Why Do NHL Teams Keep Employing Brian Elliott?

[ItMe]

If the Eastern Conference wasn't so weak, the Flyers wouldn't be in the playoffs, and this thread wouldn't have been created.

 

[Thallis]

Glad to see the "Elliott is a product of the Blues" myth hasn't gone anywhere, despite the fact that he significantly outplayed all 4 goalies before, during and after his tenure there.

 

[KingBran]

Glad to see the "Elliott is a product of the Blues" myth hasn't gone anywhere, despite the fact that he significantly outplayed all 4 goalies before, during and after his tenure there.

He didn't "significantly" outplay Allen. In fact their stats during their time together were almost identical. (excluding 2013-2014 when Allen didn't play)

Elliott from 2012-2016 on the Blues:
63-30-10 (.611 win%)
GAA: 2.20
SV%: .926

Allen from 2012-2016 on the Blues:
57-26-7 (.633 win%)

GAA: 2.36
SV%: .913

Hardly "significantly" outplayed.
​

Career stats are almost identical too
Elliott: .515 win%, 2.45GAA, .913sv%
Allen: .534 win%, 2,47GAA, .913sv%



They are almost the same goalie.​

 

[Pi]

He didn't "significantly" outplay Allen. In fact their stats during their time together were almost identical. (excluding 2013-2014 when Allen didn't play)

Elliott from 2012-2016 on the Blues:
63-30-10 (.611 win%)
GAA: 2.20
SV%: .926

Allen from 2012-2016 on the Blues:
57-26-7 (.633 win%)

GAA: 2.36
SV%: .913

Hardly "significantly" outplayed.​

GAA is a team stat. .926 vs .913 is a significant difference.

 

[Pi]

If the Eastern Conference wasn't so weak, the Flyers wouldn't be in the playoffs, and this thread wouldn't have been created.

A western team just got swept by an expansion team...nobody in the East is going to get swept.

 

[KingBran]

GAA is a team stat. .926 vs .913 is a significant difference.

Added career stats. I like how you ignored the other stats though. Would you not agree that they are (statistically) virtually the same goalie?

Or at least see that he did not "significantly" outplay Allen?

 

[tarheelhockey]

If the Eastern Conference wasn't so weak, the Flyers wouldn't be in the playoffs, and this thread wouldn't have been created.

Flyers made the playoffs because they beat the Avs (West #8) in Denver a week before the end of the season.

If the Flyers are a weak entry, what does that make the Avs?

 

[Thallis]

Added career stats. I like how you ignored the other stats though. Would you not agree that they are (statistically) virtually the same goalie?

Or at least see that he did not "significantly" outplay Allen?

The other stats are team stats, and those teams were very good. It was clear when he was here, and especially now that he's gone, that Elliott was the best Blues goalie since Curtis Joesph. If he was still with the Blues, they would have been the 3 seed this year.

Edit: Before you talk about how Sv% is influenced by the team, make a note that Elliott has had better low danger, medium danger and high danger save% sine his time there as well as a higher save%, lower expected save% and GSAA of 24.08 compared to -6.92. Elliott has been better in literally every individual category, some by significant margins.

 

[PatrikOverAuston]

Who cares if he is a sieve come playoff time? Dat GSAABCD%#!

And right on schedule Elliott Elliotts. Poor Flyers fans.

 

[MacDonald4MVP]

I mean beyond those two miraculous seasons he had in his 20s, which if anyone watched would know it was due to St. Louis' system and using him as a platoon goalie.

Elliott has more years where his playoff Sv% is below 0.900 than he does above and at 32, he isn't getting any younger or better. Why do teams keep getting fooled by this guy?

I don't know what are you watching. He's been easily pens mvp.

 

[Mikeshane]

It's a head scratcher for sure. I am enjoying watching him get lit up though, it brings back nostalgic memories of when teams kept giving Bryzgalov chance after chance even though he was a total disaster...Fun times.

These signings also serve as a nice quick and easy example for when people claim GMs always know better than fans.

 

[GoldenSeal]

Here's an idle thought: Why doesn't the D just do their job and put Crosby through the boards? Giroux put down a boss check on him and they won that game. If your D ain't stopping one of the best Offenses in the league, any goalie not named Parent (and maybe even him) is going to be torn apart.

