Emma: Corey Crawford Should Be Considered Among NHL's Best In Net
By Chris Emma--
CHICAGO (CBS) -- It's about time Corey Crawford of the Blackhawks gets the respect he deserves as one of the NHL's top goaltenders -- long overdue, in fact.
Crawford has been stellar this season, even before Sunday's 25-save 2-0 blanking of the division rival Blues, his league-leading seventh shutout of the season. In fact, Crawford is one of the main reasons why his Blackhawks sit atop the Western Conference with 70 points to their name.
Yet, Crawford wasn't even voted to the All-Star Game, a fact looking more and more like a crime each time he takes the ice.
"He just seems to be in that zone," Blackhawks defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk said.
Currently speaking, the Vezina Trophy belongs to Crawford. He's been the steady net presence the Blackhawks can count on each night. As the revamped roster has worked to mesh, Crawford has brought stability. He's made the team so much better this season.
Changes for Crawford have come over the past years, with the biggest being in his approach to the game. Crawford learned how to prepare from former teammate Ray Emery. He figured out how to find that sharp mental edge.
"His preparation before games was unreal," Crawford said. "I've never seen a guy so focused and ready before a game, and I was kind of doing the opposite."
Crawford declined to go into specifics about his habit changes, but it's all led to his maturation, both as a player and a person. He's found a zone that revolves around hockey.
The Blackhawks see it every day with Crawford, a guy who's quiet and reserved by nature but goes almost silent before a start. Crawford has become unflappable.
"His consistency has been great -- winning games, keeping us in games," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said.
Now 31 years old and more than 12 years removed from being selected by the Blackhawks in the 2003 NHL Draft, Crawford has become a rock for hockey's model franchise. He's helped the team to two Stanley Cup championships, with a more notable 2-0 shutout than Sunday's coming in Game 6 of the 2015 Cup Final, the clincher in Chicago.
Crawford's success speaks for itself, yet his perception around the league isn't that of an elite goaltender. That needs to change.
Even on those nights in which the Blackhawks' legs are dead, as they were Sunday, Crawford has largely been able to keep them in games.
"It's unbelievable how great he is playing, stopping pucks he can't see, standing on his head," Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw said.
When asked if this is the sharpest he's been during his career, Crawford couldn't answer with certainty. Statistically speaking, his 93.2 save percentage is a career mark and his 2.08 goals against average is second only to the stellar 1.94 mark in the championship season of 2013 and ranks eighth in the NHL. His 28 wins are second in the league.
Crawford continues to get better in his career, now reaching the point where he deserves consideration as one of the NHL's top goaltenders. He's earned that reputation. The Blackhawks see it that way.
"We all know how valuable he is to this team and where we'd be without him," van Riemsdyk said. "He's an unbelievable goalie, one of the best in the league, and we know that in here for sure."
Chris Emma covers the Chicago sports scene and more for CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670 and like his Facebook page.