Confirmed with Link: [TOR/FLA] TOR acquires G Michael Hutchinson for 2020 5th Round Pick

[Bluelines]

Imo Sparks is one of the worst goalies to play in the NHL if not the worst from a fundamental standpoint probably since the lockout. I don't think Hutch will be worse, as a matter of fact, I think this is something that'll be difficult to accomplish, Sparks is completely propped up by an amazing team, other top 5 backups:

Copley, 2.6 gaa and 915sv%
Domingue, 3 gaa and 905sv%
Brossoit, 2.1 gaa and 940sv%
Smith, 3gaa and 890sv%
Dell, 2.7gaa and 900sv%

All of them have played more than Sparks who was literally put in the best position to succeed, yet he is even falling below the 910sv% average for backups on the best teams in the league. Sparks is really really bad and I'd honestly at least rather a goalie who played the same as his mediocre results but didn't look like a fish out of water in the net.

I think its fair to say both the eye test and the stats show, he is not an NHL goalie.

Player	Tm	Lg	Pos	Season	Age	GP	GS	W	L	T/O	GA	SA	SV	SV%	GAA	GA%-	GSAA	SO	PIM	MIN	QS	QS%	RBS	GPS
Laurent Brossoit	WPG	NHL	G	2018-19	25	10	9	8	1	1	21	342	321	0.939	2.11	67	10.29	1	0	596	8	0.889	0	3
Pheonix Copley	WSH	NHL	G	2018-19	27	13	12	9	2	1	32	373	341	0.914	2.61	94	2.12	1	0	735	7	0.583	2	2.3
Aaron Dell	SJS	NHL	G	2018-19	29	12	11	5	4	3	32	334	302	0.904	2.69	105	-1.45	2	0	713	4	0.364	2	1.7
Louis Domingue	TBL	NHL	G	2018-19	26	19	19	15	4	0	57	596	539	0.904	2.99	105	-2.48	0	4	1143	10	0.526	2	3.1
Garret Sparks	TOR	NHL	G	2018-19	25	10	9	6	2	1	28	295	267	0.905	3	104	-1.01	1	0	559	4	0.444	2	1.5

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[Blanche Blanche]

Dude the saying cant see the forest for the trees has never been a more apt response to your post. If you got a guy like Sparks behind you, as a skater you think you have to be finer with your shots , finer with your d play, finer in every aspect , cause you know he is not a good goalie. The end result is you start griping your stick harder, taking shots you wouldn't normally take, make mistakes you might not normally make , cause you are thinking the game too much vs playing the game instinctively.

The Raycroft effect is real and we are about to experience it again. Sparks poor goaltending is an invasive hockey disease that affects everyone on the team.. Ask Philly what crappy goaltending can do to a team, ask last years Flames what crappy goaltending can do to a team. Ask the LA Kings what crappy goaltending can do to a team, ask Chicago what crappy goaltending can do to a team. It;s an invasive rust like disease that eats away at the team from the inside out.

I've liked what Dubas has done so far but not getting a reliable back up is going to be the goat horns he wears if this comes back to bite us.

Its happening. Its so sad and I hope theres a miracle. but the proverbial biting is already upon us ;

1. Our starter is injured. but Day to day.
2. If that day to day turns into a few weeks. BOOM.
3. A few weeks of Sparks and Hutch means we might lose 3-4 games and Tampa is onto the next chicane, Buffalo and Boston come into our rearview.
4. Freddy might need an adjustment period upon return. Few more points lost.
5. Instead of sitting pretty, we are now in a real Atlantic royal rumble with BOS, BUF, and possibly MTL.

I really hope Freddy is back 110%, no rushing him.
We need him for the playoffs. We need to MAKE it there

 

[bbgobie]

Than were not that good a team. Look at Boston and Tampa's injuries and how they've managed to do what they have.

 

[GodEmperor]

Your amazing team scored exactly 0 goals tonight, FYI. How does that put Sparks in best position to succeed?

I love this retroactive worldview.

Basically, if a team doesn't score, it's never the goalie's fault in any capacity.

Sparks just cannot make big saves and those are the ones that swing the game, the first goal was meh af and so were the rest, along with his awful powerplay giveaway. If he could've kept this game to 1 or 2, who knows what happens?

At the end of the day, it's not one game that does him in, it's his awful movement, his inability to stay up and his God awful speed. He will never be a decent NHL goalie.

 

[Bluelines]

At the end of the day, it's not one game that does him in, it's his awful movement, his inability to stay up and his God awful speed. He will never be a decent NHL goalie.

