Today we continue our newest series, Ranking the Rampage, by looking at the top five goaltenders in franchise history. The rating system for goalies will be slightly different because of the importance of the position.  When a skater has a down season, that (lack of) performance can be overcome by team success. A goalie, however, is often the last line of defense for his hockey team. A down season by a goalie can sink a season and should therefore be more punitive in nature.

Don’t believe me? Find a Blues fan and mention Jake Allen’s name before continuing this article. I’ll wait…

For that reason, I have ranked the following goalies by both quality and quantity, but I also punished players who had below average seasons a little more aggressively than I would with skaters. It’s just the nature of the position.

In our rankings, we have a couple of “one year wonders” and a couple of guys who were “above average” to “very good” for multiple seasons. One thing to consider for this exercise; the Rampage don’t exactly have a storied history. More losing seasons than not. Only four playoff appearances. So while some of these goalie’s numbers may look specious at first glance, the reader needs to take overall team performance into account as well.

And away we go!

 

 

5. Ville Husso

38GP  15-14-0  2.42  0.921%

Husso just put up one of the best statistical seasons by a Rampage goalie in franchise history on a last place team that was sharing an affiliation with another NHL club. I don’t think it’s out of line to say that, without him, the Rampage may have put up one of their bottom three seasons ever. And he’s not done. Husso appears to be slotted as the starter for this year’s squad and could find his way moving up this list by the end of this season.

 

 

4. Chris Mason

50GP  25-18-6  2.51  0.921%

Mason edges out Husso for fourth simply based on his performance covering a larger span of games. Another “one year wonder”, Mason was the starting goalie for the inaugural Rampage season in 2002-2003. The former Devils draft pick went on to appear in 317 NHL games, including 118 with the St. Louis Blues, before retiring from hockey in 2015.

 

 

3. Travis Scott

123GP  44-59-10  2.43  0.927%

In his tenure with the Rampage, Travis Scott played on two historically bad teams. From 2003-2005, the Rampage won a total of 57 games. Scott won 44 of those games. Despite the overall awfulness of those teams, the former 5th round draft pick put up good to great numbers and was easily the team’s MVP. His time in San Antonio brought a close to his North American career, though he did play six more seasons in Europe before retiring in 2011.

 

 

2. Josh Tordjman

176GP  82-76-10  2.70  0.910

Franchise leader in games played (176) and wins (82) for the position. This gives him some leeway to make up for some pretty average peripherals. For the better part of four seasons, Tordjman was the one constant and the face of the franchise. He was a solid, yet unspectacular, goalie that showed up every night and gave the team a chance to win. Tordjman wrapped up his career in 2013 after playing two seasons overseas.

 

 

1. Jacob Markstrom

94GP  45-38-6  2.51  0.922%

Markstrom played three seasons in the AHL with San Antonio. In his rookie campaign, Markstrom split time with Dov Grumet-Morris leading the Rampage to the playoffs. His play in the first round, specifically in game 5, against the Chicago Wolves is a big reason the Rampage advanced, their only playoff series win in team history. In addition to three above average to great statistical seasons with the Rampage, Markstrom was a fan favorite known for his quirky personality and killer dance moves.

 

Honorable Mention:
Matt Climie  26-22-3  2.64  0.913%
Dov Grumet-Morris  32-42-7  2.88  0.909%
Spencer Martin  40-48-2  2.93  0.904%
David Leneveau  32-43-7  2.89  0.913%

Previously: Defense

Up next: Left Wing