Leafs Goalies

Prophecy35

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Dec 9, 2009
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I was looking at the goalies that the Leafs have had in their history, and I had trouble ranking them past the top two (Broda and Bower). Who would you say is third, fourth, fifth, and so on? For modern choices, would Potvin, Joseph, or Belfour make it in to the top 5? How about Palmateer, Sawchuk, Lumley, or Chabot?
 

No 19

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Sep 16, 2010
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3.Potvin (See 1993 & 1994 playoffs for reference)
4.Sawchuk (1967 Cup Win)
5.Joseph/Belfour/Reimer
6.St. Croix/Wregget/Bester :sarcasm:
 

Killion

Registered User
Feb 19, 2010
36,763
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1.Sawchuk
2.Bower
3.Broda
4.Parent
5.Plante
6.Belfour
7.Favell
8.Gamble
9.Joseph
10.Palmateer

Worthy mentions; Potvin, Chadwick, Crha, Stevenson, Harrison, Wregget....
 

reckoning

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Jan 4, 2005
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1,264
1/2: Bower/Broda
3: Chabot
4: Lumley
5/6/7: Joseph/Potvin/Palmateer
8: Roach
9/10/11: Hainsworth/Sawchuk/Belfour
 

Stephen

Moderator
Feb 28, 2002
78,705
53,222
1.Sawchuk
2.Bower
3.Broda
4.Parent
5.Plante
6.Belfour
7.Favell
8.Gamble
9.Joseph
10.Palmateer

Worthy mentions; Potvin, Chadwick, Crha, Stevenson, Harrison, Wregget....

Favell and Gamble and Plante cannot possibly rank ahead of Felix Potvin in any way. That is ridiculous.
 

CHGoalie27

Don't blame the goalie!
Oct 5, 2009
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SoFLA
Favell and Gamble and Plante cannot possibly rank ahead of Felix Potvin in any way. That is ridiculous.

Best all time while playing for Toronto?
Potvin was number 3 easy for me.
I won't argue the Broda/Bower being top2, but Potvin was a highlight reel machine for the Leafs.

I guess people forgot how unreal the Cat was at times.

I'm pretty much with No 19.
 

Killion

Registered User
Feb 19, 2010
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I guess people forgot how unreal the Cat was at times.

Ya, in all fairness to Potvin, I was living overseas during his time with the Leafs & wasnt able to really follow much of his career or the Leaf runs' back in the early 90's. The few times I did see him play I was impressed, however I didnt see enough of him to include him in my list.
 

Psycho Papa Joe

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Feb 27, 2002
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I think some criteria should be set such as a minimum number of seasons as a Leaf and their performance as a Leaf. Sure, Sawchuk or Plante are the greatest goalies to ever don the Leaf, but they simply didn't play enough time as Leafs to be considered IMO.

I'm going to use 3 or more seasons as a Leaf, plus performance as a leaf, as my criteria, therefore these would be my top 10:

Broda - Probably the best post war goalie, until Plante and Sawchuk broke in.
Bower - backstopped them to 3 cups plus shared duties on a 4th
Chabot
Joseph
Potvin
Belfour
Lumley
Plante - Never played more than 40 games in a season for the leafs.
Sawchuk - was basically a backup goalie for the Leafs. Shared duties with Bower in 67 playoffs. Can't rank him ahead of workhorses like Joseph, Belfour and Potvin who all had good playoff success with the Leafs and didn't have teams full of HOFers like Sawchuk did.
Palmateer - most exciting goalie in Leaf history, LOL
 

tony d

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Jun 23, 2007
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My top 10 based upon what they did in Toronto:

1) Broda
2) Bower
3) Potvin
4) Joseph
5) Chabot
6) Palmateer
7) Lumley
8) Joseph
9) Roach
10) Gamble
 

FrozenJagrt

Registered User
Dec 16, 2009
10,457
4,525
My top 10 based upon what they did in Toronto:

1) Broda
2) Bower
3) Potvin
4) Joseph
5) Chabot
6) Palmateer
7) Lumley
8) Joseph
9) Roach
10) Gamble

Joseph on there twice, no Belfour? Bitter about how he treated Ottawa?;)
 

Axxellien

Registered User
Jun 23, 2009
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Sherbrooke, Quebec
Top Ten Netminders in Toronto:

1=John Bowers
2= Harry Lumley
3=Turk Broda
4=Terry Sawchuck
5=Jake Plante
6=Lorne Chabot
7=Donnie Simmons*=Saved the 1962 Cup, a better Goalie than Bruce Gamble, just ask 1961 Bruins!!:shakehead
8= Felix Potvin
9= Ed Belfour
10=Curtis Joseph= Ed Chadwick...
 
