Goalie controversy thread

[ChicagoBlues]

Well their team defense is much better than the Blues. And their 5-on-5 defense is in the top-10 in the league. Really, the PK is Colorado's only problem right now.

We as a fanbase really don't like giving Colorado respect for their overall game. They have created a fantastic team on both ends of the ice.

I don't see that at all. We might rip on them for being League favorites, but we sing their praises and are well aware of how good they are. But we also "know" or believe that we can beat them in a series.

 

[Brian39]

I don't see that at all. We might rip on them for being League favorites, but we sing their praises and are well aware of how good they are. But we also "know" or believe that we can beat them in a series.

The preceding page has a debate about whether the Avs or the Blues have better team defense. We're 27th or worse at 5 on 5 in xGA, shots against, scoring chances against and high danger chances against per 60 minutes. The Avs are no lower than 11th in any of those stats and top 5 in xGA and scoring chances against. There is an argument to be made that you can exploit the Avs D if you can effectively hem them into their own zone, but so far no one has actually been able to do that to them. Meanwhile, that is exactly what has happened to our D all year.

There is a notion that our defense is comparable if we just get average or slightly above average goaltending, but that isn't remotely how we have accomplished a decent actual goals against number. Our goalies have saved 14 goals above expected at 5 on 5 this year and that is with Binner allowing 2 beyond expected (our xGA with him in net is 50.98 and he's allowed 53). We are getting Vezina-level goaltending from Husso. If that drops down to average or slightly above average we are going to start bleeding goals.

A common refrain on this board is also that they are a one line team that lacks depth. 5 of their top 6 forwards have 10+ goals and the only one who doesn't is MacKinnon. They "only" have 5 forwards with 30 points, but they also have 2 D that have hit the mark and another forward with 21 points in 25 games.

There are plenty of voices underselling how good the Avs are. That doesn't make them unbeatable and any team can be beaten in a series. But acting like they have an obvious flaw on par with our defensive ineptitude is just ignoring reality. They might be even with us if you only look at defense as how you limit chances one you're hemmed into your own zone. But that is only a small part of in-zone defense and their D group's greatest skill is neutralizing the play and getting the puck up ice with possession before ever getting hemmed in.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

The preceding page has a debate about whether the Avs or the Blues have better team defense. We're 27th or worse at 5 on 5 in xGA, shots against, scoring chances against and high danger chances against per 60 minutes. The Avs are no lower than 11th in any of those stats and top 5 in xGA and scoring chances against. There is an argument to be made that you can exploit the Avs D if you can effectively hem them into their own zone, but so far no one has actually been able to do that to them. Meanwhile, that is exactly what has happened to our D all year.

There is a notion that our defense is comparable if we just get average or slightly above average goaltending, but that isn't remotely how we have accomplished a decent actual goals against number. Our goalies have saved 14 goals above expected at 5 on 5 this year and that is with Binner allowing 2 beyond expected (our xGA with him in net is 50.98 and he's allowed 53). We are getting Vezina-level goaltending from Husso. If that drops down to average or slightly above average we are going to start bleeding goals.

A common refrain on this board is also that they are a one line team that lacks depth. 5 of their top 6 forwards have 10+ goals and the only one who doesn't is MacKinnon. They "only" have 5 forwards with 30 points, but they also have 2 D that have hit the mark and another forward with 21 points in 25 games.

There are plenty of voices underselling how good the Avs are. That doesn't make them unbeatable and any team can be beaten in a series. But acting like they have an obvious flaw on par with our defensive ineptitude is just ignoring reality. They might be even with us if you only look at defense as how you limit chances one you're hemmed into your own zone. But that is only a small part of in-zone defense and their D group's greatest skill is neutralizing the play and getting the puck up ice with possession before ever getting hemmed in.

So what you’re saying is that I have to read? Jeez! What else to have to do?

 

[Sgt Schultz]

The preceding page has a debate about whether the Avs or the Blues have better team defense. We're 27th or worse at 5 on 5 in xGA, shots against, scoring chances against and high danger chances against per 60 minutes. The Avs are no lower than 11th in any of those stats and top 5 in xGA and scoring chances against. There is an argument to be made that you can exploit the Avs D if you can effectively hem them into their own zone, but so far no one has actually been able to do that to them. Meanwhile, that is exactly what has happened to our D all year.

