I think Grubs has a higher ceiling and when he is healthy and on top of his game, he's clearly the better goalie. He's got much better rebound control, bigger, more athletic, etc. The problem now is he looks like he's still hurt, and he also isn't super strong mentally. I think Frank is a rather average goalie, but his compete and mental game are off the charts good. Frank will have bad games when the defense can't clear and teams grind down possession on the Avs. He gives up too many rebounds and isn't athletic enough to cover his small frame. When the Avs can get the puck out consistently, Frank is going to play awesome. He will battle his ass off to ensure the Avs have a chance to win. I think I'd like to keep them as a tandem long-term... right now, Grubs should sit and Frank should play until the All Star break.
Huh, I would think Frank has the edge in athleticism, dude's always having to make some pretty acrobatic moves to cover the net and make up for some fundamental flaws in his game.
Groob, when he's on his game, is better than Frankie. The Avs have done a remarkable job of playing to Frankie's strengths though. I still say that in some ways they play better because THEY KNOW they have to have someone in the slot area to clear out rebounds, and they actually use it as a means to break it out of the zone straight up the middle, which is actually the most efficient way to do things. One problem with their usual breakout scheme is that they're way too dependent on trying to chip it out along the boards and the opposition knows this, and they pile bodies right at the blue line, which has led to a ton of turnovers and extended time spent in the defensive zone. They do this less with Frankie in net.
One very alarming flaw in Frankie's game right now is that he's displaying a real vulnerability tracking shooters on his right side who are coming in with speed. Don't know what that is but he's been beat very easily by both Victor Rask and Anders Lee. Admittedly the Lee shot was screened and slightly deflected, but both were eerily similar. The issue with Grubauer right now is that he's losing his ability to track the puck through traffic. Two times now there were shots from the point where he wasn't set or anywhere close to where the puck ended up. I'm not sure what's going through his head when he's doing that, but I hope the Avs work with him on it.
Bottom line, this is a good goaltending tandem, and the Avs and Parkkila should be commended for getting it to work as well as it has. There are a few people panicking a bit and all I have to say is, even the reigning Vezina Trophy winner looked like hot garbage to start the season (now he looks locked in). Goaltending is a haphazard and prone to random happenstance, unless you have a generational talent between the pipes like Patrick Roy, which no one has right now.
