Goalie Discussion 2019 - 2020

[Old Guy]

Hey guys......let's face it. There is not a bigger question mark in the current year than what type of performance will the team get in net. None of the goalies currently in the mix have much of an NHL track record. And like a lot of things, until you have "done it" you haven't done it. This could be winning a playoff round, or a certain coach from TTUN beating their arch rival.

I thought I would start this thread where we could discuss, analyze, digest or speculate about the goalie play. Maybe this will give us a place to collect those thoughts and have those discussions.

So while I haven't been sleeping on this story, I guess a couple details slipped past me. One specifically that caught my eye. Everybody is talking about the developing competition between Korpisalo and Elvis. But is there another consideration to be given???

The following is the past year year stat line of Veini Vehvilainen;

Season Team League GP G A Min GA EN SO GAA W L T SV SV% PO Games

2017-18	Karpat	SM-liiga	35	0	10	2030	64	0	4	1.89	20	5	8	786	0.920	18	0	0
2018-19	Karpat	SM-liiga	38	0	14	2290	60	0	6	1.58	25	8	5	832	0.930	17	1	6
2018-19p	Karpat	SM-liiga	17	1	6	1058	25	0	4	1.47	11	6	0	383	0.930

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Holy Crap - 149 games played over 3 seasons with a GAA all below 2.0 and a save % at .92 once and .93 twice!?!?!?

I get it......SM - Liiga isn't the NHL. But this kid is a 1997 birthday. He's 22. Korpi and Elvis are both 25. It's not like nothing is known about V.V. Is it possible he "regresses" to 2.25 GAA and a .920 save %??

I guess I missed this. Have I been asleep?

Click to read more...

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Yes. Yes you have.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Wait. This is the sleeping thread, right?

 

[majormajor]

Anton Forsberg was a top goalie in the AHL at age 22. For whatever reason, the goalie scouts didn't seem to think he had NHL starter upside, and so far at least they've been correct.

Vehvillainen has been getting some similar scouting reports. The recent Athletic article on our goalies surveyed a group of scouts and they had Vehvillainen as a high floor low ceiling guy. Tarasov got the opposite report - low floor high ceiling, elite upside.

 

[DarkandStormy]

Yeah, Tarasov has the size but Vehvilainen dominated Liiga the last couple years despite being a bit undersized. Different goalies, different styles. Hopefully (at least) one of them pops.

 

[CBJ goalie]

No matter what, I am absolutely stoked about CBJ pipeline of goalies. They are set for awhile.
Just need 1 to step up and take the reins.

Feeling a 50/50 split with Korpisalo and Merzlikins this season.

 

[Doggy]

I am not dismissing V2 but I think it’s valid to ask “is it the goalie or the team”.

Former CBJ prospects Matthieu Corbeil and Oscar Dansk put up terrific #s on dominant teams in their developmental leagues. One was never offered an ELC and disappeared while the other is still stuck in the minors.

V2 also played on a dominant team. While he led the league with a .9327 Save Percentage and 1.58 GAA, his goaltending partner was second in both categories at .9300 and 1.62. Those numbers are damn close.

So did they just have two great goalies or did the teams make them look better than they were? We will see how he looks in camp and probably the AHL but not letting his Finnish numbers do all the talking.

 

[stevo61]

I am not dismissing V2 but I think it’s valid to ask “is it the goalie or the team”.

Former CBJ prospects Matthieu Corbeil and Oscar Dansk put up terrific #s on dominant teams in their developmental leagues. One was never offered an ELC and disappeared while the other is still stuck in the minors.

V2 also played on a dominant team. While he led the league with a .9327 Save Percentage and 1.58 GAA, his goaltending partner was second in both categories at .9300 and 1.62. Those numbers are damn close.

So did they just have two great goalies or did the teams make them look better than they were? We will see how he looks in camp and probably the AHL but not letting his Finnish numbers do all the talking.

His backup did get his shot in the NHL at one point too. Didnt stick but had decent AHL numbers plus good numbers in 1 year of KHL play so hes not just some guy with padded stats. Vehvilainen also has some time with the international team so that looks good on him too. I like where he comes from but as always it means nothing until you do it in the NHL

 

[DarkandStormy]

I am not dismissing V2 but I think it’s valid to ask “is it the goalie or the team”.

Former CBJ prospects Matthieu Corbeil and Oscar Dansk put up terrific #s on dominant teams in their developmental leagues. One was never offered an ELC and disappeared while the other is still stuck in the minors.

1) How dare you disrespect undefeated NHL legend Dansk like that. Dude has a career .946 sv %!

2) When did Dansk post "terrific #s" on a dominant team? His sv % with Brynas IF was .911 and .910 in his two regular seasons there, and he was even worse in the postseason (albeit in limited action). That's hardly terrific, even for J20 SuperElit. VV is posting better numbers in a better league - one of the best non-NHL leagues in the world. That's not to say it's a given VV becomes a solid NHL goalie, but the comparison here seems weird.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Can you play the same way with the changes that have occurred in your lineup?

We’re going to have to change our style. We’re going to have to be more of a team. We were a team, but now we’re really going to have to concentrate on grinding our way sometimes to find ways to score goals because we’ve lost a lot of goals. We have two young goalies that we don’t know about. We started that (a new style of play) in the playoffs. We did. Our style of play changed in the playoffs when we entered against Tampa, and I watched our team buy into it. I loved the way we bought into it.

