HOH Top 60 Goaltenders of All Time (2024 Edition) - Round 2, Vote 3

[Dr John Carlson]

Procedure

• In this vote, you will be presented with 11 players based on their ranking in the Round 1 aggregate list
• Players will be listed in alphabetical order to avoid creating bias
• You will submit ten names in a ranked order, #1 through #10, without ties via PM to both @Dr John Carlson and @Professor What. That means one name out of these eleven will be left unranked on your ballot.
• Use the same private message thread every week rather than starting a new PM
• Results of this vote will be posted after each voting cycle, but the individual ballots themselves will remain secret until the completion of this project
• The top 5 players will be added to the final list (unless a very large break exists at the spot between 4&5 (or 3&4!), or the break between 5&6 is minimal)
• Lists of players eligible for voting will grow as the project continues
• Voting threads will continue until we have added 60 names to the list, for a total of 12 voting threads

Eligible Voters

• Ballots from voters who have submitted an approved Round 1 ranking of 80 goaltenders (which was used to shape the aggregate list) will have their votes tabulated in the final ranking
• These voters are: @nabby12, @overpass, @frisco, @Professor What, @DN28, @jigglysquishy, @tony d, @rmartin65, @Vilica, @bobholly39, @The Pale King, @blogofmike, @Dr John Carlson, @MXD, @Michael Farkas, @ContrarianGoaltender, @VanIslander, @seventieslord, @Weztex

Guidelines

• Respect each other. No horseplay or sophistry!
• Please refrain from excessive use of the 'laughing' reaction to indicate disagreement
• Stay on topic and don't get caught up in talking about non-eligible players
• Participate, but retain an open mind throughout the discussion
• Do not speculate who cast any particular ballot. Do not make judgments about the mindset of whoever cast that particular ballot. All individual ballots will be revealed at the end of the project
• Anybody may participate in the discussion, whether they submitted a list or not

House Rules

• Any attempts to derail a discussion thread with disrespect to old-time hockey will be met with frontier justice
• Take a drink when someone mentions the number of hockey registrations in a given era
• Finish your drink when someone mentions that wins are a team stat

The actual voting period will open up on Friday, October 25th at midnight and continue through Sunday, October 27th at 11:59 PM Eastern time. I will release the results of the vote the morning of Monday, October 28th, at which point the next voting thread will begin.


Vote 3 Candidates

• Ed Belfour
• Clint Benedict
• Johnny Bower
• Turk Broda
• Bill Durnan
• Charlie Gardiner
• Jiri Holecek
• Henrik Lundqvist
• Bernie Parent
• Andrei Vasilevskiy
• Georges Vezina

Click to read more...

 

[Dr John Carlson]

This round has almost every single year represented, between now and 1910. Very interested to see where it goes.

 

[Professor What]

We had some requests for another week of discussion last time, and in effect we're getting that. We can have more discussion and debate about the various eras of hockey, with only a very clear top three being taken off the list.

Meanwhile, we get Lundqvist and Vasilevskiy, so those are our first "modern" goalies to come up for discussion. I think it'll be interesting to see the comparisons between them and the older guys on the list.

 

[jigglysquishy]

This is a great week of names. Love the time spread.

I plan to dig into Durnan and Broda playoffs this week.

Holocek is a big name I want to look more into.

Lundqvist stands out to me for modern goalies. From rookie year to near retirement was always near top for goalies.

 

[nabby12]

Happy to see Brimsek get his due at #9.

Shocked that Gardiner is still on the board, though I'm sure he'll go first or second in this round. Should be a great week of discussion upcoming.

 

[Michael Farkas]

This may end up being off topic, but I figure it can't hurt to ask...

Does anyone have access to: Winnipeg Tribune Weekend Magazine - April 4, 1964? I couldn't immediately get it through the NY public library. It may be available here: The Winnipeg Tribune | digitalcollections.lib.umanitoba.ca - but I'm not a....that.

In there, there's apparently a feature called "Frank Boucher Speaks His Mind" - it was advertised in another newspaper clip from around the same time. He might have some insights that would be valuable...

 

[jigglysquishy]

Vezina Shares of post-1972 birth cohorts.

Stolen from @TheDevilMadeMe 's methodology and updated to 2024

	Goalie	Times	Share
1​	Connor Hellebucyk	5​	2.63​
2​	Pekka Rinne	5​	2.12​
3​	Andrei Vasilevsky	6​	2.05​
4​	Sergei Bobrovsky	6​	1.97​
5​	Henrik Lundqvist	10​	1.93​
6​	Braden Holtby	3​	1.68​
7​	Roberto Luongo	9​	1.66​
8​	Tim Thomas	3​	1.55​
9​	Tuukka Rask	5​	1.5​
10​	Miikka Kiprusoff	7​	1.44​
11​	Carey Price	7​	1.4​
12​	Evgeni Nabokov	6​	1.23​
13​	Igor Shesterkin	3​	1.02​

One thing I will note for Lundqvist, is that he received Vezina votes in 10 separate seasons, the most of any goalie born since Martin Brodeur.

5 times he was a Vezina finalist, which is also the most for any goalie born since Brodeur.


Vezina voting is an issue onto itself, with it being so heavily tied to SV%. But I do think it's relevant to note as Lundqvist has really separated himself for modern goalies with regards to prime length/consistency/longevity.

 

[overpass]

I'll follow up on my post from last round. After his retirement, Bill Durnan was maybe the most common choice as the best pre-1950 goalie and the best goalie before Terry Sawchuk.

See the results of the 1958 Sport Magazine all-time team. Voted on by 70 media members, the panel selected Durnan as the goaltender. He received more votes than Brimsek, Broda, Gardiner, Vezina, Benedict, or any other goalie.

It's also notable that when the team was published, halfway through the 1957-58 season, Terry Sawchuk had played as many NHL seasons as Durnan and still received fewer votes.

Durnan also had a remarkable all-star voting record, selected as the first team all-star goaltender six times in seven seasons. Three of those seasons were voted by writers, and three by coaches. If we're putting weight on quotes, why not on votes?

I'll add some quotes about Bill Durnan after his retirement that placed him as the greatest of all time. There were many more I could have added, but I thought these three were particularly good, considering the sources.

Feb 3, 1952 - Le Petit Journal (translated from French)

Frank Boucher had recently called Terry Sawchuk the best goalie of all time. Canadiens and Leafs players gave their opinions, with Bill Durnan most frequently mentioned.

When some members of the Canadiens were questioned, the majority said they hadn't forgotten Bill Durnan, the large and tall goalie of the Tricolour, six time winner of the Vezina trophy in seven years, for a record which has never been approached.

Maurice Richard is of the opinion that he must do justice to Frank (M. Zero) Brimsek, because he always had difficulties against this goalie. Richard, like Floyd Curry, Emile "Butch" Bouchard, Billy Ray, and Elmer Lach, believe Sawchuk is marvellous, but it is too soon to compare him to the best goalies of the league. "Let him prove himself a bit longer" they say. But all must admit that Sawchuk is devilishly good and it would be surprising if he did not continue on to become everything that Boucher claims of him.

