Ed Belfour vs Curtis Joseph

[Big Phil]

Which three teams did he leave in the dust? Surely you can't mean the Leafs. Joseph wanted to stay but Quinn didn't want keep him. Then when Joseph left Quinn went around telling anyone who would listen how they were prepared to make him highest paid goalie in NHL history if he didn't bail on them. Plus, besides the Wings, it's not like any of the teams he was on had any success after he left. The only one that comes close is the Blues, around 5-6 years after he was gone.

I'm not sure what opportunities you're referring to because I can't remember him being on a truly legit contending team. And please don't say the Wings (who he joined when he was 35), who weren't anywhere near as strong as they were in 2002.

Since this is a Belfour-Joseph thread, both goalies played on the Leafs. The difference is that for Joseph, they were amongst the best teams he played on in his career, but for Belfour they were amongst the worst.

As has been mentioned, Belfour had the same stigma of not being able to win the big games, except that he had more opportunities to learn from those failures and overcome them.

BraveCanadian has done a great job articulating everything I wanted to say.

I'd say leaving the Blues in 1995 and Oilers in 1998 come to mind. Okay, maybe the term "leaving them in the dust" is a bit harsh but both times he left he had built some time in there and then he was gone. No, it wouldn't have hurt him to stay with the Blues. As for the Leafs, the 2002 team was the best one he was on and then he left. Say what you want about his relationship with Quinn but this was just what Joseph usually did, he left teams for free agency.

I remember clearly the 1998-'02 Leafs being legit contenders. Not to mention the 2003 and 2004 Leafs. It would have surprised no one if they won the Cup or even made the final any of those years. No doubt he was on a team that had a chance to win it all. The Wings could have too. The Blues? Errr, they were always also-rans so I'll give him slack there. There was also international tournaments where he had every opportunity to win but did not.

Say what you want about Joseph not "getting enough chances" but he played in the NHL 20 years, longer than Belfour and had enough opportunities to win. You can't penalize Belfour because he strung together some memorable playoff runs and Joseph didn't outside of 1st round upsets. Even their Vezina voting record pale in comparison to each other

 

[Big Phil]

Which three teams did he leave in the dust? Surely you can't mean the Leafs. Joseph wanted to stay but Quinn didn't want keep him. Then when Joseph left Quinn went around telling anyone who would listen how they were prepared to make him highest paid goalie in NHL history if he didn't bail on them. Plus, besides the Wings, it's not like any of the teams he was on had any success after he left. The only one that comes close is the Blues, around 5-6 years after he was gone.

I'm not sure what opportunities you're referring to because I can't remember him being on a truly legit contending team. And please don't say the Wings (who he joined when he was 35), who weren't anywhere near as strong as they were in 2002.

Since this is a Belfour-Joseph thread, both goalies played on the Leafs. The difference is that for Joseph, they were amongst the best teams he played on in his career, but for Belfour they were amongst the worst.

As has been mentioned, Belfour had the same stigma of not being able to win the big games, except that he had more opportunities to learn from those failures and overcome them.

BraveCanadian has done a great job articulating everything I wanted to say.

Those Leaf teams were definitely Cup contenders. No one would have been surprised had they reached the final, even won the Cup. There are amples times in the career of Joseph when another goalie outplayed him on the other side in important times. Yes I know a wall probably couldn't have outplayed Giguere in 2003 but that was just another example of him not outplaying the other goalie at crucial times.

There's Roloson/Hasek in 1999, Irbe in 2002, Potvin in 1993, Brodeur in 2000 and 2001. Richter in the World Cup in 1996. Joseph did nothing that puts him in a position where legends were born. Nothing stands out in the postseason for him. While it was a nice save he did on Nieuwendyk in Game 7 in 1997 was that really the story of the playoffs? A first round clutch save?

Not to mention he doesn't have a great Vezina voting record for a goalie that you is being compared to Belfour. If he had that, then he'd offset his questionable playoff record (like Eddie Giacomin and Tony Esposito). But he doesn't have that either