I don't disagree however some of the best goalies in recent memory played 65+ games a season routinely.... Brodeur, Belfour, Roy, Luongo, etc.
Some guys just do better with heavy workloads... is Andersen one of them? That's the question.
(Please know I'm not pegging Andersen as a future HoF-er, he has a lot to prove before that is even a whisper)
- Dozzer
This is false. These goalies played more games and faced less shots. I have the numbers to prove it. Luongo faced lots of shots, never won poop.
Andersen has shown the past two years the workload is too much, he starts playing poorly down the stretch and during the playoffs. The stress isn't always physical, it's mental too. He's relied upon to be there and cover up way too many mistakes, way too often.
Below is a list of Cup winning goalies of the past 26 years.
Since 2007/2008:
Osgood: 43 games played, 976 shots faced. (22.7 shots per game)
Fleury: 62 games played, 1,850 shots faced. (29.8 shots per game)
Niemi: 39 games played, 936 shots faced. (24 shots per game)
Thomas: 57 games played, 1,811 shots faced. (31 shots per game)
Quick: 69 games, 1,863 shots faced. (27 shots per game)
Crawford: 30 games, 769 shots faced. (25.6 shots per game)
Quick: 49 games played, 1,183 shots faced. (24 shots per game)
Crawford: 57 games played, 1,661 shots faced. (29 shots per game)
Murray: 13 games played, 355 shots faced. (27 shots per game)
(Playoff goalie)
Fleury: 58 games played, 1,665 shots faced. (28.7 shots per game)
Fleury: 38 games played, 1,181 shots faced. (31 shots per game)
(15 playoff games)
Murray: 49 games played, 1,450 shots faced. (29.6 shots per game)
(11 playoff games)
Looks like having a great goalie like Quick or Thomas comes in handy but the team in front of the goalie is more important (and both those goalies had ultra defensive and possession based teams). That being said, the Cup winning goalies of the past 10 years have had stacked teams in front of them and had a lighter workload during the season with the team in front of the goalie providing adequate defensive help and strong possession in front of that goalie.
1992 - 2007
Giguere: 60 games played, 1,692 shots faced. (28 shots per game)
Ward: 28 games, 773 shots faced. (27.6 shots per game)
Khabibulin: 55 games played, 1,414 shots faced. (25.7 shots per game)
Brodeur: 75 games played, 1,845 shots faced. (24.6 shots per game.)
Hasek: 65 games played, 1,654 shots faced. (25.4 shots per game)
Roy: 62 games played, 1,513 shots faced. (24.4 shots per game)
Brodeur: 72 games played, 1,797 shots faced. (24.9 shots per game)
Belfour: 61 games played, 1,372 shots faced. (22.5 shots per game)
Osgood: 64 games played, 1,605 shots faced. (25 shots per game)
Osgood: 47 games played, 1,175 shots faced. (25 shots per game)
Vernon: 33 games played, 782 shots faced. (23.7 shots per game )(Playoff goalie)
Roy: 61 games played, 1,797 shots faced. (29.5 shots per game)
Brodeur: 40 games played, 908 shots faced. (22.7 shots per game)
Richter: 68 games played, 1,758 shots faced. (25.9 shots per game)
Roy: 62 games played, 1,814 shots faced. (29.3 shots per game)
Barasso: 57 games played, 1,702 shots faced. (29.9 shots per game)
