This article is part of our Crashing the Crease series.
With the new year upon us, it's time to take a look at a pair of goaltenders for whom 2016 was a year to remember, as well as two who can't wait for 2017. Matt Murray and Martin Jones are both much better off than they were a year ago, while Jonathan Quick and Brian Elliott would probably do it all over again if they could.
Murray was just an AHL prospect a year ago, then got called up for Pittsburgh's playoff push with Marc-Andre Fleury injured, and never relinquished the top job due to his outstanding play. Now he's a Stanley Cup champion, and his strong form has carried over to the 2016-17 campaign to the tune of a 13-3-1 record, 2.14 GAA and .928 save percentage. While winning another championship in 2017 will be tough, Murray should continue to rank among the game's top netminders.
Jones lost to Murray in the Stanley Cup Finals, but taking a Sharks team that finished third in a weak Pacific Division that far was quite an accomplishment for a man in his first season as an NHL starter. He has backed up that campaign by propelling San Jose to first place in the division with 18 wins, a 2.08 GAA and a .919 save percentage this season. A year ago, Jones was still making a name for himself in the NHL. Now, the 26-year-old looks like he's going to be among the top performers at his position for years to come.
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With the new year upon us, it's time to take a look at a pair of goaltenders for whom 2016 was a year to remember, as well as two who can't wait for 2017. Matt Murray and Martin Jones are both much better off than they were a year ago, while Jonathan Quick and Brian Elliott would probably do it all over again if they could.
Murray was just an AHL prospect a year ago, then got called up for Pittsburgh's playoff push with Marc-Andre Fleury injured, and never relinquished the top job due to his outstanding play. Now he's a Stanley Cup champion, and his strong form has carried over to the 2016-17 campaign to the tune of a 13-3-1 record, 2.14 GAA and .928 save percentage. While winning another championship in 2017 will be tough, Murray should continue to rank among the game's top netminders.
Jones lost to Murray in the Stanley Cup Finals, but taking a Sharks team that finished third in a weak Pacific Division that far was quite an accomplishment for a man in his first season as an NHL starter. He has backed up that campaign by propelling San Jose to first place in the division with 18 wins, a 2.08 GAA and a .919 save percentage this season. A year ago, Jones was still making a name for himself in the NHL. Now, the 26-year-old looks like he's going to be among the top performers at his position for years to come.
On the other end of the spectrum, Quick lost in five games to a Sharks team that he had beaten in each of their previous two playoff meetings while being outplayed by his former backup (Jones). The star netminder then suffered a groin injury in his first appearance of the 2016-17 campaign against those same Sharks, and hasn't been able to suit up since. He'll be back early in 2017.
Elliott is another victim of Jones' success, as things were going smoothly for him until he gave up 10 goals to the Sharks in his final three appearances of the Conference Finals. Those three poor performances surely helped inspire the Blues to commit to Jake Allen as their goalie of the future and deal Elliott to the Flames at the 2016 draft. Adjusting to Calgary's inferior defense has proven difficult for the 31-year-old veteran, who is 6-9-1 with a 3.07 GAA and .890 save percentage. He ranks dead last among qualified goaltenders in save percentage, and will continue to cede the majority of work to backup Chad Johnson in 2017 if things don't get significantly better soon.
Now that the biggest booms and busts of the year have been covered, let's narrow our scope to the past week:
TOP PERFORMERS
Frederik Andersen, TOR -- Andersen stopped 69 of 70 shots in back-to-back wins over the Avalanche and Coyotes heading into the Christmas break. The former Ducks goaltender doesn't get the advantage of playing behind one of the NHL's best defensive teams anymore, but is still capable of putting together elite stretches like this one. He's 13-7-3 with a .937 save percentage since Oct. 25.
Cam Ward, CAR -- Ward is back on the rise, having won three straight starts while stopping 76 of 80 shots for a .950 save percentage over that span. The veteran allowed 10 goals while dropping three consecutive decisions prior to this hot streak, so it's safe to expect his level to drop soon. Still, he has returned value more often than not with a 12-8-6 record, 2.24 GAA and .918 save percentage.
Mike Condon, OTT -- Condon rode into the Christmas break on a four-game winning streak in which he allowed just seven total goals to the Devils, Islanders, Blackhawks and Ducks. He is playing like a bonafide No. 1 in Craig Anderson's absence, and should be treated as such as long as he's starting for the Senators. His 2.20 GAA and .924 save percentage both rank 11th in the NHL.
THREE RISING
Thomas Greiss, NYI -- Greiss started each of New York's last two games prior to the break, and emerged victorious both times while stopping 76 of 79 shots for a .962 save percentage. He has now won five of his last six appearances while posting a 2.33 GAA and .929 save percentage over that span. The 30-year-old German proved capable of handling a starter's workload last season, and it won't be long until he takes over that role from the struggling Jaroslav Halak at this rate.
Juuse Saros, NAS -- Saros was highlighted in this column a few weeks ago as a future star, and the 21-year-old has done little to discredit that notion with a 1.39 GAA and .950 save percentage in five appearances this season. He picked up his second win by holding the Devils to one goal on 28 shots last Tuesday, and has now started two of the Predators' past four games. Fellow Finn Pekka Rinne will continue to start the majority of games in Nashville, but Saros makes for an excellent play any time he's in net.
Cam Talbot, EDM -- Talbot has won three of his past four appearances, recovering from a down stretch that saw him claim victory only once in his previous four starts. His 2.52 GAA will remain inflated playing for a fast-paced Oilers team, but Talbot's .917 save percentage suggests he's capable of posting solid numbers despite the questionable defensive play in front of him. Edmonton's high-scoring offense also helps win plenty of games, which is why the former Rangers backup is tied for fifth in the league with 17.
THREE FALLING
Semyon Varlamov, COL -- Varlamov finally came back from a groin injury last Tuesday, then added insult to injury by allowing seven goals on 51 shots in two winless starts. He also hurt himself again, and once again finds himself in danger of losing the starting job to Calvin Pickard. The Russian veteran was already disappointing owners with a 3.33 GAA and .901 save percentage, and now it's unclear when he'll even be healthy enough to man the Colorado crease.
Mike Smith, ARI -- The Christmas break couldn't come soon enough for Smith, who has dropped four straight decisions while allowing 13 goals on 109 shots. Such rough stretches are to be expected given the poor defensive play in from of him in Arizona, but that doesn't make them any easier to swallow. Smith has only won seven of his first 20 appearances, and things are unlikely to get any better for him as the season goes on.
Matt Murray, PIT -- Murray may have had a successful 2016 overall, but he's closing the year with a whimper. He has only won one of his past four appearances, including a six-goal shellacking in Columbus last Thursday. With alternative option Marc-Andre Fleury more than capable of handling a starting job in the NHL, Murray must pick it up soon or risk having his workload reduced.
