Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports
When Ray Emery was named the starting goaltender for the Chicago Blackhawks’ game against the Minnesota Wild last week, the howls among fans were plaintive. How could Joel Quenneville give the starting position to his backup goalie for the third game in a row? The cries became louder as the phrase “goalie controversy” began to swirl.
That phrase invokes the image of a coach heading into the playoffs with two terrible goalies. His dilemma is to pick the lesser of two evils and hope that he made the right decision. If he’s right, his team might have a chance of actually winning a few games. If he’s wrong, the team will tank in the first round, and he’ll take the blame for his choice.
Relax, folks, there’s no goalie controversy like that in Chicago. What you do have are two goaltenders who have similar records: Emery has a .924 goals-against average and 1.90 save percentage, while Corey Crawford has a 2.00 goals-against average and .923 save percentage. Both have shown that they can handle the pressure. Both have made saves that leave you shaking your head.
Quenneville has kept mum on who he’ll pick as his starting goalie for the playoffs. Most believe it’ll be Crawford, since he’s been the starter for the past two playoff runs. Others say it should be Emery. They each have their good and bad points, so it’s difficult to say who will start. The most likely scenario is that the two could share net duties, giving them both some ice time.
In the end, Quenneville has a hard choice to make, but it’s not because both goalies are terrible or that one should have a little ice time just for the sake of giving it to him. Emery and Crawford are a rare luxury that all coaches wish they had going into the playoffs – a solid goaltending pair. That’s something for which Blackhawks fans should be thankful.