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Stephen

Moderator
Feb 28, 2002
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1=John Bowers
2= Harry Lumley
3=Turk Broda
4=Terry Sawchuck
5=Jake Plante
6=Lorne Chabot
7=Donnie Simmons*=Saved the 1962 Cup, a better Goalie than Bruce Gamble, just ask 1961 Bruins!!:shakehead
8= Felix Potvin
9= Ed Belfour
10=Curtis Joseph= Ed Chadwick...

You can't seriously put Plante up there when he had three unmemorable seasons accomplishing nothing and playing 4 playoff games.
 

Axxellien

Registered User
Jun 23, 2009
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Sherbrooke, Quebec
..jake Plante:

..I have to include past performances as a factor within the overall ranking..Not to do so would be unrealistic and unfair..Notice there are 5 other names here where this criteria applies to some degree....Could add Doug Favell to this list..
 
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MXD

Original #4
Oct 27, 2005
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You can't seriously put Plante up there when he had three unmemorable seasons accomplishing nothing and playing 4 playoff games.

Plante actually had a very memorable season with the Leafs. But it was ultimately in a 1A-1B setup.
 

Stephen

Moderator
Feb 28, 2002
78,705
53,222
..I have to include past performances as a factor within the overall ranking..Not to do so would be unrealistic and unfair..Notice there are 5 other names here where this criteria applies to some degree....Could add Doug Favell to this list..

That still makes no sense, since we're talking about Leaf goalies. And if we were ranking past performances, you'd have Belfour higher cause he had a terrific HHOF worthy career... As well as Bernie Parent and Grant Fuhr.
 

Axxellien

Registered User
Jun 23, 2009
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Sherbrooke, Quebec
..Ha, Ha!

Remember the signs at The Gardens?. "Dont Gamble, play Plante". :laugh:

..Good one!;)...or a sign seen at Air canada Center, during a Leafs practice: ``Will the woman who left Her kids, please come and get them?..They are beating the Leafs 3-1```...
 
Last edited:

MS

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Mar 18, 2002
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Vancouver, BC
Based on what they did as a Leaf :

1) Turk Broda
2) Johnny Bower
3) Lorne Chabot
4) Curtis Joseph
5) Felix Potvin

Surprised so many people are rating Potvin ahead of Joseph - Joseph was consistently excellent in his 4 years in Toronto, much moreso than the erratic Potvin, and has a better playoff record as a Leaf.
 

Psycho Papa Joe

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Based on what they did as a Leaf :

1) Turk Broda
2) Johnny Bower
3) Lorne Chabot
4) Curtis Joseph
5) Felix Potvin

Surprised so many people are rating Potvin ahead of Joseph - Joseph was consistently excellent in his 4 years in Toronto, much moreso than the erratic Potvin, and has a better playoff record as a Leaf.

Probably because Potvin got them to within a game of the final, and played much more time as a Leaf. Not too many goalies have played as many years as a Leaf as Potvin did.
 

MS

1%er
Mar 18, 2002
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Vancouver, BC
Probably because Potvin got them to within a game of the final, and played much more time as a Leaf. Not too many goalies have played as many years as a Leaf as Potvin did.

Potvin played 6 seasons there, Joseph 4.

Potvin started out brilliantly as a rookie but his play steadily worsened from there out. Was really let down by a brutal glove hand where he'd stab at the puck it rather than just letting them hit it. By his last 2 seasons in Toronto, he was considered generally mediocre, and that's why he was replaced with Joseph who turned the franchise around immediately.

Given that his last couple years were very spotty, I don't think his longevity really gives him much of an advantage.

Joseph also took the Leafs within 2 games of the Finals so not much difference there.

As someone who absolutely hates the Leafs, Joseph was to me a far bigger asset to that franchise through his time there than Potvin was. Was much more critical to their playoff success than Potvin - Gilmour was the real engine of the Potvin-era Leaf teams, whereas Joseph really carried those teams deep into the playoffs on a couple occasions.
 

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