Which goalie would you want?

I think it was the beloved TK that asked which of the Vezina goalies
you would take. While I have always hated the Stars and Turco, it's
been clear this playoffs that he's finally gotten his head together.
If I could draft any goalie in the world to go into the playoffs with,
for right now, and for later, I would absolutely consider him. Not
only is he a very good save maker, but he changes the entire game, the
way the opponent has to play.

Going into the Wings series it was a given that he would have to be
the difference at least in a big game or two. He was incredible
yesterday, with 38 saves and a primary assist.

On May 18, 11:56 am, "Mr. T" <ted.peder... RemoveThis @gmail.com> wrote:
> I think it was the beloved TK that asked which of the Vezina goalies
> you would take. While I have always hated the Stars and Turco, it's
> been clear this playoffs that he's finally gotten his head together.
> If I could draft any goalie in the world to go into the playoffs with,
> for right now, and for later, I would absolutely consider him. Not
> only is he a very good save maker, but he changes the entire game, the
> way the opponent has to play.
>
> Going into the Wings series it was a given that he would have to be
> the difference at least in a big game or two. He was incredible
> yesterday, with 38 saves and a primary assist.

His puck handling abilities notwithstanding, I wouldn't take him over
Nabokov, or even consider it for a second. Rather than looking at the
occasional (rare in whole scheme of things) assist, take a look at
Turco's incredibly weak glove side. This guy was, and is, beaten
routinely on glove-side shots, mid-height and up, whether taken from
the long or short side. He's a puck-stopping liability if you ask
me. That's even before we get to mental stability.

The Sharks have suffered the same repeated problem, almost from their
inception, and with few exceptions, and that's an inability to play
finesse or consistent-pressure offense and put the puck in the net.
This has been a function of lack of pure goal scorers, a litany of
weak offensive defensemen and questionable coaching strategies. After
a while, the Sharks' lackluster offense seems to become accepted as a
"given" by some, and attention turns to find some other culprit to
blame, like the goalie.

The notion that some hot goalie steals Stanley Cups is a popular one,
but is mostly mistaken. In fact, many of the hot goalies who carried
their teams to finals (e.g., Roger Crozier, Giguere, etc.) ultimately
lost, even though they were recognized for their efforts. To win, you
have to be able to play a complete game and look like you have some
remote idea how to pass, shoot and score. In this, the Sharks are
deficient.

I, for one, am completely happy with Nabokov and think the effort to
improve the skating end of the team is where the rubber meets the
road.