Semi-dry. Russian goalkeepers from the NHL will still show their best qualities
Ice hockey is ancient and famous game. According to some reports, the game of hockey is depicted even in Dutch paintings of the 16th century. However, there are several other versions about the time and place of origin of this sports game. It is believed that ice hockey first appeared in Montreal, Canada. However, some studies claim that ice hockey originated in Kingston, Ontario or Windsor, Nova Scotia. In ice hockey, as in many sports games where the goal is to score a goal in the goal, the goalkeeper plays an important role. It's about hockey goalies you will learn from this top 10 most the best hockey players goalkeepers of all time.
10 Kenneth Wayne "Ken" Dryden
This athlete was born on August 8, 1947. Thanks to his game, this hockey player received the Stanley Cup award six times. In addition to these six awards, Kenneth Wayne "Ken" Dryden has many others. And he was named the best goaltender in the NHL (National Hockey League) five times. In 1983, an image of Kenneth Wayne "Ken" Dryden appeared in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
9 Terrence (Terry) Gordon Savchuk
This person is an example of the fact that no difficulties should repel any difficulties from your favorite pastime, from the work of your whole life. Terrence (Terry) Gordon Savchuk was born on December 28, 1929 and died on May 31, 1970 at the age of 40. The athlete is known for his 103 "dry" matches - that is, matches where he did not miss a single goal. It will look even more surprising if you consider that the hockey player was sick. The goalkeeper had a back disease, due to which the athlete could hardly straighten up. Because of this, Terrence (Terry) Gordon Savchuk played with a special stance. People around him thought for a long time that he had invented a new stance, until he himself told about the true reason. The goaltender was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1971.
8 Jacques Plant
Pro. Hockey goalie Terry Sawchuk wearing fake scars & wounds applied by make-up artist simulate to injuries accumulated in 16 yrs. of professional hockey.
This hockey player was born on January 17, 1929, and died on February 27, 1986, having lived for 57 years. During his career, the goaltender won the Stanley Cup award six times, and also became the owner of many other awards. Jacques Plante is the first goalkeeper to constantly wear during the game goalie mask. The goalkeeper often left the goalkeeper's area to help the defenders of his team. Jacques Plant was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1978.
7 Dominik Hasek
This hockey goalie was born on January 29, 1965. During his sports career, he "collected" a huge number of various awards, including the famous Stanley Cup. Together with the national team of his country, Dominik Hasek gained Olympic Games"gold" and "bronze". In 2014, this hockey player was included in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Dominik Hasek has an unusual style of play. He plays not standing, but ... lying down. The athlete has good flexibility, thanks to which he protects the goal even from very difficult throws. The hockey player practically does not use the stick, preferring to “deal with” the puck with the help of a freed glove or trap.
6 Patrick Roy
This athlete was born on October 5, 1965. Patrick Roy has a unique achievement: he won the prize best player Stanley Cup Conn Smythe Trophy in three different decades. In 2006, the hockey player was included in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
5 Joseph Georges Gonzag Vezina
This goalkeeper was born on January 21, 1887 and died on March 27, 1926 at the age of 39. The goaltender-hockey player averaged 3.49 goals per game. The NHL Goalie Cup "Vezina Trophy" was named after the athlete. The hockey player was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1945.
No. 1 (HC "Colorado"). Semyon Varlamov has his own unique mixed style, he changes it according to the situation in the game. He uses his quick reflex to stop the puck. Having made a lunge, he is quickly able to restore his position in the goal frame thanks to the use of ...
J №72 (HC "Columbus"). Speaking in the KHL, Bobrovsky could roll out far from the gate, reducing the angle of fire. In the NHL, he doesn't do that and doesn't like to work with the puck outside the goaltending area. Either he was taught this in the NHL, or he adapted himself to that style of play ...
No. 88 (HC Tampa Bay). Andrei Vasilevsky is a goalkeeper with large dimensions, very mobile. It combines its size with a very fast response to throws. During its sports career constantly progressing and improving. At the Tampa Bay Club...
Defense of the Russian national ice hockey team
(SKA). Vyacheslav Voinov's talent as a defender was noticed from his youth, for this reason several clubs in the NHL, as well as the KHL, hunted him. As a result, he ended up in the Los Angeles Kings club. There he performed not always stably, but this matter was fixable ...
