He played awesome last night. Like you said, played the perfect game. Been over a year since we seen that, I wasnt actually sure we were ever going to see that again.
My argument the whole time has been we dont need perfect we just need average.
Average like Koskis stats right now gives us the record he has, above average gives us the record he had before the slump.
Below average goaltending gives us the record Talbot has currently.
Its not hard to figure out really.
meh. I evaluate goalies on technique, form, quickness, speed moving across etc. I'm a bit of a purist too when it comes to goaltending and prefer infallible form. The only goalie here I've seen in modern times that could get by without the best form was Cujo. But he had decent form and spectacular reflexes and could make reaction saves that blow anybodies mind.
Talbot as a goalie, when on his game demonstrates good to excellent form. He has all the technique, ability, his tracking and moves across last night were excellent. He still has it. It didn't go away. Talbots weakness is reaction stops but if shooters are boxed out and less screens occur he does well.
Koski is far less a form goalie. He isn't even that adept at moving across quickly. For instance on the Toffoli goal he demonstrates his substandard dive at the puck. He can't move across quick enough to track that play so he relies on desperation. Often he relies on two pads on the ice and shooters hitting nothing but pad. Koski exhibits a lot of big goalie textbook problems. Due to their size and weight they have trouble moving whole body quickly and have not had to learn excellent form in the first place because they are reliant on size.
Heres an example where form trumps all. High jump. Soon as Dick Fosbury developed the Fosbury flop he transformed the sport. It didn't matter how strong or good straddlers were, or if they still won some of the meets. The Fosbury flop practitioners were going to win out. The straddle was dead, only a matter of time. So what you might say, that's an entirely different sport and endeavor.
Well Tretiak revolutionised goaltending with his use of the butterfly technique. NA goalies looked like amateurs compared to Tretiak. Put Tretiak on a Team Canada and they would never lose. Ken Dryden, the best goalie in the NHL, in NA was made to look like a fool by the Russians. They schooled him.
My critique of Koski is always related to concerns with his form. As long as shooters were stuffing pucks right at him he looks great. But when the scouting report is beat him high, or move across on him its less clear what we have. You never know if a goalie is great early. It takes longer evaluation. Many goalies have a first wave of success. its how they survive the NHL once their technique is scouted that spell the longterm prognosis.
Anyway you can dismiss this if you want but I think I substantiate my position.
We need more results.
I hope Koski can adapt to how goal scorers are currently solving him.