Speculation: Goalie Controversy

[MarkT]

At this point, it's clear to me that Annunen is playing better that Georgie. He may even be the better goalie overall and in the long run. I don't know about that second part, but with the playoffs coming right up, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

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[Colorado Avalanche]

I think Georgiev is the better goaltender, but in the current form, you have to go with Annunen. Goaltenders can be voodoo, sometimes goaltender plays way over their skill level and opposite. Go with the hot hand in this case.

One hot goaltender can win you the Stanley Cup.

If Annunen fails, Georgiev starts again.. and repeat.

 

[MarkT]

I for one 100% want to see Juice get the start against Dallas. If we wins that, he's earned the starter spot for sure.

 

[The Pwnerer]

If Annunen pulls off a Hill/Binnington type run. Build that man a statue and raise his banner as soon as we can.

Georgiev gets game 1 but will be on the shortest of leashes. You can also kiss his career as an Avs goodbye if he gets yanked early on.

 

[LTCPain75]

Trade Fourgiev this summer. I have no confidenc he can stop rubber. Elevate Annunen to starter.

 

[Spilot23]

Trade Fourgiev this summer. I have no confidenc he can stop rubber. Elevate Annunen to starter.

Allocate his cap to Drouin !

 

[jabubenice]

At this point, it's clear to me that Annunen is playing better that Georgie. He may even be the better goalie overall and in the long run. I don't know about that second part, but with the playoffs coming right up, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

he is an interesting looking fellow is our justus

 

[SirLoinOfCloth]

I say give George a rest. Let him try and figure out what is going on in his head. Give him game 1 of the playoffs though. Let Justus have a run here down the stretch except for the back to back.

 

[NorthernAvsFan]

It’s up to Annunen now, I think that’s pretty clear.

 

[MacKaRant]

I mean, I think it's pretty clear. One guy is an NHL All-Star and the other started the year in the AHL.

I'm joking of course. I think they've sat Fourgiev for stretches in the second half of the season, and it doesn't seem to be working in terms of turning around performance.

You start whoever has been playing better in Game 1 of the playoffs. Folks might not remember, but Alex Lyon got the Panthers into the last East wild card slot last year because Bobrovsky's form was terrible. Lyon started in the playoffs, but faltered and then Bobrovsky came in and was unbeatable for the first third playoff rounds.

 

[The Abusement Park]

There's zero reason for Georgie to be the starter right now. If he gets pissed off and can't handle that... well than grow the f*** up.

 

[dahrougem2]

You do with him what Toronto did with Samsonov. Sit him a full week, let Parkkila work with him and run Annunen and Prosvetov. Maybe a week and a half.

 

[cinchronicity]

This thought has been consuming me all night, so this thread is well-timed. The following is not intended as an excuse, rather as a possible explanation.

Let's face one fact: Georgie is constantly let down by his defense. Toews, alone, has put a minimum of 4 goals past Georgie, and has been at least partially responsible for about 18. It strikes me that once the defense let's him down in a game, he becomes distracted, then almost useless. Go back to his stupid swipe at Malinski a few months back. It just seems that he can make all the killer saves if he is focused, but he loses focus if he feels that the team 'screwed' him on a goal.

I've been one of the bigger Georgie fans since he arrived, but I have to jump on the Justus train at this point. Georgie was an all-star who stole McDavid's lunch at the AS game. Even giving Justus most of the starts remaining, Georgie should lead the league in wins. There is probably decent trade value. It might just be time to wing it with Justus and Provy, and re-invest any cap toward Drouin or Trenin.

 

[Bill Peckerskull]

As pointed out by TMV this morning, Cheeks has started only one game vs a team currently in the playoffs, Tampa back in February. Gave up 4 goals on 37 shots, and and generally looked like he didn't belong. The Avs ultimately lost 6-3 after a couple late ENGs.

I think we'll get to see if he belongs or not, and soon. While I do expect Bednar to put Geogre right back in the crease tomorrow in hopes that he bounces back, I wouldn't be shocked if Annunen starts, and and then starts several more in the next two weeks.

If he does start Cheeks tomorrow, I have a feeling we won't like either goalie come late tomorrow night.

 

[S E P H]

I still believe that Georgiev can rebound, you don't go from last season to this season by sheer unfortunate serendipity, too big of a gap to fall from. However, it won't be this season. He is already mentally rattled and will need at least an entire offseason to cool his jets and regroup his thoughts. I voted for Annunen, but I suspect Georgiev will be given game 1...at the very least.

 

[Ararana]

I wish I could go back in time to October and tell this board that the Avs finally got a legit 2C but Annunen was going to be their best goalie going into the playoffs.

Just to watch the meltdown.

 

[JH21]

At this point, it's clear to me that Annunen is playing better that Georgie. He may even be the better goalie overall and in the long run. I don't know about that second part, but with the playoffs coming right up, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Honest question;

Which goalie gets the harder matchups?

 

[Avsfan1921]

I miss the 90’ goaltending when you basically knew what to expect on a game to game basis with goalies lol…. Now they’re just voodoo. I’d have an easier time accurately predicting the lottery numbers than the top 5 goalies on any given year.

 

[Avsfan1921]

Honest question;

Which goalie gets the harder matchups?

Clearly George, as he should have, given his expectations. That being said you could rephrase that to say “who has made the most with what they were given” and the answer would not be George and therein lies the problem.

Regardless of who’s in net there’s no excuse for the way this team has played in their own end all season.

