Player Discussion Linus Ullmark (G)

[Cosmix]

You gotta stretch daily. Does wonders for immobility

Sometimes when I stretch in bed, I get very painful cramps in my legs! I "fear" to stretch anything!

Yikes, sounds rough man!

I attribute the pain in my groin to "long-term post vasectomy pain syndrome".

I am 75 years old.

 

[Cosmix]

Early 30s here and just diagnosed with herniated disc in L4, it’s extreme pain. I doubt he’s back this year

Not good. Hope the doctors can help you with that.

 

[Cosmix]

It'd be great to have a competent (i.e. .900-.905 SV%) backup, but that seems to be uncommon in today's NHL. Only 10/32 teams have both goalies above .900:

Anaheim (Dostal + Gibson)
Colorado (Blackwood + Wedgewood)
Dallas (Oettinger + DeSmith)
Nashville (Jaros + Annunen)
NJ (Markstrom + Allen)
NYR (Shesterkin + Quick)
Toronto (Woll + Stolarz)
Vegas (Samsonov + Hill)
Washington (Thompson + Lindgren)
Winnipeg (Hellebyuck + Comrie)

We'll need to figure out how to win with .890-.900 SV%, and that means scoring goals.

We're averaging 1.6 goals/game over our last 5 games. During the win streak, we were scoring 3.67 goals/game.

So as disappointing as the Ullmark injury is, and as much as we can complain about our backups, this team needs to be able to score 3-4 goals per game if we want to stay in the playoff race. Regardless of who's in nets.

It's on Stutzle, Tkachuk, Batherson and Norris more than it is on the goalies. That foursome has scored 3 goals, combined, in the last 5 games.

Definitely the offensive players have let the team down.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

That's not really on Forsberg (or Merilainen) though, that's on the players and coaches.

The reality of today's NHL is that your "starter" is going to play 45-55 games and your backup (or combination of backups) will give you a sub .900 SV%.

If you want to be a good team, you have to figure out how to win in those 30-35 with your backups.

Forsberg can certainly improve, for sure, but he's not going to get back to that .917SV% from a couple years ago. .895 is realistic (which is better than what he's been so far), but that means if you give up 30 shots, you're going to give up 3-4 goals per game.

So you have to score 4-5.

Tkachuk, Stutzle, Norris, Sanderson, Chabot and Batherson all make big money. It's on them.

If we start losing 6-5... then I'll blame the goalies.

I don't disagree with much of that either, but I still feel like it's a circular thing that affects both and we're out of the territory of only needing to do it for your backup. I agree a team needs to be able to do it sometimes, but the team knows pucks are gonna go in at a high rate every night now, probably early in games. My feelings are this team has been beat down so much over the years and is thin on offensive options that it's just the reality they're working with. They needed some decent goaltending to give and maintain their confidence and an upgrade was priority 1 this summer and it paid massive dividends while healthy. That's not Forsberg's "fault", but I still think it's fair to say he hasn't been good enough this year for a backup, and definitely not since his role is now the starter indefinitely.

The 885 save %, while poor in itself, isn't overly representative of his Jeckyl & Hyde play. That's the bigger issue is giving his team a chance to win 3 nights out of 10 and basically guaranteeing they lose 7 of them, unless as you say, they score 5 or 6 every one of those nights. They can overcome some of that in a backup scenario I think, but tough to do in the majority of your games. I don't think this team is overcoming it if he brings what he's been bringing.

Maybe it just goes to show what I really think of the team. With a guy like Ullmark in net, even giving less than the stellar play he gave in December, I think they can play with a lot of teams and maintain that level of play, but with sub .885-.890 save % like they got from both guys last year, they aren't overcoming that and will fall apart imo.

Can't win if the offense doesn't pick up, agreed. Also can't win with goaltending giving you .885 save % the rest of year, so everybody needs to be better.

 

[DackellDuck]

I don't disagree with much of that either, but I still feel like it's a circular thing that affects both and we're out of the territory of only needing to do it for your backup. I agree a team needs to be able to do it sometimes, but the team knows pucks are gonna go in at a high rate every night now, probably early in games. My feelings are this team has been beat down so much over the years and is thin on offensive options that it's just the reality they're working with. They needed some decent goaltending to give and maintain their confidence and an upgrade was priority 1 this summer and it paid massive dividends while healthy. That's not Forsberg's "fault", but I still think it's fair to say he hasn't been good enough this year for a backup, and definitely not since his role is now the starter indefinitely.

The 885 save %, while poor in itself, isn't overly representative of his Jeckyl & Hyde play. That's the bigger issue is giving his team a chance to win 3 nights out of 10 and basically guaranteeing they lose 7 of them, unless as you say, they score 5 or 6 every one of those nights. They can overcome some of that in a backup scenario I think, but tough to do in the majority of your games. I don't think this team is overcoming it if he brings what he's been bringing.

Maybe it just goes to show what I really think of the team. With a guy like Ullmark in net, even giving less than the stellar play he gave in December, I think they can play with a lot of teams and maintain that level of play, but with sub .885-.890 save % like they got from both guys last year, they aren't overcoming that and will fall apart imo.

Can't win if the offense doesn't pick up, agreed. Also can't win with goaltending giving you .885 save % the rest of year, so everybody needs to be better.

Tonight’s game is exhibit A. Forsberg plays as well as you could ever expect and we score 2 goals (against a team who had to bring in a cold goalie to start the 2nd). Couldn’t generate much 5v5.