Curry says he will never forget Bill Durnan, with his pair of hands, his height, his well-covered angles, the inspiration he provided to the Canadiens. Lach has never seen a better goalie than Durnan and is glad he did not have to play against him. Reay says Durnan was unmatched in maintaining a lead and adds that it was almost impossible to beat him in critical moments. Bouchard is another who admits that Durnan will not be forgotten in a hurry. He does, however, forsee a sensational future for Sawchuk, whom he admires greatly.

When questioned by Red Burnett, the Toronto players largely showed a preference for Durnan too. Ted Kennedy maintains that Durnan was the best goalie he faced. He adds, however, that while Durnan was the ace of aces for regular games, he preferred Turk Broda for the Stanley Cup playoffs. Max Bentley has never faced a better goaile than Durnan, but he also speaks highly of Broda. Fernie Flaman says: "That Durnan used to drive me crazy when he was in the league." Harry Watson: "Durnan is the goalie who gave me the most trouble. When I played for Detroit and the Americans, I was very afraid of Turk Broda."

Cal Gardner: "Turk Broda was the best goalie. I favour Harry Lumley at present." Joe Klukay: "They're all tough to beat, especially Lumley." Howie Meeker: "Bill Durnan, in the past, and Lumley, at present, have always impressed me." Mortson and Juzda: "Durnan was the best." Danny Lewicki: "I've never had to play against that Durnan. Rayner gives me the biggest headache." Sid Smith: "Bill Durnan was the toughest to beat." Tod Sloan: "Jack Gelineau and Jim Henry from Boston are my pet peeves. I think Rayner is even better than them, though." Happy Day: "Frank Brimsek was incomparable, but he wasn't the same when he came back from the Army."

Asked by Burnett, Rangers coach Bill Cook agreed with Boucher, saying that Sawchuk would have no trouble ranking himself as "the best goalie of all time" before long.

Frank Selke, the general manager of the Forum, who always responds with sagacity to all questions, thus expressed his opinion. "I have never seen a better goalie than Sawchuk for the number of years that he is in organized hockey, not yet five complete seasons. He is the best I have ever seen for this period of time. However, I must admit, however, that living in Kitchener during the heyday of the great Georges Vezina, on only saw him at work once and cannot speak at him at greater length. To deserve the title that Boucher gives him, Sawchuk will have to equal Turk Broda's record in the Stanley Cup series and Durnan's in the regular season."

Feb 2, 1958, La Patrie (translated from French) - Jacques Plante rated Sawchuk and Durnan as the two best.

Ellipses were in the original text

Plante: "Sawchuk is the best goalie I've ever seen...No, I shouldn't say that...It's Durnan...Let's say both, because they had such different styles. There was never anyone who could cover an angle like Durnan, and he was ambidextrous. I copied a little bit of Sawchuk's style, who was the first one to lean down low to see the puck between the legs of the players."

Feb 9, 1958, La Patrie (translated from French) - Newsy Lalonde's all-time team

Lalonde declared that he preferred Durnan to Vezina because Bill shone in a tougher era for the goalie. He did credit the late Vezina for some unrivalled saves. Newsy added that Georges made some fantastic stops that no other goaltender has been able to pull off since. "Vezina was so fast that some guys had outmaneuvered him and were about to put the puck in the net when Georges pulled himself together and took the puck away with his stick. Despite these exploits by my old teammate, I am of the opinion that Durnan was better because of his consistency and the perfection of his goaltending technique. In our time, the goalies did not have the benefit of full equipment and of a style as studied as today's."

 

[jigglysquishy]

Turk Broda in the Stanley Cup Finals. This one is a doozy since he ultimately played in 9 Cup Finals.

1938 Finals
Coach: Dick Irvin

Chicago beats Toronto 3-1. Chicago is noted for goaltending troubles, as AHLer Alfie Moore is in net for them for the series after Mike Karakas got hurt. Moore is praised much more highly this game than Broda.
Leafs 0 Blackhawks 1

The Saskatoon Star-Phoenix - April 6, 1938

Broda had no chance on the short drive, but the goalkeeper looked bad on Thompson's shot, from 45 feet out. Broda kicked at it and missed.
Broda make a brilliant sliding save.

Leafs dominate 5-1. Moore is deemed ineligible to play because "Hawks had Goodman available. Goodman... played for the Wichita club of the American Association"
Leafs 1 Blackhawks 1

The Saskatoon Star-Phoenix - April 8, 1938

Broda was even better to stop Thompson who got a pass from Romnes six feet in front of the net.
Broda outsmarted Thompson who coasted in all alone and fired from seven feet.

Chicago wins 2-1. Blackhawks goalie Mike Karakas returns. Karakas is highly praised
Leafs 1 Blackhawks 2.

The Saskatoon Star-Phoenix - April 11, 1938

The Hawks ganging attack was so futile while they had the two-man advantage that Broda had only one shot to handle.
Hawks ganging plays were gaining more power and they kept Broda hopping while Leafs were short.
Hawks drove deep into Leaf territory, with Shill, Palangio, and Tudel forcing Broda to make three hard stops.

Chicago wins 4-1. Broda's bad goal is the talk.
Leafs 1 Blackhawks 3

The Saskatoon Star-Phoenix - April 13, 1938

The two successive errors by Broda and Parsons, both comparative youngsters to National League play, proved Toronto's undoing.
Turk Broda, Leaf goalie had little to say about Shill's shot that carried halfway down the rink and through Broda's legs for a goal.
"I should have never come out on it," he said. "I was going down which it hopped through"
All the athletes had a good word for the Hawls' play tonight, praising their checking and particularly the work of goalie Karakas.

Overall, not a great series for Broda. He's blamed for the definitive game loss. Once Chicago gets started Karakas back, he's the clear better goalie.


1939 Finals
Coach: Dick Irvin

Boston defeats Toronto 2-1
Shots: Boston 15 Toronto 17
Bruins 1 Leafs 0
Brimsek highly praised. Broda not.

Toronto beats Boston 3-2 in OT.

Bruins 1 Leafs 1

Saskatoon Star-Phoenix - April 10, 1939

Broda Shines. Goalie "Turk" Broda co-starred with Romnes in the win that sent he team back to Toronto ice all even for the third and fourth contests. After coming from behind to tie the count at two-all, the Bruins bore down on Broda's net repeatedly.

The Vancouver Sun - April 10, 1939

Goalie Turk Broda threw back the charging Bruins at the net time after time, particularly in the extra minutes.

Boston beats Toronto 3-1
Bruins 2 Leafs 1

Neither goalie is given relevant comments



Boston wins 2-0
Bruins 3 Leafs 1

No relevant comment about Broda



Boston wins 3 -1
Bruins 4 Leafs 1

No relevant comment about Broda.


Not really sure what to take from this series. Brimsek and Shore get lots of praised. Broda is barely mentioned throughout the whole series, largely left as a note when he was scored on.



1940 Finals
Coach: Dick Irvin

Rangers win 2-1 in OT
Leafs 0 Rangers 1

No relevant comment about Broda.


Rangers dominate Leafs 6-2
Leafs 0 Rangers 2

The Calgary Herald - April 4, 1940

Rangers had Goaler Turk Broda jumping and falling like a scared rabbit most of the second and third periods.

Leafs wins 2-1
Leafs 1 Rangers 2

No relevant comment about Broda.


