Recalled/Assigned: Hutchinson recalled from Marlies

[Superstar]

Some of you also forget that McStarter played lights out while Freddie was hurt last year and took us from a wildcard bubble team to battling Boston for second . Any other coach in the league would have rode the hot goalie till he faltered but not ours , he pushed his dinner date back in and we were barely a .500 team down the stretch then he was garbage in the playoffs . Short selective memories some of you have .

There's no doubt that we would have broken the 105 pt mark that we set last season if McBackup was still with the team. Folks think we are a worse team than last year with Tavares and part of the season with Muzzin, but forget that Sparks lost a bunch of games that McBackup would have won.

 

[rojac]

There's no doubt that we would have broken the 105 pt mark that we set last season if McBackup was still with the team. Folks think we are a worse team than last year with Tavares and part of the season with Muzzin, but forget that Sparks lost a bunch of games that McBackup would have won.

McElhinney’s been gone for seven months. Adjust and move on. And honestly, no one has any idea what he would have done if the Leafs had somehow held on him. It’s possible he would have been worse than Sparks. The idea that people think they know what would happen if something changed is absolutely ridiculous.

 

[Community]

McElhinney’s been gone for seven months. Adjust and move on. And honestly, no one has any idea what he would have done if the Leafs had somehow held on him. It’s possible he would have been worse than Sparks. The idea that people think they know what would happen if something changed is absolutely ridiculous.

Im not the poster you quoted, but the point he made is a fine one to make.


Since you dont like the hypothetical that was proposed regarding Mcelhinney (you are right that he COULD have been worse, but that is extremely unlikely), ill state it like this: If our backup goaltending was league average this year we would have most likely improved on our point totals.

 

[rojac]

Im not the poster you quoted, but the point he made is a fine one to make.


Since you dont like the hypothetical that was proposed regarding Mcelhinney (you are right that he COULD have been worse, but that is extremely unlikely), ill state it like this: If our backup goaltending was league average this year we would have most likely improved on our point totals.

That is correct, if you assume that having league average goaltending doesn’t cause other things to change. Your statement is just as hypothetical.

In any event, the season was what it was. Just let it go and hope that whatever decision they make about the back-up position for next year works out better.

 

[Superstar]

McElhinney’s been gone for seven months. Adjust and move on. And honestly, no one has any idea what he would have done if the Leafs had somehow held on him. It’s possible he would have been worse than Sparks. The idea that people think they know what would happen if something changed is absolutely ridiculous.

Who is not moving on?

No one has any idea? Yeah right, if you want to believe that. McBackup won 20 GAMES (he's 20-11-2) for the Hurricanes as their back-up...how many did Sparks win? Oh right, he's 8-9-1, which is laughable in comparison. The difference is 12 wins! If you prorate for games between the two, it's probably about 4 more wins, which breaks the previous franchise record for points from last year and we finish ahead of Boston. And Freddy would have gotten more rest down the stretch. The media and some fans were roasting the Leafs for being worse this year than last year, blaming the forwards, defense AND Babcock...let's fire Babcock they say...when one of the biggest issues was having Sparks as the back up.

 

[rojac]

Who is not moving on?

No one has any idea? Yeah right, if you want to believe that. McBackup won 20 GAMES (he's 20-11-2) for the Hurricanes as their back-up...how many did Sparks win? Oh right, he's 8-9-1, which is laughable in comparison. The difference is 12 wins! If you prorate for games between the two, it's probably about 4 more wins, which breaks the previous franchise record for points from last year and we finish ahead of Boston. And Freddy would have gotten more rest down the stretch. The media and some fans were roasting the Leafs for being worse this year than last year, blaming the forwards, defense AND Babcock...let's fire Babcock they say...when one of the biggest issues was having Sparks as the back up.

I guess it comes down to people’s world views. I believe that every minor decision could result in the world playing out differently. For example, whether I decided or not to respond to this post,

In my world view, every single decision affects how things play out. For example, whether you put your left or right sock on first could end up resulting in two very different worlds. The actual performances of Sparks and McElhinney are the result of many many decisions by many many people. So, just because their seasons played out one way in our reality, it does not mean that they play out the same way with even one minor change.

 

[cannucky]

I'm not getting into what might have happened this year I was just pointing out that once given the chance to play every night McStarter was much better last year than Andy was when he replaced when Andy came back and McStstarter was pushed out after clearly earning the job . Would we have beaten the Booins with McStarter ? Hard to say but he sure shut them down when he faced them .

 

[Le Cobra]

I guess it comes down to people’s world views. I believe that every minor decision could result in the world playing out differently. For example, whether I decided or not to respond to this post,

In my world view, every single decision affects how things play out. For example, whether you put your left or right sock on first could end up resulting in two very different worlds. The actual performances of Sparks and McElhinney are the result of many many decisions by many many people. So, just because their seasons played out one way in our reality, it does not mean that they play out the same way with even one minor change.

Sparks isn’t an NHL caliber goalie.

McElhinney is a great backup goalie possibly good enough to be a starter on most basement/struggling teams.

I’m a goalie and I can recognize Sparks’ lack of confidence and poor save selection, how he seems to panic on simple plays.

Whereas McElhinney exudes more confidence, he plays with something to prove, like he is trying to steal the starting position or at least play every game likeits his last. He is calm and his save selection is upper tier. Recall his save of the season when he robbed Sidney Crosby.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Sparks isn’t an NHL caliber goalie.

McElhinney is a great backup goalie possibly good enough to be a starter on most basement/struggling teams.

I’m a goalie and I can recognize Sparks’ lack of confidence and poor save selection, how he seems to panic on simple plays.

Whereas McElhinney exudes more confidence, he plays with something to prove, like he is trying to steal the starting position or at least play every game likeits his last. He is calm and his save selection is upper tier. Recall his save of the season when he robbed Sidney Crosby.

He's never been that good. Even when he was on the Leafs, he never looked that good.

I think people are quick to forget that McElhinney wasn't exactly as good as his numbers suggested. He provided a lot of nerve-wracking outings himself, and did not look like a goalie who should have had more than 15-20 games a season.

He's playing team which makes Mrazek look like a semi-respectable starter, which he has not shown since Detroit was a semi-respectable team 3 or 4 years ago. McElhinney has been up-and-down all season and with how inconsistent our defensive efforts have been (especially in front of Sparks), he could have easily been a sub .900 goalie. At the very least, he wouldn't be posting much better than Sparks (which he already isn't now).

Sparks was, and always will be, worth the risk. His play at the AHL level was spectacular and although he has not converted all of it in his first full season in the NHL, there is nothing stopping him from doing it. He has the technique and ability to be a great NHL goalie. That upside is always worth more than betting on an easily replaceable, 35 year old, often inconsistent and mediocre backup, regardless of what the numbers say.

Sparks need to adjust to the NHL level and let the mental game catch up to him. With a full season and a summer where he can focus on that adjustment more than outplaying other guys, I like the odds of him being able to make those mental adjustments (just like he was able to make them in the AHL). If he doesn't, then his contract expires and it's not hard to find a decent backup goalie for cheap until Woll/Scott are ready. Even if Sparks does well that may be the case, since we cannot afford him if he prices himself out.

Maybe for next year, the Leafs will trade Kaskisuo and keep Hutchinson on hand as a 3rd goalie so you can swap them if Sparks sucks.

 

[Loosie]

Really great read from Hutchinson about the birth of his daughter.

Maple Leafs’ Michael Hutchinson on baby daughter: ‘She has her mom’s eyes’ - Sportsnet.ca

Also Muzzin's wife is also expecting.