find it hard to believe any other sport has as much of a D-U-M herd mentality as hockey does.
Take for instance a recent graphic that appeared on the NHL Network, accompanying a discussion of possible Vezina candidates. It read like this:
“Early Vezina Favorites”
Bobrovsky 11-4-1, 2.02 GAA, .933 SAVE%
Hellebuyck 11-1-2, 2.27, .931
Jones 8-5-0, 2.13, .926
Quick 9-7-1, 2.47, .926
Vasilevskiy 14-2-1, 2.34, .928
Here, hockey fans are your Vezina contenders.
But notably missing is a guy with a save% only equaled by Sergei Bobrovsky, and a GAA that would place him third among these brilliant goalies.
The Rodney Dangerfield of the NHL: Corey Crawford.
Personally, I love Bob, and there are no mediocre goalies on this list, but to leave Crawford out of this conversation is almost mind-numbingly ignorant. Sure, I’m a Hawk fan. This is, for the most part, and for the time being, a Hawk-focused site. Still, it’s not the NHL Minus One Network either.
Do the math. Insert Crawford in there. Here’s what you get:
Bobrovsky 11-4-1, 2.02 GAA, .933 SAVE%
Hellebuyck 11-1-2, 2.27, .931
Crawford 9-7-0, 2.19, .933
Jones 8-5-0, 2.13, .926
Quick 9-7-1, 2.47, .926
Vasilevskiy 14-2-1, 2.34, .928
Why no Corey?
I suspect the old Crawford narrative—one that I not only bought into but helped foment—is at work here: “his numbers and excellence are a product of a great defense.” But as the Hawks fortunes have sagged a bit the last couple of years, and the spotlight of the hockey world has shifted elsewhere, the Hawk defense no longer carries or even supports Crawford. It’s really the other way around.
There may have been a time when Crawford was more a product of his defense. In my opinion, he has continued to improve over the years, going from a pretty good to solidly above average NHL goalie, to now one of the elites.
It’s hard to argue with it anymore
And the numbers support it. Look no further than the Hawks’ overall possession numbers the last couple of years, and the first 15 games or so of this year, and then Crawford’s numbers—especially this year.
Hey, everyone, including content creators at the NHL Network, has a bad day now and then. But they missed on this one.
We’ll have a preview of tomorrow night’s Hawks-Lightning game in the AM. But, as always, check back with us throughout the day for possibly new content on the NCAA, Rockford, skills and more.
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