No. 7 (HC "Florida"). A defender who attacks - so you can say exactly if you refer to the game role of hockey player Dmitry Kulikov. Another name suits him - a striker who defends well. In modern hockey, they strive to get universal ...
No. 9 (HC "Washington"). Dmitry Orlov is another attacking defender in the Russian national team who willingly participates in attacking actions, especially since he himself can organize a scoring situation. Orlov has a decent size, however physical game he prefers…
No. 47 (HC Detroit). Alexey Marchenko is a tenacious and very aggressive defender. Good skater. In his club, the Detroit Red Wings, he does not always have a permanent game practice. He takes turns playing in the main team of the club, then playing in the affiliated team. Specialists…
No. 79 (HC "Montreal"). Andrey Markov always shows high mobility on the hockey rink, this is not typical for a defensive player. When he takes the puck from his opponent, he does not throw it somewhere, after a pause, he always tries to make an accurate and ...
No. 74 (HC "Montreal"). Alexei Emelin is called a rough guard in the NHL because of his very tough game. Among the defenders, he stands out for his special desire to physically fight on the court. When he started playing professional hockey, he worked out ...
No. 22 (HC "Toronto"). This is a highly skilled hockey player who perfectly owns the puck, just like a real striker. He successfully chooses his position on the playground. Nikita is making his NHL debut this year, and this season will be a defining one for him...
Attack of the Russian national ice hockey team at the 2016 World Cup
No. 92 (HC "Washington"). Experts from Evgeny Kuznetsov note the harmony of skill and physical capabilities. His playing skills continue to evolve over time. Evgeny is becoming more and more a universal hockey player - more willingly and more often he goes on the defensive ...
No. 8 (HC "Washington"). Ovechkin prefers fast hockey with a power component. In the NHL, his style of play is called "bull" in the sense that he shows stubbornness to achieve results. Alexander promotes power hockey, which is very popular in the NHL ...
No. 90 (HC Tampa Bay). Vladislav Namestnikov will make his debut in the Russian team at the World Cup. Previously, he lacked a place in the national team, as the coaches would have a large selection of other talented performers. At the World Cup, Vladislav has a chance ...
No. 42 (HC "Chicago"). In the National Hockey League, Artem Anisimov is doing well. When he arrived at NY The Rangers, they didn’t immediately “throw him under the tank”, survived for two whole seasons in the AHL, where the Rangers have a farm club. Of course, Artem had a risk ...
No. 13 (HC Detroit). Datsyuk is known as a fantastic offensive player with excellent two-sided abilities. Pavel is useful when the team is in the majority, in the minority he is no less effective. He is distinguished by his virtuoso technique in handling the puck…
No. 91 (HC St. Louis). IN hockey club St. Louis Blues Vladimir Tarasenko was eagerly waiting for his contract with HC Sibir to end. His capabilities were known there and they were afraid that they could be intercepted for a lot of money. In most of the successful games that have been held ...
No. 27 ("Chicago"). Artemiy Panarin, before he left to perform at the Chicago Blackhawks, at the Continental hockey league was considered the most promising offensive player. He noted the explosive beginning of the attack and dagger passes, the players of the opponent's defense ...
No. 86 (HC Tampa Bay). The NHL believes that Nikita Kucherov needs to work on improving his defensive side of the game, as well as gaining weight in order to compete in physical combat. Nikita will make his debut in the Russian national team at the World Cup ...
H No. 41 (HC "New York Islanders"). In Nikolai Kulemin's "characteristics" it is written that he is a hardworking midfielder, successfully operating on both flanks. Skillfully and quickly runs on skates. He goes to the opponent’s goal as best he can - either with the help of feints, or he goes for a break ...
No. 87 (HC SKA). Vadim Shipachev believes that he is now at the peak of his career. Not everyone agrees with him and believes that he still has potential and can be added. Coaches reproach Vadim for a slow return to the defense, which is typical for attackers. Also his…
No. 71 (HC Pittsburgh). Evgeni Malkin is considered one of the most talented players Russian team. He is skillful and diligent, everyone knows about it. He is a star, fans in the NHL go to him. He is always under pressure...