Broda gets the shutout in a 3-0 victory
Leafs 2 Rangers 2

The Leader-Post - April 10, 1940

Turk Broda, the Brandon boy played the major role in Toronto's victory over the highly-rated Rangers... the red-hot goalie registered his first shutout in eight playoff games.
There were lapses in the Toronto defensive system, but then the Rangers couldn't organize a successful thrust or Goalie Turk Broda was too red-hot.

The Saskatoon Star-Phoenix - April 10, 1940

Coach Dick Irvin , a cautious fellow when he's handing out compliments Tuesday patted "Turk" Broda on the shoulder and told him he played his best game of his career in a Toronto uniform.
"Gosh, I don't know how I did it, but it seems I picked a good time," said the broadly-grinning "Turk" as his mated swarmed about him. "I've been trying for a shutout since December 4 and I was beginning to think I wasn't going to get another this season."
"But the boys gave me great protection and I was mighty lucky at that. I thought I was a goner in the last period when Bryan Hextall hit the post."

Rangers win 2-1 in OT. Leafs are noted for playing a "wild" game
Shots: Leafs 49 Rangers 33
Leafs 2 Rangers 3

No relevant comments about Broda


Rangers win 3-2 in OT.
Leafs 2 Rangers 4

The Montreal Gazette - April 15, 1940

Broda robbed him of almost certain goals in both the first and second periods.
Broda, who had played sensational hockey throughout, didn't have a chance.

Broda isn't give much in the way of praise in games 1-4, but is the standout Leafs player in games 5 and 6.


1942 Finals
Coach: Hap Day

Red Wings win 3-2
Leafs 0 Red Wings 1

No relevant comments about Broda


Red Wings win 4-2
Shots: Leafs 43 Red Wings 35
Leafs 0 Red Wings 2

No relevant comments about Broda


Red Wings win 5-2
Shots: Leafs 30 Red Wings 40
Leafs 0 Red Wings 3

The Leader-Post - April 10, 1942

Winging a 50-footer past Broda that closed the scoring.

The Calgary Herald - April 10, 1942

Recognized as a standout in his profession, Broda will get another chance at the goal-crazy Detroiters.
"They're too hot," continued Broda. "They can't seem to do anything wrong."

Leafs rebound 4-3
Leafs 1 Red Wings 3

The Windsor Daily Star - April 13, 1942

Undoubtedly a contributing factor in the success of the Leafs was a drastic bit of pre-game masterminding by Coach Hap Day.
The final score does not do justice to the Leafs of last night.
But Broda was unbeatable until his team was again at full strength.

Leafs dominate 9-3. No Broda comments, but the Red Wings were completely outclassed
Leafs 2 Red Wings 3


Leafs tie series after winning 3-0
Leafs 3 Red Wings 3

The Montreal Gazette - April 17, 1942

13,153 Detroit fans see Red Wings stopped by Goaler Turk Broda
Goalie Walter (Turk) Broda meanwhile kept the weary Detroiters in check by the first shutout of the series.

Leafs win 3-1
Leafs 4 Red Wings 3
The Ottawa Citizen - April 20, 1942

Turk Broda, whose final goaltending helped carry Toronto Leafs to pro hockey heights.
There was no stopping the Leafs the rest of the way and they outshot the Wings 16-7 in the final 20 minutes.

Probably Broda's best series so far. Wild comeback


1945 Finals
Coach: Hap Day

Broda did not play because he was in active service.

1947 Finals
Coach: Hap Day

Leafs get thrashed 6-0
Shots: Habs 45 Leafs 20
Leafs 0 Habs 1

The Montreal Gazette - April 9, 1947

Doughty Turk Broda was in no way to blame for the Leafs' defeat. His defence gave him little or no help and his team mates couldn't get a single goal for him. Bill Durnan had a comparatively easy time of it, though he was his usual competent self whenever he was tested.
Even when shorthanded they had the Leafs playing defensive hockey.
Nick Metz and Syl Apps were the only Leafs who did anything for their side apart from Broda.

Toronto blanks Montreal 4-0. Rocket Richard is ejected from the game for hick-sticking Bill Ezinicki.
Leafs 1 Habs 1

The Montreal Gazette - April 11, 1947

Turk Broda had a good night in the Toronto nets and was one of the game's stars.
Durnan had 24 stops and Broda 22, but with the Canadiens being forced to play shorthanded for at least 18 minutes of the 60 they could not get an attack really organized.
Turk Broda was hot and they couldn't get the rubber past him.

Toronto wins 4-2
Leafs 2 Habs 1

The Windsor Daily - April 14, 1947

Both Broda and Durnan performed sensationally in goal, although the latter did not look any too good on that first Leafian market by Mortsen. Defensively, too much praise can not be heaped on the work of the Toronto rearguards.

Toronto wins 2-1 in OT. Apps receives high praise. Durnan receives high praise.
Leafs 3 Habs 1

The Montreal Gazette - April 16, 1947

Both of which received some great goal tending from Turk Broda and Bill Durnan. The Leafs had 35 shots on goal to 30 for the Canadiens.
Bill Durnan was called upon to make a couple tough stops.

Montreal wins 3-1
Leafs 3 Habs 2

No relevant comments about either goalie.


Leafs win 2-1
Leafs 4 Habs 2

The Calgary Herald - April 21, 1947

Veteran Goalie Turk Broda, the fabulous fat man from Brandon, Manitoba, gave one of the most sensational performances of his eight National Hockey League seasons.
Broda's goaltending skill was matched by the display of cool Bill Durnan of the Canadiens.

Overall, a good series from Broda. I will note the defensive prowess of the Leafs shines and Durnan gets as much or more praise as Broda.


1948 Finals
Coach: Hap Day

Leafs win 3-5. Leaf defenseman Gus Mortsen leaves with a broken leg.
Leafs 1 Red Wings 0

No relevant comments about Broda.


Leafs win 4-2
Leafs 2 Red Wings 0

No relevant comments. I'll note games 2 and 3 were played on Saturday/Sunday so both games are in the Monday newspaper and they all highlight the game 3 shutout.


Leafs win 2-0
Leafs 3 Red Wings 0

The Calgary Herald - April 12, 1948

Broda in the Toronto nets turned in one of the finest games of his career to earn the shutout.

The Leader-Post - April 12, 1948

Turk Broda turned away 26 Red Wings shots to score his first shutout of the playoffs.

Leafs win 7-2
Leafs 4 Red Wings 0

The Leader-Post - April 15, 1948

Lumley, who stopped only 14 Toronto shots all night.
Broda kicked out a total of 26 shots in another brilliant performance in the Leaf cage.

This is for sure Broda's best Cup finals yet. The Leafs thoroughly outplay the Red Wings, but he still gets praise.


1949 Finals
Coach: Hap Day
Leafs win 3-2 in OT
Leafs 1 Red Wings 0

No relevant comments about Broda


Leafs win 3-1. AHL callup Sid Smith calls huge praise for the Leafs
Leafs 2 Red Wings 0

No relevant comments about Broda


Leafs win 3-1
Shots: Leafs 37 Red Wings 24
Leafs 3 Red Wings 0

The Leader-Post - April 14, 1949

The Red Shirts were much the best club in the first period, but in the final 20 minute, although they were two goals down, they directed only four shots at Turk Broda, Toronto's steady goaltender.