He is the shortest 6'3 goalie in the league. I've been told you can tell a confident goalie by how fast/slow he goes to his knees. Sparks is basically on his knees all game. I bet he even sits on his knees during the intermission. His teammates know he is not confident, I bet that does not give his teammates the warm fuzzy feeling when they see him on the game sheet.

 

[Cor]

I think its fair to say both the eye test and the stats show, he is not an NHL goalie.

Player	Tm	Lg	Pos	Season	Age	GP	GS	W	L	T/O	GA	SA	SV	SV%	GAA	GA%-	GSAA	SO	PIM	MIN	QS	QS%	RBS	GPS
Laurent Brossoit	WPG	NHL	G	2018-19	25	10	9	8	1	1	21	342	321	0.939	2.11	67	10.29	1	0	596	8	0.889	0	3
Pheonix Copley	WSH	NHL	G	2018-19	27	13	12	9	2	1	32	373	341	0.914	2.61	94	2.12	1	0	735	7	0.583	2	2.3
Aaron Dell	SJS	NHL	G	2018-19	29	12	11	5	4	3	32	334	302	0.904	2.69	105	-1.45	2	0	713	4	0.364	2	1.7
Louis Domingue	TBL	NHL	G	2018-19	26	19	19	15	4	0	57	596	539	0.904	2.99	105	-2.48	0	4	1143	10	0.526	2	3.1
Garret Sparks	TOR	NHL	G	2018-19	25	10	9	6	2	1	28	295	267	0.905	3	104	-1.01	1	0	559	4	0.444	2	1.5

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Sparks hasn’t been winning, so whatever, but that Quality Start % needs to go up.

 

[Boutette]

Basically, if a team doesn't score, it's never the goalie's fault in any capacity.

Nice try though, blaming Sparks for the leafs inability to score even one goal last night. Wow.

 

[luvdahattymatty]

Gramps here. Good insurance move. But be honest Hutch was beat out by 3 goalies in the Peg and then in Florida by both Lou and Reimer. He is an AHL level goalie. He is a level or two below Sparky.

 

[namttebih]

2 things. If Andersen has a TWEAK and is good to go Thursday this sent a warning signal to management just how exposed the team was at the 3rd string goalie position.

The Marlies badly needed a goalie. The Marlie team is decent enough but the goalie position was hurting the team significantly. This address's that issue.

A small price to pay to address a glaring position of need. I don't think Kaskisuo is even in the discussion anymore as a prospect with his .866 save% on the season. He will be Growler bound.

I know that the Marlies' goaltending has been bad this season, but do all contenders have strong #3 guys?

 

[Joey Hoser]

I know that the Marlies' goaltending has been bad this season, but do all contenders have strong #3 guys?

Of course not. It just seems that many Leafs fans are going to continue to cry and stamp their feet until we have the league's best offense, defense and goaltenders, and then they'll still jump off a bridge every time we get scored on, or god forbid, lose a game.

Having a good team has driven this fanbase mad. It's hardly any fun to be on here and talk bout the Leafs anymore. Pretty sad.

 

[Its not your fault]

Its happening. Its so sad and I hope theres a miracle. but the proverbial biting is already upon us ;

1. Our starter is injured. but Day to day.
2. If that day to day turns into a few weeks. BOOM.
3. A few weeks of Sparks and Hutch means we might lose 3-4 games and Tampa is onto the next chicane, Buffalo and Boston come into our rearview.
4. Freddy might need an adjustment period upon return. Few more points lost.
5. Instead of sitting pretty, we are now in a real Atlantic royal rumble with BOS, BUF, and possibly MTL.

I really hope Freddy is back 110%, no rushing him.
We need him for the playoffs. We need to MAKE it there

It builds character the sky isn't falling.

 

[ottomaddox]

Of course not. It just seems that many Leafs fans are going to continue to cry and stamp their feet until we have the league's best offense, defense and goaltenders, and then they'll still jump off a bridge every time we get scored on, or god forbid, lose a game.

Having a good team has driven this fanbase mad. It's hardly any fun to be on here and talk bout the Leafs anymore. Pretty sad.

Well don't just threaten to leave. Just leave. We don't need you as a fan if you don't like the way we discuss the team and the game.

 

[nsleaf]

Well don't just threaten to leave. Just leave. We don't need you as a fan if you don't like the way we discuss the team and the game.

Posters should speak for themselves HBHYD. All opinions welcome, even yours.

 

[ottomaddox]

Posters should speak for themselves HBHYD. All opinions welcome, even yours.

They always do. Joey Hoser was talking about the fans, and so that requires a "we", and not an "I".

 

[nsleaf]

They always do. Joey Hoser was talking about the fans, and so that requires a "we", and not an "I".

