Preface/Disclaimer: think of this post not as focusing on Brodeur, Hedberg, or Brodeur versus Hedberg, but as a post about two goalies on the same team who happen to be named "Goalie X" and "Goalie Y." Why do I say this? Because I know the subject of Brodeur's play is a very touchy one; in fact, I can't think of any other subject regarding the Devils that has been more of a lightning rod (can you?). This post is not about Brodeur, but rather about two goaltenders and how they currently compare to one another. Due to the nature of this subject and the effect it seems to have on people, I have decided to make this post solely about objective evidence and hard facts. I won't be ruminating on whether or not Brodeur is "done" and I won't be commenting on his age.

Having said that, let's look at the facts and try to answer that eternally divisive question: who should be our starting goaltender right now?

I would like to approach this question by doing a little exercise. Pretend you're the coach of an NHL team. You have two goalies: "N. Bluth" and "Mr. F." Your team has already played 28 games this season, and both of your goaltenders have played enough games for you to make a valid judgment on which one should currently be your starting goaltender. Their statistics are as follows:

N. Bluth has played 16 games and has a record of 6-8-0. He has an .884 SV% and 3.18 GAA. He has let up 44 goals in 830 minutes. He has no shutouts.

Mr. F has played 15 games and has a record of 8-5-1. He has a .915 SV% and a 2.26 GAA. Despite playing 45 minutes more than N. Bluth (875 vs. 830), he has let in only 33 goals -- 11 fewer than N. Bluth. He has 2 shutouts. Oh, and he has somehow become one of the league's best shootout goaltenders, which is important because your team has gone to overtime and shootouts far too often.

So take a look at what was just written above. How could you, as a coach, possibly choose N. Bluth as your starter instead of Mr. F? N. Bluth's statistics are pretty horrid on their own, but they look even worse when compared to Mr. F's. There's only one reason why N. Bluth would continue getting more starts (or even just an equal number of starts) than Mr. F: he's a future hall-of-famer and he has been the backbone of the franchise for about 15 years. But should past achievements and importance to the franchise's history trump the wellbeing of the current team? No. Of course not. Why?

Because, at the end of the day, I think we can all agree on one thing: the only thing that matters is winning. No one player is more important than winning. If one player has played significantly better than the other over the course of 28 games, he should be playing more than that other player because the team benefits more from his play. It's that simple.

Now, I know there will be some of you who still think that Brodeur should be our starter or, at the very least, split starts with Hedberg. Now that you've read the above, I would like to ask you: why? Why should Brodeur even get to split starts with Hedberg when literally every single objective measurement and fact points to Hedberg being the better goaltender right now? Am I missing some other facts? Is there something I don't know? Because when I look at the statistics above (not to mention when I watch the games), it seems to me that the choice couldn't possibly be clearer.

Obviously I am a die-hard Devils fan and, as such, could not possibly have more respect and reverence for Brodeur. But, ultimately, what I want as a die-hard fan is to see my team win. I don't care who's in net, as long as he's playing better than the other guy. I want to see my team win more than I want to see Brodeur get more or an equal number of starts simply out of respect.

I am very interested to find out what other Devils fans are thinking. I know that this issue has been discussed on and off throughout the beginning of this season, but now that we're 28 games in and both goalies have played a significant number of games, one can now form a legitimate opinion regarding who should be our starting goaltender right now. Earlier in the season, people could still claim that Brodeur was just bouncing back, that he was just coming off an injury, that it was the start of the season and he was warming up, etc. At this point, I don't think we should still be trying to figure out which goaltender is giving us better performances. I, for one, think that's decided.

What do you think?

Let me lay out a few things before I get to the controversial part of my post.

There have been many positives in the first few games of this new season, but Hedberg may be the most amazing.  Don't misinterpret that statement; it's not that the other positives aren't wonderful, but rather that Hedberg may be the most surprising to many and more crucial than others.  I know that I, for one, am not surprised by Hedberg's play.  I had always felt that his depressed stats throughout most of his career was due largely to the fact that he was relegated to terrible teams with defensive play equalling even less than the very small sum of their parts.  I believe that he proved this theory true last season, and he looks to be doing it again.

Hedberg has played three games and is 3-0-0.  He has stopped every shot in two shootouts.  He has, at crucial times, stood on his head and played at a level that matches every single one of the league's best goalies.

He has...drumroll please...a .945 save percentage and 1.41 GAA.  Tim Thomas finished last season with a .938 S%, which, if I'm not mistaken, was the highest in NHL history.  In short, Hedberg is playing like a damn legend.  Oh, and let's not forget that he's 38 years old and is showing athleticism that would lead one to think he was 25.

