Toronto Maple Leafs: Choose your goalie – Game 7 edition

Curtis Joseph

Let’s be honest, Reimer and Toskala never had a chance at topping Andersen in this exercise. Curtis Joseph is the first goalie on this list to provide any real competition to the Leafs’ current number one.

Joseph, or “CuJo” as he was affectionately named, had two stints in Toronto. He was the team’s starting goalie from the 1998-99 season up until 2001-02 and finished his career with the team as a 41-year-old in 2008-09.

Joseph was incredible during his first run with the Leafs. He finished top three in Vezina voting in each of his top two years and never allowing more than 2.56 goals per game in any of the four seasons.

Joseph appeared in 133 playoff games over the course of his career. His two greatest playoff runs came in a Leafs uniform, bringing them all the way to the conference final in both 98-99 and 01-02. He played a key role in each run, putting up strong numbers series after series.

While Joseph’s best runs may have come with the Blue and White, he was rarely the reason for his team’s demise in the postseason regardless of where he played. He carried the St. Louis Blues to a shocking sweep of the vastly superior Chicago Blackhawks in the 1992-93 playoffs (before losing in seven games to the Toronto in the second round), picking up two shutouts along the way. As a 36-year-old, Joseph registered a 1.39 GAA in eight playoff games for the Detroit Red Wings.

The playoff record speaks for itself – Joseph could be counted on in the playoffs. Despite holding the distinction of being the NHL goalie with the second-most regular season wins and no Cup victories (only behind Roberto Luongo), prime CuJo was a rock in the crease when it mattered most. He overtakes Andersen as the choice for Game 7 starter with one contestant remaining.