Leafs win 3-1
Leafs 4 Red Wings 0

The Calgary Herald - April 18, 1949

They outshot the Wings 31-15 and in the third period - when the Wings need to score to retain a chance of victory - they directed only four shots at Goalie Turk Broda.

What can I say, Broda didn't need to be great here. The Leafs shutdown the Red Wings offensive, removing the Red Wings ability to get shots on net most of the series. Broda is barely mentioned across the four game thrashing.



1951 Finals
Coach: Joe Primeau

Toronto wins 3-2 in OT
Leafs 1 Habs 0

The Montreal Gazette - April 12, 1951

They outshot the Canadiens 39 to 22 and controlled the play.
Elmer Lach and the Rocket had good chances early in the overtime, but Broda was too good for them.

Montreal wins 3-2 in OT
Leafs 1 Habs 1

The Ottawa Citizen - April 16, 1951

The shots-on-goal figures reflected Montreal's early drive and Toronto's comeback attempt. The Canadiens had a 10-6 edge int he first period, but the Leafs lead 12-5 in the second and 15-6 in the third with the overtime even at three apiece. The totals were: Montreal 24 Toronto 36.

Leafs win 2-1 in OT
Leafs 2 Habs 1

Al Rollins in net instead of Turk Broda


Leafs win 3-2 in OT
Leafs 3 Habs 1

Al Rollins in net instead of Turk Broda

Leafs win 3-2 in OT
Leafs 4 Habs 1

The Calgary Herald - April 23, 1951

The crowd shouted for veteran Turk Broda, the greatest playoff goalie of them all, who played two games against the Canadiens and all but one period of the six-game semi-final against Boston Bruins.

I don't think 1951 means much. Broda is six years older than any other goalie in the league and was in a backup role. When he played, he was barely tested.




Overall, I was expecting more from a guy who won 5 Cups and went to the finals 4 more times. Lots of easy performances, lots of praise for the Toronto defensive system. Hap Day probably gets more praise than any individual player. Broda certainly had great games and was steady throughout, basically not having a bad game. For a guy with a playoff monster reputation, it certainly doesn't come across that way in the newspaper game reports. That Toronto wins game after game and Broda is barely mentioned is odd after doing these for other goalies.

Durnan jumped out in the 1947 finals.

 

[nabby12]

This may end up being off topic, but I figure it can't hurt to ask...

Does anyone have access to: Winnipeg Tribune Weekend Magazine - April 4, 1964? I couldn't immediately get it through the NY public library. It may be available here: The Winnipeg Tribune | digitalcollections.lib.umanitoba.ca - but I'm not a....that.

In there, there's apparently a feature called "Frank Boucher Speaks His Mind" - it was advertised in another newspaper clip from around the same time. He might have some insights that would be valuable...

Have at it, son.

 

[overpass]

Overall, I was expecting more from a guy who won 5 Cups and went to the finals 4 more times. Lots of easy performances, lots of praise for the Toronto defensive system. Hap Day probably gets more praise than any individual player. Broda certainly had great games and was steady throughout, basically not having a bad game. For a guy with a playoff monster reputation, it certainly doesn't come across that way in the newspaper game reports. That Toronto wins game after game and Broda is barely mentioned is odd after doing these for other goalies.

Here's a quote on Hap Day as a coach from his ATD bio on this site: He was a defensive mastermind and he got a lot of credit for the Leafs' performance in that decade.

Legendary NHL Coaches: Stars of Hockey's Golden Age

"We were meticulously trained," Leafs captain Ted Kennedy said of the system the coach put in place. "It was drilled into us. Day was insistent on doing it his way, leaving as little as possible to chance."

Reporters remarked that Day's training camps more closely resembled prison camps, with the coach clamping down on anyone who made a mistake, most particularly in the defensive zone. They may have cursed him (behind his back, of course) but they learned what they were capable of doing at game time.

Day, having been a defenceman himself, believed in making sure one's check never got away from him. Some opponents complained that the Leafs were nothing but clutch-and-grab artists during Day's tenure, but that style of play proved remarkably effective. Day saw to it that his troops got the puck out of their own zone as quickly as possible. Then they could worry about finding creative new ways to score.

Howie Meeker, who became rookie of the year before his celebrated career as a broadcaster, marveled that a young player could earn himself a regular shift on the Leafs by knowing what to do in his own end. Once that player got the puck over his own blue line, he was in charge, not the coach. Nearly half a century later, Meeker said that Day was a joy to play for because he never put pressure on his men to score goals, but all the pressure in the world to keep the puck out of their own net. Hockey is a simple game; Day imparted that to his Leafs and prospered for it.

Notes on the Leaf victories, and some quotes taken from this thread (which has shot totals for most of Broda's playoff games).

Playoff goaltending in the 40s and early 50s - save percentages

I posted this earlier in the goalie project thread. I'm going to put it in it's own thread as well, where I can update it if/when I get additional information. I've already added some missing games from the Boston Globe and other papers, and the playoff shot totals from 1943-44 through 1954-55...

forums.hfboards.com

1942 finals: Leafs went down 3-0. Day benched Gordie Drillon (the all-time leader in playoff scoring at that point!) and #1 D Bucko McDonald, who had received a first place Hart vote and several first place votes for the all star team. The Leafs roared back to win 4-3.

1945 finals: With Turk Broda in the service and rookie Frank McCool in goal, Day's Leafs performed a defensive masterclass in beating the heavily favoured Canadiens and the Red Wings to win the Stanley Cup.

Andy Lytle of the Toronto Star noticed after the series that Day and Smythe had very little to say about McCool's performance, despite the four shutouts in eight wins. He concluded they must have regarded McCool as a weak goaltender to be protected.

Toronto Daily Star, Apr 24, 1945 – Andy Lytle’s column

Hap Day told me until I reminded him of McCool just for (unclear), that his standouts in the recently completed sprints down the “Golden (unclear)“ were Kennedy, Bodnar, and Pratt. Selke says Kennedy is the best player in the NHL today. That may be a true (unclear), yet it is nothing over which rugged Edward (sic) need regard himself with too much solicitude, though when quality does return to the league, if ever, this young man won’t last by any means.

What struck me most forcibly was an apparent disinclination to regard McCool as anything more than a fortunate accident. He practically shut Detroit off his goal, yet, when it ended, the chants and the hosannas for defeated Lumley outweighed those (unclear) for the McCool. So I have concluded that the playoff strategy of the Leafs, though not publicly reported, was to protect McCool at all costs. In their private book, he must be just a nervous guy with a tummy disorder.

1947: The beginning of the Leaf dynasty. Easy to see in hindsight, but when you look at that roster the defense was incredibly young.

Gus Mortson (age 22)
Jimmy Thomson (age 19)
Garth Boesch (age 26)
Bill Barilko (age 19)

Thomson and Mortson were known as the Gold Dust twins and were excellent defensively. Thomson probably would have been a Hall of Famer if he wasn't put out of the league for his part in organizing the players. Bill Barilko was a standout in the 1951 playoffs before his mysterious death. But look at their ages! Both right defencemen on a Stanley Cup winner had barely turned 20 when the playoffs started. I can't think of any other Cup winners where two key defencemen could have been playing in juniors. Maybe the 2012 Kings were close, as an elite defensive squad with Doughty and Voynov only age 22.

