GDT: Game 41/82 Blues @ Columbus 6PM CST FDSNMW

[Xerloris]

Yes our goaltending has absolutely been an issue this season. We would be in a playoff spot with average goaltending but we haven’t had that.

Binner has been very solid in 3 out of his past 4 games where he hasn’t faced many chances in any of the 4. Hofer was trending in the right direction but has laid 2 big eggs in his last 2 starts (4 and 5 goals against).

I mean you do know the league average save% is like 900 right? So Binny at 899 currently and Hofer slightly higher is infact league average goaltending.

 

[BlueSeal]

So is Buch playing with an injury or is he just disinterested?

Will someone take Monty aside and show him what lines do work and tell him to use those?

The team has holes and has learning curves but when we put up 4 goals on the board, we should win. This season's outcome will be the same but at least show up.

 

[Stlblue50]

I mean you do know the league average save% is like 900 right? So Binny at 899 currently and Hofer slightly higher is infact league average goaltending.

Ok fine if you want to get really technical about it then yes technically Binnington is NOW at league average. I will give him props for playing well in 3 out the last 4 but those were some of the easier games a goalie will face and the Buffalo game was a terrible one. Before these past 3 Ws (2SO) Binner was at under .890, I remember checking.

This Blues team (or many teams in general) can’t make the playoffs with their starter under .890 and towards the top of the league in total starts.

If Binner keeps trending in the right direction (I think he will) with 4 nations coming up and the fact he plays better when the games become more urgent, then the Blues will have a really good chance at making the playoffs. I like what I’ve seen from Hofer minus the last 2.

 

[Stlblue50]

It’s also worth noting that the league average save % is at its lowest since 1995-96. It hit a peak then has been on a steady decline every season since 2016-17.

You can throw out of a lot of reasons why this could be happening. There has been 2 new expansion teams since this clear drop has started with Vegas’s first season in 2017-18.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

It’s also worth noting that the league average save % is at its lowest since 1995-96. It hit a peak then has been on a steady decline every season since 2016-17.

You can throw out of a lot of reasons why this could be happening. There has been 2 new expansion teams since this clear drop has started with Vegas’s first season in 2017-18.

Why would 2 expansion teams lower league average save percentage. That’s two more starting goalies jobs…but you can point to two full rosters of new NHL shooters. Seems like a wash.

I think the pad size rules and similar changes would be the bigger contributor.

 

[Reality Czech]

I'm less frustrated at this game then I am from the San Jose one. Columbus, like SJ, is a bad team, with a terrible D core outside Werenski. This means they have to play that balls-out full-press style of hockey we already know our team struggles with due to our D-core and it's lack of ability to outlet during a strong forecheck. It's why the Jackets are so hot and cold home v. away, the crowd oohs and aaahs at home and that helps them keep their foot on the gas. During this game we showed way more poise against the press then we did against San Jose, holding onto pucks and panicking far less. We generated at least 5 extremely high danger chances that Merzlikiens somehow came up with. Had we buried at least one of those before the Jacket's first goal, this game changes dramatically, as all of a sudden teams aren't so keen to be all-gas-no-brakes once stung.

One last observation - Our goaltending duo, after putting up a top 3-5 effort last year, has fallen way off a cliff. Binner is sitting around +3.5-5.5 GSAx depending on if you prefer Moneypuck or Evolving-Hockey, whereas Hofer is at -5-6.5. Basically we've gotten almost zero help from our goalie tandem this year. They aren't sinking us, but they aren't bouying us either. I'm really hoping Hofer can have a better second half, b/c he's been having a tough season so far.

I'd like to see a graph of their stats throughout the season, because our goaltending hasn't been bad all season. There have been definite ups and downs. Both guys started the season well when the rest of the team played like crap. Then in Bannister's last days I wouldn't blame them for having bad numbers. I feel like Binner had a lull before playing well again while Hofer has been decent until this past game with a few bad games sprinkled throughout. I've said it before but all it takes is a couple bad games to tank a goalie's numbers and those "bad" games aren't always their fault.

The goalies could play better but they aren't in my top 3-5 concerns this season. Brain farts on defense, pathetic PP, inconsistent play from our top players and getting little from our bottom 6 would be higher on the list. Although the 4th line was playing well when it was Walker, Torp and Faksa. Injuries have screwed things up a bit as well.

 

[BadgersandBlues]

Why would 2 expansion teams lower league average save percentage. That’s two more starting goalies jobs…but you can point to two full rosters of new NHL shooters. Seems like a wash.

I think the pad size rules and similar changes would be the bigger contributor.

