Speculation: Is it the end for Howard?

[Gniwder]

Vs Carolina?

Goal 1: Slavin with a nice pass to Svechnikov who is open in the slot and buries it. Alright, Jimmy a little slow recognizing the pass, but it was so subtle and well done by Slavin. He sold it as a deke/shot and instead sent it to Svech in the open. Okay, maybe a better goalie wouldn't have been fooled by that.
Goal 2: Green takes down Foegle who interferes with Howard. Puck goes in cause Howard can't find puck/get back into position. Who we blaming here, Howard or Green for sending the guy into him? Keep in mind Blashill challenged this play and lost. Maybe even blame the Zebras, but I know what colour I am blaming.
Goal 3: Carolina on the PP, Nino just banging at the puck in front, eventually goes 5 hole and squeeks through. Alright, I can see how Jimmy shoulda had that.
Goal 4: After turnover in neutral zone Carolina on the rush. Perlini sticks with puck carrier (he already beat 2 Wings on the blue line), Hicketts positions himself between puck carrier and net. Leaving Necas all alone. Note that Howard is squared up with the potential shooter. Howard does seem a little slow reacting to the pass. Maybe a younger more agile goalie gets that. Maybe.

Goal 5: Initial shot misses net, bounces to the side of the net. Howard slow sliding across to cover the post as the Carolina player puts the puck into empty side.

Not Jimmy's best game.

Goal 2 is on Howard for trying to cover the puck with the back of his glove instead of smothering it. Show me another pro goalie that tries to cover the puck with the wrong side of the glove?

Goal 5 is also on Howard, if the puck goes to the side he should be covering the post. At least he didn't do a Bernie and skate out of the net to chase the puck. I don't understand why neither of the goalies know how to cover the post.

Anyways, that is the problem, both games there are a couple of backbreaking goals, allowing 4 or 5 goals per game is just not acceptable. I don't expect the team to win a lot of games this season, but getting blown out every game is bad for player development and team morale.

Watching the replays, it's obvious that the players are either chasing the puck or trying to play goalie, allowing opponents to be wide open. That's what happens when players lose confidence in their own temmates and try to do someone else's job while ignoring their own resposibilities. The team needs a goalie they have faith in, so they can cover guys and play a system. (OMG, that Daley-Bowey pair is horrendous in any case.)

With the lack of scoring, the goalie has to make a few ridiculous saves for this team to win any games. Bernie had a couple against Boston, otherwise that game would have gone to OT.

 

[SoupNazi]

He has no trade value and would Stevie actually send him to GR?

Yes. I think sending him to GR would be less strange than sending Ericcson.

 

[DetroitRed]

I wouldn't be surprised if Howard has a bit of a comeback this season. We've seen his play go through fluctuations in the past, and the same can be said for most players. Notwithstanding, Howard is about at retirement age for a goalie and I think the contract they agreed to reflects that. His retirement is a reality that the Wings and he both know has to be faced soon. There's almost no question that this very likely is about it for his career as an NHL player.

Not to derail this thread but I'm hoping that the Wings weren't a bit too optimistic about the goal-tending situation, especially as it relates to Howard's age and the draft. I might have burned a second-round or third-round pick on an elite goalie prospect when we had extra picks in those rounds, in one of the last few drafts. They might have to look into paying big bucks to a free-agent goalie.

 

[MBH]

Howard's play tends to start hot and get worse in the second half.
It was a constant theme on his six year contract.
His post Dec. 1 save percentage was worse EVERY SINGLE YEAR of his contract.

 

[wingerdinger]

I hope we're taking a look at Christoffer Rifalk he's having a really good start in the SHL and is still just 23. Rather take a relative cheap chance on him then blow our collective load on a free agent.

 

[Henkka]

Am I the only one who does not have a problem with how Jimmy is playing?

Sure, put another goalie in net, but it won't necessarily make things better.

Are the goals against the fault of goaltending or errors upon the skaters in front of him?

Agree with you. Both goalies have been equally bad, any many goals are just results of bad defensive lapses. DeKeyser would be desperately needed.

 

[Ghost of Ethan Hunt]

Per Dobber: we're letting Bernier down.

Eastern Edge: Six important facts from this season | DobberHockey – Fantasy NHL Projections and Analysis

 

[RedMenace]

Next season I'd shoot hard for Halak, and let Larsson challenge Bern for the backup spot.

Agree with you. Both goalies have been equally bad, any many goals are just results of bad defensive lapses. DeKeyser would be desperately needed.

They may be both equally bad stat-wise, but I'd take Bernier over Howard at this point 10 out of 9 times.

Howard seems like he's lost all interest and drive to win a game. f*** the "tank," I guarantee not a single player on the Red Wings wants to lose a game; at this point, Bernier, regardless of past performance, gives the Wings the best chance to win.

 

[Henkka]

They may be both equally bad stat-wise, but I'd take Bernier over Howard at this point 10 out of 9 times.

Howard seems like he's lost all interest and drive to win a game. **** the "tank," I guarantee not a single player on the Red Wings wants to lose a game; at this point, Bernier, regardless of past performance, gives the Wings the best chance to win.

I don't see any difference, because I'm just not biased for either. Bernier makes one horrible mistake in every game just like Howard. Somehow it seems that those mistakes aren't noticed at this season, but every Howard mistake is noticed.

Both have been losing goalies on the long run (Bernier a little bit worse), and there's no miraclous changes happening for either on the old age.

 

[RedMenace]

I don't see any difference, because I'm just not biased for either. Bernier makes one horrible mistake in every game just like Howard. Somehow it seems that those mistakes aren't noticed at this season, but every Howard mistake is noticed.

