Ryan Miller and the 10 Best NHL Goalies Since the Lockout

Coming out of the lockout, the NHL made systemic changes to the way hockey was played in an attempt to encourage higher scoring games. Obstruction fouls that had become endemic were called once again. This helped free up smaller, talented players who had been literally held up in the past.

Goaltending equipment was made smaller. An effort was made to not only legislate goaltending equipment to a standard, but to regulate that standard to ensure the new rules were actually being followed.

The NHL has seen an increase in scoring. The games have been generally more exciting, with more offensive back and forth between teams.

Some goalies have suffered in the new NHL. Others seem to be flourishing and generating some all-time great save percentage numbers while playing a huge proportion of their team’s games.

Here are the 10 goalies who have have the highest save percentage since the lockout. It’s been five-and-a-third seasons since the lockout of 2004-05, with approximately 450 games these goalies could have played in. My cutoff for inclusion in this list was 225 games. These are the best save percentages among the goalies who have played at least a half of their team’s games in that time. 

This cutoff just kept Cristobal Huet (213 GP) and Antero Niittymaki (222 GP) off the list. Martin Biron (225 GP) and Kari Lehtonen (233 GP) just made it on.

The goalie who has played in the most games since the lockout?  That is Miikka Kiprusoff in Calgary, with 395 games played. Roberto Luongo (366 GP) and Henrik Lundquist (359 GP) are a distant second and third. 

The statistics come from Hockey Reference.   

10. Chris Mason: Nashville, St. Louis, Atlanta

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UNIONDALE, NY - DECEMBER 11: Chris Mason #50 of the Atlanta Thrashers in against the New York Islanders on December 11, 2010 at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. The Thrashers defeated the Isles 5-4. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Save Percentage: .912

GP: 255

GA: 600

SH: 6,819

Chris Mason was one of a series of quality goalies developed by the Nashville Predators and then released into the wilds of the NHL. He's the only goaltender in the top 10 who has played for three different teams since the lockout.

He has balanced very good years (.925 save percentage in 40 games with Nashville in 2006-07) with very bad years (.898 the next year with the same team in 51 games). He seems to be struggling this year in Atlanta, with an .895 save percentage so far.

Still, Chris Mason has been one the 10 most consistently good goalies in the league since the lockout.       

9. Miikka Kiprusoff: Calgary

SP: .913

GP: 395

GA: 972

SH: 1,1209 

Miikka Kiprusoff has been the busiest goalie in hockey since the lockout. He's played the most games and the most minutes. He's faced the most shots and made the most saves.

He has produced quality goaltending to go with that quantity. Kipper was a hero in Calgary because of his play in the Stanley Cup run before the lockout. He's a goalie who has suffered less than some have from the changes that came after the lockout, winning the Vezina and the William M. Jennings trophies while playing in 74 games in 2005-06.     

8. Ilya Bryzgalov: Anaheim, Phoenix

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EDMONTON, CANADA - NOVEMBER 19: Taylor Hall #4 of the Edmonton Oilers shoots the puck at Ilya Bryzgalov #30 as he is hit by David Schlemko #6 of the Phoenix Coyotes at Rexall Place November 19, 2010 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The Coyotes won the game 4

SP : .915

GP: 268

GA: 680

SH: 7,977

Bryzgalov was placed on waivers by the Ducks in 2007 after they signed Jonas Hiller to back up J.S. Giguere. Acquired by the Coyotes, his presence has been crucial for helping the Phoenix team become respectable. Since he was released, he's been the best of the three goalies the Ducks had on their roster at the time.  

Famed early in his career for the second longest playoff shutout streak (249 minutes, 15 seconds) behind only George Hainsworth in 1930 with the Montreal Canadiens (270 minutes, eight seconds), he proved not to be a flash in the pan. He's consistently been one of the best NHL goalies since getting the starting job in Phoenix.   

7. Ryan Miller: Buffalo

SP: .916

GP: 285

GA: 835

SH: 9,914 

Miller won the Vezina last year as the NHL's best goalie. Since he took over the starting job in Buffalo in 2005-06, he's been one of the best goalies in hockey. He took the Sabres to the Eastern Conference finals that year where he was out-dueled in a seven-game series by goalie Cam Ward of the Carolina Hurricanes. 

Ryan had trouble with the 76 game workload he was handed in 2007-08, and he finished with a .906 save percentage. Other than that, he has been one of the league's best goalies.    

