I know you didn't ask me, but as a butterfly goalie maybe I can give somewhat of an answer.

90% of shots in the NHL are taken low. Goalies who play butterfly style, and not older two pad stack or Hasek like fish out of water styles can go down, get back up, move side to side, have their arms free, and cover almost all of the top of the net while down. That's a big part of the reason the butterfly style became so popular. There are a lot of others, including rebound control and its advantage in scambles in the crease, but the former is a huge one.

Lazy butterfly goalies (and there are lazy goalies of every style... you know, the guys who are so laden with talent and speed they never needed to study the game fully) tend to over rely on the move since even if they go down, the can catch and block pucks going top shelf.

Hard working goalies who go on a bad streak will also over rely on it. When you lose you confidence, you tend to do what works most of the time, and since 9 out of ten times going down is the better move, you will probably go down way too often. Shooters (and the scouts who tell them) notice when goalies lose their confidence and go down too often. That means that a goalie who is doing it for a while will get burned more than a goalie who does it for one game.

I would suggest Huet is in the "Lost confidence" category, and guys like Theodore and Potvin
(classic example even though it is a bit dated) fall into the "I was born with so much talent and speed I can afford to be lazy on the ice" category.

I will also note that when I say lazy, I am not talking about work ethic in practice or the offseason, though that might be bad too, I am specifically talking about doing the little things during the game.

As for where did the standup goalie go? There are still several around, Khabibulin being the best example, even though he hasn't played so well lately. More and more goalies are mixing their styles, and there are very few examples of "pure" standups, butterfly goalies, or flop artists anymore. Gone are the Hasek's and Roy's, and in are the guys who adapt every season. Goaltending has evolved like crazy during the past 20 years.

Part of the reason the butterfly style is so popular is that it is down to a science. There is something to do in every situation, and it works. Anyone can be a decent goalie with the butterfly style, but you have to have exceptional skill to make it as a standup goalie, and there is no guarantee that you would be better as a standup than a butterfly.

Obviously I am biased towards my own style, but I hope that helps a little bit with your question.

barry33 wrote:

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...Guys like Huet, Theodore, Raycroft etc..all have one thing in common...a boatload of talent. But so much of this game is in the mind. Colorado knows that Theo has a ton of talent. But they are praying that he gets his mind back to where it needs to be to be consistent. Speaking of raycroft..boy is he back to form. Alot of people felt that the Leafs made a mistake by getting him. Does not look like it so far.

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I was one of those people. I made fun of the Leaf fans & tortured them over it.... now I'm the one with mud on my face.

D'oh I hate when that happens.