No. 77 (HC CSKA). Ivan Telegin has good dimensions, which he always uses. Among the forwards from Russia, he stands out for his ramming ability, goes straight ahead to the opponent's goal, creates panic in the enemy, and does not spare himself during his breakthroughs. Feels great...
No. 63 (HC SKA). Evgeny Dadonov is a midfielder with good dribbling and speed. He always has a focus on the opponent's goal. To get the puck, Eugene rushes around the ice rink and offers himself ...
Today, January 13, marks the 41st birthday of the famous Russian hockey player Nikolai Khabibulin. the site recalls the best of the Russian goalkeepers who played in the NHL.
NIKOLAI KHABIBULIN
After playing three years in CSKA, Khabibulin decided to leave for the NHL. In 1992, he was drafted 204th overall by the Winnipegs, for which he played a total of two seasons. Khabibulin became, in fact, the first goaltender in the NHL who could become the first number on his team. Trefilov and Shtalenkov, who played in parallel with Nikolai, did not achieve significant success in the best league in the world.
In less than 20 years in the NHL, Nikolai changed five teams. Khabibulin's track record includes Phoenix (1996 - 1999), Tampa Bay (2001 - 2004), Chicago (2005 - 2009, 2013 - present), Edmonton (2009 - 2013). In total, Khabibulin played about 800 games in the NHL. The goalkeeper's highest achievement is the Stanley Cup in 2004 as part of Tampa Bay, where Nikolai was the main goalkeeper. The trophy he won was the first Stanley Cup for a Russian goalkeeper.
In 2002, Khabibulin was the main goalkeeper of the Russian national team at the Salt Lake City Olympics and was recognized as the best goalkeeper of the tournament. Russia then won bronze medals.
For a reliable game, he received the nickname "Bulin Wall" from the Americans.
SEMEN VARLAMOV
Varlamov was drafted by Washington in 2006, but his NHL debut took place only a couple of years later in a match against Montreal. Washington won (2: 1), and Varlamov, who saved 32 shots, was recognized as the first star of the match. Despite a successful game in his first matches overseas, in the future, Varlamov was not involved in games for Washington for a long time, continuing to play in the Hershey farm club. Only in February 2009, the Russian was again called up to Washington, where he took the place of Jose Theodore's replacement - Brent Johnson, who suffered a hip injury.
Varlamov was a long-time backup goaltender, playing only six games before the end of the season, and had a great finish to the season with Hershey, where he was 19-7-1 in 27 games. During the first round of the 2008/2009 NHL Playoffs against the New York Rangers, Varlamov became the main goaltender after Jose Theodore conceded 4 goals in the first game of the series, lost by Washington 3-4.
On July 1, 2011, Varlamov was traded to the Colorado Avalanche. The next day, the club signed a three-year contract worth $8.5 million with them. In the new team, Semyon received the first number.
Season 2013-2014 Varlamov started brilliantly and more than once received compliments of the highest dignity from the head coach of the Colorado, the great goalkeeper Patrick Roy in the past: “Varley deserves mass kind words for what is happening now with the team and with him. And it's been that way since the first day our goalkeeping coach François Allaire met him in Switzerland. They did a great job - and, very importantly, Varlamov listens very carefully to everything that Francois teaches him. He is perfect!".
Varlamov himself has repeatedly stated that he had a great honor to work with such legends and professionals in their field as Rua and Aller.
Varlamov is considered the main contender for becoming the first number of the Russian team at the Sochi Olympics.
ILYA BRYZGALOV
In the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, Ilya was selected in the second round with the overall 44th number by Anaheim. In America, Bryzgalov could not immediately start playing, and for four seasons, including the lockout, he played in a farm club from Cincinnati. In the 2005/06 and 2006/07 seasons, the goaltender played 31 and 27 games in Anaheim, respectively, but remained second behind Giguere all the time. However, in 2007, Bryzgalov won the Stanley Cup championship ring.
In November, Bryzgalov was put up for a waiver draft and moved to Phoenix, where he was the main goaltender for four years and made the playoffs twice after an eight-year hiatus.
