It is generally accepted that great goaltending is a prerequisite to winning a Stanley Cup.  This has been the mantra of hockey purists since the beginning of organized hockey and the general public has been fed this since as long as commentators have been commenting on hockey games.  But, is it really true?  I  think the answer is probably yes and no.

Take this year for example. This year all three Vezina Trophy finalists (Miller, Brodeur and Brzygalov) did not make it out of the first round of the playoffs. Does this represent a failure on their part or really a failure on their teams' part.  More likely the later.

Maybe a more logical explanation is the proliferation of good to great goaltending throughout the league.  If you watch hockey on a regular basis is is plain to see that very few teams do not have a top notch goaltender.  If you further look at the statistical margin between the top goalies and those at the next level it has become neglible.

So, while goaltending remains important, it alone is no longer capable of winning a cup.  The days of riding the back of a hot netminder to a cup are long gone and may never come back.