There is a notion that our defense is comparable if we just get average or slightly above average goaltending, but that isn't remotely how we have accomplished a decent actual goals against number. Our goalies have saved 14 goals above expected at 5 on 5 this year and that is with Binner allowing 2 beyond expected (our xGA with him in net is 50.98 and he's allowed 53). We are getting Vezina-level goaltending from Husso. If that drops down to average or slightly above average we are going to start bleeding goals.

A common refrain on this board is also that they are a one line team that lacks depth. 5 of their top 6 forwards have 10+ goals and the only one who doesn't is MacKinnon. They "only" have 5 forwards with 30 points, but they also have 2 D that have hit the mark and another forward with 21 points in 25 games.

There are plenty of voices underselling how good the Avs are. That doesn't make them unbeatable and any team can be beaten in a series. But acting like they have an obvious flaw on par with our defensive ineptitude is just ignoring reality. They might be even with us if you only look at defense as how you limit chances one you're hemmed into your own zone. But that is only a small part of in-zone defense and their D group's greatest skill is neutralizing the play and getting the puck up ice with possession before ever getting hemmed in.

They are 32-8-3 at this point and they were 4-5-1 on November 6th. That means they are 28-3-2 since, having gathered 58 points in 33 games. That type of run over 3 months is not a fluke. Anyone underestimating them at this point might want to take a breath.

 

[TheDizee]

if the avs are so amazing, how come they cant sniff the 3rd round?

they beat up a shitty team in the 1st round every year then get dunked on every year

 

[BlueSeal]

if the avs are so amazing, how come they cant sniff the 3rd round?

they beat up a shitty team in the 1st round every year then get dunked on every year

I mean... well... *points up*. There we go. Now can everyone stop worrying about the Avs of all teams? You'd think this was a Goalie Controversy thread or somethin'...

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

if the avs are so amazing, how come they cant sniff the 3rd round?

they beat up a shitty team in the 1st round every year then get dunked on every year

I wouldn’t bet against them. Hockey postseasons are filled with teams that lose a few years before they learned how to win in the playoffs. Why can’t Colorado follow that pattern?

I’m rooting for the Blues to find a path, but I won’t be surprised if this is Colorado’s year to break through.

 

[Brian39]

if the avs are so amazing, how come they cant sniff the 3rd round?

they beat up a shitty team in the 1st round every year then get dunked on every year

Ah yes, those historic "dunkings" where they lost in 6, 7, and 7 games.

The 6 game series was vs the Knights, who had the 2nd best record in the league that year. The Knights are also overwhelmingly considered a top 5 team in the last few years. They have the 3rd most regular season wins, 4th most points, and 2nd most playoff wins since they joined the league in 2017/18.

The 7 game series was against the Stars, who went on to the Cup Final. Grubauer got hurt 23 minutes into the series, Francouz was playing injured and ultimately got replaced by Hutchison who played the back half of the series and was in net for the OT winner in game 7. What a dunking.

They were a Wild Card team the year before, won a round against the #1 seed in the West and then lost in 7 to a 101 point Sharks team that was on their last gasp of contention. Another clear dunking.

This is like a 2020 claim that the Lightning are playoff chokers and thus can't win a Cup. Or a 2019 claim where the Blues were clearly going to fail in the playoffs because that's what they always do. I forget, was 2019 the year you wrote your 'get on the lifeboats to Vegas' nonsense because the Blues are perennial chokers?

 

[TheDizee]

Ah yes, those historic "dunkings" where they lost in 6, 7, and 7 games.

The 6 game series was vs the Knights, who had the 2nd best record in the league that year. The Knights are also overwhelmingly considered a top 5 team in the last few years. They have the 3rd most regular season wins, 4th most points, and 2nd most playoff wins since they joined the league in 2017/18.

The 7 game series was against the Stars, who went on to the Cup Final. Grubauer got hurt 23 minutes into the series, Francouz was playing injured and ultimately got replaced by Hutchison who played the back half of the series and was in net for the OT winner in game 7. What a dunking.

They were a Wild Card team the year before, won a round against the #1 seed in the West and then lost in 7 to a 101 point Sharks team that was on their last gasp of contention. Another clear dunking.

This is like a 2020 claim that the Lightning are playoff chokers and thus can't win a Cup. Or a 2019 claim where the Blues were clearly going to fail in the playoffs because that's what they always do. I forget, was 2019 the year you wrote your 'get on the lifeboats to Vegas' nonsense because the Blues are perennial chokers?

a loss is a loss and they lost to teams who have won a grand total of ZERO cups. thats the definition of being a LOSER club right there.

