Half-Assed GDT: STL @ DAL

[Linkens Mastery]

Barbie is 5 points away from his career high.

 

[i aint Dunn yet]

How is Husso the odd man out? Dude is rocking a 2.46 GAA and a .927 save%

God we sour on our goalies too fast.

i know ... count me in that boat .... ... husso aint going nowhere

 

[Louie the Blue]

Given the high quality of netminding we’re getting and the sudden abundance of options, unless something goes south, Husso is the odd man out. That can easily change.

I think Binny/Lindy is an epic tandem waiting to happen.

Husso isn’t going anywhere.

He’s played well this season and Armstrong spent years of hyping him up to be the goalie of the future.

 

[Celtic Note]

It seemed like Krug had a pretty good game from my limited viewing. I saw him assertively move the puck out of danger and get some offense generating. Did I just catch the right parts of the game or did he perform well the whole time?

Faulk looked like a #1 D last night and Parayko was the guy we are clamoring to see.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

It seemed like Krug had a pretty good game from my limited viewing. I saw him assertively move the puck out of danger and get some offense generating. Did I just catch the right parts of the game or did he perform well the whole time?

Faulk looked like a #1 D last night and Parayko was the guy we are clamoring to see.

Krug had a couple bad passes/giveaways that Faulk was able to get back in time to defend against, but, overall he did fine.

 

[execwrite1]

To be fair to Lindgren, he's been on some pretty pathetic teams since turning pro. The Canadiens have only ever made the playoffs once while he was a backup, and that was a round robin playoff berth. Laval Rocket were also extremely terrible while he was down in the AHL, never finishing higher than 6th in their division. Most of the goalies in that organization have played mediocre when looking at sv% and gaa. On a few occasions, someone goes on a run for like 10 ish games and has a really good gaa. This seems like another Brian Elliott situation where Lindgren performs super well when he has a competent team to back him up. Obviously isn't going to out duel Price 9/10 times one on one, but he could definitely hold his own if it were the Canadiens playing the Blues. I think he's somewhere in the middle of his career stats, probably close to a .912-.915 sv% and 2.6-2.8 gaa kind of guy. Definitely a serviceable backup but not quite a starter.

Interesting to ponder - what if Lindgren had been given the chance that Binnington got for the Cup run?

Sports is funny that way - takes luck sometimes (and perseverance) to get the opportunity of a lifetime.

 

[BlueDream]

One positive thing is we can be patient with our injured guys. Husso won’t lose his spot but the team definitely won’t be rushing him back, with the way Lindgren is playing. He can take his time resting, and I would even rest Binnington as just being the backup on Friday. Keep riding Lindgren until he cools off.

Same for the forwards. Would be nice to get Kyrou back soon to replace Peca, but the guys on IR like Schenn, Perron and Thomas need to rest up to make sure they’re 100%. The Springfield guys are getting the job done and we’ll see who really grabs hold of a spot to make future roster decisions tough on management.

 

[Zezel’s Pretzels]

I'm happy for all three of them - Binner, Husso, and Lindgren. They've all played their way into long-term NHL relevance over the last few years.

It's a great problem to have. Either Husso or Lindgren could become a valuable trade chip with the confidence that either of them look like quite competent NHL backups. Whichever one could be packaged in the right deal or returns a draft pick that could restock the cupboard in other areas, that's gravy.

 

[Zezel’s Pretzels]

While the Blues roster has been hit exceptionally hard with Covid and injuries, it's an NHL wide theme, obviously. Most nights have seen key players missing from both teams' lineups. The conclusion I draw from this - Army and the Blues organization are lapping other organizations in terms of creating depth.

 

[TheOrganist]

This is Berube in his domain. Getting the most out of ragtag, depleted group. He's similar to Hitchcock in that regard.

I'm not one to continuously rip Krug but he looks to be really lacking confidence on his side of center. Parayko & Faulk were studs last night.

 

[Moose and Squirrel]

It seemed like Krug had a pretty good game from my limited viewing. I saw him assertively move the puck out of danger and get some offense generating. Did I just catch the right parts of the game or did he perform well the whole time?

Faulk looked like a #1 D last night and Parayko was the guy we are clamoring to see.

but but.. I read right here we didn't miss Faulk while he was out

 

[TheDizee]

This is Berube in his domain. Getting the most out of ragtag, depleted group. He's similar to Hitchcock in that regard.

