Apr 9, 2013; St. Paul, MN, USA; Chicago Blackhawks goalie Ray Emery (30) against the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center. The Blackhawks defeated the Wild 1-0. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Go right ahead and immediately chalk this up as another instance of over-speculation, and over-analysis due to the fallout of yet another disappointing and troubling Chicago Blackhawks loss to the Detroit Red Wings.  

For the record: I DO NOT think that Ray Emery will, nor should Ray Emery get the start in Game 4 of this series.  This is purely hypothetical, and a way to flush out some of the built up toxins that are ever so present following two consecutive performances from the Hawks, that could be considered of poor enough quality to drive a fan to a life of alcoholism.  Plus, I’m bored, and Game 4 is still another day away(thanks, lockout!) and these fumes of negativity need to be vented now.

No question, Corey Crawford has had a fantastic season, as well as a very good first round of the playoffs.  He hasn’t even played poorly in this series either.  The fact of the matter is, the Hawks haven’t played well in the past 2 games, at all!  It is not desperation time…yet, but with one more loss, it will be well beyond the point of desperation.  So let’s examine the idea of Emery placing Crawford, now, before the possibility of Hawks fans descending into a chaotic state of desperation.

Emery’s season was on-par and arguably better than Crawford’s season, this year.  In 21 games this season, Ray Emery had a win/loss record of 17-1(amazing!), a Goals Against Average of 1.94(Outstanding!), and .922 Save Percentage(Awesome!) along with 3 Shutouts(nice!).  Ray has done everything that could have possibly been asked of him this season, and then some!  The only reason he isn’t starting, is because Crawford had an equally(if not better) season than Emery, and has done nothing to cough up his starting job, this year.

Emery has had plenty of situation success to warrant the starting job, in this series.  Against Detroit, in his career, Ray Emery has a 3-0 record, a 1.85 Goals Against Average of 1.85, and a .943 Save Percentage.  On the road this season, Ray was 7-0 with a 1.64 GAA, a .938 Save%, and 2 shutouts.  In the playoffs, Emery’s numbers aren’t as sparkling, but he has a solid amount of experience in the post-season.  ”Razor”, in 36 career playoff starts has a record of 20-15(not awful), a 2.57 GAA(meh) and a .903 Save%(not good).  Overall though, looking at those split stats, Emery has done enough to have logically earned a start in this series.

Corey Crawford, however, also has done exceptionally well, if not spectacular in some of the situations where the Hawks need high-quality hockey.  In his career against the Red Wings, Corey Crawford is an outstanding 11-2, with an excellent 1.82 GAA, as well as a marvelous .943 Save%.  Now, Corey’s career playoff stats tell an interesting story.  Lifetime, in the post-season, Crawford has had 22 starts, with a sub-par record of 10-11, a very good GAA of 2.19, and a wonderful Save% of .919%, as well as one shutout.

While Crawford has done nothing to really send himself to bench duty, there is something to be said about the fact that Crawford’s playoff record is below .500% along with some pretty solid playoff statistics(although some of the few goals he has allowed in the playoffs, especially last year against the Phoenix Coyotes, were very soft goals).  This indicates that the Blackhawks haven’t played very good hockey in front of Crawford, during the playoffs.  This has never been more noticeable  than in Game 2 and the second half of Game 3.  It could be a coincidence, but it is an interesting trend.

Again, I’m not saying that Emery should start in this series, and if it comes to that, the Hawks will most likely be in big trouble, but Emery has played well enough for the opportunity to start in this series.

Mar 9, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks goalie Ray Emery (30) is congratulated by goalie Corey Crawford (50) for a victory against the New York Rangers at the United Center. The Blackhawks beat the Rangers 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

Chicago Blackhawks head coach, Joel Quenneville has a gigantic looming decision to make by the time the Blackhawks have wrapped up their regular season on April 27th.  Who will be his starting goaltender during the Stanley Cup Playoffs?

Is there a wrong choice?  Not really.  Both Corey Crawford and Ray Emery have had fantastic seasons, this year.  Crawford, is ranked 4th in the NHL with his 1.92 Goals Against Average.  Ranked just ahead of him in 3rd place, is Emery, with a 1.91 Goals Against Average.  Crawford is ranked 5th in the NHL with a .926% Save Percentage, while Emery isn’t far behind ranked 9th in the NHL with a .923% Save Percentage.

Take a second to think about how incredible of a luxury the Blackhawks are blessed with this season.  It’s a remarkable accomplishment for a team to have one goaltender be ranked in the top 10 in either of these categories.  The Blackhawks have two goaltenders that are ranked in the top ten of BOTH categories.

