Talk about head-to-head, Hasek lost a starting job to Ed Belfour, surrendered 6 GA to Canada in 1991 with his head coach and free agent Ed Belfour counting dollar signs on the bench, lost a Stanley Cup Final to Ed Belfour, and was sub.-900 against Belfour's teams, including 177/205 against Dallas in the regular season from 1998-2002. And we can definitely find narratives to make Belfour vs. Roy shake out the same way, but the only interaction they're going to have with each other is a handshake in Spring because goalies don't shoot on each other. It's just noise to throw into an argument.
This was just a noise to throw into an argument. Because no-one really argues Hasek over Belfour or Belfour over Hasek. It's pretty much settled. You gave an example of the context in which H2H really is futile, seemingly forever ignoring what we are talking about.
No, he was a good goaltender who was getting better when he took a starting role in 1992-93 (when he was also not the best goaltender in the world) until getting hurt. Even in 1993-94, he didn't start particularly well and didn't take off until he was removed from having to compete for his job by Grant Fuhr's injury.
The potential was always there to become what he became (Chicago knew this in 1987 too), but it took time and four opportunities to play for a starting role for him to reach it. Based on 1990-1993, the pizza wasn't ready to come out of the oven - and we can say the same for Ed Belfour (also older than Patrick Roy) who had a trial run in 1989 while Roy was winning his third Jennings, second post-season All-Star selection, and appearing in his second Stanley Cup Final.
Unless you're going to argue that Ed Belfour must have been the best goaltender in the world prior to 1990-91 too because he went from touring on the national team to Hart nominee virtually overnight.
Oh, the potential was always there, thanks for confirmation man. We thought it really was an overnight miracle after all.
It took four attempts not to give anyone even the slightest excuse to bench him again. Because this is what it really was.
He surrended 6 goals against Canada, but I have read even the Canadian commentators kept wetting themselves over his performance (and not only because he helped Canada to win.)
But hey, 25 years later, certain someone who has a way of using stuff can grab the six-goal stat and build a monster argument upon it, right.
I mean look at you, you're doing it still! Looking for every, even the slightest or the most twisted excuse to justify the fact he most likely was getting choked for a while.
He was lucky to run into Keenan instead of you
As far as Eddie, the story is he never said "hi" to Hasek. He probably knew it first.
EDIT: And since all, or most of this stems from the fact I wrote something like "he probably just knew he was the best goalie in the world", please step outside your Roy fan bubble and note that I never really argued he objectively was the best goalie in the world. He was absolutely not, as he didn't even play. I suggested he himself knew he had it in him. That's all. You just overreacted like you always do when it comes to THIS.