Possibly a sign of the league being weak still. Andy Lytle actually mentioned in the 1945 quote above that Selke said Ted Kennedy, only 19 at the time, was the best in the league. And then Lytle said that Kennedy won't last when quality returns to the league.

Doug Vaughan of the Windsor Daily Star referenced Broda's role in being a leader for the rookies on the team, and named him one of the three stars of the Cup victory together with coach Day and captain Syl Apps.

Windsor Daily Star, Apr 21, 1947 - Doug Vaughan's column

Broda's work in the nets, not only in the playoff but throughout the entire season, was sensational. There were times, hundreds of times, when the rookies in front of him made serious mistakes, and he never let them down. When they slipped he covered them up. When their spirits flagged he cheered them up, or if he felt they needed a straight talk, he gave it to them straight from the shoulder.

Vaughan also praised Durnan's play.

Outstanding feature of the Leafs-Canadiens series was the work of the rival goalies, Broda and Bill Durnan. Cup playoff games are too often dull and uninteresting affairs because of the stress put on defensive hockey. But this one wasn't. In 15 years of watching playoff hockey this writer had never seen two goalies given the opportunity to shine that Broda and Durnan had. And shine they did. Certainly, the three games played in Toronto were strictly duels between two great goalies. It was Broda who performed amazing feats of puck-fending magic to win the series for the Leafs. And, by the same token, it was no fault of Durnan's that Canadiens failed to retain their crown.

1948: The defining feature of this team was the trade for Max Bentley. The 1-2-3 punch down centre of Apps-Kennedy-Bentley was simply overpowering. Broda allowed at least 3 goals in 4 of 9 playoff games. It didn't matter. Leafs went 8-1.

1949: With Syl Apps having retired, the Leafs muddled through the regular season before becoming a playoff juggernaut. Shades of the 95 Devils. They scored 3 goals in all 8 of their playoff wins and allowed only 21 shots per game.

Sid Smith and Fleming Mackell joined for the playoffs from the Pittsburgh Hornets and really boosted their forward line depth. Every one of Toronto's top 9 forwards scored between 5 and 8 points, more than 0.5 points per game.

1950: Leafs couldn't score against Detroit. Gordie Howe's injury in Game 1 may have been a distraction, Game 2 was a penalty-filled fiasco with Detroit trying to settle scores, and then the final five games were closely watched with early penalties called in each game. Leafs scored only 5 goals in games 3-5 and then were shut out in games 6 and 7.

1951: Hap Day was gone as coach and Joe Primeau replaced him. And they were maybe the best defensive squad yet, even without Day. They alternated Turk Broda and Al Rollins in goal, aiming to win the Vezina and have both goalies play 35 games and split the award and prize money. This plan was abandoned late in the season, as Rollins had a considerably better GAA than Broda, and they weren't going to beat Sawchuk and Detroit for the Vezina if Broda kept allowing goals.

In the playoffs, they had the benefit of not facing Detroit, who lost to Montreal. But they once again dominated the two series they did face.

If you want two stats to put Broda's 1951 in context, here they are. Al Rollins had a 1.77 GAA for this team. And Broda faced 16.9 shots against per 60 minutes in the playoffs, the lowest in history that I'm aware of.

One paper quoted on-ice goals for and against after the playoffs. The Leafs top line of Ted Kennedy between Sid Smith and Tod Sloan was absolutely dominant, and the doomed Bill Barilko was a big plus as well.

Overall
I think Broda's contributions in 1948, 1949, and 1951 weren't really needed for the Leafs to win. Their deep forward group and strong four defencemen carried the play.

You could say the same about Durnan in 1944 and 1946 too. So it comes down to evaluating how well they actually played, even if their team could win without them.

1942 and 1947 were much closer and Broda's performance was valuable. Maybe especially in 1947.

But in 1945 Hap Day and the Leafs proved they could win with an untested rookie as well.

 

[jigglysquishy]

Between the playoff reports, AS voting, and 50s era lists, I'm fairly convinced on an appreciable gap between Durnan and Broda in Durnan's favour.

 

[Michael Farkas]

Between the playoff reports, AS voting, and 50s era lists, I'm fairly convinced on an appreciable gap between Durnan and Broda in Durnan's favour.

I'm with this too from a talent perspective.

 

[Professor What]

I don't think that the discussion has done Broda any favors. I still think he's a good goalie, but I think some of the new guys might pass him. I'm specifically looking at Holecek and Lundqvist there.

 

[nabby12]

I don't think that the discussion has done Broda any favors. I still think he's a good goalie, but I think some of the new guys might pass him. I'm specifically looking at Holecek and Lundqvist there.

Well we can't have that now can we.

So here's a chapter I had written on Turk Broda in my Golden Boys book, which ranked the top 50 Manitoba hockey players of all time. Broda came in at #4 after Sawchuk, Bobby Clarke and Jonathan Toews. Enjoy, and hopefully learn a few anecdotes that could be useful to the discussion!

Turk Broda was one of the best money goaltenders of all-time, and by that I mean he played his best when it really mattered most. With five Stanley Cup's and a pair of Stanley Cup's, he's certainly the greatest netminder the Toronto Maple Leafs franchise has ever seen.

"When the playoff bucks were on the line," noted Toronto Star writer Gary Lautens wrote, "the Turk could catch lint in a hurricane."

"For one thing, I always needed the money from the playoffs," Turk said. "But it probably was a case of me being too dumb to realize how serious it was and never letting the pressure get to me."

It's hard to make a case for many goalies being better than Broda was. This is a man who won the Cup in 1942 and then missed two years of his prime because he was serving in the Second World War. When he returned, he played better than before the war and won four more Stanley Cup's, which is truly incredible stuff.

"He won me four Stanley Cups," recalls Maple Leafs teammate Howie Meeker. "Without Broda, we win maybe only one Cup because out of those four playoff runs, we only had the best team in one of those years. Broda led us. We had no reason to win the goddamn thing but he did it for us because he was so excellent in the net, that's why he's in the Hall of Fame. In my playing era and broadcasting era, he was by the far the best goalie I'd ever seen."

Broda always had this happy-go-lucky, jolly nature about him and used to say that "the Maple Leafs pay me for my work in practices. I throw in the games for free."

Walter "Turk" Broda was born on May 14th 1914 in Brandon to a Ukrainian family. He got the nickname "Turk" as a result of an English history lesson and his mass of freckles. His school teacher had been telling them about an English king who, behind his back, was called "Turkey Egg" by his intimates because of the huge freckles that dotted his round face. The class was no sooner out than one of Broda's school chums laughed and said, "Hey, look at Broda. He looks like a turkey egg, too." From that day on they called him "Turkey-Egg" or "Turkey" until eventually, as he grew older, he became just plain "Turk."

Broda got into hockey from the time he attended his elementary school, playing on the outdoor rink with his chums. He was a pudgy young man and a poor skater, yet he contained an incredible enthusiasm for playing the game, so he was always stuck in net because of his poor skating. Turk would cover his legs with paper to help pad and legs and then let his friends fire pucks on him for hours at a time.

