We spent two days breaking down the forward and defenseman groups of each playoff team, but the bottom line come playoff time is this: If you don’t get goaltending, you’re not winning a Stanley Cup.
Which playoff teams enter the postseason with the best goalies? Here’s a ranking of all 16 teams by the strength of the goaltenders:
1. Carey Price is the best goalie in the world. He’s done it all internationally, and now he just needs to win a Stanley Cup to lock in his legacy.
When he’s great, the Canadiens are certainly capable of winning it all. The problem is that there’s a significant drop-off when he isn’t.
“Montreal is very average without Carey Price. Sometimes when you live on a goalie, boy, if that goalie plays normal, you’re not winning,” said one Eastern Conference coach.