In the 2009/2010 season, Ilya was nominated for the Vezina Trophy - the best goalkeeper according to the general managers of the NHL clubs, but the Buffalo Sabers goalkeeper Ryan Miller was chosen as the best.
In 2011, a month before the expiration of the contract, Bryzgalov was traded by Phoenix to Philadelphia. In exchange, the Flyers traded forward Matt Clarkson and two picks in the 2012 draft. Signed a contract with Philadelphia for a period of nine years and the amount of 51.5 million dollars. Later career Bryzgalova did not ask. Ilya had an unsuccessful season in Philadelphia, missing a lot and periodically losing his place in the first team.
On June 26, Bryzgalov's contract was bought out and he became an unrestricted free agent. On November 8, 2013, the player signed a contract with the Edmonton Oilers club. In December, he began to get in shape and play matches for the main squad of the Oilers, but got injured and was out of action. In early January, he presented to the public his new mask, which was dedicated to the Sochi Olympics.
Bryzgalov - the owner of the second longest "dry" series in the history of the Stanley Cup - 249 minutes 15 seconds. In addition, Ilya owns the Phoenix (Winnipeg) club record: 42 wins in the 2009/10 championship.
EVGENY NABOKOV
In 1999, Nabokov moved to the NHL, where he played for the San Jose Sharks for more than ten years. At first, Nabokov was considered the second and even third goalkeeper. However, in 2000, the main goalkeeper of the Sharks, Steve Shields, was injured and Nabokov had a chance, which he used in full - becoming the first number of the Sharks for the next nine years.
During this time, San Jose only once failed to reach the playoffs or once failed to overcome the first round. In the 20002001 season, Nabokov received a prize best newcomer NHL.
Nabokov is currently the best Russian goaltender in the NHL in terms of wins (335) and shutouts (55). Moreover, according to these indicators, he is among the 20 best goaltenders in the history of the NHL.
On January 21, 2011, Evgeny signed a contract with the Detroit Red Wings until the end of the season and, in accordance with the NHL regulations, was put up for a waiver draft, from where the New York Islanders took the goalkeeper, but Evgeny refused to play for the Islanders. In turn, the management of the Islanders blocked Nabokov's contract, and in order to continue playing in the NHL, he had to work out this contract. Eugene started the 2011/12 season with the Islanders, and during the season he extended his contract with the team for another year, gaining a foothold in the team as the main goalkeeper. In July 2013, the New York Islanders renewed Nabokov's contract for a year.
Until the last moment, Nabokov was considered a candidate for a trip to the Games in Sochi as part of the Russian team, but he was injured and automatically dropped out of the list of applicants.
During the ten years that Nabokov played for San Jose, the club never managed to win the main trophy - the Stanley Cup, and Yevgeny himself gained a reputation as a strong, but non-cup goalkeeper.
SERGEY BOBROVSKY
It may seem that the inclusion of Bobrovsky in this list is an advance. However, it took Sergei just three incomplete seasons overseas to get the prize for the best goalkeeper in the NHL - the Vezina Trophy, which the Russians had not won before.
Bobrovsky moved to the NHL from Metallurg Novokuznetsk and spent two seasons with Philadelphia. In 2010, he signed a three-year contract with the Flyers, but the purchase of Ilya Bryzgalov for big money in 2011 sent Bobrovsky to Columbus, where Sergei received a prestigious award, along the way setting a record streak for the club of matches with points scored (no defeats during regular time).
Bobrovsky was included in the list of hockey players who will go to the Olympics in Sochi and will certainly compete for the right to be the first team number with Semyon Varlamov.
Last weekend, Nikolai Khabibulin played his first match this season. His Edmonton Oilers team lost, but the Russian goalkeeper became the second star of the meeting, reflecting 28 shots. Khabibulin turned out to be the sixth Russian goalkeeper to play in the NHL during the season. Celebrating this event, Lenta.ru decided to see how successfully Russian goalkeepers conquer North America.
Year by year, fewer Russian players go to the NHL - if five or six years ago, young people aspired to North America, even without really playing in Russia, now many remain in the KHL for several seasons. Some of the players who nevertheless decided to move, after two or three years of (un)successful performances in America, begin to miss their homeland so much that they leave the strongest league in the world and get a job in the KHL, especially since salaries are comparable on both sides of the Atlantic.
