Quote:
Originally Posted by DJ's left nut
I don't mind the analysis but it hand-waives the reason Bennington was so good last year.
The idea that he was hung out on many of the goals he's given up isn't inaccurate - but that's kinda the difference between a JAG and a playoff goalie.
A JAG makes the saves he should make. That's a guy that plays for several years in the NHL and even has a few starting caliber seasons. A guy that is a true playoff caliber goalie, OTOH, makes 1 or 2 of those 'holy shit!' saves/gm. And that's the only real difference in the 2. Binnington was making a miracle save every game in the playoffs last year and many of those kept the Blues alive long enough to grind out a win.
Right now Binnington isn't making any of those saves. He's not picking his guys up. The OT goal from Horvat was a bad goal even if it took a defensive breakdown. A JAG may give that goal up, but a Cup caliber goalie makes the save. And down 0-2 with your goalie giving you a JAG performance, why not make a switch?
I think the writer is simply not giving enough weight to any single save that didn't get made. And since hockey has returned, Binnington has had one of those pretty much every game. He hasn't been awful, but he hasn't been good by any stretch.
The Allen v. Elliott conversation was a similar one a few years ago. The Blues needed to take the gamble on Allen because once a game he would make a 'holy shit!' save that Elliott just didn't make and that gave him the potential to evolve into a Cup caliber goalie. If Binner's not making those saves, then you mix it up a bit. Right now he isn't so Allen earned a shot.
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I don't think it is at all.
I liked Elliott a lot, and I think the FO ****ed him over big time (they never ever trusted him and traded for Miller as a result as well as benched him for Allen in two consecutive postseasons), but he is nowhere near as athletic as Binnington or Allen.
Allen's mental AF and has shown he is nothing but a good tandem goalie while Binnington has shown that he can be a #1.
With that being said, Binnington isn't playing like he did last POs and if Allen's the best chance to win this series, then so be it. Also, the skaters have not played nearly as well as last POs yet.