The principal of the school Broda attended in Brandon was a hockey fan and when Turk showed an interest in playing goal, the school head decided to help him. Almost daily until the cold weather set in they would head to the basement of the school and engage in a half-hour hockey drill. Turk would don the goal pads and stand guard on a six-foot section of the wall while the school principal would fire the puck at him from all angles or stickhandle, as well as possible on the concrete floor, to Broda's faux net and then try to fool him with a quick deke.

From that modest beginning, Broda progressed rapidly and soon became a standout in Brandon juvenile hockey with a team known as the North Stars. He was so good that commercial and intermediate teams lured him from the age-limit ranks but so much fuss was made by Brandon junior officials that Turk was ordered to return to junior hockey.

Broda gained recognition as a top prospect when he performed remarkable feats of netminding for Brandon Native Sons against the Regina Pats in the 1932-33 Western Canadian junior finals. The Pats won the series, despite Broda standing on his head, but Turk's puck-stopping was the talk of the West. The next year he moved to Winnipeg to play for the Monarchs and the quality of his goal work attracted the attention of Gene Houghton, a scout with the Detroit Red Wings, who passed on his recommendations to the big club, who soon signed Broda to a C-form.

How Broda got to joining the Toronto Maple Leafs from Detroit is a good story in itself. The Leafs had wanted to replace George Hainsworth, who was nearly forty years old. Earl Robertson and Turk Broda were both property of the Detroit Red Wings, and it seemed like Robertson was going to be the likely replacement for Hainsworth.

Detroit GM Jack Adams had a soft spot for Broda from the beginning. They met after one season when the Red Wings were eliminated from the playoffs early, and were touring Western Canada and the Pacific Coast with the Toronto Maple Leafs, playing a series of exhibition games. In Winnipeg, the Detroit manager was sitting in his hotel room when someone rapped on the door. He opened the door and gazed upon two young fellows wearing sweaters with big letters in the front. They looked like High School kids.

"Mr. Adams?" one of the boys queried, nervously.

"That's right," Jack said, heartily. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm Turk Broda," the young fellow said. "And this is Mud Bruneteau."

He said the names as if they should be of high importance to the manager of the Detroit Red Wings. That was Turk's introduction to pro hockey. Adams knew then that Turk and Mud were of Red Wings property and they all chatted for a bit, and Jack introduced them to some of Detroit's players, and then gave the boys ticket's for that night's game. That's all that Turk and Mud wanted after all was free tickets. Jack Adams later invited Turk and Mud to the club's training camp.

The Red Wings were set in goal at the time with Normie Smith and John Ross Roach in the system so Turk started playing for the minor league Detroit Olympics. Broda was sensational in a three game battle with the Detroit Red Wings called the City Series. Thanks to Broda, the Olympics won the series in the final game and he was lifted out of the Red Wings dressing room after the game was done. When Turk was then sold soon after to the Toronto Maple Leafs for the then record sum of $8,000, he didn't even believe it when he first heard the news from his teammate and roommate Wilf Starr. Turk thought he was the victim of another prank as many teammates have had laughs at Broda's expense since he joined the Red Wings organization. All in good fun of course because of Turk's jovial nature. But this time it was for real, and it was here that Conn Smythe made his choice of Broda over Earl Robertson.

Broda went to Leafs training camp with the legendary George Hainsworth there and enjoyed the experience of getting to compete with an all-time great. "He's really great," Broda remarked. "I'd sure like to be as good as George one day. I've been studying him every chance I get, and I'm learning plenty."

Hainsworth and Broda had a legendary battle in training camp, and when it was all said and done, Conn Smythe decided to carry two goaltenders for the start of the season. They rotated starts but it was Turk who played phenomenal, while Hainsworth struggled. Within the first ten games of the season, Smythe made his choice and released Hainsworth outright from the Leafs, meaning that Turk had won the goaltending job.

Conn Smythe later recalled that, "I always believed in Broda. George Hainsworth started that 1937 season for us, but in Broda's first start he beat Detroit and I made up my mind. I released Hainsworth outright and said Broda is my goalie. He was the best I ever had with the Leafs."

Reporters loved Broda right from the start. They found his talkative, laughing self a good source of copy. The result of this is that Turk received an awful amount of publicity, both written and photographic. Broda lost the Stanley Cup final in his first three seasons with the team and began to think if he'd ever win one. To help improve his hand-eye coordination, he played handball until he became an expert at the game and would spot teammates ten points and still beat them.

"Broda knew that he could play goal and rise to heights," remarked Smythe, "but the past never worried him, not like some players who would have a bad night and then go all to pieces. He was also as decent and loyal as a man could be... decency and loyalty go a long way with me. So does great goalkeeping, and both were a part of Turk Broda."

Broda finally won his first Stanley Cup in 1942. In perhaps the most incredible comeback in playoff history, Toronto was down three games to none in the Cup finals against Detroit and rallied, winning four straight games. Something that hasn't been done before the Stanley Cup finals.

Turk joined the Army in 1943 and went off to do his military duty in the Second World War, which mainly consisted of playing hockey in England. When he was discharged from the Army during the 1945-46, Broda immediately rejoined his team at Maple Leaf Gardens for practice. By the time he returned however, there were new rules in place that changed the game. Installing the red line permitted forward passes into the neutral zone, which in turn opened up the ice and sped up play. Some returning veterans couldn't make the transition, and things got especially tough for goalies as defenses backed off from the neutral zone, resulting in more crowds in front of the net. Broda's solution was to move higher in the crease to see the puck around the traffic. He played as if he had never been gone.

Broda’s second tour of duty with the Leafs proved to be more successful than the first. The Leafs emerged as one of the greatest teams of all time. Broda would be the puck stopper in each of the Leafs Stanley Cup wins in 1947, 1948, 1949 and 1951. He was very good during those regular seasons, but come playoff time he somehow was able to take his game to a new level – he led the entire league in wins and shutouts in each of those Stanley Cup years, and in goals against average in 3 of the 4.

"The key to Broda's great success as a playoff goalie was his unflappable disposition," wrote Toronto columnist Jim Hunt. "On the afternoon of a Stanley Cup Final, his teammates would be pacing the floor and chain smoking cigarettes in an effort to calm their nerves. Meanwhile, Broda would be in his hotel room sleeping. Once, as Conn Smythe delivered an impassioned plea to his team just before they took the ice for an important game, he looked over and saw Broda sitting on a stool in front of his locker sound asleep."

Known during his career to let in the odd weak goal during the regular season, Broda was as stingy as a netminder you could find once the playoffs rolled around. In one three-season stretch of 24 playoff games, he surrendered only 34 goals. In losing a 1950 semifinal to the Detroit Red Wings, the Turk had three shutouts in Leaf wins and lost the seventh game, 1-0, in overtime.

Despite everything that Broda did on the ice, he will forever be known for the famous "Battle of the Bulge" incident that occurred during the 1949-50 season.

"Broda is off the team," declared Smythe. "I'm taking him out of the nets and he's not going back until he shows some common-sense. I've never had to do a thing like this before but it seems I'm running a fat man's team. Two years ago, Turk weighed 185 when he won the Vezina. Last season he went up to 190-and now this! A goalie has to have fast reflexes-and you can't move fast when you're overweight."

