BibeauWho the goalie that we have on our taxi squad?
Fine isn't good enough for this team. It's barely good enough for our shitty Peters years. I mean, Jesus, even putting aside the goals, flopping around like he's making snow angels when the puck is nowhere close to him and making routine saves look amazing. He's not good enough.
He has looked bad for himself this year. And he is still better than Ned. Which is my point. Reimer will regress back to his normal which is pretty good. Ned is playing about as good as I've seen him play, and he is still substandard as a backup. He might get better. But he might not. This might be peak Ned. Is this what we want to through out there on a team otherwise tricked out for a cup run?
Eight NHL games, a handful of AHL games, and a few IIHF games....maybe a bit more than a dozen total.He's now played 8 NHL games. How much have you actually watched him?
Bibeau 6 foot 3 215 pounds.He played 2 games last year with Colorado Avalanche.With that shape,he is big in his net and it’s more difficult to score on breakeaway.He played 2 games with Toronto Maple Leafs too.What are you thinking about him?
Bibeau 6 foot 3 215 pounds.He played 2 games last year with Colorado Avalanche.With that shape,he is big in his net and it’s more difficult to score on breakeaway.He played 2 games with Toronto Maple Leafs too.What are you thinking about him?
Well, Scott Darling is 6'5" 225 pounds, and he's available.
Just kidding. A few years back on my old board I took the minority position that size was overrated in the NHL. Not unimportant, but overrated. This was back around when Aho slipped to the second round (in part I suspect because of his size) and a lot of people would have passed on Marner really early in the draft because he was too small. At this point I think the league has pretty much done away with that size bias. But I do think that size makes a much bigger difference for goalies than it does for skaters.
Well, Scott Darling is 6'5" 225 pounds, and he's available.
Just kidding. A few years back on my old board I took the minority position that size was overrated in the NHL. Not unimportant, but overrated. This was back around when Aho slipped to the second round (in part I suspect because of his size) and a lot of people would have passed on Marner really early in the draft because he was too small. At this point I think the league has pretty much done away with that size bias. But I do think that size makes a much bigger difference for goalies than it does for skaters.
I don’t think it really matters what height you are as a goalie, just be good and make the f***ing save. It’s easier if you’re bigger because that’s just the way it is. You take up more of the net, can cut down angles more and when you stretch with a leg or arm it goes further. But unless you’re a midget like me at 5’6 it’s probably more your reaction time, awareness and reflexes. Short goalies can be effective but they have a slimmer margin of error. Like you can’t let in the 3rd goal that Ned did tonight. No goalie can but especially lot a goalie like Ned if he wants to stick in this league.
Anyway, at the end of the day, at least today, it still comes down to the team in front of Ned. They know that 2 goals wont get it done so when you’re up 2-0 after 1 period you can’t coast like they did for 45 minutes. If you want to win the game then do what you have to do to win. Blaming a below average goalie for being below average isn’t going to help things or change the outcome going forward. Not coasting and taking more than half the game off is probably going to be a better path to get you where you want to go.
My comment really was more of a general one, not necessarily aimed at Ned. I'm certainly not saying a smaller goalie can't play at the NHL level. And yes, reaction time and reflexes are more important. But I do think that bigger size benefits a goalie more than it does a skater.
Speaking of goalie size, did anybody catch the article in The Atlantic regarding that? Unusual for that publication to write about sports, but whatevs.
Hockey Has a Gigantic-Goalie Problem
Yeah I get you. My comments were more general about goalies as well but then made it Ned specific at the end because that is obviously who we’re debating and referencing goalie size.
The reason I don’t think Ned is a particularly good NHL goalie or will be one isn’t because he’s smaller, it’s because I don’t think he has any above average tools in his toolbox. Technique, positioning, reflexes, recovery, rebound control, great glove hand, super flexible... I don’t see any of those being on his resume.
He saves the shots that he probably should save and sometimes let’s in a softie. But it’s kind of rare that you see him make a save on something where you’re really blown away and think he saved one that most others wouldn’t.
He’s not a goalie that I expect to make ‘the big save’ so right or wrong I put it on the players in front to not put him in a position where he has to do something that he likely doesn’t have the ability or skills to do with any sort of consistency. Where as guys like Slavin, Skjei, Dougie, etc do have the ability and skills to be game changers in a positive way. When they f*** up you can say ‘Stop f***ing up. Do better.’ With Ned he’s giving you the best he’s got.
You buried the lede. The article is by Ken Dryden. He's as great a writer as he was a goalie, and it's a good read.
You buried the lede. The article is by Ken Dryden. He's as great a writer as he was a goalie, and it's a good read.