Matti_A
Registered User
- Sep 21, 2005
- 2,024
- 170
Kipper's stats might not always have been among the best from his era but he had that rare ability to come up with a big save for his team when the game was on the line. One of those money goalies.
You would also almost never see him get rattled after a bad goal.
You would also almost never see him get rattled after a bad goal.
If anything he is underrated. Barely anyone remembers him now, it seems like a forgotten memory to the average fan. He carried a mediocre team while facing an extremely heavy load.
Anglesmith
Setting up the play?
The other thing is how these days it seems like every goalie goes through stretches where you question whether they're falling off a cliff. Lundqvist every single season seems to face those questions at the beginning of the year. Price goes through stretches. During Kipper's prime, there was never really any question that he was the guy and he would give you a chance to win. Not that he never had bad games, but there weren't really any stretches where you thought about maybe giving the backup a spell in the net. At least, not until that last season.
DL44
Status quo
Additional tidbit some will have forgotten here..
I will always have the additional association of Kipper with the burst of front-loaded-contracts...
If you remember back... Kipper and Darryl Sutter/Flames devised the first contract structure to circumvent the cap with the first extreme back diving contract... The first attempt was so extreme it was rejected by the league for breaking the loose initial CBA rules...
That's how blatant it was... It broke the '05 CBA rules! That was hard to do.
It started the ridiculousness we saw with the contracts up until the end of the last CBA.
Thanks Sutter/Kipper. heh heh..
I will always have the additional association of Kipper with the burst of front-loaded-contracts...
If you remember back... Kipper and Darryl Sutter/Flames devised the first contract structure to circumvent the cap with the first extreme back diving contract... The first attempt was so extreme it was rejected by the league for breaking the loose initial CBA rules...
That's how blatant it was... It broke the '05 CBA rules! That was hard to do.
It started the ridiculousness we saw with the contracts up until the end of the last CBA.
Thanks Sutter/Kipper. heh heh..
What does he today anyway? I remember reading that he liked to spend his summers alone in the wilderness fishing or something like that. 
Anglesmith
Setting up the play?
What does he today anyway? I remember reading that he liked to spend his summers alone in the wilderness fishing or something like that.
Apparently he lives in Calgary with his family and is a spokesperson for the Rainbow Society of Alberta.
Makar Goes Fast
grocery stick
these numbers do not show anything... growing up as a goalie and watching him play regularly... he absolutely was a beast. Best in the league for many years
What does he today anyway? I remember reading that he liked to spend his summers alone in the wilderness fishing or something like that.
He was just at the WJC's coaching Team Finland's goalies. Nobody in Canadian media noticed that?
As an Oil fan, he was absolutely underrated.
Going to back to even 2004, Kiprusoff regularly faced around 2000 shots against a season which was always near the top for goalies.
If anything it showed how bad the team in front of him was and he still performed at an elite level.
He (imo) was at the same level as guys like Rinne, and Lundqvist.
I found that out when I was looking at comparable seasons to Varlamov's last year.
Very few goalies face 2000+ shots every year and still perform at a high level.
Going to back to even 2004, Kiprusoff regularly faced around 2000 shots against a season which was always near the top for goalies.
If anything it showed how bad the team in front of him was and he still performed at an elite level.
He (imo) was at the same level as guys like Rinne, and Lundqvist.
I found that out when I was looking at comparable seasons to Varlamov's last year.
Very few goalies face 2000+ shots every year and still perform at a high level.
Diamondillium
DO YOU WANT ANTS!?
He was just at the WJC's coaching Team Finland's goalies. Nobody in Canadian media noticed that?
Looks like he's trying to teach the kid facial expressions.
Bradys Boys
Registered User
- Oct 30, 2014
- 410
- 35
Kipper was a great goalie one of my favourites and best in the last decade. Played 70+ games consistently if it wasn't for him the Flames would have been much worse. Very athletic in his prime has some remarkable saves kinda like Quick often today.
NoShowWilly
Registered User
Voight
#winning
Lundqvist is still "owning the goaltending podium." He's up there with Price, Quick, Rinne etc.
Anglesmith
Setting up the play?
Devilspuppet666
Registered User
As a flame fan i honestly believe Kipper was the biggest reason we weren't always in the basement, if anything i found him to be underrated. He was hung out to dry every season it seemed. he could win us games we had absolutely no business winning. with kipper you have to watch the games to understand stats tell nothing about how great he actually was. I MISS HIM SOOO MUCH :'( his athleticism and flexibility always blew me away.
side note: alwasy LOVED his mask very identifable
always looked pretty similar but i miss it
Edit: its great to see him getting so much respect in this thread
side note: alwasy LOVED his mask very identifable
always looked pretty similar but i miss it
Edit: its great to see him getting so much respect in this thread
Last edited:
GeeoffBrown
Registered User
- Jul 6, 2007
- 6,084
- 4,048
His only bad season was the last one. You might fault him with delaying the Flames rebuild with his incredible play.
Voight
#winning
Not get off topic, but this is correct. I believe they had a trade to send him to Toronto but he didn't want to waive his NTC (very understandable).
Zirakzigil
Global Moderator
Agreed with the underrated part. He masked a lot of problems the Flames had for years and was the only reason they were not a bottom team.
Caged Great
Registered User
Honestly, if it wasn't for Kipper, I don't think the Flames make the playoffs in 04, 07, 08, or 09. With what he had in front of him, he did an amazing job. If the Flames had a good team in front of him at any point after 06, he might have a cup or two. Unfortunately that wasn't the case.
Terry Yake
Registered User
- Aug 5, 2013
- 26,874
- 15,351
no way
dude was one hell of a goalie and if he had better teams around him, more people would realize just how good he was
dude was one hell of a goalie and if he had better teams around him, more people would realize just how good he was
InfinityIggy
Zagidulin's Dad
Classic example of Stats not even telling a fraction of the story. Consider the teams the guy had to backstop over his tenure.
If anything he's underrated.
If anything he's underrated.