Typical goaltender controversies happen when a team’s number one goaltender struggles, and the team considers making their backup goaltender the new number one man, as a sort of desperate act.  The Hawks are in an incredibly rare situation, where both of their goaltenders are playing at elite levels, and the unfortunate reality is that they will eventually have to choose one or the other.  The wonderful thing for the Hawks is that there is no wrong choice.

If this writer was to choose one of the goalies, he would choose Corey Crawford.  My choice takes nothing away from the phenomenal season that Ray Emery has had, because I would be completely comfortable with Emery being the choice also.  My choice comes from the line of thinking that considers how Crawford has done nothing to lose his job as number one goaltender this season.  Ray Emery has had a season worthy of usurping just about every goaltender in the league, so once again there is no wrong choice in this controversy.

Who would you like to see as the Blackhawks number one goaltender, come playoff time?

Jan. 20, 2013; Glendale, AZ, USA; Chicago Blackhawks goalie Ray Emery (30) celebrates with goalie Corey Crawford (50) and teammates after beating the Phoenix Coyotes 6-4 at Jobing.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

With their win tonight against the Nashville Predators, the Hawks ensured they are playoff-bound this season. In 9 games, those said playoffs will start, and the Hawks will need to have their goaltending situation under control, or they face an early exit.

In my short 15 years of being a hockey fan, (since birth) I can not recall one team that carried a tandem into the playoffs and had much success. However, if this was to be attempted by the Blackhawks, the first round would be the place to do it. They will most likely face a weaker team there, and this would be the best opportunity to give it a shot. I think that it could work, providing both goaltenders are focused on the main goal, and are ready to work together no matter who is on the bench and who is in the crease.

The most likely option will be that the Hawks follow the traditional route and go with one goaltender for the playoff run. This doesn’t mean that the ‘backup’ couldn’t make the occasional start, but it would imply that the Blackhawks would rely on one netminder to lead them to the Stanley Cup. Logic would think that the man between the pipes would be Crawford, as he has a strong future with this club, but if Ray Emery is the hot hand at the end of game #48, both goaltenders should feel confident in the team as a whole. Crawford has alot of time left in the Windy City, and there should be more playoff runs coming his way.

As the team from 2010 showed; it does not have to be an elite goaltender in the net. Either Ray Emery, or Corey Crawford could easily be that guy. It is a question that doesn’t have an answer right now; it might not even be solved until the night before game #1. No matter who is in net, the Hawks will be in the playoffs, and they will have to bring 110% every day during that time for a chance of Lord Stanley’s relic being paraded downtown again.

LETS GO HAWKS!!

What do you think the goaltending situation will look like? Voice your opinions on Twitter: @Blackhawk_Up, or Facebook: Blackhawk Up.

Mar 9, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks goalie Ray Emery (30) is congratulated by goalie Corey Crawford (50) for a victory against the New York Rangers at the United Center. The Blackhawks beat the Rangers 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

Chicago Blackhawks’ Head coach, Joel Quenneville has been one of the most successful head coach in NHL history.  While his career has been remarkably successful, he doesn’t quite have a flawless resume(but then again, who does?).  Coach Q has always had inconsistent goaltending throughout his NHL coaching career.   Talk of Quennevilles ability to handle goaltenders reached fever-pitch last season, a midst Corey Crawford’s sophomore struggles.  Hawks nation, and twitter were quick to point out that Q has had goalie controversies in every city he has coached.

I never took much stock into these complaints, because while perhaps Coach Q maybe isn’t the best at handling goaltenders, and even makes me scratch my head sometimes.  My point is that most coaches have the same goaltending headaches that Quenneville has consistently had throughout his career.  Yes, there are the few exceptions for coaches who have the luxury of having players like Martin Brodeur, Jonathan Quick, Pekka Rinne, or Henrik Lundqvist on their roster.  Those net-minders of freaks of nature with their consistency, they are the exception, not the norm.

Then, there is the rest of the bunch.  The slightly more human goaltenders in comparison to the super-human goaltenders that I previously mentioned.  These goaltenders have the ability to stand on their head and earn shutouts and victories for their teams, just like the super-human elite goaltenders.  What’s different about these goaltenders, is that they can also struggle mightily at times, and look absolutely lost, and look so bad, that it appears they are in the wrong line of work.  Corey Crawford falls comfortably into this category.  At times, Hawks fans want Crawford to walk the plank, and get as far away from the United Center crease as possible, much like 2012.  Other times, Hawks fans want Corey starting every game, and are upset when he isn’t starting, much like 2013.

This epidemic of great puck stopping one night, and unable to stop a beach ball the next night is not exclusive to Chicago or Joel Quenneville.  It is a plague that has affected every team in the NHL, with the exception to the elite goaltenders that appear to be immune to this plague.  Look at the Vancouver Canucks, the Philadelphia Flyers, the Columbus Blue Jackets, the New York Islanders, and many more.  These teams have horribly consistent goaltending migraines that make Coach Q look like he’s on vacation.

