The problem starts with.....goaltending

[Sportsfan1]

Now they are FAR from the only reason we are losing right now, but look at their sv %, GAA and watch the eye test and Backstrom continues to fail so miserably I'm so sick of him. He's the guy I'd be shoppingly for anything desperately. It's not just that he gives up the bad goals, it's when he does. Tonight there is NO excuse for letting Burrows weak shot on the backhand off into a rebound in the slot for the Sedin sister. In Phoenix there is NO excuse for the Hanzal eventual game winner and that rebound. There are only two games where Backs hasn't given up terrible rebounds and that has been Chicago of which he came in cold and Anahiem of which he had no chance on those goals. All the other games he has AT best been average.

And i'm sorry Harding for you personally, but you sir have been equally no better and for years now rightly or wrongly have failed every chance to become a starter in this league.

I am telling you right now this team does not become a true playoff contender until it solidifies itself (like all the great teams do) from the nets on out, and we won't see that happening until at the earliest Hackett and Kuemper get their shots hopefully no later then next year, and I personally still hope earlier.

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[TaLoN]

I will say... goaltending isn't THE problem... but the team's goaltending certainly isn't helping either.

 

[AKL]

The problem is a mixture of the fact that we can't score, and the goalies can't keep a puck out of the net. However, if Backstrom starts next game, I'll be pissed.

 

[Avder]

Backstrom is just god awful this year. I don't know if there's some kind of physical problem he's having or if he just let himself go completely during the lockout, but he goes down and he goes down hard and he takes forever to get back up and get back into position. I have no idea why he keeps getting starts this year. I'm baffled by it.

Harding has actually looked a lot better than Backstrom has except for his bad start a few games ago.

 

[Gaps]

It's just a part of the problem. Not a good night for Bäckström, but when you only score one goal, you can't blame him for the loss.

 

[TaLoN]

Backstrom is just god awful this year. I don't know if there's some kind of physical problem he's having or if he just let himself go completely during the lockout, but he goes down and he goes down hard and he takes forever to get back up and get back into position. I have no idea why he keeps getting starts this year. I'm baffled by it.

Harding has actually looked a lot better than Backstrom has except for his bad start a few games ago.

That's actually something he's done for quite some time that I've always complained about, but the team generally played better in front of him in terms of clearing rebounds and not making SUCH egregious errors as they have made so often this year that they were able to get by for the most part.

Now with the team playing oh so poorly in front of him he's been exposed even more. IMO he's NEVER been worth his contract that DR signed him to.

 

[THEALLKNOWING*]

Age has caught up to both Backstrom and Heatley. With respect to the goalie, when Hackett was brought up last year, it became obvious how slow Backstrom is by comparison. While not the only problem with the team, our current tandem seem to give- up 1-2 bad goals per game. On a team that can't score 1-2 goals per game in front of them, so that means losses.

 

[melinko]

Last year Backstrom played the same but the team was significantly better at clearing them, pucks would sit in front of open nets and we would constantly poke them into the corner.

I know our defense gets a bunch of flak and most of it is deserved but one area they are good(at least better than previous teams) is getting the puck out quick and to open players in front of the net.

We never do anything with it though, we often have Brodin or Gilbert toss a puck out to a wide open man in front of our net just to have to slowly skate to the red line and dump it in, then we have a slow forecheck that always gets to the puck second.

These should end up as 3 on 2's more often but they always end up with us just chasing the puck around.

The only thing that gets us zone entry with open space are Suter passes to Brodin breaking in the zone.

 

[AJ Thelen]

Bring over Gustafsson.

WIN

 

[SPMaximus]

Bring over Gustafsson.

WIN

has anyone seen him play? is he good?

looks like he is tearing it up in Sweden

 

[Opado]

So now it is Backy's fault... first it was second line, Cullen most of it. Then Granny, then Heater and after that Koivu. Some say it is Yeo and other thinks it's Fletchers fault. Oh and in one point it was terrible D we have. So if you think of it... the team sucks?

This ain't about one or two players. The team have no solid core. Backy is a good goalie, not top 5 but still solid. Pouring resent losses on Backy is just lame, or in eany other player.

 

[Haite]

has anyone seen him play? is he good?

looks like he is tearing it up in Sweden

Haven't seen him play so can't really tell, but I've heard Luleå plays very solid team defense, which might bolster his stats to some extent. For example, their back-up has 93.33 SVS%, 1.55 GAA in 17 games as opposed to Gustafsson's 93.25 SVS%, 1.65 GAA in 29 games.

