Quote:
Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger
Probably not many Vezina finalists who get benched. And I’m sure some didn’t result in a cup run.
Pitt and Fleury/Murray? This is the only one I’m reasonably sure of. Fleury wasn’t playing good and they brought in Murray and won a cup.
Actually I think the Pens did it more than once. I can’t remember who the other backup was.
Washington and Holtby?? I think one year they benched him for a few games and then went back to him. Or started someone else to begin the playoffs and then went back to Holtby.
Montreal and Halak?? Was price hurt?
Carolina and Cam Ward?? Don’t remember the exact circumstances.
Plus some other instances where injuries forced a goalie to play like Pitt and Domingue this year. They lost but he did pretty well.
|
That 2016 playoffs they totally went with Murray, who only played 13 regular season games, after Fleury struggled in the playoffs. I recall that there was issues in some of the previous years that Fleury couldn't hack it in the playoffs anymore. They even used Zatkoff in the playoffs that year. Murray took the reigns and ran with it.
The next year Murray and Fleury split time in the playoffs.
Washington went with Grubauer for the first two games after Holtby struggled during that regular season. They wound up going back to Holtby midway during the 2nd game. Holtby re-found his game and they won. So that won was the opposite.
Halak and Price split duties that year with the slight edge of games going to Halak. Price wasn't given the reigns as the sole #1 until the next season. I think they just went with the hot hand that year.