A question about Mike Palmateer

[MaskedSonja]

I was a youngin when he was in his first run through with Toronto, has always been my favorite goalie based mainly on my (young) memories but comparison wise how good was he really? I don't need save or GAA, I can get those but who would he compare to today talent and style wise? I'd like to know from those on this board who watched him play back in the day who may be a mite older than me

Also, I heard he had a specially made carbon fibre stick made in a time when that was unheard of-is this true?

 

[MS]

Palmateer was an elite goalie from 1976-79, and decent for a couple more years after that. He would probably have been a Vezina finalist in both 1978 and 1979 if the award was for the top goalie, as it is now.

His career arc is what you see from every goalie who came up during the mid-late 1970s - aside from Mike Liut, none were able to have long careers as NHL starters, and most were done by age 30. A guy like Don Edwards has a nearly identical career arc to Palmateer, and there are several others in the same boat as well. Basically, the position was evolving at a tremendous rate during that era, and the guys who were at the top of the sport in 1980 were over-run by a younger, more advanced generation of goalies that would dominate the sport for the next 10-15 years starting in the mid-1980s. This was discussed in a bit more detail in a thread just down the board here :

http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=548093

I don't know if he compares to anyone today style-wise. He was known is a flopper and an exciting acrobat in net who had tremendous reflexes and was very quick in the crease but didn't get great points for technique. That sort of style has sort of gone out the window with the onset of buttefly netminding.

 

[MaskedSonja]

Thanks for the response and link. Gives me a better picture of him. I'll be sure to check out the thread. Looks like even as a youngin I picked a pretty good goaltender to follow. Interesting about the age of 30 part, these days 30 years some argue is when a goalie in getting into their prime.

Thanks again

 

[weaselsuit]

I will never forget seeing Palmateer play for the first time in the late seventies. I was an eleven year old goaltender myself at the time. I saw him play against the North Stars from the fourth row. This guy was the single most unorthodox goalie I have ever seen to this very day. He flopped around like an absolute madman, making saves by throwing himself all over the place. I remember that he made several saves by having the puck hit him IN THE BACK that night. He'd get caught out of the net after screwing up a clearing pass and just diving across the net. It was the damndest thing that I'd ever seen! I was two years into goalie school by this point in time and I remember thinking, "This guy does everything the exact opposite way that I'm being taught".

But I thought that his style was really cool. I remember thinking to myself after seeing that game, "I'm just going to have to start using VICTORIAVILLE goalie sticks I guess".

And it's true that Palmateer flamed out pretty quickly. But I enjoyed him immensely.