I think stick technology is something not enough people talk about. I made a post about this in the WJC thread, but my god these 18-19 year old kids can shoot the lights out with the puck these days. A quick snap of the wrist and these pucks are exploding off the tape. I'm sure training and strength/conditioning has improved since I was younger, but there's no way 20 years ago this many kids had such good shots. I'm watching teenagers shoot better today then grown men NHLers did back in the early-mid 2010's.

We were blessed to watch a guy with one of the top 5 shots in all of the NHL at one point (Tarasenko) during his prime, and a lot of these kids are on-par if not better then his shot was at its peak.

 

[BlueSeal]

There will be no tuna boat as long as we play like this.

 

[Reality Czech]

Why would 2 expansion teams lower league average save percentage. That’s two more starting goalies jobs…but you can point to two full rosters of new NHL shooters. Seems like a wash.

I think the pad size rules and similar changes would be the bigger contributor.

The rise of 3-on-3 overtime is a factor. Basically adding an extra goal to a goalie's stats every game that is decided in OT.

Also, power plays have become more effective. I looked up the other day that a decade ago the best power plays were barely over 20%, nowadays they can be over 30%. Goalies often don't have much of a chance on many power play goals

 

[TheOrganist]

It’s also worth noting that the league average save % is at its lowest since 1995-96. It hit a peak then has been on a steady decline every season since 2016-17.

You can throw out of a lot of reasons why this could be happening. There has been 2 new expansion teams since this clear drop has started with Vegas’s first season in 2017-18.

This was an interesting take from the goalies perspective on the trend

Unmasked: Examining drop in NHL save percentage | NHL.com

Vasilevskiy says lack of wasted shots big reason overall number has gone down

www.nhl.com

 

[PocketNines]

Ok fine if you want to get really technical about it then yes technically Binnington is NOW at league average. I will give him props for playing well in 3 out the last 4 but those were some of the easier games a goalie will face

if you want to get technical about it these are actually not "props" pretty transparently because your focus is on how he doesn't really even deserve them

 

[Stlblue50]

if you want to get technical about it these are actually not "props" pretty transparently because your focus is on how he doesn't really even deserve them

What!? I’m a bit confused with your response…was just saying that Binnington has needed to play better than he has this season. It is a fact that the past 4 games have been against very weaker teams that didn’t muster many high quality scoring chances. Its great to see him make the stops he should make along with some tough ones but he will be the first to tell you that he needs to play better.

Also league average isn’t that great if you think about it since they factor in every backup and 3rd/4th string goalies into the total numbers. In other words should we or Binnington be happy about being average among a group that includes all of the non starting goalies that made an appearance this season?

 

[Stlblue50]

Why would 2 expansion teams lower league average save percentage. That’s two more starting goalies jobs…but you can point to two full rosters of new NHL shooters. Seems like a wash.

I think the pad size rules and similar changes would be the bigger contributor.

More teams means more open spots for players that wouldn’t have normally made the NHL. If the talent pool is really good then you won’t see much of a difference (which we haven’t) but 2 brand new teams in a short people will make a difference.

Many other facts like others have just posted about. I look at the overall popularity of the game going up has produced more players that want to make the NHL. The NHL moving away from physicality rules wise and teams focusing on speed certainly helps the offensive side.

 

[PocketNines]

What!? I’m a bit confused with your response…was just saying that Binnington has needed to play better than he has this season. It is a fact that the past 4 games have been against very weaker teams that didn’t muster many high quality scoring chances. Its great to see him make the stops he should make along with some tough ones but he will be the first to tell you that he needs to play better.

Also league average isn’t that great if you think about it since they factor in every backup and 3rd/4th string goalies into the total numbers. In other words should we or Binnington be happy about being average among a group that includes all of the non starting goalies that made an appearance this season?

It's also a fact that in damn near every game you're counting against him for a bad save percentage, in actual fact during that game he made multiple phenomenal saves and/or gave the team every chance to win. He has played the team into points they had no business getting this year and has clearly less often been the culprit for points they didn't get. It's not a huge fight to have but I'm just defending Binnington. All goalies go through ups and downs. Binnington has an top-end A game and he shows it to us often enough that we know it's there, and he always shows fire and compete, his defining characteristic. So I tend to want to defend him from unfair framing

 

[Linkens Mastery]

Apparently there was a score change. They gave Kyrou an assist on Schenn's goal which gives him a 1G, 2A Night. The Assist was originally Neighbours But when Neighbours passed it from the wall Kyrou redirected it to Fowler.