 

[Balthazar]

As pointed out by TMV this morning, Cheeks has started only one game vs a team currently in the playoffs, Tampa back in February. Gave up 4 goals on 37 shots, and and generally looked like he didn't belong. The Avs ultimately lost 6-3 after a couple late ENGs.

Let's see what he can do against the Stars.

Let's face one fact: Georgie is constantly let down by his defense. Toews, alone, has put a minimum of 4 goals past Georgie, and has been at least partially responsible for about 18.

I thought about that, too.

It's possible that his teammates do not like him on a personal level and just won't go the extra mile to protect him as much as they would for another goalie.

If that's the case it could change in the playoffs as they will want to win regardless.

 

[littletonhockeycoach]

If Annunen pulls off a Hill/Binnington type run. Build that man a statue and raise his banner as soon as we can.

Georgiev gets game 1 but will be on the shortest of leashes. You can also kiss his career as an Avs goodbye if he gets yanked early on.

Put Justus on the Gerber Baby Food Jar label too!

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Interesting conversation, I'm glad you started a thread on it @MarkT. My 2 cents:

Terrible time of the season to have a goalie controversy break out but I don't think anyone actually believes Georgiev's play is responsible for him leading the NHL in wins. Many of his 37 wins have come despite his play rather than because of it.

I've been pushing for Justus to get more starts lately because we've got to see if he can be consistent with a heavier workload. His lack of experience is the only thing holding me back from feeling confident in that. However, my lack of confidence in Georgiev has become stronger than my lack of confidence in Justus' ability to maintain or even improve on what he's done in his few starts. Alexandar has just become too erratic to be the guy in this high-octane system. Check out Georgiev's Low Danger Goals Saved Above Average.

Player

GP

TOI

Shots Against

Saves

Goals Against

SV%

GAA

GSAA

xG Against

HD Shots Against

HD Saves

HD Goals Against

HDSV%

HDGAA

HDGSAA

MD Shots Against

MD Saves

MD Goals Against

MDSV%

MDGAA

MDGSAA

LD Shots Against

LD Saves

LD Goals Against

LDSV%

LDGAA

LDGSAA

Rush Attempts Against

Rebound Attempts Against

Avg. Shot Distance

Avg. Goal Distance

Justus Annunen

12​

553.58​

297​

275​

22​

0.926​

2.38​

4.52​

24.78​

79​

65​

14​

0.823​

1.52​

1.52​

70​

65​

5​

0.929​

0.54​

1.77​

138​

135​

3​

0.978​

0.33​

1.92​

16​

52​

35.75​

17.86​

Alexandar Georgiev

59​

2697.45​

1260​

1145​

115​

0.909​

2.56​

-2.47​

108.61​

325​

262​

63​

0.806​

1.4​

0.86​

265​

237​

28​

0.894​

0.62​

-2.38​

594​

570​

24​

0.96​

0.53​

-2.84​

78​

226​

36.24​

19.21​

Ivan Prosvetov

11​

400.97​

201​

181​

20​

0.900​

2.99​

-2.05​

17.94​

54​

41​

13​

0.759​

1.95​

-2.39​

58​

53​

5​

0.914​

0.75​

0.61​

82​

80​

2​

0.976​

0.3​

0.92​

11​

34​

32.15​

17.6​

There's not a metric available by Natural Stat Trick in which Georgiev is a better goaltender than Annunen.

I think I'd throw Georgiev's fragile state of mind to the road and tell Justus that the road to the starters crease begins tomorrow in Dallas. Just start playing Annunen until we lose a game we should have won. Then see how Georgiev responds. If he crumbles due to sharing the net f*** him and bring up Ivan. Georgiev has been given EVERY damned opportunity to turn it around this season and get his shit together and he performs like he did last night. I don't have a lot of confidence that Justus can become the long-term answer to our starter's problem, but I'm beginning to believe that Georgiev is proving more and more each day that he's actually a liability, not a last line of defense.

Honestly, if I was Bednar, I would have been extremely tempted to pull a reverse Patrick Roy and yank Georgiev last night and as he came to the bench tell him loudly and in front of everyone that he's played his last game in an Avalanche uniform.

 

[Bone Breaker]

I already wrote it here months ago. Annunen is our savior that will lead us to the promised land.

Annunen all day, every day, twice on the back-to-backs.

 

[The Kingslayer]

Annunen aint going to save the Avs. Its pretty much garbage in garbage out with the goaltending. Not liking Fourgiev doesnt automatically mean Annunen is a great goalie. Look at the Columbus game. He wasnt good in that game BUT he bounced back with 44 saves against the Wild. Fourgiev got pulled in the Nashville game had 4-5 days rest and came back with a 6 goal against effort and some of the worst goals you will ever see f*** him.

 

[Freaky Styley]

Annunen aint going to save the Avs. Its pretty much garbage in garbage out with the goaltending. Not liking Fourgiev doesnt automatically mean Annunen is a great goalie. Look at the Columbus game. He wasnt good in that game BUT he bounced back with 44 saves against the Wild. Fourgiev got pulled in the Nashville game had 4-5 days rest and came back with a 6 goal against effort and some of the worst goals you will ever see f*** him.

I don't really get this attitude.

I don't think anyone expects Annunen to be a savior. If we need a goalie to be a savior we are in trouble. But he's done everything asked of him and more. He's struggled a little bit sure, but he bounces back quickly and that's what's important. You may not believe in Annunen's long-term success in the league but you can't ask more fromwhat he's shown this season. I don't really understand dunking on him or calling him garbage.

Hopefully he gets the start tomorrow vs. Dallas. No real excuse not to. That will be a really big game for him to show his worth