Saginaw Spirit 2023-24 Season Thread (Part One)

[DWI Dale]

i agree. the soo outshot plenty of teams early this season and lost. some fans felt we got "goalie'd" where to me we dominated possession, but took low chance perimeter shots with no net front presence for screens, tips and rebounds. the addition of Frasca has really helped us in that department.

 

[Fischhaber]

I have to agree with kingpins assessment on shot totals. The banner cry for Spirit fans was we outshot them x to <y. I listen to road games and don't have a tv cable package, and was begining to question these shot totals. Remember, earlier in the season it was the common gripe amoung the coaching staff that the team was being too cute and not shooting enough.

I believe in the concept that if you don't shoot you can't score, but goal scoring chances and shot for shots sake are two different realities. Don't get me wrong, shots on net lead to rebounds, I am clear with that. The Sabres Richard Martin, "he only shot, when he had the puck" comes to mind. Were the Spirit night after night running into truely hot tenders or was the shot selection suspect. A bad shot taken in lieu of a pass and better scoring chance rings true.

Anyway, I appreciate his point on better shot grading and other aspects that detail dominance rather than just SOG.

I or course agree that the stats we have at the NHL level, which detail the types of shots that goalies are facing, would paint a far better picture of goaltending talent.

Those stats aren't available, so kingpin is on the side of GAA, while I support SV% as a better metric. I think GAA is too biased towards the quality of the team.

 

[Kingpin794]

I or course agree that the stats we have at the NHL level, which detail the types of shots that goalies are facing, would paint a far better picture of goaltending talent.

Those stats aren't available, so kingpin is on the side of GAA, while I support SV% as a better metric. I think GAA is too biased towards the quality of the team.

You’ve missed my point. I think both stats are biased towards the team. Context might make one stat more relevant than the other though and which one is more relevant is going to be wholly different from goalie to goalie.

 

[TonyB]

You’ve missed my point. I think both stats are biased towards the team. Context might make one stat more relevant than the other though and which one is more relevant is going to be wholly different from goalie to goalie.

Those advanced goalie stats are available on instat for the OHL. Each OHL team has access to them as do the scouts. The results would surprise you.

 

[HockeyPops]

Would love to hear the top 3 goalies in the league for GSAx

 

[Fischhaber]

Those advanced goalie stats are available on instat for the OHL. Each OHL team has access to them as do the scouts. The results would surprise you.

I don't doubt that. SV% is the best that we have for now, so I use it, but I agree with HockeyPops.

 

[Finster8]

I have to agree with kingpins assessment on shot totals. The banner cry for Spirit fans was we outshot them x to <y. I listen to road games and don't have a tv cable package, and was begining to question these shot totals. Remember, earlier in the season it was the common gripe amoung the coaching staff that the team was being too cute and not shooting enough.

I believe in the concept that if you don't shoot you can't score, but goal scoring chances and shot for shots sake are two different realities. Don't get me wrong, shots on net lead to rebounds, I am clear with that. The Sabres Richard Martin, "he only shot, when he had the puck" comes to mind. Were the Spirit night after night running into truely hot tenders or was the shot selection suspect. A bad shot taken in lieu of a pass and better scoring chance rings true.

Anyway, I appreciate his point on better shot grading and other aspects that detail dominance rather than just SOG.

Your reference to Richard Martin is right on. Playing on the French Connection gave him ample chances to shoot andRico did. He was my all-time favorite player and career ended with an injury. He only could have been 30. But a great analogy of a player who shot first.
I’d prefer shoot 1st then go for a tip , rebound, deflection then it is understood that you will shoot your line mates know what they have to do.
Thanks for the trip down 80% memory lane ,@swoopster.

 

[Kingpin794]

Really look forward to this kid coming in full time next season.

 

[SSMHoundsFan]

 

[bcspragu]

View attachment 849865

Very few Saginaw fans on here anymore. Most of them are on a Facebook group that’s a cesspool lol

 

[SSMHoundsFan]

Very few Saginaw fans on here anymore. Most of them are on a Facebook group that’s a cesspool lol

I've seen them, too bad they can't venture over here...

 

[Kingpin794]

I've seen them, too bad they can't venture over here...

Put it this way: Facebook very much fits a good portion of the age and demographics of the fan base.

 

[bcspragu]

I've seen them, too bad they can't venture over here...

Honestly a ghost town is better than that lol.

Honestly though hope the series goes well and whoever pulls out the W does so with no major injuries for the next round .

 

[twinsdad]

Very few Saginaw fans on here anymore. Most of them are on a Facebook group that’s a cesspool lol

Very little activity on this thread since Ivan Prosvetov moved on. And those weren't Spirit fans posting.

 

[bcspragu]

Very little activity on this thread since Ivan Prosvetov moved on. And those weren't Spirit fans posting.

