Who's The Best Rangers Goalie Of All Time?

You all know what Friday means; it's ASK THE MAVEN time. Today's question comes from Sybil Grafstein of Queens. Take it away Sybil:

I'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT PAST RANGERS GOALIES, ED GIACOMIN, CESARE MANIAGO AND GILLES VILLEMURE. WHO WAS THE BEST?

The easy answer is Ed Giacomin because he made it to the Hockey Hall of Fame and the others did not.

Having seen all three of them play, I can say that there's no doubt in my mind that the easy answer is not necessarily the correct answer.

Start with the fact that Rangers GM Emile (Cat) Francis gave up five players to Providence to get Giacomin. Yet at the training camp I covered, Cesare Maniago was more impressive than Eddie.

But because of his vast outlay to get Giacomin, Francis favored Eddie; plus Giacomin had a way with the fans. Yet once Villemure entered the Rangers scene he often looked like a better goalie than Giacomin and that includes a couple of playoff games.

"If it wasn't for the fans," Giacomin once revealed, "I never would have made the Hall of Fame."

Perhaps not, but the bottom line here is that each of the trio had a special style and – because he was the smaller of the three – Gilles had to be faster and better at cutting down angles.

The rap against Giacomin is that since Francis installed Eddie as THE man Giacomin never was good enough to win a Stanley Cup.

At least twice I believe that Villemure would have taken the Rangers farther in the playoffs had he been given the big job rather than Giacomin.

However, when it comes to one-two-three it's Giacomin at the top followed by Maniago and then Villemure.

But only a hair is between them.