GDT: Capitals @ Devils, 7:00 PM, Jaws

[Bleedred]

Yet another stats point about Blackwood. I think he's kind of overrated by some people here. I probably overrated him in 2019-2020. I think he's also been overrated by the organization and that's probably for what he did 2.5-4 years ago.

He was certainly better than Schneider, Domingue and Kinkaid the year before behind the same team. But if you follow goalie analytics (which I'm actually fairly new to them by the way, I've only recently went down into that rabbit hole and I find it interesting), Blackwood has not broken above even in goals saved above expected in ANY year he's been in the NHL. He came close, just barely broke below even in 18-19 and 19-20 by about a half a goal in both years. These stats (and I'm sure they're imperfect, like all stats) also take into account quality of team, quality of defense. With these stats there are goalies on BAD teams that have save percentages harmed and lowered, but are breaking even or better than even (despite a below even save percentage) on those teams. Allen, Hellebuyck to name some. Hellebuyck was above average in save percentage, but not by much. He was very good in goals saved above expected.

As well as goalies that are having their save percentages bloated by playing on teams that are good defensively, while breaking below even on expected goals saved. Minnesota goalies in recent years, Boston goalies. This is why Rask was looking very ordinary and average from 2015 through 2018 and then went back to being really good again his last few years in the league.

I forget the exact number, but Blackwood was expected to be actually slightly above league average here last year.

A lot of fans of teams with bad goalies, who don't wanna blame or acknowledge the goalie is poor believe they have the worst defense, worst system, worst coach, etc. Ducks fans still think John Gibson is actually worth something and not a cap dump and that the decline is not real.

 

[Jets012]

Was at the game so had a front-row seat to Blackwood's ineptitude.

Went with my cousin-in-law who is a diehard Caps fan. "Man you weren't kidding about the goaltending, this is horrible"

Also ran into Chico at the game. Let's just say he wasn't stunned Blackwood got pulled after the 2nd lol

 

[Bleedred]

Was at the game so had a front-row seat to Blackwood's ineptitude.

Went with my cousin-in-law who is a diehard Caps fan. "Man you weren't kidding about the goaltending, this is horrible"

@Cage Helmet (who probably forgot his password or just doesn't have time for internet message boards anymore) is visiting the area and was at the game (he went to the Sharks game too) and said the Bronx cheer was loud when he made the save after giving up all of those goals. I'm sure he's already annoyed or crying at those ''Shit'' cheers from the fans.

You almost can't start him on Friday, as the fans are starting to turn on him. with the ''Fire Lindy'' chants on opening night, I think the fans have had it and with much more than Ruff.

It's gonna be ugly on Friday night if we lose tomorrow. It could get really ugly by Sunday afternoon, which I think is the last home game before the Western Canada trip.

Like I said, it's a marriage that needs to end. We are well into separate bedroom stage between team and Blackwood.

I've went on record after it was implied that I don't like him for the Vax issue by one poster, I can't say squat about him being unvaccinated as I am not vaccinated at all. I'm not anti-vax, it's not a political statement at all with me. When they were coming out, I was going through so much bullshit personally and turmoil that I wasn't dragging myself to a pharmacy or a doctors office to get any shots. I sometimes am surprised I was functioning at all from about January through October of 2021. It was actually one of the most inactive periods for me on this forum. I was at least lurking every day, but I did have some people wondering why I wasn't too active at that time, especially in the 2021 offseason. By the time I pulled myself together I just didn't care to get them done. We can PM about it if anybody wants, I don't wanna start that debate up again, I know a lot of people on here weren't happy about it. I don't have much of an opinion about it. For me I was not offended by that, I'm offended by his very poor play.

Do I think players might be mad at him over coming to camp unvaccinated? I mean, I don't know if he's well-liked in the locker room or not. I haven't really heard much that would lead me to believe too many guys have a rift with him in the locker room. Severson got on TV in the post game of the season finale and threw the goalies under the bus (none particularly by name) and backed over them. And then he said during training camp or after one of the preseason games that both guys are really good and we have a lot of confidence in them and whatever.

I do think the organization and him need to split. We can't do it now, but I think we're too far gone to bring him back after this year. His on-ice play is too much of a liabiliy.

 

[Bleedred]

I wouldn’t be surprised if we see this happen to Blackwood before the season ends.



I just hope it isn’t at a home game. I remember fans didn’t boo Cory at this game, but they really popped for the goalie change when Kinkaid came out. I think they did Bronx cheer Cory in this game though before he allowed that goal which was like goal 3 on like 6 shots or something. Maybe it was another game he got the Bronx cheer, but I know they did it to him too.

If this happened to Blackwood at a home game right now, woooffffff. They’re might be a “We Want Marty!” chant or something.