"they beat the #1 team!!!!" LMAO the flames and mike smith, yeah a real power house club they beat there. and a REF JOSE is your second example LMFAO! the team that chokes more than the capitals and blues ever did COMBINED? HAHAHAHAHAHA thanks for the laughs, i am in tears.

the slobbering love affair for the avs is pathetic. they are going NOWHERE with that goaltending unless the refs cup their balls with 5on3s for 7 games a series. they are the atlanta braves of the 90s, the dallas cowboys of the modern era. ALL TALK, NO WALK. ALL FILLER, NO KILLER.

a blues/avs series in the 2nd or 3rd round = congrats blues on the big W

 

[WATTAGE4451]

a loss is a loss and they lost to teams who have won a grand total of ZERO cups. thats the definition of being a LOSER club right there.

"they beat the #1 team!!!!" LMAO the flames and mike smith, yeah a real power house club they beat there. and a REF JOSE is your second example LMFAO! the team that chokes more than the capitals and blues ever did COMBINED? HAHAHAHAHAHA thanks for the laughs, i am in tears.

the slobbering love affair for the avs is pathetic. they are going NOWHERE with that goaltending unless the refs cup their balls with 5on3s for 7 games a series. they are the atlanta braves of the 90s, the dallas cowboys of the modern era. ALL TALK, NO WALK. ALL FILLER, NO KILLER.

a blues/avs series in the 2nd or 3rd round = congrats blues on the big W

how a team performed in the playoffs the previous year has no impact on how they will perform the next year. Otherwise the blues wouldnt win a cup. And the blues outside that one cup are way bigger chokers in their history. This whole subject is silly. winning a cup isnt easy

 

[TruBlu]

Getting back to the goalie part of the thread...Binny now out of the top 50 goalies in the league. Not sure how well we will do in the playoffs at this point...if we even get in...

 

[BlueSeal]

Getting back to the goalie part of the thread...Binny now out of the top 50 goalies in the league. Not sure how well we will do in the playoffs at this point...if we even get in...

I remember a December where there was no hope for us and months later in the same season we hoisted the Cup.

Never count us out.

 

[DatDude44]

Getting back to the goalie part of the thread...Binny now out of the top 50 goalies in the league. Not sure how well we will do in the playoffs at this point...if we even get in...

Good thing we spent the last 7 years developing this Finnish kid for an opportunity like this

 

[MissouriMook]

Good thing we spent the last 7 years developing this Finnish kid for an opportunity like this

Hard to believe he is just now emerging after we acquired the draft pick to select him in 2014 in the trade that sent Carl "Boom Boom" Gunnarsson here for Roman Polak.

 

[DatDude44]

Hard to believe he is just now emerging after we acquired the draft pick to select him in 2014 in the trade that sent Carl "Boom Boom" Gunnarsson here for Roman Polak.

Phenomenal trade for us btw

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

Phenomenal trade for us btw

You don’t want to open that door.

 

[DatDude44]

You don’t want to open that door.

boom boom

 

[Xerloris]

You don’t want to open that door.

it really was no matter how Husso ends up. Gunner was a great member of this team for like 6 years.

 

[DatDude44]

it really was no matter how Husso ends up. Gunner was a great member of this team for like 6 years.

Exactly my thoughts as well. Hussos just gravy

 

[Davimir Tarablad]

it really was no matter how Husso ends up. Gunner was a great member of this team for like 6 years.

Game 2 vs Boston will forever be worth it.

 

[TheDizee]

WE WANT CHUCKY SIDEBURNS

 

[Meatball]

At this point, even an optimist like me has to ask, "What in the world is going on with Binnington...?"

 

[TheDizee]

At this point, even an optimist like me has to ask, "What in the world is going on with Binnington...?"

hes been like this for the past 2 years, slowly but surely regressing every game

but it hit a whole new level this season and after that maple leaf game, he should have been sent to the minors to work on his game

instead, we will continue to piss away points because we are "loyal" to a guy who was good 3 years ago but sucks major ass now.

 

[TheDizee]

if this was jake allen, st louis would be on fire

 

[Brewhouse Sports]

if this was jake allen, st louis would be on fire

Has not been good but Jake never even got close to sniffing a cup let alone win it. It’s not like we have much of an option right now with Binner anyways with the new deal. Gotta ride the storm.