Corey Crawford Has Quietly Raised His Game For Chicago Blackhawks

I’ll admit that I haven’t been the biggest supporter of Corey Crawford through the years; not because I think he’s a terrible goaltender, but because him giving up soft goals insulted his talent of being a shut-down goaltender. This season, I was even more on that train as the Chicago Blackhawks didn’t get off to the best of starts.

By now, everyone knows the Blackhawks are on a 12-game winning streak, and everyone wants to talk about how Patrick Kane is carrying the team. Sure, anyone can look at his numbers and say that, but I think the true MVP during this stretch is none other than Crawford himself.

Crawford has seen his save percentage climb to fourth-best in the league, and I’m a little surprised that no one talks about it. No one mentions him as a candidate for the Vezina Trophy, and he was maybe this year’s biggest All-Star snub. So why hasn’t anyone recognized the transformation in his game?

I think it’s because the Hawks are so talented across the board that the question remains: “Is Crawford truly a shut-down guy, or is he the beneficiary of an amazing team in front of him?”

I too used to ask that question a lot, but the last 12 games have changed my stance. His glove hand has mightily improved over the last season, and he’s making incredible saves look routine. The soft goals he used to allow haven’t been going in, and that to me has always been key for Crawford to take the next step.

At this point, it might almost be a good thing that he continues to fly under the radar, because it seems like that’s what he enjoys. Whatever is going on — it’s certainly working.