I remember the year before, a lot of San Jose fans were fawning over Kiprusoff, but I played it off as fans overrating their own prosepcts. Then the year we traded for him, he was struggling at the time.
Wasn't the rumour at the time that it could have been either Toskala or Kiprusoff but San Jose decided to trade Kiprusoff instead? Interesting to think how different things would have gone.
I don't think so. IIRC of the 3 gems, they were highest on Toskala (couldn't stop hearing about his amazing glove hand), so Kirprusoff was the odd man out.
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"With a coach and a player, sometimes there's just so much respect there that it's boils over"
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There for a while you could make an argument that Nabakov was at least in Kipper's league.. but he's clearly lapped all of the Sharks tenders from those days.
He should easily be in sixth for wins with one franchise by the end of the season (ideally by the end of next week). If he can pass Plante and Osgood, the Flames should make the playoffs.
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I remember watching his first game as a Flames sporting the white mask. He was all over the place and way out of his net a lot. I was like, who the heck is this guy? But his reflexes where incredible. Man we've been spoiled. Sure, we still don't have a legit #1C, but how many teams really have a legit #1G like Kipper for as long as he has played for us? Too bad we couldn't ice a better team in front of him.
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I remember watching his first game as a Flames sporting the white mask. He was all over the place and way out of his net a lot. I was like, who the heck is this guy? But his reflexes where incredible. Man we've been spoiled. Sure, we still don't have a legit #1C, but how many teams really have a legit #1G like Kipper for as long as he has played for us? Too bad we couldn't ice a better team in front of him.
Right. Remember those years we didn't have a solid starting goaltender? For all those crying about a missing #1C... wait till Kiprusoff retires, you ain't seen nothin' yet.
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"With a coach and a player, sometimes there's just so much respect there that it's boils over"
-Taylor Hall
One in particular from my least favourite "sports" writer of all-time:
Bruce Dowbiggin, "I Don't Like Mondays", November 17th, 2003
Three weeks later, Kipper is 6-1 with a 1.71 GAA and 0.928 S%
My favourite earlier memory is from his first game when whoever was doing colour for us (I want to say Ryan Walter?) called him Kippa Mikrusoff on more than one occasion.
Ha, nice find! That is the exact article I remember reading.
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He should easily be in sixth for wins with one franchise by the end of the season (ideally by the end of next week). If he can pass Plante and Osgood, the Flames should make the playoffs.
Depending on what happens with the rest of his career i could see him ending his career inside the top 10 all time for career wins Currently 314. Osgood 401.
Luongo and Kipper both get into the top 10 if they do not retire early.
If Kipper retires in 3,4 years with as a Flame he has a shot at 3rd all time for same team wins.
Goes to show you what happens when a goalie has a solid cup contending team every year and a multi Norris trophy winner in front of him.
I've heard him characterized as one of the most mentally tough players the league has seen.
Quote:
Holland specifically mentioned this goal from 1998 against the Dallas Stars, when Jamie Langenbrunner(notes) scored from center ice:
Osgood's reaction? Pitching a shutout in Game 6 to win the series.
"Do you know how mentally tough you need to be to be in a playoff series and bounce back from an overtime goal at center ice?" asked Holland.
Very few goaltenders do, and that's Holland's point: In an era during which the mental toughness and gutty play of big-ticket goaltenders are blamed for a star-laden team's postseason failings — ask the Vancouver Canucks — Osgood wasn't a liability and, on many occasions, made the save his team needed him to make.
He could have been Evgeni Nabokov(notes). Instead, he's Grant Fuhr.
Osgood cited Fuhr as a goaltending idol. "I always loved the fact that when we were tied or the games were close in the last 10 minutes, I'd shut the door and we'd win the game," he said.
