Mike Richter

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

Widely viewed as one of the core four on that '94 Rangers team, along with Messier, Leetch and Graves.

A clutch goalie whose contributions on the national stage aren't mentioned nearly enough.

Arguably one of the most well-read athletes I've ever interacted with. Reporters used to joke that he was the type of player who would tell them how to build a watch if they asked him for the time.

Richter's overall legacy suffers a bit because the era where he was at the top of his game and the clear-cut number one goalie, and the time frame during which the Rangers were truly competitive, is relatively small. When all is said and done, you're only talking about a four year span where the stars were in alignment.

Adding to the challenge, the Rangers were one of the few remaining teams that tried to play a wide-open style while the rest of the league was converting to more defensive-oriented systems and the trap.

The end result is a goalie, on a team attempting to utilize an outdated style of play, going up against clutch and grab teams, who play a style in which their own netminders are only giving up 2-2.5 goals per game.

In many ways, the worst thing Richter ever did for his legacy numbers, and arguably his career, is stick with the Rangers. Neither he nor Leetch would ever see the playoffs in a Rangers uniform beyond their 30th and 29th birthdays respectively.

I think this is really the long and the short of it. The injuries at the end just took everything out of him.

 

[Edge]

I think this is really the long and the short of it. The injuries at the end just took everything out of him.

The injuries are another interesting aspect.

He lost time in 91-92, 95-96 and then the last few years.

Injuries alone probably robbed him of a good 50 some-odd victories over the years.

Personally, I think Richter does better in the 2005-2019 era than Lundqvist would in the 1989-2004 era.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

Loved Richter, but with that said, I personally feel like he's one of the more over-rated Rangers thanks to '94. He was certainly a big piece of that puzzle, but the team in front of him was one of the best ever for this franchise - and if Lundqvist ever had a team that was even 90% of what that team was, he'd have a cup or two in the coffers too.

My two strikes against Richter are:

1. Longevity: He was one of the best, if not the best, big game goaltenders from 94-97 but thats a relatively short time-frame to be elite.

2. Softies: The cup erases a lot, but Richter was more susceptible to softies and/or final minute tying goals than your usual elite goalie.

 

[Thirty One]

The injuries are another interesting aspect.

He lost time in 91-92, 95-96 and then the last few years.

Injuries alone probably robbed him of a good 50 some-odd victories over the years.

Personally, I think Richter does better in the 2005-2019 era than Lundqvist would in the 1989-2004 era.

Well, yeah. Lundqvist was 7 years old in 1989. THINK, Edge.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

I think this is really the long and the short of it. The injuries at the end just took everything out of him.

True. From 94-97, he was probably the #1 goalie I'd want starting a big game. His performances in game 6 vs. the Devils, the entire 96 world cup of hockey, and even the Rangers' surprising run to the conference finals in 97 were incredible. The tail end of his prime being robbed of him due to injuries was a real crime.

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

True. From 94-97, he was probably the #1 goalie I'd want starting a big game. His performances in game 6 vs. the Devils, the entire 96 world cup of hockey, and even the Rangers' surprising run to the conference finals in 97 were incredible. The tail end of his prime being robbed of him due to injuries was a real crime.

His performance in Game 7 of the ECF against the Devil's was spectacular, too. If could have folded after Zelepukin tied it. But he held tough.

 

[BKGooner]

The injuries are another interesting aspect.

He lost time in 91-92, 95-96 and then the last few years.

Injuries alone probably robbed him of a good 50 some-odd victories over the years.

Personally, I think Richter does better in the 2005-2019 era than Lundqvist would in the 1989-2004 era.

The caveat being that it's on the Rangers. Lundquist in the dead puck era on the Devils is Brodeur. Blasphemy, I know. Richter post lockout- could he have a Jonathan Quick type career on the right team?

 

[BKGooner]

Thinking a little more, Lundquist's inabilty to play the puck out from behind the net would hurt the Devils d. It's easy to forget what a weapon Marty's stickhandling was before they instituted the trapezoid.

 

[Edge]

Well, yeah. Lundqvist was 7 years old in 1989. THINK, Edge.

Definitely more amusing than watching 53 year old Richter at this point.

 

[Edge]

The caveat being that it's on the Rangers. Lundquist in the dead puck era on the Devils is Brodeur. Blasphemy, I know. Richter post lockout- could he have a Jonathan Quick type career on the right team?

While I'm not a Brodeur hater, I think there's a decent list of goalies who would've been even better than Brodeur in the dead puck era with the Devils. And I'd include Richter and Lundqvist on that list.

 

[BKGooner]

Totally agree. It was a team constructed to take advantage of it's assets at D and G. Lundquist has an outside chance at 500 wins with the D the Rangers have iced. He could get to 600 with that Devils team. Imagine Hasek's stats with Neidermayer, Stevens et. al. in front of him limiting shot quality and quantity. On the other hand, a goalie who could skate and move the puck really well helped the D absorb less hits, turn their backs less and keep the puck out of their zone more readily. Any dumped puck on Brodeur's forehand was going the other way instantly. I think Brodeur is totally overrated, but even I can't take that skill away from him.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

While I'm not a Brodeur hater, I think there's a decent list of goalies who would've been even better than Brodeur in the dead puck era with the Devils. And I'd include Richter and Lundqvist on that list.

Agreed. With the style those Devil team's played, Brodeur would face less than 20 shots a night regularly.

 

[True Blue]

While I'm not a Brodeur hater, I think there's a decent list of goalies who would've been even better than Brodeur in the dead puck era with the Devils. And I'd include Richter and Lundqvist on that list.

If Henke played on those Devils teams, there is no telling how many wins and shutouts he would have had.