 

[Peter Sidorkiewicz]

god i would kill for demko

I think he is overated. He's a .911 career NHL goaltender and nucks fans talk him up like he is Shesterkin.

He's better than what we got but I wouldn't call him elite or a top 10 NHL goalie.

 

[Maine Fan]

If Fitz does go the Miles Wood route and signs Blackwood next year just to sign him cause he's an RFA and we have one more year of his rights, well he's getting fired. Book it. It's gonna get him fired. If he can't keep up then they need to leave him behind. Don't qualify him and let him to UFA. Some team will sign him for $1 million-$1.5 million just because he was good (by that point) 3 years ago and he's still just 26.

Unless somehow he floors it this season and actually finishes above league average. And even then I'd say one year at his qualifying offer and that's it.

You can't sign him another year if he doesn't produce this year, you just can't.

And I hate to use the Wood analogy, as I don't hate the Wood signing for one more year. But as I've said, bad goaltending (Blackwood) is going to hurt you much more than Miles Wood and it's gonna hurt you much more than any of the players or coaches that we like to complain about.

How dead is this horse. And the beat goes on. While considering Fitz consider the owners

If the season goes down because of bad goaltending Fitz isn’t to be the GM anymore.

He staked his claim by keeping Blackwood and trading for VV.

No he did not, there was a year left to his contract.

Who would you have gotten? There were no goalies available. You're putting the blame on the wrong thing....this goalie fascination man I swear.

Fitz should be fired for keeping Ruff. Outside of that, he did what he could.

Owners

 

[Bleedred]

This has me thinking about Steve Mason.

He had that really good year when he was 20 years old as a rookie. He won the Calder and came close to winning the Vezina.

But he never had another good or even passable season in Columbus.

It was a relationship that really needed to end and Mason resurrected his career in Philly, while Bobrovsky (who was in Columbus for a few minutes at the same time Mason was) had a Vezina year behind the same team in Columbus.

Mason resurrected his career (he was close to an entire year younger than Blackwood is now when he went to Philly and Columbus shipped him out) in Philly and played anywhere from really good to just whatever for the remainder of his career. He didn’t make it to 30 years old in the league, but I believe he retired because of his injuries and for health reasons.

If he wants to continue his career then I think he does whatever he can to not he here next year. Even if it means leaving half the money on the table.

I don’t think he’ll ever consistently be very good (he might have another random good year or two in the league, depending how long he plays in it) but his only hope not playing another year for this team beyond this. A change of scenery is desperately needed. Perhaps for him as much as for the organization.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

No goalies available? There was a whole carousel of goalies available. By most reports Kuemper and Campbell were the team’s top targets. Fitz couldn’t land either and settled on a trade with the Caps.

Kuemper and Campbell are not good goalies.

 

[MasterofGrond]

I think he is overated. He's a .911 career NHL goaltender and nucks fans talk him up like he is Shesterkin.

He's better than what we got but I wouldn't call him elite or a top 10 NHL goalie.

Yeah I know

But man I’m desperate

 

[Bleedred]

I think he is overated. He's a .911 career NHL goaltender and nucks fans talk him up like he is Shesterkin.

He's better than what we got but I wouldn't call him elite or a top 10 NHL goalie.

The best thing about him so far is he was one of the very few workhorse goalies last year. There’s not many goalies doing that in the league in current time. Maybe Saros and Hellebuyck.

And even with Demko, last year was his first real work horse year. The year before that he played 63% of the team’s games, but it was only a 56 game season. The year before that Markstrom was still the starter there.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

My biggest issue on MBw is that i dont think he can follow the puck too well. So often when he makes a save/shot misses the net it just looks like he does the butterfly, closes his eyes and hopes he caught the puck. Very little reaction to the gameplay itself.

That....is what every average goalie does. They rely a lot on their positioning and not actually tracking the puck. A lot of goalies get "lucky" by just being in a good position. Good positioning helps a lot, which unfortunately Blackwood also is bad at.

 

[Bleedred]

Kuemper and Campbell are not good goalies.

Ummm, okay.

Come on man, really?

Kind of funny that a person who champions Blackwood would say this about Kuemper and Campbell.

And yes, some of your massive calorie burning posts defending Blackwood are what I would consider “Championing” the guy. Maybe in confusing you with the other poster that starts with a P, but I think I’ve seen you show a little too much sympathy for him as well.

Okay, Campbell? Maybe not. He’s very polarizing. He’s definitely not at all popular analytically. I shredded him for that playoff series in 2021 against Montreal, where he played “Well” (had a high save percentage and low GAA) but gave up a few leaky softies late in that series that Carey Price was not allowing or getting beaten on. I also thought he sucked last year in the Lightning series.

Kuemper is not good? I mean, I don’t think he will continue to be good for very long, no.

But Kuemper is one of the best goalies in the league over the last 5 years, with all but one of those seasons playing for Arizona.

