Player Discussion: Louis Domingue

[Rschmitz]

I don't see much cheating on our part to be honest, most of our offense we manufacture the right way

 

[Hinterland]

I don't see much cheating on our part to be honest, most of our offense we manufacture the right way

Now yeah. But that wasn't the case for most of the season. Also, Kucherov is still cheating...like he always is. Domingue's performances have been better than his numbers.

 

[DFC]

Now yeah. But that wasn't the case for most of the season. Also, Kucherov is still cheating...like he always is. Domingue's performances have been better than his numbers.

Yeah, I think we make exceptions for Kucherov in that department, as we should. He's been stealing a few pucks defensively lately too.

I don't believe Domingue's performanes have been better than his numbers though. I think his numbers line up pretty evenly with his performances, when you take both the bad and the good into account. He hasn't had a lights out game in a while, but he had plenty of stinkers when Vasy went down. The last couple of games have been solid, but he's still giving up softies, just fewer of them. Add that all up and I think his numbers reflect exactly the season he's having.

 

[Hinterland]

Yeah, I think we make exceptions for Kucherov in that department, as we should. He's been stealing a few pucks defensively lately too.

I don't believe Domingue's performanes have been better than his numbers though. I think his numbers line up pretty evenly with his performances, when you take both the bad and the good into account. He hasn't had a lights out game in a while, but he had plenty of stinkers when Vasy went down. The last couple of games have been solid, but he's still giving up softies, just fewer of them. Add that all up and I think his numbers reflect exactly the season he's having.

So for example when the team, 5-1 up vs Philly, started picking flowers and taking stupid penalties in front of him...do you really think it was Domingue's fault that Philly came back? You can't be serious about that. They fooled him on a number of occasions...just like they do with Vasi at times.

 

[SRQKiter]

It's going to be very interesting when Vasy comes back. Because they have had to, I think this team has played harder and with more focus in front of Domingue and so in a strange way has maybe demonstrated to themselves just what they are capable of when firing on all cylinders.

 

[Byrddog]

I have to remove egg from my face. I did not think Louie could do this. 0Then again the scoring has given him the confidence if he makes one mistake the team has his back. But Domingue has looked good in most every game is tracking the puck well and is positionaly sound. Is he as good as Vasi not by a long shot but having the knowledge he can be used to keep Vasi even fresher down the stretch will be invaluable. It is a good time to be a Bolts fan.

 

[DFC]

So for example when the team, 5-1 up vs Philly, started picking flowers and taking stupid penalties in front of him...do you really think it was Domingue's fault that Philly came back? You can't be serious about that. They fooled him on a number of occasions...just like they do with Vasi at times.

Domingue let up some terrible goals in that game, so yeah, I do. Those weren't goals an average goalie is going to give up.

Domingue is a goalie who can make a stellar save, and he's also a goalie who can give up softies every game. Mash that together and you get a goalie who has about his numbers. He's getting far and away the best goal support in the league, and is playing behind one of the best defenses in the league.

Teams play sloppy sometimes. We're not the only one. Decent goalies don't just start giving up soft goals left and right because of that. And, when our defense is good, there might be 2-3 teams league-wide who can match it. He's getting the benefit of that too, and it's worked into his numbers.

He's a very average back-up, with the numbers of a very average back-up. Blaming his numbers on poor defense just doesn't work.

 

[Sky04]

He's a very average back-up, with the numbers of a very average back-up. Blaming his numbers on poor defense just doesn't work.

Our defense may be sloppy as times but this is absolutely nothing compared to some of the stuff Bishop saw in his first couple years and Vasi to a degree in his first 2 years. Our defense is light years cleaner than what it was 4-5 years ago. Play him in Bowness's system and he'd have been chased out after 2 weeks.

 

[The Macho King]

I wonder if his goaltending style is ask the skaters how many goals they intend to score and say "alright, that means I can give up 5."

 

[DFC]

We're averaging over 5 per game on the current win streak. Domingue has done fine, for the most part, but I think it's important to remember there is no NHL caliber goalie who wouldn't be fine with that kind of goal support. If the offense was sputtering, relying on Domingue would be a problem.

That's not to say he's not fine in his role. But that's more about how little we need from a back-up in 2018 than what he's bringing to the table. This is not the Matt Carle/Andrej Sustr defense of years past.