If the expectation is Forsberg needs to keep it under 2 GA, we’re screwed.

 

[JimmyApples]

Where’s the herniated disc talk coming from?

 

[Senscore]

Where’s the herniated disc talk coming from?

One random guy

 

[Oscar The Grouch]

One random guy

One of the longest serving and most respected posters on this board. Get your shit in line.

 

[Mark Stones Spleen]

Early 30s here and just diagnosed with herniated disc in L4, it’s extreme pain. I doubt he’s back this year

Yeah I have chronic pain and get injections in my neck, head, and all my back every few months. Had spine surgery when I was 30.

 

[Senscore]

One of the longest serving and most respected posters on this board. Get your shit in line.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

Tonight’s game is exhibit A. Forsberg plays as well as you could ever expect and we score 2 goals (against a team who had to bring in a cold goalie to start the 2nd). Couldn’t generate much 5v5.

If the expectation is Forsberg needs to keep it under 2 GA, we’re screwed.

He had a good game, but lets not pretend it hasn't been the exception for him this year (and last). They showed it tonight, 4 quality starts out of 11, now 5 of 12. I'm happy for the guy and hope he can string some together now because they need him and they need consistency, but he's still been objectively poor overall this year with his yo yo play. I don't know if you're actually arguing otherwise, implying they need to outscore it, or you're confident Forsberg will improve. They certainly can't waste the few good ones they get, like tonight, I'll give you that, but that doesn't negate the fact that he has below average backup numbers 2 years running and is now the starter, likely long term.

They need to generate more and score more 5on5, that's indisputable, but overcoming your starter posting numbers like .885% on the year is not reasonable, especially as a bubble team with numerous top 9 forward injuries. You need to be able to do it sometimes, like when your backup plays 1 in 3, but we need those numbers up from Forsy as much as the players need to generate more. My whole thing is that I think those 2 things directly affect each other and it becomes a cycle of misery. You're either losing from not scoring enough, not stopping enough, or both, but it's mostly losing when 1 of the 2 is almost guaranteed to be off every night.

 

[DackellDuck]

He had a good game, but lets not pretend it hasn't been the exception for him this year (and last). They showed it tonight, 4 quality starts out of 11, now 5 of 12. I'm happy for the guy and hope he can string some together now because they need him and they need consistency, but he's still been objectively poor overall this year with his yo yo play. I don't know if you're actually arguing otherwise, implying they need to outscore it, or you're confident Forsberg will improve. They certainly can't waste the few good ones they get, like tonight, I'll give you that, but that doesn't negate the fact that he has below average backup numbers 2 years running and is now the starter, likely long term.

They need to generate more and score more 5on5, that's indisputable, but overcoming your starter posting numbers like .885% on the year is not reasonable, especially as a bubble team with numerous top 9 forward injuries. You need to be able to do it sometimes, like when your backup plays 1 in 3, but we need those numbers up from Forsy as much as the players need to generate more. My whole thing is that I think those 2 things directly affect each other and it becomes a cycle of misery. You're either losing from not scoring enough, not stopping enough, or both, but it's mostly losing when 1 of the 2 is almost guaranteed to be off every night.

I won't disagree about Forsberg's performance this season or last. He does need to be better, and while I can't predict the future, I think he will be.

But he won't be Ullmark. And probably not close.

So my point is that even with ..895-.900 goaltending from Forsberg (which I think is the realistic bar he needs to and can reach), this team isn't scoring enough to win.

Tonight we had a very good performance from him, on the road, against a division rival. We couldn't capitalize, because we couldn't score.

 

[Mingus Dew]

Yeah I have chronic pain and get injections in my neck, head, and all my back every few months. Had spine surgery when I was 30.

Sucks man. Hope you find some relief.

I know more than a few people in their early 30s that have back issues (including herniated discs). See it a lot with guys that deadlift and/or squat heavy (especially the former).

 

[Micklebot]

Forsberg was much better last night, and I am comfortable with Levi getting games, the longer we can give Ullmark to recover, the more likely he is to remain healthy and an impact player for us,

But.... I really don't trust Forsberg to repeat his performance, he's just been so inconsistent, which is exactly the opposite of what I want from a backup.

 

[Mingus Dew]

Forsberg was much better last night, and I am comfortable with Levi getting games, the longer we can give Ullmark to recover, the more likely he is to remain healthy and an impact player for us,

But.... I really don't trust Forsberg to repeat his performance, he's just been so inconsistent, which is exactly the opposite of what I want from a backup.

He played great last night and deserves some run I think.

Hopefully it's just a few weeks out for Ullmark.

 

[Micklebot]

He played great last night and deserves some run I think.

Hopefully it's just a few weeks out for Ullmark.

Yeah, I don't disagree, but he's given us so much reason to doubt him both this season and last that idk if him deserving some run is good for the team long term...

Wouldn't it be nice for once if our goalie didn't make us nervous.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

I won't disagree about Forsberg's performance this season or last. He does need to be better, and while I can't predict the future, I think he will be.

But he won't be Ullmark. And probably not close.

So my point is that even with ..895-.900 goaltending from Forsberg (which I think is the realistic bar he needs to and can reach), this team isn't scoring enough to win.

Tonight we had a very good performance from him, on the road, against a division rival. We couldn't capitalize, because we couldn't score.

I hope he's got it in him. I think we'd all be ecstatic if he can put up closer to .900 while Ullmark is out. Your confidence in him is higher than mine, but he did show he can be a lot better a few years ago.