 

[Opado]

So now it is Backy's fault... first it was second line, Cullen most of it. Then Granny, then Heater and after that Koivu. Some say it is Yeo and other thinks it's Fletchers fault. Oh and in one point it was terrible D we have. So if you think of it... the team sucks?

This ain't about one or two players. The team have no solid core. Backy is a good goalie, not top 5 but still solid. Pouring resent losses on Backy is just lame, or in eany other player.

 

[Kaptain]

Eh. Backstrom isn't good, but I think we could still win with him if we had the ability to score, or if we had a good D.
Harding is garbage, and was last year, too.

 

[DeuceMN]

Backs is getting slower, and it is becoming more obvious. He still has pretty good positioning, so that is not my main concern with him yet at least.

My main concern with Backs this year is that his rebound control is just awful. A pro goalie cannot be letting rebounds go directly to an opposing player the way he has consistently done this year. He is also letting out more rebounds, rather than absorbing the shot, especially at some crucial moments.

Let's be honest here, he has been a decent goalie for us, but he's no Brodeur, and it looks as if age is catching up with him.

 

[GrumpyKelly]

Goaltending is far from being the biggest problem on this team, doesn´t matter if it´s Harding or Backs in the net. Maybe they are not elite but you don´t need elite goaltending to win in this league.

How about fixing the defense and actually the whole team infront of the goalies first. I don´t even know what style of hockey this team is supposed to play, it´s so messed up at times.

 

[TaLoN]

I will say... goaltending isn't THE problem... but the team's goaltending certainly isn't helping either.

Just to reiterate my position. No, goaltending isn't THE problem, but it's not helping.

 

[JamesRanger]

Backstrom did not give his team a chance to win last night. He doubled the Canucks shot totals by giving up a juicy rebound on nearly every shot. I don't expect him to play that bad every night but that game was on him.

I expect our cold shooting to turn around. I'm not so sure about Backstrom.

 

[rynryn]

they're getting a lot of tips and screened shots on everyone, Harding included.

 

[Granlund 64]

Backstrom looked like he was fighting it a bit last night. The first goal looked as though he thought he had it and stopped moving; the puck squeezed out of his pads and Sedin had a wide open net to play with.

I will say that our defense hasn't been doing our goalies any favors either. Stoner passed the puck right to Vancouver for the third goal and then Scandella/Falk allowed Hansen in behind them for a breakaway goal.

 

[GORGO]

From a team Standpoint.. In a Nutshell...You can't make Chicken Salad out of Chicken S.....IMO this team has Very little talent..The expectations were way too high coming in.. Defensivley they are one of the weakest teams in hockey.. It's not all Backstrom's fault, but the guy hasn't made an important save all year. Until they realize ClutterBuck-Cullen-Falk-Proeesser-Stoner all these guys have wore out their welcome the better off they will be..

 

[Jarick]

Save percentage is a team statistic, not individual.

Rarely does Backs get straight up beat by a good shot (like he did last night). Far more often the Wild are stuck in their end, the other team gets 3 or 4 good shots and chances, then they get the tap in or the empty netter.

He does seem to "bail out" of the crease a lot and knock some rebounds straight out into the slot though.

Backstrom could be better, sure. But the problem STARTS with the forwards:

1. Turning the puck over. Every single shift. And so often at the offensive blue line.

2. Getting too deep in the defensive zone, letting the other team cycle the puck with no pressure, and NOT GETTING TO PUCKS ALONG THE BOARDS (seriously, how are you on the power play and losing puck races?).

3. Failing to get and maintain puck possession in the offensive zone. This is akin to 3-and-outs in football. Puts your defense back on the field, wears them down, and of course you can't score from your end.

 

[DANOZ28]

you cant ask a goalie to stand on his head every game. the team has to score at least 3G to have a chance to win. we have to start manufacturing scoring chances. the coach has to have a plan, if the plan fails you need a new plan.

 

[rynryn]

considering the moves we made were made to create more possession and offensive chances, you're right, it's clearly the goalies fault we're getting severely outchanced every single night. if only we had different goaltenders, we'd turn that right around.

 

[Nino Noderreiter]

considering the moves we made were made to create more possession and offensive chances, you're right, it's clearly the goalies fault we're getting severely outchanced every single night. if only we had different goaltenders, we'd turn that right around.

We've actually been out chancing most teams...finishing those chances though is another story