It wasn't just a ruse Broda quickly found out as Smythe announced that a young goalie out of Pittsburgh named Gil Mayer, would be replacing Broda for Thursday night's game with Detroit. As for the Saturday game, Smythe snapped, "That's up to Broda. If he gets down from 197 to 190, he'll play. Not before."

Smythe even went as far as making a trade with the Cleveland Barons to acquire a tall, slim goalie by the name of Al Rollins. The whole thing ended up becoming the hockey story of the year. Journalists had a field day with it, dubbing it "Broda's Battle of the Bulge." Newspapers were assigning sportswriters, feature writers, and photographers to cover Turk's effort to get down to the required weight. It was really quite the spectacle. Every day in the paper there would be pictures of Turk doing various exercises, or eating healthy foods.

It was a three day sensation. On November 30th he was down to 193 and the next day he was weighed in at 189 meaning that he made the cut, and would be guarding the Leafs goal the following game. He shut out the Rangers 2-0 in his first game back, even the Rangers congratulated him. As a reward, Broda treated himself to pancakes on the ice after the game.

Conn Smythe's remarked on Broda afterwards that "He's a fellow who loves to play hockey. There's no greater sportsman than the Turkey. He's a wonderful competitor."

Broda himself later commented years later how the scales had been rigged in his favor and he never lost a pound during the ordeal.

Turk's career came to an end at the beginning of his fourteenth NHL season with the Leafs. He was planning on playing one more year, but as he readied himself for the 1951-52 campaign, he realized that he was done so he retired after one game. On December 22, 1951, the Toronto Maple Leafs staged a Turk Broda Night at Maple Leaf Gardens. The immensely popular Broda was given gifts and accolades from around the National Hockey League.

Broda retired with a 302-224-101 record in 629 career NHL games (all with the Maple Leafs) with 62 shutouts. In addition to five Stanley Cup's, Broda was a two time Vezina Trophy winner (1941, 1948). He was named to the NHL's First All-Star Team twice (1941, 1948) and the Second Team All-Star once (1942). At the time of his retirement, Broda was the career leader in regular season wins with 302. He was the first goalie to play in 100 NHL playoff games. Broda was recently named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in history in 2017 for the NHL 100 event.

Broda went on to a tremendous junior coaching career. He coached the Toronto Marlboros to back-to-back Memorial Cups in 1955 and 1956. Turk spent his later life coaching plenty, but also found time to golf lots and go to the race track. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1967.

"He used to go back to Manitoba every year," recalled Turk's daughter Barbara Tushingham. "In those days you'd have to ask Mr. Smythe if you could take a holiday so he would ask and then come out to Brandon for three weeks in the summer to see his mom, aunt, sister and four brothers. He did that for quite a few years until his mom passed away. His last trip was probably in 1970."

Turk Broda died of a heart attack on October 17th 1972 at the age of 58. He passed just two weeks before the death of his longtime netminding rival Bill Durnan. "He had a massive heart attack at our home and passed away soon after," said Barbara. "When it was all over with, I talked with his doctor and apparently he had the veins of an 85 year old person and he said it was from the adrenaline and stress of playing and coaching hockey for so long."

Despite Broda being retired for 65 years, he still remains atop Toronto's all-time regular-season goaltending lists in games played (629), wins (302), shutouts (62) and minutes played (38,167). During the 2016-17 season, the Toronto Maple Leafs honoured Broda by having his #1 retired to the rafters of the Air Canada Centre.

"He never blamed the forwards or defensemen when he gave up a goal," recalled teammate Harry Watson. "It was always his fault." Watson once accidentally shot the puck past Broda and Turk told him, "Don't worry about it, Harry. I should have stopped that shot."

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Vezina Shares of post-1972 birth cohorts.

Stolen from @TheDevilMadeMe 's methodology and updated to 2024

	Goalie	Times	Share
1​	Connor Hellebucyk	5​	2.63​
2​	Pekka Rinne	5​	2.12​
3​	Andrei Vasilevsky	6​	2.05​
4​	Sergei Bobrovsky	6​	1.97​
5​	Henrik Lundqvist	10​	1.93​
6​	Braden Holtby	3​	1.68​
7​	Roberto Luongo	9​	1.66​
8​	Tim Thomas	3​	1.55​
9​	Tuukka Rask	5​	1.5​
10​	Miikka Kiprusoff	7​	1.44​
11​	Carey Price	7​	1.4​
12​	Evgeni Nabokov	6​	1.23​
13​	Igor Shesterkin	3​	1.02​

One thing I will note for Lundqvist, is that he received Vezina votes in 10 separate seasons, the most of any goalie born since Martin Brodeur.

5 times he was a Vezina finalist, which is also the most for any goalie born since Brodeur.


Vezina voting is an issue onto itself, with it being so heavily tied to SV%. But I do think it's relevant to note as Lundqvist has really separated himself for modern goalies with regards to prime length/consistency/longevity.

one weird thing about lundqvist is there were six seasons in his career where he finished higher in vezina voting than AST voting (and zero times the inverse, out of ten total years he got a vezina vote).

2007: 3rd vs 7th
2008: 3rd vs 4th
2009: 6th vs 8th
2010: 6th vs 9th
2011: 4th vs 5th
2015: 5th vs 8th

there are varying reasons for those discrepancies. some were negligible differences (2008, 2011), some were so few votes that it was borderline meaningless (two votes in 2015).

but look at these:

2007: 7 out of 30 vezina ballots, 13 out of 143 AST vallots
2009: 8 out of 30 vezina ballots, 5 out of 131 AST ballots

or even 2010: 4 out of 30 vezina ballots, only 2 out of 131 AST ballots

why did GMs hold him in such higher esteem than AST voters? and what do we make of that?

 

[overpass]

Moving from Bill Durnan on to Bernie Parent, I've come across a couple of articles that tied those two together. Apparently young Parent's style was similar to that of Durnan. And in a 1970 interview, when asked about great goalies since he retired, Durnan predicted Parent as the goaltender of the future.

La Patrie, Nov 21, 1965 (translated from French)

A 1965 interview with M. et Mme. Claude Parent, parents of Bernard Parent, age 20.

Bernard would have liked to become a football player, remarked his mother, but we discouraged him because of the injury risks that come with that sport.

Did he have a favourite goalie? "Yes, none other than Jacques Plante, although it is often said that Bernard has a style that is very similar to that of another great goalie of the Canadiens, Bill Durnan, in the sense that he rarely throws himself on the ice to take possession of the puck."


Le Devoir, Oct 28, 1970 (translated from French)

An interview with Bill Durnan, two years before his death.

When we asked him who were the best goalies in the National League since 1950, he said: "Terry Sawchuk, Jacques Plante and Glenn Hall. I also like Bernard Parent. I think he has a very bright future ahead of him," said Bill Durnan, a six-time member of the first team all stars.

 

[Michael Farkas]

Durnan "base" and a Plante "finish" for Parent. Very evident in the film for me. I think there were some consistency issues early in his career and maybe in some ways that makes the two-year peak stand out even more and makes it look like he has nothing else going on comparatively...but he had a real nice career and probably is underrated by the accolades overall.

On one hand, it's kind of a shame that he got dealt to Toronto - who didn't have a ton going on. On the other hand, maybe the only reason why Parent is available now instead of five rounds from now is that he got to work with Plante during that time.

