Goaltending is said to be the most important position in the sport, and frankly, arguing against that is difficult. No hockey team at any level has ever amounted to anything without excellence in goal, and the greatest goaltenders of all time stand out as a result.
Every NHL team has had at least one formidable netminder in their history. Fans of the Buffalo Sabres have been spoiled with the likes of Dominik Hasek and Ryan Miller. But the team has just as many (if not more) who, for some reason, haven’t received as much recognition. Here’s a look at the five most underrated goaltenders in Sabres’ history, and why they’re deserving of more credit than they’ve received.
No. 5 – Gary Bromley
Unlike others on this list, it would be easy to forget that Gary Bromley was a Sabre since he was only with the team for parts of three seasons. But, in that time, he had a considerable impact. At age 24, Bromley was thrust into the starting role as a rookie in 1974-75, which also happened to be the year the Sabres took off. After mixed results through their first four seasons, Buffalo took the hockey world by storm that season, finishing second in the NHL and advancing to the Stanley Cup Final.
Bromley didn’t carry the Sabres by any means. Their high-powered offense led by the French Connection did that. He more than played his part, however, starting 50 games and recording 26 of the team’s 49 wins. His 3.10 goals-against average (GAA) and .873 save percentage (SV%) aren’t impressive by modern standards, but goaltending statistics looked very different in those days. But though he started over half of his team’s regular season schedule, the man known as “Bones” didn’t appear at all during Buffalo’s playoff run.
The reason was never made exactly clear. Perhaps head coach Floyd Smith didn’t trust the rookie and opted for the more experienced Gerry Desjardins and Roger Crozier instead. But this effectively marked the end of his career with the Sabres. He played just one game the following season before finding himself in the World Hockey Association. Nevertheless, Bromley was a valuable piece of the first truly great Buffalo team and should always be remembered as such.
No. 4 – Tom Barrasso
It’s admittedly a stretch to call Tom Barrasso…
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