I'm not one to continuously rip Krug but he looks to be really lacking confidence on his side of center. Parayko & Faulk were studs last night.

call ups = play berube hockey
goalies all getting hurt = team realized they need to defend and check to be able to pull out points during this stretch

as i said, the league not canceling our games for getting covid and then all the other injuries could be a blessing in disguise down the road. got them to get back to playing the type of hockey that won them a cup.

 

[ItsOnlytheRiver]

Why do people keep insinuating the league should have shut the Blues down? We’ve had someone on the Covid list almost all season. Should we have just cancelled 90% of our games to this point?

 

[Stealth JD]

Blues could go all-in on skaters and trade Binny's salary, and run with a goaltending duo that makes under $2M combined. Just imagine a $80M in skaters, and the remaining on goalers. I don't endorse this plan, but it seems like a move someone in analytics could defend, especially if the incremental spend on the team in front of the goalie ends up making the goalie look stronger as a result.

 

[Honeycutt]

This team is well coached and well led. As long as injuries/covid don't derail the our season we will be watching hockey in june.

 

[Brian39]

It has been a great couple weeks to be a Blues fan. Facing overwhelmingly difficult circumstances, this team has taken points in 9 of the last 10, which includes the current 6 game point streak. This has been incredibly fun to watch and the OT winner vs Florida after Husso went down was probably my favorite moment at the Enterprise Center so far this year. The fact that 4 different goalies have earned the team points in that stretch is insane.

With all that said, we aren't close to a goalie controversy. Goalies get hot in small sample sizes. It is the nature of the position and I fully and truly believe that there are 200 goalies in the world that are capable of looking like an elite NHL goalie for a week or two if you catch them at their absolute best. The things that separate legit NHL guys from guys struggling to stay in the AHL are how often you get their best and the gap between their best, their average, and their worst.

Scott Wedgewood posted a .941 through his first 3 starts (and 1 relief appearance) with the Coyotes this year. He had another 2 good games after that, posting a .913 and a .971 to put him at a .940 in his first 323 minutes with the franchise. He's been an .881 in the 295 minutes since.

Dustin Tokarski put up a .936 in his first 3 starts for Buffalo this year. He's .894 since.

Stuart Skinner had a 3 game stretch where he went .961 and only allowed 3 total goals. He's allowed 3+ goals in each of his 5 other NHL games this year.

Brian Boucher holds the modern NHL record for a shutout streak at 332 minutes. He finished with a .906 that year and over the next 2 seasons bounced around between 4 NHL teams (along with a brief AHL stint).

This post isn't a knock on Lindgren. he's playing great and he should continue getting chances to prove that he's not a fluke. Enjoy the ride. It has been awesome for the last week and I sincerely hope it continues. We've heard nothing about Husso and he got hurt on a non-contact lateral movement. That usually means (at least) several weeks on the shelf, so I expect Lindgren to keep getting some time while Binner comes out of COVID protocol. But you just don't start even considering any permanent goalie decisions based on a good AHL start and 186 NHL minutes.

Interesting to ponder - what if Lindgren had been given the chance that Binnington got for the Cup run?

Sports is funny that way - takes luck sometimes (and perseverance) to get the opportunity of a lifetime.

Binner earned that opportunity. He played 38 AHL games at a .926 over the 12+ months leading up to his call up. He was absolutely fortunate given the performance of players ahead of him on the depth chart, but he did everything a goalie can do to demonstrate his ability for an extended period of time. In 2019, I can say with confidence that Lindgren would have squandered that opportunity. He was in the midst of a 3 year stretch of posting sub-.900 goaltending in the AHL that saw his goalie partner outperform him each year. He had a .902 NHL SV% through 21 starts in that stretch. His on-ice performance was substantially worse than Binner's in both the AHL and NHL at the time of that opportunity. I can say with full certainty that we don't win the Cup if Lindgren had been the call up in 2018/19. That doesn't mean that he can't ever become and NHL goalie. He may have honed his game into something real and sustainable since then. But Binner's ascendance while Lindgren toiled in obscurity was about a hell of a lot more than good fortune. I have passionately argued here that the Blues weren't mistaken to have not given Binner a shot earlier in his career. He wasn't good enough early in his career. But he dedicated himself to hockey, improved his game and had earned the call up by the time it came. Good fortune is usually a part of success in sports, but it takes more than that.

 

[Robb_K]

That should have never been a goal in the first place. Peca clearly kicked it.