It should be obvious that goaltending is one of the most finicky, psychological, and nerve wracking positions in all professional sports.  It’s pure isolation.  Say, a d-man might get burned by an opposing player, and goalie gives up a goal.  While the d-man get’s a minus for the goal, and get’s pointed out as being mostly at fault for the goal, the goaltender receives all the side-effects.  His Goals Against Average goes up, his save percentage goes down, he may have lost a shutout.  It’s much easier for the blame to be laid on the goaltender, because he sticks out like a sore thumb.  A skaters mistake, can appear much more embedded, due to the speed of the game, but every goal against has to go through the goaltender, which makes him a very easy target.  They face a unique form of pressure, that can’t be compared to anything else in sports.

The Chicago Blackhawks have been blessed this season, due to the fact that both Corey Crawford and Ray Emery have been on top fo their game all season.  When Crawford went down with injury, Emery stepped in and helped find his way to a 10-0-0 start to the season.  Crawford has been among the league leaders in goaltending statistics all season.  Make no mistake this is Crawford’s job to lose.  It’s just an insane luxury for the Hawks, that their backup goaltender is also playing at an elite level for the time being.

However, the last couple of games, the Hawks have had sub-par goaltending, and Coach Q made a mildly controversial decision to start Emery Sunday against Edmonton, and he didn’t even make it through the first period.  This is the first little hiccup in a what has been as good of a season that Hawks fans could ask for.  Please, be calm Hawks fans.  These masked men on ice have to deal with unparalleled amounts of pressure.  They are going to have their dry-spells of poor play, it just comes with the job.  Please, be careful not to give in to knee-jerk reactions of “trade Crawford” or anything like that, unless his struggles get astronomically out of hand, he won’t be going anywhere.

So here’s to the goaltenders!  May the their save percentages remain low enough for us all to get a good nights sleep!

Corey Crawford

Feb 01, 2013; Vancouver, British Columbia, CANADA; Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford (50) during the third period against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena. The Vancouver Canucks won 3-2 in a shootout. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports

Corey Crawford is in the midst of his 3rd season as an NHL goaltender, and this is shaping up to be his best ever. He is 6-0-2 in 8 starts this season, and has played phenomenal. His two losses, (Minnesota & Vancouver, both in shootouts) are games that could have gone either way. He is controlling rebounds, playing the puck well, has better control over his angles, and is calm in between the pipes. He is 1st in the league in wins, 7th in save percentage, (.930%) and 6th in GAA, (1.82) This is definitely not the inconsistent Crawford we saw last year. During our poll earlier this season, over half of you believed he could lead the Blackhawks into the later rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He has done nothing to lead us to believe he can’t. This year he is one of the best goaltenders in the league, making saves at the right time, including a Glen-Hall-esque full-diving save on Derek Brassard. Corey Crawford has all the right moves so far, and all he needs to do is stay consistent, and him and his team will have a wonderful season.

Ray Emery

Feb. 7, 2013; Glendale, AZ, USA; Chicago Blackhawks goalie Ray Emery (30) looks on during the second period against the Phoenix Coyotes at Jobing.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Ray Emery is playing the role of the perfect backup, so far, for the Chicago Blackhawks. He has started games against the Phoenix Coyotes twice, and the Calgary Flames once, and he has won all 3 contests. He has started off the season with a .920 sv%, and a 2.59 GAA. He has to play the role of a goaltender that comes in to give the #1 netminder a night of rest, which is usually in a back-to-back, where he could play either the 1st game or 2nd depending on who the game is against. His playing schedule will also depend on the fatigue of Corey Crawford, and he may start the odd game here and there, like he did last night against the ‘Yotes. The game he played against the Flames on February 2nd was quite possibly the best in his career. He set two personal records, in saves, (45) and shots faced (47.) The Calgary Flames should have walked out of that game with the two points. Coach Q said it best. “That was criminal,”  Quenneville said. “They’ve got to call the cops after that performance. Stole two points. He was spectacular.” And it was true, that was the best performance by a 2nd string goaltender I personally have ever seen in my 13-ish years of watching hockey. Emery just has to do his job, coming in when the coaching staff needs him to, hopefully only in a starting role.

On a final note, let’s remember that these two would not be having this good of a season if it was not for the 5 men in front of them. The Blackhawks as a whole are just clicking, they are doing all the things they have to, to win hockey games. The team is playing very strong defensively, and it showed in the game against Phoenix last night, as the Coyotes went 13 minutes with out a shot in the first period. When those shots do come, the ‘Hawks have two great goaltenders to make sure those shots don’t turn in to goals. If you are a ‘Hawks fan, you should be very pleased with Ray and Corey’s efforts so far this season. Here’s to hoping it continues for the next 37 games!

LETS GO HAWKS!

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