When Did NHL Goalies Actually Get Good? 

A few things come into play with these stats. The effects of NHL exposure to international teams (USSR specifically) led to revised offensive tactics that were counter to what goalies had grown up facing. By the late '70s, play was no longer a north-south majority, and cross ice offense became far more common. The early to mid '80s Oilers were the apex of this style change, and it's no coincidence they were one of the youngest teams in the league. This also happened with an influx of European players in the early '80s. The "muscle memory" of goalies was now affected. Next was the skill levels of Gretzky and Lemieux. For all the assaults goalies experienced with a changing offense, Gretzky and Lemieux were talents beyond that. Those two put up numbers no one else really came close to. While Dan Bouchard of the Flames/Nordiques picked up the butterfly torch from Tony Esposito, Patrick Roy was the first to find success with it, which was almost a necessity change for goalies to find a solution. At the time, 70% of NHL goals were scored along the ice. Then there's the advent of goalie equipment changes starting in the late '80s, especially their pads. The lighter weight leg gear accelerated and assisted a league wide shift to butterfly play. Lightweight foam instead of deer hair made the butterfly much more tenable as a long term style. As butterflying becoming the norm, the '00s saw the rapid introduction of larger goaltenders to cover more net when they were down with legs covering the bottom half. The only counter to all this was the advent of synthetic sticks, allowing players to increase shot velocity considerably over wood sticks. An interesting evolution of problem-reaction for all parts of the game.

In another conversation, looks like the BEST goalie masks were seen in the 70s 😏

This video should have been a lot longer

The equipment got a lot bigger, and the save % went up.

I just heard Nick Kyprios on a sports channel talk about how all goalies are the same now. I have been saying that for 10 years. I started playing goal in the early 80's and played until early 2000's at a decent level. There were so many styles then it was awesome. I am 5' 9" and would never be considered now as having a future in goaltending since 6' 2" seems to be the average now. ( I hated taller goalies- Roy, Liut, Hextall etc) Every goalie now plays exactly the same due to coaching at the earliest levels. I just watched Richter and Healy being interviewed for the Rangers 25 th Stanley cup anniversary and they said they didn't have a goalie coach! They each helped one another - wow.

What an awesome video thanks!!!

FANTASTIC VIDEO MAN! Deserves way more views

Top content, keep it up!

Dude where’d you go? These videos are awesome

Heyy. I saw you had the wwf rip tribute video(the wwf as we know it). Could you pls send me the video if you can cause I cant find it anywhere else. I had it downloaded on a old hard drive but it got destroyed.

"goalies sucked until 2005" meanwhile the 90s goalies of Brodeur, Hasek and Roy are still a tier above modern goalies like Price and Vasi imo

merzlikins 💀

So many facts missing from this. The WHL expansion diluted the talent pool hurting team defences but spreading the talent amoung more teams making it easier for talented forwards to score, the influx of European players bringing their tactics and style with them and lets not forget the size of goalie equipment getting bigger and massively lighter. Had Dryden, Tony O, Cheevers, Parent and the earlier keepers had this equipment their numbers would have been even better. As for the 2005 offside rule change, that a huge inpact on the total goals scored as well.

They got good when patrick roy entered the chat

2 years later... carter hart, thatcher demko and elvis merzlinkins all have fallen off a cliff. Hockey is weird

I’ll tell you when they got bad ! When they started to lay on the ice all the time ,they don’t know anything about cutting down on angles !

Goaltending was always great in all eras but some eras favored scoring more than others and had different rule changes as what you can do defensively or not... And like all positions goaltending only evolved to get better especially as technique, athletes and gear got better- like all other positions did! But just like you can go back to older eras and all players look slower and less impressive, goaltending will too but is not exception. And that still doesn't mean these goaltenders were not the best of the best in their time... Anyone who saw Dryden or Sawchuk or Glen Hall play will be in awe of the brick wall they could put up in the most clutch moments... But of course the game changes and styles changes so what worked back then in one era will not in a different one. But all great players adapt to their era and can and could readapt to another. Some of the so called bad 80's goaltenders- including the one who got scored on by that perfect Gretzky top corner slapper, Grant Fuhr, Beezer etc- adapted to the 90's and remained dominant if not better due to mastering newer techniques and better goaltending gear- as well as better diet and training regiments... Anyone who think goaltenders only got "good" in the modern era is ignorant and lack the proper knowledge of the history of goaltending past their own era... But watch an old school tendy like Sawchuk or Plant and see where your favorite all-time goaltender got inspired and took their pages of saving magic from- Hasek and Broduer almost replicated exact saves that they learned from goaltenders like sawchuck they studied on film and then evolved it to fit their era and took it to the next echelon! This is how the game improves from one era to the next... Older players passing the baton to the new generation of players that learn the tricks of the trade from the past greats... Anyone who looks down at older era goaltenders and chuckles got to remember that they are not flying, they are standing on the shoulders of giants! And all the greats have always looked up to the goaltenders they grew up with in admiration and studies them and emulated them until they found their own style! Those who don't won't learn anything and will try to reinvent the wheel in failure and won't succeed because they don't learn from the ones who came before them and mastered the position they want to fill... Silly boys!!!!!!

hey man . can you send me the wwf as we knew it video

Anyone that could skate could have been a 2nd or 3rd string goalie on any NHL team in the early 80s lol

Goalies started to get good when the goat mike richter joined the rangers

Brodeur debuted in 91 92 or 92 93 not 93 94

How dare you title this video like that

They were always good

Goalies didn't get bad ... STATS don't make a goalie good or bad !!! But you keep going with it !!!! Just a reminder , hockey is a team sport !!!! Did goalies get " bad lol " or did everyone wanna be Bobby Orr and Wayne Gretzky ????

This is a legit question, but couldn’t it be that in the ‘80s scorers where much better and the goalies where at their mercy and then they weren’t as good later on? I mean, it could be interpreted both ways. Either scorers got better in the ‘80s then got worse and the goalies stayed the same or the goalies were worse in the ‘80s then got better and the scorers stayed the same.

Plot twist: they are not good

Players got faster, better and teams played pass the saucer more and more

Goalies were good in the 70s to 90 s now they suck !