 

[CraigBillington]

Corey Hirsch (former Blues goalie coach) summed it up on the radio the other day.
That Elliott performs best when he's not THE guy. When there's competition or he's regressed to being a 1b, he gets better. When he outright has the starting job, he falters

 

[GoldenSeal]

Corey Hirsch (former Blues goalie coach) summed it up on the radio the other day.
That Elliott performs best when he's not THE guy. When there's competition or he's regressed to being a 1b, he gets better. When he outright has the starting job, he falters

This has been the case time in and time out. Had the Flyers followed this formula, Elliott would be standing on his head right now, tho I don't see how the Flyers would win even with that. Their big guns need to show up and be heard. They need to load up pressure on Crosby and rattle him, he's the heart of the team, he's who they should be going after.

 

[Inflict]

Strange to think but Elliot's total 5v5 sv% for the past 4 seasons is top 5 in the league (minimum 3000 minutes). He's no Vezina candidate but he is a top 20 goalie, IMO.

 

[PeterSidorkiewicz]

Strange to think but Elliot's 5v5 sv% is top 5 in the league when you account the past 4 seasons (minimum 3000 minutes). He's no Vezina candidate but he is a top 20 goalie, IMO.

Really you think? You have stats on your side so you present a good argument but my eye test has always told me he is nothing but a backup goalie.

No one will ever convince me he is in the top 30 of NHL goalies.

 

[GoldenSeal]

Really you think? You have stats on your side so you present a good argument but my eye test has always told me he is nothing but a backup goalie.

No one will ever convince me he is in the top 30 of NHL goalies.

Maybe if the Flyers had a better D corps...

 

[CraigBillington]

This has been the case time in and time out. Had the Flyers followed this formula, Elliott would be standing on his head right now, tho I don't see how the Flyers would win even with that. Their big guns need to show up and be heard. They need to load up pressure on Crosby and rattle him, he's the heart of the team, he's who they should be going after.

Would have been nice if a change of scenery for Mrazek could have pushed Elliott but it sounds like he's been worse. (Haven't seen the games, just going off what I read)

 

[PeterSidorkiewicz]

Maybe if the Flyers had a better D corps...

Even if they did I still wouldn’t want Brian Elliott as my starting goalie heading into the playoffs.

But hey, that’s just me! Never been a fan.

 

[GoldenSeal]

Even if they did I still wouldn’t want Brian Elliott as my starting goalie heading into the playoffs.

But hey, that’s just me! Never been a fan.

I'll be honest, I love Elliott, just not as a Starter. He's the guy you carry with a sound Starter. Elliott's game -always- rises to the occasion and you got a double threat in goal. Thing is, the Flyers problems aren't as much in goal as they seem to be in other places including Coaching's choice of who to/not to play.

 

[Panthaz89]

Philly was over matched not much of it was on Elliot.

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

Strange to think but Elliot's total 5v5 sv% for the past 4 seasons is top 5 in the league (minimum 3000 minutes). He's no Vezina candidate but he is a top 20 goalie, IMO.

A huge portion of that is because he played on the Blues. He also played very little to begin with. Lastly, Flyers are a great team 5on5 defensively, it's the PK they are bad at.

 

[Inflict]

A huge portion of that is because he played on the Blues. He also played very little to begin with. Lastly, Flyers are a great team 5on5 defensively, it's the PK they are bad at.

True. His play with the Blues did indeed give him a big boost, but he is still 13th in 5v5 SV% when you only count the last two seasons which beats goalies like Carey Price, Frederik Andersen, MAF and Hellebuyck.

Like I said. I think he is a top 20 goalie but his best years are probably behind him.

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

True. His play with the Blues did indeed give him a big boost, but he is still 13th in 5v5 SV% when you only count the last two seasons which beats goalies like Carey Price, Frederik Andersen, MAF and Hellebuyck.

Like I said. I think he is a top 20 goalie but his best years are probably behind him.

Price had an abnormally bad season. MAF really isn't that great, he's having a great year (Although he wasn't as bad as regular season 2016-2017 MAF). Hellebuyck just recently emerged and no one should consider him elite yet. Andersen plays on a far worse defensive team than both Philly and Flames.

 

[StreetHawk]

I'll be honest, I love Elliott, just not as a Starter. He's the guy you carry with a sound Starter. Elliott's game -always- rises to the occasion and you got a double threat in goal. Thing is, the Flyers problems aren't as much in goal as they seem to be in other places including Coaching's choice of who to/not to play.

Elliott is a good guy to have to share duties with a young guy you’re grooming to take over. Like if Hart was a couple years older. But, he’s not a legit no 1. He’s a stop gap goalie.