It is all the more surprising that there are no fewer goalkeepers from Russia in the NHL. On the contrary, if in the mid-2000s North America only three consistently performed - Nikolai Khabibulin, Evgeny Nabokov and Ilya Bryzgalov, now several more hockey players have joined them, and it is likely that one of them will take a place at the gates of the Olympic team.
Formally, the record was set last season, when six goalkeepers played in the NHL: in addition to the already named trio, these are Semyon Varlamov, Sergey Bobrovsky and Anton Khudobin. However, the word “played” is hardly applicable to the last one - at the end of the season, he played only one Boston game, but he played it brilliantly, repelling 44 of 45 shots.
In the current season, shortened due to the lockout, Khudobin has already played two matches, and in the last fight for himself, he became the first star of the meeting. There is no doubt that the veteran Khabibulin will also play at least a few games, so that in the 2012-2013 season the record will be broken, if not quantitatively, then at least qualitatively.
By the standards of other hockey countries, the representation of Russian goaltenders in the NHL is not the most impressive: the Canadians have already debuted 28 goalkeepers this season, the USA - 10, the Swedes - seven, the Finns - six. Yes, and the Russians are playing, despite some impressive matches, so-so - in terms of the percentage of reflected shots, none of them is even among the top ten goalkeepers in the NHL (players who participated in only one or two matches are not taken into account in the statistics).
Ilya Bryzgalov, Philadelphia Flyers, 12 games, 5 wins, 91.2 save percentage
The goalkeeper, who came to Russia during the lockout, mainly to the Cosmonaut Training Center, is now the undisputed number one in Philadelphia. Russian replacement Michael Leighton played only one match in the season, conceding five goals from Tampa Bay.
Bryzgalov himself, meanwhile, is also not very reliable - Philadelphia ranks 22nd in the league in terms of the number of missed goals and won only five matches out of 12. Bryzgalov alternates good fights with mediocre ones, but the team believes in him, supporting even after failures. This is understandable - without a good goalkeeper in the NHL they don’t reach the playoffs and don’t win the Stanley Cups, and Philadelphia has no other options except for Bryzgalov. So the whole team is interested in supporting the Russian goalkeeper, who, by the way, behaves modestly off the site and does not please journalists with new ones yet.
Evgeny Nabokov, New York Islanders, 10 games, 4 wins, 89.7 save percentage
After Nabokov left the NHL in 2010 and went to work in Petersburg SKA, it seemed that there was no way back for the age goalkeeper. Nevertheless, Nabokov left SKA in December 2010 and signed a one-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings. According to the rules of the NHL, he had to go through a waiver draft, from where it was taken not by Detroit at all, but by New York. Nabokov refused to play for the Islanders for some time, but then he reconciled himself and played 43 matches for the team in the 2011/2012 season.
This season, Nabokov completely became the main goalkeeper of the New York Islanders, but the Russian goalkeeper could not count on phenomenal statistics in such a team even in best years his career. The Islanders are one of the weakest teams in the NHL, and if they are not in last place in their conference, then this is not the merit of the Islanders, but Washington and Florida, who are failing the season so far.
Even in such conditions, Nabokov is sometimes able to put on an amazing game and, for example, save 38 of 39 shots, as he did in the game against Pittsburgh in late January. But in most cases, his statistics are below the level of 90 percent of saved shots per match.
Semyon Varlamov, Colorado Avalanche, 10 games, 3 wins, 90.9 save percentage
Semyon Varlamov held a lockout in Yaroslavl Lokomotiv, and neither the audience, nor Lokomotiv, nor the goalkeeper himself regretted it. The 2012 world champion and one of the main contenders for the position of the main goalkeeper in the Olympic team quickly became one of the leaders of Lokomotiv, sometimes really pulling matches for the Yaroslavl team.
In Colorado, Varlamov has to do, in principle, the same thing, with the only difference that Lokomotiv was one of the leaders in the KHL, but Colorado is considered an outsider in the NHL. This, perhaps, should explain the small number of victories of the Russian goalkeeper. If the defenders in Colorado had played a little better, and the attackers would have scored a little more, then such masterpieces (look up to the first place) would bring the team results.
