Is Billy Smith one of the Greatest Goalies of All Time?

Billy Smith’s playoff accomplishments are legendary.

But are his stats good enough for him to be discussed among the greatest NHL goalies ever?

Listen to us discuss Billy Smith’s Hockey Hall of Fame case and where he ranks all time:

Billy Smith’s Career:

• NHL: 1971-89; 18 seasons, 7 as a starter, 9 as a 1A
• Totals:
  • 305W (8th All Time at his retirement),
  • 233L (13th All Time at his retirement),
  • 105T (18th All Time, 11th at his retirement) in
  • 38,369 minutes (9th All Time at his retirement) over
  • 679 Games (9th Goalie All Time at his retirement);
  • 22 Shutouts;
  • 124.1 PS (25th Goalie All Time);
  • 230.8 GSAA (9th All Time)
• Per Game:
  • 3.18 GAA
  • .895 SV% (21st All Time at his retirement)
• Draft: In his draft class (1970), Smith, drafted 59th overall, is
  • 1st in Wins
  • 2nd in Losses
  • 1st in Ties
  • 1st in Save Percentage
  • 1st in GAA
  • 1st in Point Shares
  • 12th in Games (1st Goalie)
• Era: Of the 15 goalies to play in at least 410 games between 1971 and 1989, Smith is
  • 2nd in Wins
  • 6th in Losses
  • 4th in Ties
  • 5th in Goals Against
  • 3rd in Shots Against
  • 3rd in Saves
  • 2nd in Save Percentage
  • 12th in GAA
  • 2nd in GSAA
  • 5th in Shutouts
  • 3rd in Minutes
  • 2nd in Goalie Point Shares
  • 3rd in Games
• 82-game average: 37-13-12; 3 SO
• 3-year peak (1981-84): 82-game average of 46-23-8; 2 SO; 2.91 GAA, 0.899 SV%; 32.6 GSAA [Smith’s best season by GPS was in the mid ‘70s, all by itself]
• Playoffs:
  • 88W (4th All Time, 1st at his retirement)
  • 36L (8th All Time at his retirement);
  • 5 SO (15th All Time at his retirement) in
  • 7636 minutes (10th All Time, 1st at his retirement) in
  • 132 Games (8th Goalie All Time, 1st at his retirement)
  • 91 GSAA
  • Per Game:
    • 2.72 GAA
    • .905 SV% (14th All Time at his retirement)
  • Playoff Era: Of the 18 goalies to play in at least 41 playoff games between 1971 and 1989, Smith is
    • 1st in Wins
    • 2nd in Losses
    • 1st in Goals Against
    • 1st in Shots Against
    • 1st in Saves
    • 5th in Save Percentage
    • 5th in GAA
    • 1st in GSAA (by over 30)
    • 4th in Shutouts
    • 1st in Minutes
    • 1st in Games (by nearly 40)
• Era Adjustment:
  • 2.69 GAA (22nd All Time)
  • .917 SV% (7th All Time)
  • 9th All Time in Goals Vs Average
  • 13th All Time in Goals Vs Threshold

Billy Smith’s Accomplishments:

• Conn Smythe (‘83)
• Vezina (‘82)
• Top 5 in Vezina voting one other time [Smith played half his career when the Vezina was the Jennings]
• Jennings (‘83)
• Top Player:
  • Top 10 Player (by PS) once (‘82)
  • Top 5 Goalie (by GPS) twice (‘75, ‘82)
  • Top 10 Goalie nine times (‘74, ‘76, ‘77, ‘79, ‘81, ‘83, ‘84)
• Wins:
  • Leader-boards:
    • Led the league in Wins once
    • Top 10 six times
• Shutouts:
  • Leader-boards:
    • Top 5 in Shutouts twice
    • Top 10 eight times
• Shots Against:
  • Top 10 once
• Saves
  • Total Saves:
    • Top 10 in Saves once
  • Save Percentage:
    • Top 5 in SV% eight times (1 of only 7 goalies ever)
    • Top 10 eleven times (1 of only 6 goalies ever)
• Goals Against:
  • GAA:
    • Top 5 in GAA five times
    • Top 10 in GAA nine times
  • GSAA:
    • Leader-boards:
      • Top 5 in GSAA four times
      • Top 10 eleven times (1 of only 6 goalies ever)
    • Single-season Totals:
      • +35 once
      • +30 twice (1 of only 17 goalies)
      • +25 four times (1 of only 8 goalies)
      • +20 seven times (1 of only 6 goalies)
      • +15 ten times (1 of only 3 goalies ever – Roy, Esposito)
• Minutes:
  • Top 5 in Minutes once
• All Star:
  • 1st Team All Star once
  • 1 All Star Game appearance
• Adjusted Peak:
  • 10th All Time in Goals Vs Average Peak
• First Goaltender Credited with Scoring a Goal
• Playoffs (when team didn’t advance far enough):
  • Led playoffs in GAA twice

Billy Smith’s Great Teams:

• NHL:
  • MVP (led playoffs in Wins, Shots Against, Saves, Save Percentage and Shutouts) on one Champion (‘83 Islanders)
  • Best Player (led playoffs in Save Percentage, GAA and Shutouts) on one Final Four (‘79 Islanders)
  • Best Player (led playoffs in Wins, Losses, Goals Against, Shots Against, Saves and Minutes) on one Runner Up (‘84 Islanders)
  • Best Player? on one Final Four (‘77 Islanders)
  • Starter (led playoffs in Wins, Shutouts and Minutes) on one Champion (‘82 Islanders)
  • Starter (led playoffs in Wins, Goals Against, Shots Against, Saves and Minutes) on two Champions (‘80 Islanders)
  • Starter on one Final Four (‘76 Islanders)
  • Backup on one Final Four (‘75 Islanders)