Well...."clearly" from MY perspective.

He clearly turned his skate's heel area into the puck, on an angle that would send it into the open portion of the net, when if he HADN'T flicked his heel, changing the angle, the puck would have been sent on a straighter trajectory more towards the goalie, who would have been a lot more likely to stop it. So, in my opinion, the goal shouldn't have counted in any case. The call of "good goal" should only apply, IF the puck was propelled back towards the goal only by the forward momentum of the skater's movement towards the net, with no change in direction or separate effort by the skater to direct it at a specific trajectory. It was obvious that the tweek of the skate's heel re-directed the puck towards its ideal landing place.

 

[Robb_K]

I'm happy for all three of them - Binner, Husso, and Lindgren. They've all played their way into long-term NHL relevance over the last few years.

It's a great problem to have. Either Husso or Lindgren could become a valuable trade chip with the confidence that either of them look like quite competent NHL backups. Whichever one could be packaged in the right deal or returns a draft pick that could restock the cupboard in other areas, that's gravy.

One could also be included in a packaged trade with Scandella + for a high-quality LD.

 

[BlueSeal]

Husso isn’t going anywhere.

He’s played well this season and Armstrong spent years of hyping him up to be the goalie of the future.

The same way people are jumping up to defend Husso is exactly how it went with Jake Allen and many upon many people claimed the same and backed him like this.

Look how that went. One rookie call up and months later we’re hoisting the Cup.

Im not saying we’ll get rid of Husso but we’re also not going to bench or send down a call up that’s rocking ~2 GAA and ~.950.

I’m pretty sure Husso will get another chance but right now it’s Lindy’s job to lose.

Husso possibly being the odd man out is a NICE problem to have.

 

[Brian39]

The same way people are jumping up to defend Husso is exactly how it went with Jake Allen and many upon many people claimed the same and backed him like this.

Look how that went. One rookie call up and months later we’re hoisting the Cup.

Im not saying we’ll get rid of Husso but we’re also not going to bench or send down a call up that’s rocking ~2 GAA and ~.950.

I’m pretty sure Husso will get another chance but right now it’s Charlie’s job to lose.

Husso possibly being the odd man out is a NICE problem to have.

Husso has a .927 through 7 games this year. There is absolutely no need for anyone to defend or "back" his game.

Personally, I think it is ludicrous to believe that any organizational decision is being made based on less than 200 minutes of play. There is next to no chance that the team would put Husso on waivers tomorrow in favor of Lindgren if Husso were magically healed and ready to go. NHL GMs don't change their depth chart based on 3 game samples. Husso is very obviously more than day-to-day, so Lindgren is going to get a chance to build that resume. But we are a long way away from rearranging the depth chart.

 

[ItsOnlytheRiver]

The same way people are jumping up to defend Husso is exactly how it went with Jake Allen and many upon many people claimed the same and backed him like this.

Look how that went. One rookie call up and months later we’re hoisting the Cup.

Im not saying we’ll get rid of Husso but we’re also not going to bench or send down a call up that’s rocking ~2 GAA and ~.950.

I’m pretty sure Husso will get another chance but right now it’s Lindy’s job to lose.

Husso possibly being the odd man out is a NICE problem to have.

Holy over-reaction Batman. The guy has played 3 games.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

He clearly turned his skate's heel area into the puck, on an angle that would send it into the open portion of the net, when if he HADN'T flicked his heel, changing the angle, the puck would have been sent on a straighter trajectory more towards the goalie, who would have been a lot more likely to stop it. So, in my opinion, the goal shouldn't have counted in any case. The call of "good goal" should only apply, IF the puck was propelled back towards the goal only by the forward momentum of the skater's movement towards the net, with no change in direction or separate effort by the skater to direct it at a specific trajectory. It was obvious that the tweek of the skate's heel re-directed the puck towards its ideal landing place.

Perhaps “clearly kicked it” are poor choices of words, but clear kicking motion may be more appropriate.

 

[Mike Liut]

Keep playing Lindy and maybe we can trade him for something once Husso is back. I heard Lindy isn’t eligible to send down without clearing waivers.

 

[Louie the Blue]

The same way people are jumping up to defend Husso is exactly how it went with Jake Allen and many upon many people claimed the same and backed him like this.

Look how that went. One rookie call up and months later we’re hoisting the Cup.