Yeah Saginaw has is own board too which doesn’t help. This is a board for die hards imo and most the Americans on here skew NCAA heavy. Most of the Saginaw fan base is casual families but who are super into the games when they do go, just doesn’t translate to message board crowd

 

[Kingpin794]

Someone finally wins at home

 

[Fischhaber]

Someone finally wins at home

Credit to Andrew Oke, you're right anout his talent level. That was a masterclass in goaltending. Certainly the best performance of the 2024 OHL playoffs so far.

 

[Slap Shot Rick]

What happened at the end of the game to piss off the Greyhounds? They were out there mouthing off to the Spirit players and not wanting to go to the locker room. Credit Hache' for getting the Spirit players away from the nonsense and into the locker room.

 

[HockeyPops]

Allard talked of how the Spirit players “saluted us off the ice at the end of the game and we didn’t like it. They just waved us off. They poked the bear.”

Oke blanks Hounds in series opener - Soo Greyhounds

“We have some obvious things to clean up, but there were a lot of things we did exceptionally well.” - Head Coach, John Dean

chl.ca

 

[Kingpin794]

What happened at the end of the game to piss off the Greyhounds? They were out there mouthing off to the Spirit players and not wanting to go to the locker room. Credit Hache' for getting the Spirit players away from the nonsense and into the locker room.

Think this was just them trying to show that they don't intend to back down. I'm sure they'll come out with an attitude for game 2 so we'll have to stay sharp for that.

 

[Kingpin794]

Draft day! Rounds 1-3 today. 4-15 on Saturday. Have picks 19 and 60 today. Also have pick 70 in the top 100. Likely just BPA as we'll need to fill holes at all positions next year. Would prefer D though at 19. Make sure it's someone who will report but maybe they take a shot at Nyman if he's falls to us? Luca Blonda or Carter Hicks would be nice. Aidan O'Donnell is intriguing as well if they wanted to go F.

 

[swoopster]

I wouldn't be suprised in the least if we took an age demographic of Spirit posters here... I am 70.

To quote a Soo poster " We were out goalied "!

 

[donjohnson]

Maybe the Soo coach shouldn't ride the refs from the opening faceoff and they'd get some calls... If I've learned anything from coaching youth sports it's that refs aren't going to do you any favors if you're blasting them all the game. Lazary will get pissed if there's something egregious but other than that he just moves on.

I've also found it hilarious that throughout this year many other teams felt like Saginaw is getting all the calls...for 20+ years we've thought the league was out to get us and the calls always went against us... I think we deserve one year of favorable refs because I'm sure next year it will go back to the same old song and dance.

Of course it has nothing to do with the speed/skill/experience that we have on all 4 lines, it's just Hache's dad telling the refs not to call penalties on us.

Great game last night... Going to be another battle on Saturday and this series is far from over but I'm really glad we got the jump on them in Game 1.

 

[bcspragu]

Maybe the Soo coach shouldn't ride the refs from the opening faceoff and they'd get some calls... If I've learned anything from coaching youth sports it's that refs aren't going to do you any favors if you're blasting them all the game. Lazary will get pissed if there's something egregious but other than that he just moves on.

I've also found it hilarious that throughout this year many other teams felt like Saginaw is getting all the calls...for 20+ years we've thought the league was out to get us and the calls always went against us... I think we deserve one year of favorable refs because I'm sure next year it will go back to the same old song and dance.

Of course it has nothing to do with the speed/skill/experience that we have on all 4 lines, it's just Hache's dad telling the refs not to call penalties on us.

Great game last night... Going to be another battle on Saturday and this series is far from over but I'm really glad we got the jump on them in Game 1.

SSM brass and fans still mad losing the memorial cup to an American team. A lot of them just assumed it was their time and America shouldn’t host.

Saginaw 5th most penalized team. SSM 3rd least. Saginaw with 150 more pims. They still aren’t over Monette calling their women ugly so it must be the refs fault

 

[ohloutsider]

Maybe the Soo coach shouldn't ride the refs from the opening faceoff and they'd get some calls... If I've learned anything from coaching youth sports it's that refs aren't going to do you any favors if you're blasting them all the game. Lazary will get pissed if there's something egregious but other than that he just moves on.

I've also found it hilarious that throughout this year many other teams felt like Saginaw is getting all the calls...for 20+ years we've thought the league was out to get us and the calls always went against us... I think we deserve one year of favorable refs because I'm sure next year it will go back to the same old song and dance.

Of course it has nothing to do with the speed/skill/experience that we have on all 4 lines, it's just Hache's dad telling the refs not to call penalties on us.

Great game last night... Going to be another battle on Saturday and this series is far from over but I'm really glad we got the jump on them in Game 1.

I'm friends with a former ref and he said he loved it when fans chanted " ref you suck". He tried to call games fair but it made him lean over the edge a bit just to hear the chant again. Message- your hurting your team if your calling out the refs. Coach Dean should know that.