Dec 17, 2014
Post 2 Post: Checking out the NHL's top goalie tandems
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TSN's Jamie McLennan is back in Post 2 Post with a look at the NHL's top goalie tandems in the league right now. McLennan explains that it's about the ability and capabilities of both goalies working together as a unit - and it's outside the 65-70 game starters who are the Elite goalies that have a backup who's primary job is to give the starter a night off, and try and give your team a chance to win on those nights.
This is about the top tandems in the league right now. So let's keep in mind, it's about the ability and capabilities of BOTH goalies working together as a unit - this is OUTSIDE the 65-70 game starters who are the Elite goalies that have a backup who's primary job is to give the starter a night off, and try and give your team a chance to win on those rare nights (I have plenty of experience in this situation having backed up a few elite guys in my day (Grant Fuhr, Miikka Kiprusoff, Roberto Luongo), so exempt from the list are the Pekka Rinne/Carey Price/Ben Bishop situations, where it is really one guy who carries the bulk load of the team minutes.
There are certainly others that should be considered for the list, as for example the Leafs goalies who have played amazing through their hot stretch, but in the tandems I have listed, there is a No. 2 guy who is capable of, or being projected to be a No. 1 in the league (outside of Al Montoya). That's where a tandem may fall short, and even in the case of Henrik Lundqvist/Cam Talbot, where Henrik has five shutouts, but is still digging himself out of a slow start, and Talbot who has starter potential has been solid, but not gotten the starts.
Brian Elliott/Jake Allen has been good, but Elliott's injury has hampered their situation. Well, you can see the arguments for all the tandems.
The debate begins...