Not when the strengh of depth and talent down the lines is as much of a reason for this slide as the one between the pipes.
Struggles over a regular season are going to happen no matter what, to every single team in the league. That's just part of a long season. But I'll take my bets on keeping that better depth rather than overpaying a goalie and losing that depth and having to depend on great goaltending more often as a consequence every day of the week.
It really shouldn't be that much a surprise when guys like Niemi can come in and play well, especially with certain teams like Chicago and San Jose. Because the parity of the position is so high due the technique now becoming so refined and the fact that there are only so many goalie openings in the NHL (especially when compared to forwards/d-men), there will always, always be more NHL caliber goalies out there just looking for an opportunity than there are positions for.