However, Varlamov cannot take a couple of matches into his asset. So, in a duel with San Jose on the night of January 26-27, he missed four goals and was replaced after two periods. The fourth one turned out to be especially offensive - the three previous “San Jose” scored with finishing touches on a penny and in the majority.
Anton Khudobin, Boston Bruins, 2 games, 2 wins, 93.1 percent saves
Unlike Varlamov and Nabokov, Khudobin is on a team with one of the best defensive lines in the NHL. The problem (for the Russian goalkeeper, of course) is that this line also includes Tuukka Raska, the excellent Finnish goalkeeper who sat behind Tim Thomas last year. A year ago, Khudobin was not even the third, but the fourth goalkeeper of Boston, but after the departure of Thomas, he became the second number.
During the lockout, Khudobin went to gain experience in Mytishchi Atlant. “Dobby,” as he is known in the US, has played 26 games in the KHL, four times more than in the past three seasons in the NHL.
So far, everything suggests that if Rusk gets injured, then there will still be no worry about the Boston back line - Khudobin looks very confident in his few matches. On the other hand, even while praising their player, Main coach“Boston” does not forget to chide him for his work in training. If Khudobin really does not like to train, this may affect when he is entrusted with a place at the gate for several matches in a row.
Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus Blue Jackets, 7 games, 2 wins, 89.6 percent saves
Lockout for Bobrovsky turned out to be a ticket to the Russian national team: first former goalkeeper Philadelphia was invited to SKA, and from there - to the Karjala Cup with the national team in Finland. There, Bobrovsky, however, played only one match (with the Swedish national team, Russia won 3: 2), but the young goalkeeper played regularly in SKA, adding four “crackers” to his statistics in half a season.
Bobrovsky will not be able to play equally “dry” in the NHL: Columbus is one of the worst teams in the league both in terms of points and goals conceded. The only plus in playing for Columbus for Bobrovsky is that, after a year's break, he began to constantly play at the base of the NHL club: in the 2011/2012 season, Bobrovsky sat behind Ilya Bryzgalov in Philadelphia.
Another advantage of Columbus over other teams is that Bobrovsky can “think for three” at least a few shifts in each match, reprimanding defenders Fedor Tyutin and Nikita Nikitin in Russian. If the defenders and the goalkeeper find points of understanding, then all three can go to the Olympics in the future. If the defense of "Columbus" continues to miss more than three goals per game, Sochi-2014 will not be seen by any of these three.
Nikolai Khabibulin, Edmonton Oilers, 1 game, 0 wins, 93.3 percent saves.
The Bulin Wall has a chance to go to Sochi only as a spectator - with all due respect to the Russian veteran, Zinetula Bilyaletdinov will not entrust a place at the gate to a 40-year-old player. Yes, and Nikolai Khabibulin himself understands that every match in the Edmonton sweater may be his last: it is unlikely that the Russian goalkeeper will be able to recover to the NHL level if (God forbid) he gets injured.
That is why it is especially interesting to follow Khabibulin's performances: the Russian goalkeeper should definitely not have any difficulties with his mood. If Khabibulin continues to perform as he did in the match with Detroit, the main goalkeeper of Edmonton Devan Dubnik will give way to the Russian in more than one match. Considering that the Oilers have every chance to reach the playoffs, the Edmonton coaches will give Dubnik a break at least sometimes.
nearest reserve
Assuming that Khabibulin stays in the NHL for another year, Bryzgalov does not fly into space, and the rest of the Russian goalkeepers in the KHL, the number of Russian goalkeepers in the league may increase. At least two goalkeepers of the Russian youth team deserve this - Andrey Vasilevsky, drafted by Tampa Bay and now playing for Salavat Yulaev, and Andrey Makarov, playing for the Saskatoon Blades.
Both of them showed themselves at the World Youth Championship in Ufa from the very better side, and Vasilevsky, in addition, has already managed to defend one of the matches in the KHL to zero. Of course, none of them will be taken to the Olympics in Sochi, but by 2018, and even more so by 2022, they may well grow into leaders of the national team.
