Goalie wins are basically a useless stat more representative of the team than the individual, but we can still appreciate the longevity involved in racking up a ton of them. That’s what Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford has done, as he moved up to third on the franchise’s all-time wins list with 202 on Saturday night.
The Blackhawks beat the Stars, 5-3, with Crawford in goal, which pushed him past the legendary Ed Belfour in goalie wins. With a career record of 202-109-42, Crawford trails only Tony Esposito (418) and Glenn Hall (275) in team history.
Here’s the complete top five:
1. Tony Esposito, 418 wins
2. Glenn Hall, 275 wins
3. Corey Crawford, 202 wins
4. Ed Belfour, 201 wins
5. Jocelyn Thibault, 137 wins
Crawford has been very consistent when it comes to winning games, which should be no surprise given the caliber of teams he’s played on. The goalie has won 30-plus games in every full, non-lockout season of his career. With 20 wins in 35 appearances this season, he’ll have a good chance of reaching that total again.
Goalie wins are far from the end all, be all for evaluating goaltender performance, but this is a reminder of the place that Crawford has already taken in Blackhawks history. Between all those wins and two Stanley Cups, it’s fair to consider Crawford one of the best goalies to ever suit up for the franchise.