How to put this team together
To build a good team, you need 12 solid forwards, 6 solid defensemen but only 2 goalies. So, theoretically, let’s assume that forwards, defensemen and goaltenders are all equally important.
This means that 1 goaltender = 6 forwards, or 1 goaltender = 3 defensemen. This is a big deal. In a playoff series, you need your goalie to be consistently great. A lot of the time, a great goaltender is relied on to win his team the game; bailing them out of a poor performance.
So then, why can’t Scott Darling pull of these kinds of performances. Look, Darling is a good goalie. I wasn’t quite sure if he was suitable to be an NHL starter, but he has proved himself worthy. Well, when is the last time a simple “Good” goalie won the the cup?
Well, Matt Murray was terrific last year, so not him. Corey Crawford was great the year before that, so not him. Before that: Quick, no. Crawford again, no. Quick again, no. Tim Thomas had that Cinderella run out of nowhere, so no. So… Antti Niemi.
Yes, Antti Niemi in the 2009-10 season is the most recent, decent cup-winning goaltender. And he was backed by one of the best teams of all time. When I look at Scott Darling, I see a good, not great goaltender.
When I look at the Carolina Hurricanes, I don’t see one of the best teams of all time. I don’t see Scott Darling as being a Stanley Cup caliber goaltender. Maybe he can pull off a Tim Thomas-like Cinderella story, but I don’t see it.
I do, however, think the Hurricanes will be contenders in 2 or 3 years. This, is due to one simple thing: How they rebuilt.