OK, I guess?

 

[qqaz]

Of course not. It just seems that many Leafs fans are going to continue to cry and stamp their feet until we have the league's best offense, defense and goaltenders, and then they'll still jump off a bridge every time we get scored on, or god forbid, lose a game.

Having a good team has driven this fanbase mad. It's hardly any fun to be on here and talk bout the Leafs anymore. Pretty sad.

I actually feel its far more enjoyable now that it was during the Burke/Nonis era. I am a long time HF reader, but only made an account now because it is a fun time to be a Lefas fan.

There was crying and complaining before, and there was almost nothing positive to balance it out with. Now there's still crying and complaining, sure. But that will never stop, and at least there's positive threads if you bother to find them. And it's not like anyone is wrong for wanting the team to be the best.

 

[member 262271]

Lets face it folks, until this team goes 82-0 with zero goals allowed, 5 fights per game will be the only time whining will not occur.

 

[ITM]

Well don't just threaten to leave. Just leave. We don't need you as a fan if you don't like the way we discuss the team and the game.

Who are you speaking for precisely?

Many Leafs fans have lost perspective on any number of issues. That opinion (his opinion) wasn't qualified with a "We", so why on Earth would you qualify your response with a "We"?

Joey Hoser stated his opinion concerning "many Leafs fans" not THE fans, as if the plain distinction wasn't plainly obvious coming from an obviously committed Leaf fan himself.

And since it was his opinion on "many " fans, your "We" has a selectivity that has to be wanted in order for it to fit the narrative of the sweeping generalization you made it out to be...when it wasn't the case.

At least that's what I think.

 

[ottomaddox]

Who are you speaking for precisely?

Many Leafs fans have lost perspective on any number of issues. That opinion (his opinion) wasn't qualified with a "We", so why on Earth would you qualify your response with a "We"?

Joey Hoser stated his opinion concerning "many Leafs fans" not THE fans, as if the plain distinction wasn't plainly obvious coming from an obviously committed Leaf fan himself.

And since it was his opinion on "many " fans, your "We" has a selectivity that has to be wanted in order for it to fit the narrative of the sweeping generalization you made it out to be...when it wasn't the case.

At least that's what I think.

Many Leafs fans

 

[saltming]

Who are you speaking for precisely?

Many Leafs fans have lost perspective on any number of issues. That opinion (his opinion) wasn't qualified with a "We", so why on Earth would you qualify your response with a "We"?

Joey Hoser stated his opinion concerning "many Leafs fans" not THE fans, as if the plain distinction wasn't plainly obvious coming from an obviously committed Leaf fan himself.

And since it was his opinion on "many " fans, your "We" has a selectivity that has to be wanted in order for it to fit the narrative of the sweeping generalization you made it out to be...when it wasn't the case.

At least that's what I think.

Maybe it was the royal "we"?

 

[ITM]

Many Leafs fans

Many fans is it? So the distinction between "the fans" and "many fans" isn't apparent to you?

And by the looks of things, according to Likes on your comment you don't appear to be speaking for anyone but yourself.

And what a shabby thing to say on so insignificant an issue: One fan disheartened by the unjustifiable pessimism of other so called Leaf fans.

He said it wasn't fun to be here anymore, not that he was leaving. And he most certainly didn't threaten to leave. You contrived the entire complaint to fit your preference.

A preference that appears to be, contrive something someone didn't say and then ask them to leave on the basis of that self-generated reality.

And as if that instruction to leave didn't (and doesn't) actually prove his point.

 

[ITM]

Maybe it was the royal "we"?

As defined in the DSM-V no doubt.

 

[sxvnert]

Lets face it folks, until this team goes 82-0 with zero goals allowed, 5 fights per game will be the only time whining will not occur.

If everyone agrees with each other than theres no point of coming to this forum.

 

[saltming]

As defined in the DSM-V no doubt.

That's more like the hannibal lecter we?

 

[ottomaddox]

Many fans is it? So the distinction between "the fans" and "many fans" isn't apparent to you?

And by the looks of things, according to Likes on your comment you don't appear to be speaking for anyone but yourself.

And what a shabby thing to say on so insignificant an issue: One fan disheartened by the unjustifiable pessimism of other so called Leaf fans.

He said it wasn't fun to be here anymore, not that he was leaving. And he most certainly didn't threaten to leave. You contrived the entire complaint to fit your preference.

A preference that appears to be, contrive something someone didn't say and then ask them to leave on the basis of that self-generated reality.

And as if that instruction to leave didn't (and doesn't) actually prove his point.

Yes