Ranking Panthers netminders since Craig Kowalski

Craig Kowalski has become the benchmark for goaltending at the Panthers. I can count on one hand the amount of puck stoppers in the entire league who have managed to come close to, or reach his standards, and whenever the Panthers have announced a new arrival between the pipes, it's hard not to make comparisons between them and 'K-wall'. 

Whilst no one has since managed to reach his heights, there has still been some great 
(and not so great) players guarding the crease since his departure in 2015. I've decided to rank each of them. This is with the exception of those who have played less than 15 games in a single season because,let's be honest, explaining why Dan Green is bottom of my list isn't exactly groundbreaking reading material...

8. Henry Pacl, 2016-17 

Youngster Henry Pacl wasn't exactly an established netminder when he came to Nottingham as a backup to Miika Wiikaman, but had experience in the well respected Czech junior system. It seemed to me like we were simply upgrading on Dan Green, and that box was certainly ticked, but not spectacularly. During 16 league games, he posted a .885 save percentage, and a 3.62 goals against average, which isn't exactly anything to shout about. 

As he was only 21 when he joined though, keeping him a season or two more as a second choice option could've seen him develop into a decent player, but purely based on what we saw of him, he was average at best. 

7. Patrick Munson, 2018-19

Had we not signed Jackson Whistle, having Patrick Munson as a deputy to Kevin Carr would've made sense, but in no way, shape or form does he make a case to be an outright starter, although like with Pacl, his age means that could have changed if given patience. 

Patrick Munson started his professional career with the Panthers having joined from the NCAA, and would eventually take over as the Panthers first choice netminder going into the playoffs. When on form, Munson was a reliable figure between the pipes. He was statistically the best goalie in the league, but I think this is a very good example of numbers not telling the full story. 

6. Jackson Whistle, 2019-20

It feels a bit harsh putting Jackson Whislte this low down the list. One of three former Sheffield Steelers to come to Nottingham last summer, the GB international was more than reliable when called upon, and is seen by some to have what it takes to fulfill a starting position, despite not always being rated in this role at Sheffield or Belfast. It might be worth mentioning he did in fact have the best save percentage (.943) and goals against average (1.51) in the Challenge Cup this past season. 

Whilst his game still needs tweeks, he certainly deserves to play regular EIHL hockey, and has been rumoured to be leaving the Panthers to pursue this. 

5. Shane Madolora, 2016 

The second player on this list who served as a backup to Miika Wiikman, Shane Madolora was bought in as injury cover in early 2016. His positional game was consistently solid and wasn't a million miles off the standard of Wiikman in my opinion. 

It meant the Panthers had brilliant depth in goal, and had he established himself over a longer period of time, having only played 15 games, he'd probably make a case to be higher up this list. 

4. Michael Garnett, 2018-20

Michael Garnett, put in some very good performances when on form, especially on the European stage. He was a key figure in Panthers shock run to the last 16 of the Champions Hockey League, and I'd go as far as saying his shutout over Finnish side TPS was one of the best goaltending displays I've seen from anyone in the black and gold. 

Unfortunately though, he wasn't able to replicate it domestically. His reflexes weren't as sharp as needed and his glove side seemed to be a weak spot. That being said, his 2018/19 campaign was an improvement, as the stats show, but the quality his CV suggested, with NHL and KHL experience, was never quite reached. 

3. Kevin Carr, 2019-20

Kevin Carr divided opinion across the fanbase, and for me, I can see both sides. Whilst consistency was an issue, Carr provided a good reading of shooters which led to some stellar performances, and seemed to get better with more pressure. He had the most shutouts in the EIHL with 4 throughout the season. 

Carr's most consistent quality though was his distribution. There's not many netminders in any league who are capable of making accurate and well timed passes that contribute to scoring chances. Having an extra player on the ice who could do this gave the Panthers an offensive advantage, which certainly deserves recognition. 

2. Patrick Galbraith, 2017-18

Despite having a few howlers, Danish goaltender Patrick Galbraith was a brilliant netminder, who filled his net excellently and had sharp reflexes. He would finish the 2017/18 season with the best save percentage in the entire league with .924. 

Like with Carr, he was at his best when under the most pressure, which made him a quality presence in the last line of defence. 

1. Miika Wiikman, 2015-17

Topping my list is Scandinavian netminder Miika Wiikman, mainly for his 2015/16 performances. His lateral movement and brilliant positional game made him rock solid for the Panthers. As he was taking over from Kowalski, he had big boots to fill and did a brilliant job of doing so, helping the Panthers to three trophies including their first European title. 

More specifically, throughout the semi finals and finals of the Challenge Cup and playoffs, as well as the Continental Cup decider, Wiikman would only conceded 2 goals in each of these 5 games, showing his quality in do or die scenarios. That's a 0.4 goals against average across those games!

Had he not got injured on that horrible day in Sheffield, I fully believe we had a very strong chance of winning the playoffs in 2017 as a result of this.