NHL Playoffs 2012: Ranking the Hottest Goalies in the Postseason

There's no perfect formula for winning the Stanley Cup, but having excellent goaltending is a must for all would-be champions.

Therefore, there are several squads in this year's postseason field that have to really like their chances. There will be some outstanding netminders in action in this year's Stanley Cup playoffs, and all of them will be looking to add to their good work from the regular season.

The question, naturally, is which goalies are the hottest heading into postseason play. 

For what it's worth, here's how I rank them.

5. Mike Smith, Phoenix Coyotes

There are a couple goalies that could be here instead of Mike Smith. He had a very good season, but some of his numbers don't quite stack up against the numbers of a few other goalies. 

What you have to consider when it comes to Smith was just how hard his job was during the regular season. In 67 games, he saw 2,066 shots taken against him, third-most in the NHL. He managed to deflect 1,922 of those shots, good for a .930 save percentage.

A goalie's job is basically to be the last line of defense, and you can look to Smith for a perfect example of that reality. He was asked to do a lot, and he did a very good job of answering the call.

The Coyotes need Smith to keep it up. Fortunately for them, Smith is entering the postseason on something of a roll. In his last five games before the start of the playoffs, Smith allowed just two goals and saved 190 of 192 shots.

4. Jaroslav Halak, St. Louis Blues

The fact that the Blues have two excellent goalies to choose from in Brian Elliot and Jaroslav Halak borders on being unfair. No matter who Ken Hitchcock chooses to roll with, he's going to get elite goaltending.

But on this list, Halak ranks just below Elliott. Despite the fact the Blues can't go wrong with either one, Halak's numbers don't quite measure up against Elliott's.

This is not to say Halak's numbers are bad, mind you. He had a 1.97 GAA during the regular season with a .926 save percentage. In 46 games, he had six shutouts.

Take away Halak's rough start to the season, and his numbers look even better. In six October starts, Halak had a GAA of 3.58 with and .843 save percentage. As soon as the calendar turned to November, Halak was money.

3. Brian Elliott, St. Louis Blues

Brian Elliott had a tremendous season this year. No doubt about it.

All told, Elliott ended up leading the NHL with a GAA of 1.56 and a save percentage of .940. In just 38 games, he had nine shutouts.

Elliott was at his best in the month of March. In six starts, he allowed just four goals and posted a GAA of 0.66. Three of his six starts ended up being shutouts.

If Elliott is that impenetrable again in the playoffs, teams are going to find it very, very hard to beat the Blues.

2. Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings

As brilliant as Elliott was in his time in net this season, his job wasn't nearly as tough as Jonathan Quick's job.

Quick played in 69 games, 31 more than Elliott played in this season. Despite the heavy workload, Quick maintained a GAA of 1.95 and a .929 save percentage. He faced nearly twice as many shots on goal as Elliott faced.

There was also more pressure on Quick to perform than there was on most other goalies. For much of the season, the Kings had an extremely difficult time scoring goals. One slip-up by Quick could mean the difference between a win and a loss.

Quick did everything the Kings asked of him, and then some.

1. Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers

Did Henrik Lundqvist lead the league in GAA? No.

Did he lead the league in save percentage? No.

Did he lead the league in shutouts? No.

Is Lundqvist the best goalie in the NHL anyway? Yes.

It's a point that really shouldn't have to be argued. Lundqvist has always been good, but this year he was truly excellent. He slipped up a little bit late in the season, but anyone who bothered to pay attention will know that Lundqvist basically couldn't be beat between November and February.

Lundqvist is not head and shoulders better than Quick, and it should definitely be noted that the Rangers' defense made Lundqvist's job much easier.

But if I had to pick one, I'd take Lundqvist.