Post-Game Talk: Below average goaltending + below average finishing + below average defense = ugly losses

[Shanahanigans]

I will say that Skinner aside, high danger 5on5 chances yesterday were 10-10, and expected goals were about even. There is no reason we should be playing an "even" game vs the 30th in the league Sabres.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

7 goals for the Red Wings against the mighty Sabres.

 

[K1984]

I will say that Skinner aside, high danger 5on5 chances yesterday were 10-10, and expected goals were about even. There is no reason we should be playing an "even" game vs the 30th in the league Sabres.

No they should because they’re depressed about the goalie or something.

 

[LTIR]

Wings showing how to beat Sabers

 

[K1984]

Wings showing how to beat Sabers

AND they gave up 3 goals! I was told it wasn’t possible to beat the Sabres giving up 3 goals.

What the hell?

 

[Messrules11]

7 goals for the Red Wings against the mighty Sabres.

Maybe if guys like Nuge and Henrique showed a pulse we could score a few goals.

 

[MessierThanThou]

Apparently we shouldn’t because it’s clear he’s the worst goalie ever or whatever.

Control what you can control. Can’t control the worst goalie ever! that isn’t going to change. I would like the team in front of him to get to where they were from Nov - January. You know, when they were winning games even with Skinner in net. They are in control of that.

Is that ok? To wish for the team to play how they were when they were winning even with Skinner? Or is asking for a baseline level of professionalism and competence from the skaters too much to ask?

If that game was played on Dec 10th and Skinner played identical we still win because we would score goals and not be utterly incompetent without the puck. This isn’t complicated.

Skinner blows and isn’t going to get better. The group in front has WAY more to give. Skinner isn’t going to start stealing games, but the team in front can certainly start doing the basics to win them. Just like they did for about 40games this season.

Again, you're saying we need to score four goals a game to win with Skinner. I'm not disagreeing there. You're saying Skinner is a bad goalie. I'm not disagreeing there. And this team needs to play better right now: I've never disagreed there. But I also have to ask why we should just shrug and say, "well, Skinner sucks, what can you do?" If a player makes a major mistake they should get called out on it. Skinner allowed two bad goals in that game. And the high-danger chances were the same, yet we still lost. Skinner again was outdueled. Why should we go quiet just because there's no change in sight? If someone messes up, be it Skinner or Bouchard, call them out on it.

Here's the thing: we're seeing what happens to this team when McDavid falls asleep and can't elevate the passengers and can't drag us to OT or even put us ahead, and Ekholm gets sick and can't babysit the D. To say nothing of the idiotic coaching decisions. Certain teams have goaltenders who can help us ride out these collapses: we simply do not.

Hell, look at Minnesota having an almost identical record to ours despite weathering how many injuries to key players and key defenders? Our starter is 75th in GSAx. Theirs is 12th. Maybe these statistics aren't total bullshit?

And this is not 100% on Skinner, which shouldn't even have to be said, he's merely the face of the systemic failure in that position. We all know who the real culprit is: the same guy who scouts and coaches these average to below average goalies and makes them even worse. So sometimes when I complain about Skinner, it's not just about Skinner, it's also about the man pulling the strings and sabotaging this team from the inside.

 

[North]

AND they gave up 3 goals! I was told it wasn’t possible to beat the Sabres giving up 3 goals.

What the hell?

Do you want to know what the problem is with this logic?

In 7 of his last 10 games he’s given up 3 or more goals. Only 2 of those he let in 3, so basically you’re asking this team to score 5 or 6 goals regularly.

There is no question the team needs to tighten up but this goalie has been wholly unacceptable for way too much of this season.

 

[TB12]

Also, this "should have easily beaten Buffalo" is utter horseshit. These are professional NHL players at the apex level of competition. The 0.001% of athletes in their sport.

f*** me, even the DOD Oilers won a few f***ing games.