Average goalie save percentage very low in 2023!

[Martin Skoula]

Goalies are pulled way sooner, which often leads to goals either way.

Same with 4 forward PPs and more aggressive PKs.

 

[zar]

Yeah, but take out Campbell, Samsonov and Raanta and it’s close to the mean over the past decade.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Players are not very good defensively.

Talent is stretched out, so the good talent can take advantage more often.

 

[Bear of Bad News]

It's about time. Repurposing a post of mine from a few weeks ago...

Look at how much net is showing with Hall of Famer Gerry Cheevers:

Over half of the net is showing!

Compare that to a borderline NHL goaltender of today, Matt Tomkins:

There's literally nowhere to score!

Either you have to argue that every goaltender of today belongs in the Hall of Fame, or the gear is THAT MUCH BIGGER NOW.

(And since I wrote this, Tomkins is now in the AHL along with Jack Campbell.)

 

[SladeWilson23]

Ah, so now people are going to realize that save percentage is heavily influenced by the style of play in front of the goalies and stop trashing the old schools tenders some?

It's just as much of a team stat as GAA is. SV%.

 

[wgknestrick]

The smaller equipment has been great, but I'd still like to see them with smaller "chest" protectors and skinnier legged pants.

I've been saying this for while, but hockey is best when the goalies are punished by not coming out on angles for point shots, opening themselves up for passing goals, and they aren't quite there IMO. I think .900 is a good average SV% to shoot for to get the game back to the rock-paper-scissors of the late 80s - early 90s. It was just so much more fun and who doesn't love players getting 150pts/season?

Clean break aways used to be goals 50% of the time, players would score a lot of clean point shots, and passing goals were everywhere. Real snooze fest, I know.

 

[Hockeylife2018]

I'm curious if there is even a small part of it caused by the entertainment side of the business

Do owners want to win 60 games a year with a low scoring trap style team, or do they make more money icing a 45-50 win team thats winning 6-5 most nights playing on and giving up odd man rushes

 

[GrumpyKoala]

It's a mind bend for me. Eg. As an Oiler fan I keep saying we need average goaltending. But that is .902. we are almost there.lol.

Even most the Czechs are near .900 and I keep thinking disaster.lol

Makes sense about no easy shots anymore.

Edmonton is not remotely close to .900

 

[shaner8989]

Said for years that the talent level in net is beyond trash.

 

[Devilsfan2326]

The smaller equipment has been great, but I'd still like to see them with smaller "chest" protectors and skinnier legged pants.

I've been saying this for while, but hockey is best when the goalies are punished by not coming out on angles for point shots, opening themselves up for passing goals, and they aren't quite there IMO. I think .900 is a good average SV% to shoot for to get the game back to the rock-paper-scissors of the late 80s - early 90s. It was just so much more fun and who doesn't love players getting 150pts/season?

Clean break aways used to be goals 50% of the time, players would score a lot of clean point shots, and passing goals were everywhere. Real snooze fest, I know.

Smaller pads might bring back more acrobatic goalies, making goaltending more entertaining as well. Would the butterfly style work as well with small pads? If someone could chime in on that.

 

[TS Quint]

Love seeing huge saves more than I do huge goals. Need a goaltender to do something new.

I think it was Brodeur who said the league should be trying to increase scoring chances not goals. He was right.

If the goals come along with the chances then that's just a side effect.

 

[Pablo El Perro]

Said for years that the taken level in net is beyond trash.

The taken level, not sure what that means

 

[Devilsfan2326]

I think it was Brodeur who said the league should be trying to increase scoring chances not goals. He was right.

I think you phrased that well, sounds about right. Desperation moves that have a chance to work, to match the scoring chance.

 

[shaner8989]

The taken level, not sure what that means

Talent sorry

 

[Pablo El Perro]

Talent sorry

Just confused me.

 

[Zalos]

Good! We want more goals.

 

[Dialamo]

Devils and Canes goalies driving the league averages down big time.

 

[Video Nasty]

Hope it goes even lower.

 

[SEALBound]

The overall quality of goaltenders has gone way down in recent years as well.

10 years ago, the majority of the leagues current starters would be backups or 3rd string.

 

[SomeDude]

The overall quality of goaltenders has gone way down in recent years as well.

10 years ago, the majority of the leagues current starters would be backups or 3rd string.

Pad sizing restrictions also doing their thing. Even though the league passed those years ago it took awhile to get it fully implemented, IIRC.

The past 3 seasons have had the league goals per game over 3.1 which is the longest sustained streak of above 3 GPG league wide since 1991-1994 and clutch and grab really took over.

I think we're at a pretty good point right now. More goals, but they're not embarrassingly soft like in the 80's. However, the average is now closer to the 80's numbers than they are to recent seasons. Even as recent as 2016/17. It certainly seems we've entered another "era" of scoring.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Either you have to argue that every goaltender of today belongs in the Hall of Fame, or the gear is THAT MUCH BIGGER NOW.

Nobody is arguing that. Gear is bigger to protect from the shots that are much harder and released much faster. It's like arguing since Cheevers wore mask his head took up more space than that of George Vezina. Well yes, and it makes perfect sense.

 

[TheNumber4]

See guys, the Oilers didn’t need to get a goalie. They just needed to wait for all the other goalies to also suck.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

League wants offense not saves. Especially via PP.

 

[Tom Polakis]

Goalies are pulled way sooner, which often leads to goals either way.

Empty net goals do not count against a goalie's goals-against average or save percentage.

 

[Tom Polakis]

Just like all of the skater positions, goalies are as skilled as they've ever been.

People in this thread have correctly identified offensive systems improving faster than defense/goaltending. For example, on the power play, the one-timer from inside the circle from a seam pass has improved vastly in the past decade, and it's nearly impossible to save.