Im not saying we’ll get rid of Husso but we’re also not going to bench or send down a call up that’s rocking ~2 GAA and ~.950.

I’m pretty sure Husso will get another chance but right now it’s Lindy’s job to lose.

Husso possibly being the odd man out is a NICE problem to have.

I’m just telling you how I view it to be.

Armstrong/org have invested so much time and resources into Husso that they aren’t going to cut bait, similar to Allen.

Husso is also playing phenomenal this season, similar to the spurts Allen had earlier in his career.

Lindgren is nice to have, but he’s JAG. Husso is probably a best case scenario tandem goalie.

Binnington’s call up was because Allen and Johnson were playing like garbage and Husso’s development was stunted. That isn’t the case currently.

And this isn’t a competition like Bishop and Elliott.

 

[Majorityof1]

It has been a great couple weeks to be a Blues fan. Facing overwhelmingly difficult circumstances, this team has taken points in 9 of the last 10, which includes the current 6 game point streak. This has been incredibly fun to watch and the OT winner vs Florida after Husso went down was probably my favorite moment at the Enterprise Center so far this year. The fact that 4 different goalies have earned the team points in that stretch is insane.

With all that said, we aren't close to a goalie controversy. Goalies get hot in small sample sizes. It is the nature of the position and I fully and truly believe that there are 200 goalies in the world that are capable of looking like an elite NHL goalie for a week or two if you catch them at their absolute best. The things that separate legit NHL guys from guys struggling to stay in the AHL are how often you get their best and the gap between their best, their average, and their worst.

Scott Wedgewood posted a .941 through his first 3 starts (and 1 relief appearance) with the Coyotes this year. He had another 2 good games after that, posting a .913 and a .971 to put him at a .940 in his first 323 minutes with the franchise. He's been an .881 in the 295 minutes since.

Dustin Tokarski put up a .936 in his first 3 starts for Buffalo this year. He's .894 since.

Stuart Skinner had a 3 game stretch where he went .961 and only allowed 3 total goals. He's allowed 3+ goals in each of his 5 other NHL games this year.

This post isn't a knock on Lindgren. he's playing great and he should continue getting chances to prove that he's not a fluke. Enjoy the ride. It has been awesome for the last week and I sincerely hope it continues. We've heard nothing about Husso and he got hurt on a non-contact lateral movement. That usually means (at least) several weeks on the shelf, so I expect Lindgren to keep getting some time while Binner comes out of COVID protocol. But you just don't start even considering any permanent goalie decisions based on a good AHL start and 186 NHL minutes.



Binner earned that opportunity. He played 38 AHL games at a .926 over the 12+ months leading up to his call up. He was absolutely fortunate given the performance of players ahead of him on the depth chart, but he did everything a goalie can do to demonstrate his ability for an extended period of time. In 2019, I can say with confidence that Lindgren would have squandered that opportunity. He was in the midst of a 3 year stretch of posting sub-.900 goaltending in the AHL that saw his goalie partner outperform him each year. He had a .902 NHL SV% through 21 starts in that stretch. His on-ice performance was substantially worse than Binner's in both the AHL and NHL at the time of that opportunity. I can say with full certainty that we don't win the Cup if Lindgren had been the call up in 2018/19. That doesn't mean that he can't ever become and NHL goalie. He may have honed his game into something real and sustainable since then. But Binner's ascendance while Lindgren toiled in obscurity was about a hell of a lot more than good fortune. I have passionately argued here that the Blues weren't mistaken to have not given Binner a shot earlier in his career. He wasn't good enough early in his career. But he dedicated himself to hockey, improved his game and had earned the call up by the time it came. Good fortune is usually a part of success in sports, but it takes more than that.

It is not only that Lindgren is playing hot right now, but also that team's do not have much scouting footage of him. Scouting reports on goalies are very important for shooters. Does the goalie cheat to one side? Shoot to the other. Is he slow to the butterfly? Go low. Fast to it? Aim high. Is his glove good? Stick side. Does he have a tendency to give up rebounds? Shoot for his pads. Does he bite on moves to the backhand? Deke, deke, deke. If you know the weakness, you know where to shoot. No team has the resources to scout AHL goalies on the off chance they get called up. Now that he is playing, coaches and scouts are going to be digging through footage of him. So fairly soon, teams will start shooting where he is showing weaknesses far more often. If he can sustain his hot streak through that, we might be a lot closer to a goalie controversy.