Sabres Goat-lending (Capra fenerantis): The Other, Other Elephant in the Room

[Fezzy126]

I mean.....he's not wrong. Ullmark hasn't been terrible. He's been "fine". Perfectly average, IMO.

It's so difficult to tell, I have such a bad grasp on goalie analytics it's not even funny. Every stat seems to paint a completely different picture; Quality start %, GSAA, HDGAA, HDSV%, Standard stats, etc. No matter what stat you look at, it seems to be a crap shoot every year with a completely different set of goalies at the top of each of these lists. There just doesn't seem to be a good way of quantifying team effects into any of the available goalie metrics.
For what it's worth, while our goalies started off above average, they are not really performing well in any of these stats anymore (they range from below average to really bad).

One thing that I tend to notice is the quality of skill of goals scored in Sabres games. This is strictly based on the eye test, but it seems like the majority of our goals are high skill goals; Jack, Sam, or Victor snipes, Sheary showing a momentary lapse of skill for 3 minutes each month, KO picking a spot, etc.

On the other end it always seems like the opposition scores way more workmanlike goals; bad angles, deflections, pucks off of skates, a goalie sliding way out of position and they get a tap-in. For example in the last game Vegas had 3 wide open nets and could only capitalize on one.

I'm not saying we have more skill than the opposition, it just seems like a much higher percentage of our goals are skill-based goals compared to the opposition. Not sure where I'm going with this, other than to say we need more sandpaper to increase our 'gritty' goal totals and I think we can do better in goal, most likely as a result of our pipeline.

 

[Chainshot]

Goalies are voodoo... and the best way to deal with voodoo? That's right! Goat sacrifice. Especially one that has been lent for it.

 

[TehDoak]

What's Noronen up to these days? Surely he can fix this.

 

[DolanPlsGoSabres]

What's Noronen up to these days? Surely he can fix this.

He can provide some depth scoring!

 

[Jim Bob]

Report: Maple Leafs among teams to inquire about Rangers' Georgiev

I wonder if the Sabres have any interest?

 

[TehDoak]

Report: Maple Leafs among teams to inquire about Rangers' Georgiev

I wonder if the Sabres have any interest?

With UPL in the Pipe and JJ having a great season in Rochester...I kind of doubt it?

I'd love to upgrade what we have in net, but given that lack of scoring has been a bigger issue than goaltending and our futures assets are a bit limited, my guess is we stay status quo, probably even into next season.

 

[Icicle]

It's so difficult to tell, I have such a bad grasp on goalie analytics it's not even funny. Every stat seems to paint a completely different picture; Quality start %, GSAA, HDGAA, HDSV%, Standard stats, etc. No matter what stat you look at, it seems to be a crap shoot every year with a completely different set of goalies at the top of each of these lists. There just doesn't seem to be a good way of quantifying team effects into any of the available goalie metrics.
For what it's worth, while our goalies started off above average, they are not really performing well in any of these stats anymore (they range from below average to really bad).

One thing that I tend to notice is the quality of skill of goals scored in Sabres games. This is strictly based on the eye test, but it seems like the majority of our goals are high skill goals; Jack, Sam, or Victor snipes, Sheary showing a momentary lapse of skill for 3 minutes each month, KO picking a spot, etc.

On the other end it always seems like the opposition scores way more workmanlike goals; bad angles, deflections, pucks off of skates, a goalie sliding way out of position and they get a tap-in. For example in the last game Vegas had 3 wide open nets and could only capitalize on one.

I'm not saying we have more skill than the opposition, it just seems like a much higher percentage of our goals are skill-based goals compared to the opposition. Not sure where I'm going with this, other than to say we need more sandpaper to increase our 'gritty' goal totals and I think we can do better in goal, most likely as a result of our pipeline.

Many of the goals against were tip-ins, foot deflections, etc. Our defense was struggling early and the chaos led to much of this. Goalies who give up a lot of rebounds (Hutton in particular this year) make those situations even worse. Our defense has shored up quite nicely lately though. 'Open nets', but they didn't score because the guy was covered. Then there's the breakaway goals that Ullmark and Hutton were not giving the team any help on early-on, but have been better of late. And the stinkers. Ullmark has let in a lot less than he did early this season. Hutton still does every time he's out there.

Goaltending could be better, but it has improved with at least one of the same players working through it.