Both have been losing goalies on the long run (Bernier a little bit worse), and there's no miraclous changes happening for either on the old age.

I agree completely. I think Howard's mistakes are magnified because he's supposed to be the high(er)-paid starter, and was pumped up for so long. Bernier came in as a known quantity: A mediocre-to-decent backup with a penchant for giving up some shit goals.

Howard, however, has lost that loving feeling. His head isn't in the game, and his aging body isn't doing him any favors.

 

[Mister Ed]

Bernier gets another start it seems, Howard has lost the coach's confidence.

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

Trade him to Edmonton for Pulijvr *cant spell that*

 

[Reddwit]

Per Dobber: we're letting Bernier down.

Eastern Edge: Six important facts from this season | DobberHockey – Fantasy NHL Projections and Analysis

View attachment 276507

Looks like the opposite conclusion of the data you posted.

It’s a well-established fact that goaltending is one of the most unpredictable aspects of fantasy hockey. Coming into this season, not many could have foreseen the success of Edmonton’s goaltending tandem and the struggles of Andrei Vasilevskiy. A goalie’s performance is very much linked to the team in front of them. A stat like Expected Goals Against takes into consideration the quality of shots a goalie is facing and determines how many goals they should have conceded. Goals Saved Above Average (GSAA) tells us how a goalie is performing compared to the average netminder in the league. A negative value indicates that they’re underperforming while a positive value indicates they’re outperforming expectations.

Bernier is -5.06 in "GSAA."

 

[Gniwder]

Another crappy game by Howard, all 3 goals his fault.

 

[NotLeddy]

Another crappy game by Howard, all 3 goals his fault.

The only goal I think was his fault was Vlasic's.

 

[Gniwder]

The only goal I think was his fault was Vlasic's.

First goal he thought he had it covered when he didn't.

He wasn't screened on Karlsson's goal, the behind the net camera angle showed he saw it coming, and his body movement indicated that he saw it.

Last goal was flat out weak.

Not going to judge him on the SO, if the team can't get a goal, they're not going to win with any goalie.

 

[14ari13]

The only goal I think was his fault was Vlasic's.

All 4 goals were stoppable.

Vlasic's and Karlsson's goals were embarrassing. The first goal was not his fault but he had no idea where the puck was.
His confidence is real low.

It is a pity. I thought his first 2 seasons he was our MVP

 

[Oddbob]

The Karlsson PP goal was a goal lots of NHL goalies let in, with traffic in front and the goalie trying to make a save through it. People on the internet way over-do how bad a lot of players are really playing. Didn't watch last nights game and not saying Howard played well or anything, but that goal was not a terrible goal to let in.

 

[Reddwit]

Nothing against Howard personally but god damn I am not going to miss watching him play. It’s not even his actual skill per se but his body language always said to me “I’m probably going to f*** this up any minute now.” Even when he was in the zone with one of his dominant stretches, it didn’t just feel like he could fall back to earth at any minute like most guys - it felt like he could disintegrate spontaneously.

In general, I look forward to a day when the question isn’t how many stoppable goals our goaltenders let in, but if they did.

 

[ChrisReevesLegs]

You like to think the Wings fanbase is different. More elite. More refined. Maybe this is the fault of my own hubris....

As soon as we suck:
> Blame coach
> Blame goalie

Ahhhh the fact that we are no different than the rest of the league is revealed...

 

[GreatGordie9]

Jimmy is either very good or goes in the tank. Two bad goals last night.

 

[Gniwder]

You like to think the Wings fanbase is different. More elite. More refined. Maybe this is the fault of my own hubris....

As soon as we suck:
> Blame coach
> Blame goalie

Ahhhh the fact that we are no different than the rest of the league is revealed...

Well, there are reasons to blame both. Howard sucked last night, that game was a win with an average NHL goalie. He didn't even face a lot of shots.

… and if a goalie sucks and the coach insists on starting him, then it's the coach's fault as well. Bernie is playing better than Howie now, there's no reason to start Howie unless it's back to back games.

Defense was actually better than expected last night because the team played to a system instead of puck chasing. I'll give Blash some credit for that. (Oddly it was SJ that did a lot of puck chasing, look at the Hirose goal, that's really inexcusable to leave a guy that wide open in the NHL.)

 

[ChrisReevesLegs]

Well, there are reasons to blame both. Howard sucked last night, that game was a win with an average NHL goalie. He didn't even face a lot of shots.

… and if a goalie sucks and the coach insists on starting him, then it's the coach's fault as well. Bernie is playing better than Howie now, there's no reason to start Howie unless it's back to back games.

Defense was actually better than expected last night because the team played to a system instead of puck chasing. I'll give Blash some credit for that. (Oddly it was SJ that did a lot of puck chasing, look at the Hirose goal, that's really inexcusable to leave a guy that wide open in the NHL.)

Howard and Blash have been exactly the same as they always have. If you're suddenly realizing you dont like them, that's more a symptom of the team as a whole then them as individuals.

Coaches and goalies are always the first blamed. It's rather cliche.

 

[Gniwder]

Howard and Blash have been exactly the same as they always have. If you're suddenly realizing you dont like them, that's more a symptom of the team as a whole then them as individuals.

Coaches and goalies are always the first blamed. It's rather cliche.

Blash is Blash, but Howard is playing worse this year. Age will do that to athletes.

 

[ChrisReevesLegs]

Blash is Blash, but Howard is playing worse this year. Age will do that to athletes.

I mean you're right. Howard is playing worse this year. It also only 11 games in for him tthough. I'm not really interested in writing him off that quickly, but lords knows Wings fans have been chomping at the bit to do that for like 10 seasons now, and here's the opportunity so I'm kinda not surprised. Betcha he levels out and is pretty acceptably average most of the year...