It's a shame he went down to the nonsense WHA for a season, the '73 Flyers got career best numbers for Favell and Belhumeur...I'm sure Parent would have benefited/produced similarly...then maybe we're talking about a 3-year peak There were no 60 game goalies in 1973, I imagine that Parent blows through that number and swipes one of the AS team nods from Dryden or Tony 0 that year.

 

[jigglysquishy]

Bill Durnan in the Stanley Cup Finals

1944 Finals
Montreal beats Chicago 5-1
Habs 1 Blackhawks 0

The Edmonton Journal - April 5, 1944

Canadiens has a rock-like defense in front of Bill Durnan and all the forward lines were working well.
Durnan had to be good as the Hawks pressed in. Karakas was equally good at the other end as the game developed into a wide open contest of furious speed.

The Montreal Gazette - April 5, 1944

Bill Durnan was good in the Habitant nets and his defence gave him good protection. Clitn Smith was easily the best of the Hawks with Earl Seiberg turning in some scintillating hockey.

Montreal beats Chicago 3-1
Habs 2 Blackhawks 0

The Lewiston Evening Journal - April 7, 1944

Goalie Bill Durnan, who turned in a sensational game, missed a shutout by only one second. At 19:59 of the final period Chicago scored on a shot by young Johhny Harms.
Goalie Mike Karakas of Chicago had displayed a brilliant piece of net minding although he wasn't as busy as Durnan whom the Blackhawks showered with shots throughout the contest.
Richard's two third period goals represented Montreal's only real scoring threats in the final session, while the Hawks pounded continually at the vistors' nets. Durnan was the difference between the teams.

Montreal beats Chicago 3-2
Habs 3 Blackhawks 0

The Edmonton Journal - April 10, 1944

Goalie Bill Durnan of Montreal staged his usual spectacular netminding and proved to be the difference between the teams - as he has been throughout the series.

Montreal wins 5-4 in OT
Habs sweep series

The Montreal Gazette - April 14, 1944

The Hawks fired everything at Durnan but Bill was still too good.

I'm surprised at the praise Karakas gets, but Durnan is the clear star. Toe Blake and Rocket Richard get praise, but nobody gets the praise that Bill Durnan does this series.


1947 Finals


Leafs get thrashed 6-0
Shots: Habs 45 Leafs 20
Habs 1 Leafs 0

The Montreal Gazette - April 9, 1947

Doughty Turk Broda was in no way to blame for the Leafs' defeat. His defence gave him little or no help and his team mates couldn't get a single goal for him. Bill Durnan had a comparatively easy time of it, though he was his usual competent self whenever he was tested.

The Calgary Herald - April 9, 1947

Bill Durnan turned in a stonewall performance and the entire Habitant corps clicked.
Durnan was too much for them. He showed the stuff that won him the Vezina Trophy four years ina row and chalked up the first shutout of the spring's playoffs.

Toronto blanks Montreal 4-0. Rocket Richard is ejected from the game for hick-sticking Bill Ezinicki.
Habs 1 Leafs 1

The Montreal Gazette - April 11, 1947

Turk Broda had a good night in the Toronto nets and was one of the game's stars.
Durnan had 24 stops and Broda 22, but with the Canadiens being forced to play shorthanded for at least 18 minutes of the 60 they could not get an attack really organized.
Bill Durnan was in no way to blame for the loss.

The Calgary Herald - April 11, 1947

Leafs rebounded with a bang... taking full advantage of penalties to beat Bill Durnan four times while Canadiens were short a man.

Toronto wins 4-2
Habs 1 Leafs 2

The Windsor Daily - April 14, 1947

Both Broda and Durnan performed sensationally in goal, although the latter did not look any too good on that first Leafian market by Mortsen. Defensively, too much praise can not be heaped on the work of the Toronto rearguards.

Toronto wins 2-1 in OT. Apps receives high praise. Durnan receives high praise.
Habs 1 Leafs 3

The Montreal Gazette - April 16, 1947

Both of which received some great goal tending from Turk Broda and Bill Durnan. The Leafs had 35 shots on goal to 30 for the Canadiens.
Bill Durnan was called upon to make a couple tough stops.

The Windsor Daily Star - April 16, 1947

Certainly, both Durnan and Broda made literally a score of unbelievable saves between them.
It was the Leafs who had the best chances during the first two periods only to have Durnan rob such sharpshooters as Apps.
It was Kennedy and Durnan all alone with the big Montreal fortfender outguessing the Leaf centre

Montreal wins 3-1
Habs 2 Leafs 3

The Montreal Gazette - April 18, 1947

Maurice Richard with his two tallies and Bill Durnan with his superb goaltending were Canadiens' big stars. Bill was given plenty of support from his defence and the forwards helped with their close checking.
Bill Durnan was going to get a shutout, but his hopes were spoiled when Bud Poile beat him [near the end of the third]

Leafs win 2-1
Habs 2 Leafs 4

The Calgary Herald - April 21, 1947

Veteran Goalie Turk Broda, the fabulous fat man from Brandon, Manitoba, gave one of the most sensational performances of his eight National Hockey League seasons.
Broda's goaltending skill was matched by the display of cool Bill Durnan of the Canadiens.

The Leader-Post - April 21, 1947

Bill Durnan robbed Meeker from close in.

A good series from both Durnan and Broda.


Overall, Durnan gets a lot of praise and is the most praised player across the two series on Montreal (Richard is close though). Between the two really strong Cup runs and his regular season resume, I've definitely warmed up to Durnan.

 

[VanIslander]

Best of their era?

Vezina, Gardiner, Lundqvist,... to some degree Holecek, Visilevskiy.

Turk Broda has muddied waters.
Bower & Belfour are clearly 3rd or 4th fiddle.

 

[Michael Farkas]

Holecek is the best of his era to any degree...?

 

[VanIslander]

Holecek is the best of his era to any degree...?

Claim to be Tretiak's equal during an era before Roy but after the O6 greats.

Several ATDers have argued such. Czechoslovakia relied on him a lot at the height of global Soviet competition, defeating the mighty Soviets three times in the 1970's, 5 times as world championship best goalie.

 

[Michael Farkas]

Not to be reductive, but would the best of an era and/or Tretiak's equal be losing a non-insignificant amount of starts to the likes of Vlad Dzurilla...?

 

[Professor What]

Not to be reductive, but would the best of an era and/or Tretiak's equal be losing a non-insignificant amount of starts to the likes of Vlad Dzurilla...?

I will never understand why Holecek lost starts to Dzurilla, but he did, and that has to ping him a bit.

Look, I'm high on Holecek, and he could go high for me this round, but I don't see the equal to Tretiak argument, if only because he didn't carry the same load. I guess one could argue equal in skill, but I don't see equal in resume.

 

[VanIslander]

Seriously?

Holecek replaced Dzurilla after several early goals in Game 1 of the 3-game 1976 Canada Cup final. Holecek started Game 2 against powerhouse Canada and gave up goals to HHOFers Perreault, Esposito from Potvin - Holecek pulled by officials who gave the hot-hand refrigerator repairman Dzurilla chances over the guy who backstopped them to the world championships 6 months earlier over the Soviets, and again the next spring over the Soviets, identified as the height of Czechoslovakian hockey.