Is that more about replacing the goals you lost via free agency or more about making life easier on your two young goaltenders now with Bobrovsky gone?
There’s no question, we have to … it’s the goalies. I want to see where we’re at with those guys. Even though (Joonas Korpisalo) has been here, he still hasn’t been the No. 1 guy. It’ll be him and (Elvis) Merzlikins, I believe. But the shadow of Bob not being there is big. When Bob was struggling, Korpi would come in. When Bob needed a break, Korpi would come in. Well, now Bob is gone. It’s right there for Korpi, but it’s totally different when the No. 1 guy isn’t there. Now you have to go win a job. So certainly I have that as my No. 1 priority for our guys now, playing in front of the goaltenders harder, stronger and with certainly more discipline to allow them to get their feet wet in that mindset of a goalie. Portzy, when I say playing with that discipline, it has to be the team we are now. We let ourselves go a little bit these last couple of seasons, and it was done because of personnel. I was always telling our players to take more chances and take some risks. When a player like Panarin comes in, you have to let him go, let him run. That’s going to be different now. We talked about that entering the playoff series against Tampa, so we’re kind of already on that track now, going into the preseason.

How much interaction have you had with Elvis Merzlikins? This guy is a character, and I think a lot of people are going to be watching closely to see how the two of you get along.

I love personality. I love it. You better be able to play, though. We’ve had the conversation already, and I know he decided not to come to the development camp.

Well, development camp … he’s 25 years old …

I know. But he said he was at the World Championships, and I guess he was a little nicked up. But you still haven’t played in the National Hockey League. You’ve got all the coaches there at that (development) camp in June. The other guy (Daniil Tarasov), he was there at camp. So (Elvis and I) have kind of had the conversation already. I’m dying for personality out of the kid. But you better be able to play. Nothing’s going to be given. I hear tremendous things about him as a player. I’ve seen Korpi play when we’ve given him a bunch of work. When he’s steady with the work, he’s played really well. Look at his stats.

Do you come into camp with Korpisalo as the No. 1 until Elvis proves otherwise?

I come into camp knowing Korpi better. I know he is a better goalie when he gets more work, not sporadic work. I know Korpi has shown up for us in playing every three weeks and he hasn’t pissed and moaned. He’s worked. His work ethic has improved. I know him better (than Elvis). I hear things about this guy (Elvis), that he’s supposed to be a really good goalie. I hear things about his personality. Korpi’s kind of a weird duck, too, ya know. I love his personality. So bring it on. Do I give Korpi a leg up? I guess I do because I know him better.

‘Pissed off’ John Tortorella weighs in on departed...

 

[Cyclones Rock]

Do you come into camp with Korpisalo as the No. 1 until Elvis proves otherwise?
I come into camp knowing Korpi better. I know he is a better goalie when he gets more work, not sporadic work. I know Korpi has shown up for us in playing every three weeks and he hasn’t pissed and moaned. He’s worked. His work ethic has improved. I know him better (than Elvis). I hear things about this guy (Elvis), that he’s supposed to be a really good goalie. I hear things about his personality. Korpi’s kind of a weird duck, too, ya know. I love his personality. So bring it on. Do I give Korpi a leg up? I guess I do because I know him better.

‘Pissed off’ John Tortorella weighs in on departed...

 

[KJ Dangler]

Yeah, Tarasov has the size but Vehvilainen dominated Liiga the last couple years despite being a bit undersized. Different goalies, different styles. Hopefully (at least) one of them pops.

Most feel V2 success has been the team he has played for. My guess is thats why hes viewed as a low ceiling guy .

 

[Cyclones Rock]

https://thehockeywriters.com/ranking-nhl-teams-by-goaltenders-2019/

31) Columbus Blue Jackets

Joonas Korpisalo
Elvis Merzlikins
Matiss Kivlenieks
Veini Vehvilainen
ANALYSIS: Columbus plummets from top 10, with Sergei Bobrovsky, to the bottom of the league. Korpisalo is unproven as a starter and Merzlikins is unproven in North America. Together, they are — in a word — unproven and thus bringing up the rear in these rankings. But they do have the potential to prove this ranking wrong while keeping the Blue Jackets in playoff contention.

Just some random blogger, but probably reflective of most people's thoughts on CBJ goaltending.

 

[Doggy]

1) How dare you disrespect undefeated NHL legend Dansk like that. Dude has a career .946 sv %!

2) When did Dansk post "terrific #s" on a dominant team? His sv % with Brynas IF was .911 and .910 in his two regular seasons there, and he was even worse in the postseason (albeit in limited action). That's hardly terrific, even for J20 SuperElit. VV is posting better numbers in a better league - one of the best non-NHL leagues in the world. That's not to say it's a given VV becomes a solid NHL goalie, but the comparison here seems weird.

2013-2014 Erie Otters: 29-9-1 record (his .909 Save % was top ten and 2.39 GAA was lowest in OHL that season)...I thought his numbers were even better...but the winning record was awesome).

 

[Doggy]

https://thehockeywriters.com/ranking-nhl-teams-by-goaltenders-2019/



Just some random blogger, but probably reflective of most people's thoughts on CBJ goaltending.

Is he ranking Kivlinieks ahead of V2? NFW. I know you haven't proven anything until you've proven something. But Kiv has proven he can't even hold down a backup job in the AHL and might be barely an ECHL goalie. I'd take V2's unknown over Kiv's known any day of the week and twice on Sundays.

 

[Viqsi]

Is he ranking Kivlinieks ahead of V2? NFW. I know you haven't proven anything until you've proven something. But Kiv has proven he can't even hold down a backup job in the AHL and might be barely an ECHL goalie. I'd take V2's unknown over Kiv's known any day of the week and twice on Sundays.

"Proven > unproven" seems to be his rule of thumb, even if the proven result is "this guy is atrocious". Except for when he likes the team for inexplicable reasons.

Seriously, the guy's a hack.