Well, they got number one right.
It’s obviously Hasek, if you go by the only stat that really matters for a goalie (Save Percentage).
Admittedly, even that stat can be misleading (some shots are harder to stop, some defenses lead to more of these, etc) but here’s a stat that immediately convinced me (and yes, I’ve seen Hasek play in his prime, and LOTS of other goalies in their primes…and without stats I’d say he’s the best. The stats confirm, not make):
Dominik Hasek was born in 1965. Career save percentage: .922
Don’t know if you’ve noticed, but even a BACKUP goalie in today’s game has to have at least a .900 save percentage to be considered good. There are lots of arguments about the reason for that, but consider this:
Going by the FACT that save percentages have gotten better and better in recent years (and even not THAT recent years), to have a high SV% is more impressive for Hasek’s era.
And, if the stats I looked at are correct, Hasek has the highest save percentage in the history of the NHL.
And here’s the sealer: NO OTHER GOALIE born before 1970 is in the TOP THIRTY-TWO all time in save percentage.
The closest? Patrick Roy, born in 1965: 33rd all-time at .910