Of course, I am in no way suggesting that stats like this are tenable over the course of a season.  What I am suggesting is that last year's very good play was no fluke (and many considered it to be because of his previous history) and that if Hedberg remained our starter all year, we wouldn't just have competent goaltending, but some of the best in the league.  Again, he won't keep these stats up, but that's only because it is literally impossible for a goalie to do so, ever.  Can he come close?  I don't just believe he can, I am as close to certain as I can possibly be.

I remember many fans on this site being unhappy with signing Hedberg again for $1.25 million, while I remained one of his strongest supporters.  There were people who said he wasn't worth it; people who said his play last season was merely an anomaly; people who said he would be one year older and, even if his 2010-11 play wasn't a fluke, his abilities would deteriorate this season.

So, this leads me to the controversial part of my post: I don't mind Brodeur being out.  Unless Kincaid proves to be an inept backup -- something that I sincerely doubt will be the case -- we have a capable backup and, more importantly, we have a clear starting goaltender that would be considered the cream of the crop right now if his name wasn't Johan Hedberg.  (EDIT: via Tom Gullitti, Brodeur may be ready to play backup to Hedberg by tomorrow night, so Kincaid won't be in that role for more than one or two games, if any.  Gulliti posted it on his Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/#!/TGfireandice)

How do you feel about what I've said here?  Do you think Hedberg is just the bees knees, or do you see something that I don't?  How much will his stats drop from their current level?

Here's the million dollar question: we have five games in nine days coming up.  Hedberg will play at least three.  If he continues to play like the god of goaltending, do you continue to ride the wave and sit Brodeur when he heals from his injury?  

Please let me know what you think!  This could turn out to be a very interesting discussion.

Here's a poll for you all and it's my first one since joining the site, so I hope it sparks some interest:

Now that our streak has continued and the Devils' confidence seems to rise every game from a level that was seemingly already at its pinnacle the game before, things are looking better, right?  Ok, how about this: we're only 10 points out of 8th place with 23 games left.  Wait!  We're also on a 7 game winning streak.  Wait, this statistic says far more than a 7 game winning streak: we're 15-1-2 in our last 18 games (seriously, holy hell that's incredible)!  It's incredible: one regulation loss in 18 games....is that some kind of record?  That's not a rhetorical question, as I have no idea.

Just a few games ago, I still believed the Devils' playoff obstacles were insurmountable, but my view has changed in literally a matter of days.  I consider myself a realist and pragmatist and try as hard as I can to be honest with myself.  I tend to be the pessimistic, cynical sort.  Now, I think I'm being honest when I say that the team we've been seeing on the ice can make up 10 points in 23 games.  I really do.  Is it still a long shot?  Maybe.  But just a few games ago, it still looked hopeless in my eyes.  Now it looks like a real possibility. 

So what do you think?  Please vote to tell everybody how you're feeling about our team right now and what you think about the Devils' chances for making what may be one of the greatest comebacks in sports history.  I also encourage you to tell your fellow Devils and In Lou We Trust fans about how you voted and why you feel the way you do.  Finally, I encourage people to comment on the contingencies on which you think our chances might depend, and whether or not you still think we should be buyers/sellers after seeing these statistics and watching the last few games.  While we have had discussions about the buyer/seller issue quite recently, the fact that we have beaten Carolina 3 times in the past 2 weeks (which basically means gaining 12 points on them, not 6!) has seriously changed the look of the road ahead, so I think it's safe to say that some people who may have previously thought the Devils should sell might be reevaluating their opinions.  Speak your minds fans!

EDIT: I'd just like to add a few more statistics that might help you in making your decision.  We have 1 game in hand on Carolina, who has 64 points and is in the 8th spot.  Both Bufallo and Atlanta have 60 points, but we have 1 game in hand on the former and the latter has 1 game in hand on us.  Both Buffalo and Atlanta are on 3 game losing streaks, and Carolina is only on a 1 game losing streak (losing their last game to us).  Hope these help.

Hello everybody!  This is my very first post as a member of your fine establishment. How did I discover this site?  Well, as the daylight of July 1st waned and the moon rose in the sky, with it rose the feelings of frustration and sinking helplessness that were unavoidable for a Devils fan.  Only several hours prior, the promise of perhaps the league's greatest purest goal scorer seemed to sparkle and gleam as brilliantly as that daytime sun, allowing us to bask in the warm and comforting radiance of a shining star's offensive power.  When the brightness of that glow had dimmed too far, I went searching for explanations.  I found In Lou We Trust.

Like every fan that has been spurned by the promise of something great, my initial reaction to the Kovalchuk saga was one of blame.  We are only human, and when we are confronted by deep disappointment, it is only natural to try and identify someone on whom we can unload the burden of our disenchantment.  We have placed this burden on Ilya Kovalchuk.

 But this post IS NOT about Ilya Kovalchuk; rather, it is about every time we sports fans try to argue that a player should take less money to stay with his team, or should hold loyalty above monetary considerations.  I already see this argument playing out with regard to Zach Parise. 

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