It's becoming ridiculous. Husso is playing great, but we would have won this game with Binner in net as well. The team played well in all facets and as Vladi said in the post-game that's what it takes to win in this league. Some fans seem to forget that it's a team sport. Always nice to stick it to the Hawks!
Statistically, we didn't play a ton worse against Jersey. We did play worse, but not so much worse to fully explain the disparity in results. Shots against were a lot worse in the Devils game (27 with a goalie in net v 16) but scoring chances and HD scoring against chances were fairly even (25, 10 Vs NJD and 20, 8 vs Chicago).
xGA was a decent discrepancy at 3.47 vs 1.62. 5v5 though the xG were a lot closer (2.01 vs 1.4) , we were just really good on the PK last night outside of the 5on 3. Even taking into account PKs, its not such a big discrepancy as to justify the results. Husso beat the xGA only giving up 1, while Binnington under-performed the xGA by giving up 5. So the team's worse play was exacerbated by Binnington's poor play. We win against NJ if Binnington beats the xGA.
This is what I am saying: Binnington has been playing bad AND the team has often been played bad in front of him. Its not one or the other, its both. Binnington needs to be better AND every goal against him is not solely his fault. Both sides can get a little ridiculous in throwing everything and the kitchen sink in to bolster their chosen side of this mythical debate. We give up less shots with Husso, the "Binnington's White Knight Brigade" comes in to point out that we play better with Husso without looking at the context. Binnington loses a game and the "Burn Binner at the Stake Squad" starts building the pyre with nary a thought about how the team played in front of them.
You can make your point without ignoring all the context. It would make for vastly more interesting discussion if we could recognize both sides and debate the why they are bad instead of which is bad. Would we have won tonight with Binnington or would a bad goal have deflated them? Do they play different in front of Binnington for some reason? Is it because Binner is playing poorly that the team does, or did Binner start playing poorly because the team played poorly and he since lost his confidence. Can he get his groove back? Are his fundamentals off? Instead we get "C their, told u biNneR suX" with absolutely no nuance or fundamental understanding of what is actually happening.
*Note: I definitely blame the Anti-binnington posters far more than his defenders just because of the obnoxiousness of their posts. So Reality Czech, not really blaming you here. I understand why you would take this tact. However, I still think it is important to recognize the fact Binnington is at least partially if not mostly complicit in his poor season while also recognizing that this team plays poorly and Binnington has had the far more difficult assignments so far this year. Otherwise the same argument just keeps going around and around ad nauseum.
Note 2: I'd love a goaltender's take on what's wrong with Binner.
@Brian39 has made some good posts on it but I'd always love an updated take. Any other former goalies want to take a stab?
@Vladys Gumption ?