6. Martin Brodeur: New Jersey

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NEWARK, NJ - DECEMBER 11: Martin Brodeur #30 of the New Jersey Devils tends net against the Detroit Red Wings at the Prudential Center on December 11, 2010 in Newark, New Jersey. The Red Wings defeated the the Devils 4-1. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty I

SP: .916

GP: 353

GA: 816

SH: 9,726

Martin Brodeur has been the best goalie in hockey for a decade. If he manages to play another two years after this he will be the best goalie in hockey for the last 20 years. 

His skills have diminished the last few years, yet he still is one of the busiest men in hockey. He's played 78, 77, 77 and 73-game seasons since the lockout. He has managed two years where he has stopped more than 92 percent of the shots on goal and had two .916 save percentage years.

He's had 37 shutouts since the lockout.

Brodeur is currently suffering through his worst save percentage season (.897) since his first year in the league when he only got in four games (.882).  

Still, a save percentage over .916 for the last five-and-a-third years is amazing.      

5. Roberto Luongo: Florida, Vancouver

SP: .917

GP: 366

GA: 900

SH: 10,782 

Roberto Luongo is one of those goalies who seems to be suffering in the post-lockout NHL. His best season and three of his best five save percentage seasons were all before the lockout. 

Since then though he has still been one of the busiest goalies in hockey. His worst save percentage in that time is the .911 he is currently sporting.  

Big Luongo has been a workhorse in the past, and that has led to injuries. This year, with Cory Schneider available to play quality backup minutes, it's hoped Lou will stay healthier and end the season readier to excel in the playoffs.   

4. Niklas Backstrom: Minnesota

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GLENDALE, AZ - DECEMBER 09: Goaltender Niklas Backstrom #32 of the Minnesota Wild makes a save on the shot from the Phoenix Coyotes during the NHL game at Jobing.com Arena on December 9, 2010 in Glendale, Arizona. The Wild defeated the Coyotes 3-2. (Phot

SP: .918

GP: 248

GA: 576

SH: 6,986

Niklas Backstrom was signed by the Wild as a free agent back in 2006. He has had a better than .920 save percentage every season he's been in the league except for last year's disappointing .903. He led the league in save percentage and goals-against average in his first year.

He didn't play in the NHL the first year after the lockout and thus has faced fewer shots than any other of the top 10 goalies except for Chris Mason.  

3. Henrik Lundqvist: New York Rangers

SP: .918

GP: 359

GA: 830  

SH: 10,080

Lundqvist joined the Rangers after the lockout and established himself as one of the league's best goalies. He played in 53 games and had a career best .922 save percentage. He's had a save percentage every year since of .912 or better. 

He led the league in shutouts in 2007-08 with 10 and has five in 25 games this year.  

Henrik has played in the third-most games of any goalie since the lockout. The Rangers have him locked up for four more seasons, including this one. He's likely to be crucial to their success until then.

2. Tim Thomas: Boston

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BOSTON, MA - DECEMBER 11: Tim Thomas #30 of the Boston Bruins makes a save against the Philadelphia Flyers on December 11, 2010 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The Flyers defeated the Bruins 2-1 in overtime. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

SP: .921

GP: 276

GA: 674  

SH: 8,493

The acrobatic Mr. Thomas won the Vezina trophy in 2008-09 and led the league in save percentage and goals-against average that year. He has almost always been involved in a platoon situation in Boston, which has kept his games-played total down.

After losing the starting job last year to youngster Tuukka Rask, the 36-year-old is again tearing up the league with a .954 save percentage and 1.51 goals-against average in 20 games.  

Tim Thomas may be on pace to have one of the best save-percentage careers in NHL history.    

1. Tomas Vokoun: Nashville, Florida

SP: .922

GP: 316

GA: 792  

SH: 10,105

Tomas Vokoun was acquired by the Panthers for picks after the 2006-07 season. His first year in Florida, he was the busiest goalie in hockey, facing the most shots and making the most saves in the NHL. 

Vokoun has appeared in the sixth-most games of any goalie since the lockout, but he's faced the third-most shots and made the second-most saves behind only Miikka Kiprusoff.

Vokoun has been that perfect mix of workhorse and thoroughbred, playing huge minutes while maintaining a .919 or better save percentage in every year since the lockout.

His top-quality consistency has been amazing.