He’s a 32 year old injury case, his contract sucks and he’s probably not gonna be good for much longer, but that’s nothing but a guess and speculation on my part.

Why is he not good? Because he got his eye poked out and sucked for 13 games in the playoffs where Colorado won the cup in spite of him? He was great in the regular season and Colorado doesn’t finish that high in the standings if he played as poorly as he did in the playoffs. There’s no proof yet that will be the norm for him or that this is the new Kuemper. He’s been average this year up to this point. Like I said, I don’t think he’ll be good for much longer, but he’s been one of the better goalies in the league since 17-18.

He wasn’t much of anything up until that point though. He was mediocre in Minnesota, but that’s not part of the last five years where he’s been one of the best.

 

[RNCDevil]

I missed tonight's game so I watched the recap...and some brutal turnovers and so Caps left at the doorstep. 41 shots to 22? Was this another sweet xGF win for the Devils? I saw Smith present for a few of the goals. Did Bahl get some ice time?

What's the general board mood? Write this one off and move on or "Hey Susan, would you hand me my seppuku knife?"

 

[Bleedred]

My biggest issue on MBw is that i dont think he can follow the puck too well. So often when he makes a save/shot misses the net it just looks like he does the butterfly, closes his eyes and hopes he caught the puck. Very little reaction to the gameplay itself.

There’s just a lot of holes in his game right now. For whatever reason, whether it’s injury (permanent or not), new goalie coach FUBAR’D him, or he just wasn’t ever gonna be any good anyway (I keep pointing to that AHL body of work), he’s too much of a project at this point.

He’s a fixer upper at best at this point. We don’t have any room for a fixer upper at point, certainly not in goal.

He doesn’t track the puck well, he gets beat on screens that really shouldn’t be screens. He’s starting to look really small in net and not 6 foot 6. His glove is useless, his blocker is becoming a problem again (that was a weakness early in 19-20 before the huge turnaround that year) and just too much of a project.

Needs A LOT of TLC.

 

[Bleedred]

I kind of was hoping we got a bigger named goalie this off season.... mostly just for the opportunity to say "I told you so"

Not for nothing, but I’m pretty you told us Schneider wasn’t gonna be good here and that Marty’s poor play had more to do with a poor team and not the fact that he was 40 years old and Schneider would not do well here or post a very high save percentage here like he did in Vancouver.

Schneider came here, posted a very high save percentage (much higher than Brodeur), so then it became “Well, one guy wins a lot more than the other and the guy that has the wins isn’t the guy with the higher save percentage”.

 

[Emperoreddy]

This was an all of the above game. Everyone played poorly, bad break downs and lazy turnovers, poor goaltending, poor coaching choices.

 

[Devs3cups]

This was an all of the above game. Everyone played poorly, bad break downs and lazy turnovers, poor goaltending, poor coaching choices.

Basically. Especially the first 3 goals.

 

[Bleedred]

If the remainder of the week isn’t a winning one, we’re definitely on tap for more “Fire Lindy” chants by Sunday afternoon’s game.

It’s not fair and I personally wouldn’t chant that (Yes, I would boo Blackwood, f*** him. But probably only in a game where he was actually playing) if I were there, but it’s inevitable. It’s almost like we’re torturing him by bringing him back to even start this year. It’s kind of like keeping him in prison rather than the electric chair.

In un-Devils related news, the Canucks lose yet again. Still winless.

I don’t really think Bruce is a candidate here. If Vancouver doesn’t work out then he’s probably off to the North Pole for good. He’s in his late 60’s. If we didn’t reach out to talk to Bruce in 2020 then we definitely ain’t talking to him in 2022 or 2023.

 

[bossram]

Just a classic Ruff-era Devils game: Control the shot clock but not enough finishing, cataclysmic mistakes, and the goalie having a complete inability to make a save when you need one to keep the game close.

What else is new?

 

[markog]

Was at the game so had a front-row seat to Blackwood's ineptitude.

Went with my cousin-in-law who is a diehard Caps fan. "Man you weren't kidding about the goaltending, this is horrible"

Also ran into Chico at the game. Let's just say he wasn't stunned Blackwood got pulled after the 2nd lol

Were there any "fire Lindy" chants?

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

I don't think McKenzie has defenders... it's just the "it's the goalies" thing is getting more and more absurd with each passing year.

Yep.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

What about goaltending? What do you do to stop the bleeding there?

What about goaltending? What do you do to stop the bleeding there?

Stop playing irresponsibly for starters?

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

god i would kill for demko

You realize Demko's numbers (0-4-1, 4.06, .872):are worse than Blackwood's (3-2, 2.81, .871) ?

 

[InYOFACE!]

Im so sick of ruff, plaaay holtz and zetter

 

[Clam Jensen]

Hot take: they better win tonight.