 

[Chainshot]

Report: Maple Leafs among teams to inquire about Rangers' Georgiev

I wonder if the Sabres have any interest?

Have you seen Dreger's comments on the possible value? More than Bracco and a pick, something like Johnsson or Kapanen. I'm blinking just reading it.

 

[Jim Bob]

Have you seen Dreger's comments on the possible value? More than Bracco and a pick, something like Johnsson or Kapanen. I'm blinking just reading it.

Good luck getting that much, IMO.

 

[Chainshot]

Good luck getting that much, IMO.

I wonder if the Leafs are looking at it from the standpoint of clearing a little cap and improving the pit that has been their backup situation and thus would be willing to make that move? It's way, way too rich for my liking, even if I like Georgiev a lot.

 

[Jim Bob]

I wonder if the Leafs are looking at it from the standpoint of clearing a little cap and improving the pit that has been their backup situation and thus would be willing to make that move? It's way, way too rich for my liking, even if I like Georgiev a lot.

Bracco and a late pick makes sense. Giving up a halfway decent player, not so much.

And it's not like NY has a decent D to throw in for it to make even more sense for the Leafs.

 

[Chainshot]

Bracco and a late pick makes sense. Giving up a halfway decent player, not so much.

And it's not like NY has a decent D to throw in for it to make even more sense for the Leafs.

Some Ranger fans (okay, one... bern ) have been tossing Skjei into every other deal, so if they wanted to shuffle things around maybe a Skjei-Georgiev package?

Considering Huttons 0-6-5 streak and his multiple 4+ goals against stretch, it isn't a reach to think better play there puts the Sabres right in the midst of the wild card hunt rather than slipping down to 5 points back. It seems like low-hanging fruit. Bales had success with guys like Mrazek, maybe there is someone of that ilk out there who they can dig up to help spell Ullmark and also of course help keep them in the hunt.

 

[Jim Bob]

Some Ranger fans (okay, one... bern ) have been tossing Skjei into every other deal, so if they wanted to shuffle things around maybe a Skjei-Georgiev package?

Considering Huttons 0-6-5 streak and his multiple 4+ goals against stretch, it isn't a reach to think better play there puts the Sabres right in the midst of the wild card hunt rather than slipping down to 5 points back. It seems like low-hanging fruit. Bales had success with guys like Mrazek, maybe there is someone of that ilk out there who they can dig up to help spell Ullmark and also of course help keep them in the hunt.

I am surprised that Hutton has struggled this much with the new coaching staff.

 

[Chainshot]

I am surprised that Hutton has struggled this much with the new coaching staff.

His initial stretch to this season was so encouraging too. It's baffling.

 

[Chainshot]

So there it is then... what's wrong with Hutton?

@oldgoalie , @Der Jaeger , @Jim Bob ... you all wear the gear and have an eye for goaltending voodoo. What do you see?

 

[coastal]

I’d take a run at Quick

 

[oldgoalie]

So there it is then... what's wrong with Hutton?

@oldgoalie , @Der Jaeger , @Jim Bob ... you all wear the gear and have an eye for goaltending voodoo. What do you see?

I can't for the life of me understand how you can go from decent to shit in such a short amount of time (and still stay in the toilet for as long as he has... GAA over 4??) except for:
-injury
-everyone has the book on your weak spots since your performance early in the season, and you're not doing anything to adjust (meaning it's in his head, because sure as hell your goalie coach has been watching film, and knows them.)
-something going on in his personal life (a la Lehner).

 

[Der Jaeger]

So there it is then... what's wrong with Hutton?

@oldgoalie , @Der Jaeger , @Jim Bob ... you all wear the gear and have an eye for goaltending voodoo. What do you see?

what @oldgoalie said could be true

also, could be mental. Confidence is a thing and when a goalie is off, everything goes in. You start thinking too much about form and technique, positioning, angles, etc instead of just playing. It’s really hard to break past it.

- Prep for goalies is mostly mental and a lot more time consuming. Hutton could be ground down.

- injured in some way and is trying to play through?

- distraction in his personal life.

it doesn’t fall off this fast for professionals typically

 

[sabremike]

Something has to give because right now we have a backup who is so horrible that the coach is rightly terrified to ever let him start a game. This situation is untenable and needs to be addressed because no reasonable person thinks Ulmark can get this team into the playoffs if he's given a Hasek in his prime workload.