 

[Hinterland]

Our defense may be sloppy as times but this is absolutely nothing compared to some of the stuff Bishop saw in his first couple years and Vasi to a degree in his first 2 years. Our defense is light years cleaner than what it was 4-5 years ago. Play him in Bowness's system and he'd have been chased out after 2 weeks.

The last two games yeah. Before it was mostly as ugly as before. Also has to be noted that the six defenders aren't the problem...at least not since Sustr is gone. It's a careless play by some forwards as well as the turnovers they produce.

 

[Sky04]

The last two games yeah. Before it was mostly as ugly as before. Also has to be noted that the six defenders aren't the problem...at least not since Sustr is gone. It's a careless play by some forwards as well as the turnovers they produce.

No it wasn't. Bishop used to face high danger chances consistently and have to stand on his head for a win, almost every win was contributed to outstanding goaltending. Domingue's situation is the complete opposite, he just has to sit there and make the standard saves, get beat by a couple grade A chances and the team will likely pull out a win, it's when he can't do that and lets in the standard saves is when we feel the heat. Outside of maybe 1 or 2 games he hasn't really had to stand on his head.

 

[DFC]

The last two games yeah. Before it was mostly as ugly as before. Also has to be noted that the six defenders aren't the problem...at least not since Sustr is gone. It's a careless play by some forwards as well as the turnovers they produce.

Domingue was routinely giving up 4. We had some lapses, sure, but that would make us one of the worst teams in the league defensively, which wasn't close to the case. The difference was Domingue played very poorly. He's playing better now, but I don't think we can just forget how bad he was for a stretch, where he would give up 1-3 goals per night on routine shots. It'd be different if he had a long history of playing well consistently. But this is pretty much his history. He wasn't waived by Arizona for no reason.

 

[Hinterland]

Domingue was routinely giving up 4. We had some lapses, sure, but that would make us one of the worst teams in the league defensively, which wasn't close to the case. The difference was Domingue played very poorly. He's playing better now, but I don't think we can just forget how bad he was for a stretch, where he would give up 1-3 goals per night on routine shots. It'd be different if he had a long history of playing well consistently. But this is pretty much his history. He wasn't waived by Arizona for no reason.

You obviously didn't watch a lot of Yotes hockey. In Arizona, usage was the problem. Nevertheless, Domingue did well when Smith went down.

 

[Hinterland]

No it wasn't. Bishop used to face high danger chances consistently and have to stand on his head for a win, almost every win was contributed to outstanding goaltending. Domingue's situation is the complete opposite, he just has to sit there and make the standard saves, get beat by a couple grade A chances and the team will likely pull out a win, it's when he can't do that and lets in the standard saves is when we feel the heat. Outside of maybe 1 or 2 games he hasn't really had to stand on his head.

Bad post. Vasi tired out because he had to save the team night after night. You really seem to forget rather quickly. Domingue also had to make 30 (or something like it) saves in certain periods just because nobody else was playing for the Bolts.

 

[DFC]

You obviously didn't watch a lot of Yotes hockey. In Arizona, usage was the problem. Nevertheless, Domingue did well when Smith went down.

I didn't. But you don't get waived because the team has a ton of faith in you.

And I know what I'm seeing now, which is a very average back-up. Judging a goalie by his best moments doesn't tell the whole story. He can make key saves at key times, but that doesn't mean he won't get beat on a very average shot two minutes later.

 

[Sky04]

Bad post. Vasi tired out because he had to save the team night after night. You really seem to forget rather quickly. Domingue also had to make 30 (or something like it) saves in certain periods just because nobody else was playing for the Bolts.

He also flopped 3 goals in a couple periods so.................

Like I said outside of 1 or 2 games where he played impressive he hasn't had to do anything but be average and failed at that more often than not. You seem to have selective memory.

 

[Master P]

Who that boy in the middle?

 

[DFC]

Who that boy in the middle?

That's kind of hilarious.

 

[The Macho King]

Bad post. Vasi tired out because he had to save the team night after night. You really seem to forget rather quickly. Domingue also had to make 30 (or something like it) saves in certain periods just because nobody else was playing for the Bolts.

This never happened.

I mean - your entire posting on this topic has been hyperbole and falsehoods. It's truly remarkable. We've been middle of the pack (15th) in Scoring Chances Against according to Natural Stat Trick, while being in 1st in Scoring Chances For. As far as "high danger chances"? Again we're third in the league for. Twist? We're 5th in the league against. Second in HDC% (behind Carolina, so clearly these stats aren't perfect).

