Are Marc-Andre Fleury and Cam Ward Franchise Goalies?

If Pittsburgh's Marc-Andre Fleury and Carolina's Cam Ward can repeat their Game 1 performances, when the two youngsters matched each other save-for-save in the Penguins 3-2 win, this series likely won't be decided until a seventh game.

Ward, 25, and Fleury, 24, have already helped lead teams to the Stanley Cup Final, while Ward not only won the whole thing as a rookie in 2005-06, he also took home the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

So, are these two guys considered elite, franchise goaltenders?

On Tuesday, The Puck Stops Here (via Puck Daddy) argued that there are no elite goaltenders remaining in the postseason, and claimed Fleury, Ward, Chris Osgood and Nikolai Khabibulin are nothing more than "mid-level goalies at best." Strong words considering three of them (Osgood, Ward and Khabibulin) were starters for three of the past four Stanley Cup champions, while the other (Fleury) was the starter for last year's runner-up.

Osgood's role with the Red Wings has been a thorny point of discussion since last season, while he's been perceived as the weakest link on an otherwise unstoppable force of a team. Somehow, despite his regular season struggles the past two seasons, he's managed to step up his game when it counts. After finishing last year's playoff run with the third-best save percentage in the postseason, he's currently fifth in the league this year while the Wings are just two wins away from returning to the final in hopes of becoming the first team to repeat as champion in over a decade.

At one time, Osgood and Khabibulin should have been considered franchise-caliber goaltenders. Perhaps they no longer are, but they're obviously still good enough to win with. But what about Fleury and Ward?

Both players are former first-round picks, while Fleury was the No. 1 overall selection in the incredible 2003 draft class. TPSH claims that Fleury, for example, has never lived up his expectations and suggests that he was, essentially, along for the ride last season since the Penguins are a team that "rarely depends on goaltending."

Frankly, that's a laughable comment.

TPSH argues that since none of the top three goaltenders in the playoffs this year in save percentage are still playing (Jonas Hiller, Tim Thomas and Martin Brodeur) there are no "elite" netminders remaining. Of course, just a year ago Fleury and Osgood finished the postseason as two of the top three goalies in save percentage, while both boasted goals against averages under 2.00. I'd argue that had the Penguins found a way to defeat the Red Wings in the finals, the Conn Smythe Trophy would have been his. Aside from the .933 save percentage and 1.97 goals against average, he also recorded three shutouts (including the deciding game of the Eastern Conference finals) and, facing elimination against Detroit in Game 5, stopped 57 shots in Pittsburgh's triple-overtime win. While he struggled against the Capitals in the second round this season, Fleury is perhaps the only reason the Penguins advanced beyond Philadelphia in the opening round, as he was the difference in Games 2 and 4.

Ward, on the other hand, is putting up nearly identical numbers to his Conn Smythe campaign of '05-06, while his regular season numbers have improved each and every season he's been in the league. His save percentages by season: .882, .897, .904, .916.

It's important to keep in mind the age of these two goaltenders, as they're both still in their mid-20's. If we take a look at the top-10 goaltenders in the NHL in save percentage during the regular season, not many were even playing in the NHL at the age of 24, let alone playing in the playoffs:

1. Tim Thomas - Age 24: Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL) and HIFK (Finland), 0 NHL games.
2. Tomas Vokoun - Age 24: Nashville Predators (NHL), 108 NHL games, 0 playoff games.
3. Craig Anderson - Age 24: Chicago Blackhawks (NHL), 56 NHL games, 0 playoff games.
4. Niklas Backstrom - Age 24: Karpat Oulu (Finland), 0 NHL games.
5. Roberto Luongo - Age 24: Florida Panthers (NHL), 266 NHL games, 0 playoff games.
6. Jonas Hiller - Age 24: HC Davos (Switzerland), 0 NHL games
7. Nikolai Khabibulin - Age 24: Phoenix Coyotes (NHL), 151 NHL games, 13 playoff games.
8. Ryan Miller - Age 24: Buffalo Sabres (NHL) 18 NHL games, 0 playoff games.
9. Pekka Rinne - Age 24: Milwaukee Admirals (AHL), 3 NHL games, 0 playoff games
9. Scott Clemmensen - Age 24: New Jersey Devils (NHL) and Albany River Rats (AHL), 2 NHL games, 0 playoff games.
10. Henrik Lundqvist - Age 24: New York Rangers (NHL), 123 NHL games, 13 playoff games.

Evgeni Nabokov and Miikka Kiprusoff were making their NHL debuts at the age of 24.

On Thursday, when the Penguins and Hurricanes face off in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals, Fleury will be starting his 40th career postseason game. In his previous 39 starts he has a .915 save percentage and a 24-15 record (including 4-1 in overtime and 5-2 in games where his team has a chance to advance to the next round).

Ward, on the other hand, will be making his 39th career playoff start while he maintains a .922 save percentage and a 23-15 record (including a 4-0 record in Game 7s). He's also never lost a playoff series.

If those aren't the resumes of franchise, big-game goaltenders, I'm not sure what is. Shouldn't these two guys be rewarded in the "franchise goalie" discussion for playing deep into the postseason at such young ages, and playing so well?