Dom has had great defense in front of him. We don't allow many chances from the slot at all. We defend odd man rushes better than anyone in the league.

@Bleedred has been tracking how many "stoppable shots" goalies let in this season. It's not a super complete picture because it doesn't adjust for those "eh, maybe could've had it but that shot is going to beat you every now and then", and it doesn't adjust for 10 bell saves or anything like that (assuming it's out of the goalies control, so breakaways, 2 on 1s, etc.), but it still gives a good picture. I wish he would collect all of the data in one place (he's just putting it in the scoreboard thread on the Devils board), but one thing it shows is that Dom lets in *a lot of bad f***ing goals*.

 

[Hinterland]

He also flopped 3 goals in a couple periods so.................

Like I said outside of 1 or 2 games where he played impressive he hasn't had to do anything but be average and failed at that more often than not. You seem to have selective memory.

It's you having a selective memory. All you remember is the last two games when everybody except Kucherov was fully commited to defense and solid two way hockey. You can't seem to remember all of those games when the team let Vasi (and Bishop before him) out to dry. I had Bishop in my Fantasy team and I have Vasi now...I know exactly what I'm talking about.

 

[DFC]

It's you having a selective memory. All you remember is the last two games when everybody except Kucherov was fully commited to defense and solid two way hockey. You can't seem to remember all of those games when the team let Vasi (and Bishop before him) out to dry. I had Bishop in my Fantasy team and I have Vasi now...I know exactly what I'm talking about.

He's left the team hung out to dry a whole lot more than the opposite. Shots 10-3 Lightning? Score 2-1 Panthers.

 

[Hinterland]

This never happened.

I mean - your entire posting on this topic has been hyperbole and falsehoods. It's truly remarkable. We've been middle of the pack (15th) in Scoring Chances Against according to Natural Stat Trick, while being in 1st in Scoring Chances For. As far as "high danger chances"? Again we're third in the league for. Twist? We're 5th in the league against. Second in HDC% (behind Carolina, so clearly these stats aren't perfect).

Dom has had great defense in front of him. We don't allow many chances from the slot at all. We defend odd man rushes better than anyone in the league.

@Bleedred has been tracking how many "stoppable shots" goalies let in this season. It's not a super complete picture because it doesn't adjust for those "eh, maybe could've had it but that shot is going to beat you every now and then", and it doesn't adjust for 10 bell saves or anything like that (assuming it's out of the goalies control, so breakaways, 2 on 1s, etc.), but it still gives a good picture. I wish he would collect all of the data in one place (he's just putting it in the scoreboard thread on the Devils board), but one thing it shows is that Dom lets in *a lot of bad ****ing goals*.

You don't get it. Yes, defense is great but the two way game of certain forwards isn't and it's been like that for years. If you think that it's particularly easy to be the Bolts Goalie, go ask Vasi who has been left out to dry many times. Yeah, Domingue has a tendency to save the impossible ones and let in the easy ones but he's been good overall and I don't think Vasi could have done much better.

 

[Hinterland]

He's left the team hung out to dry a whole lot more than the opposite. Shots 10-3 Lightning? Score 2-1 Panthers.

This is pure nonsense. Happened to every goalie, even to the greatest.

 

[DFC]

You don't get it. Yes, defense is great but the two way game of certain forwards isn't and it's been like that for years. If you think that it's particularly easy to be the Bolts Goalie, go ask Vasi who has been left out to dry many times. Yeah, Domingue has a tendency to save the impossible ones and let in the easy ones but he's been good overall and I don't think Vasi could have done much better.

I think we get it. We also see it happen to other teams who don't have a defense like ours, and goalies aren't giving up four per night, nor goals on routine shots off the wall, nor goals off their crests where they can't find the rebound.

The problem is the actual goals he lets up. Both the type, and the number of them. It's not a huge problem because he's getting 5 goals per game in support. It's not like he's facing breakdown after breakdown in front of him, and that's not just the last couple of games. We've been pretty tight defensively, relative to rest of the league, pretty much all season. Minus a game or two, sure.

He's fine for his role. I don't think anybody's arguing he isn't. But the idea that he's a very good back-up? Well, the bigger the sample size gets, the more it appears that's just not true.