Goaltending Controversy: Robin or Chad... or Linus

[Scottysabres]

######.  Time to make a trade, then.  Lehner and Johnson aren't getting it done.  Yes, I know all about the shutout last week.

While I think Ullmark will transition as a solid backup next season, I tend to agree with you, we need a starter. And not 4 years down the road, but right now.

Lehner is very suspect on the posts and up high, and there is a reason Chad never kept a starting position.

 

Every game that goes by, I shake my head in full appreciation of just how great the goaltending in Buffalo was for 2 decades. People will chastise Miller, Boron, Hasek, and so on for their short comings off the ice, but those guys and others who've come and gone masked a common Sabres problem, the 05 to 07 years not withstanding, and that is to dominate puck possession and control the flow of games.

 

We've relied on goalies to bail us out, and now even that safety net is gone.

[Stoner]

I pick neither, man, our goaltending is sub par

I came here to write this. Thanks.

 

It's like a pizza controversy between Dominos, Little Caesars and Totino's pizza rolls.

[spndnchz]

I came here to write this. Thanks.

 

It's like a pizza controversy between Dominos, Little Caesars and Totino's pizza rolls.

You think goaltending is the problem?

[GASabresIUFAN]

Who is available that can improve this team’s goaltending? No one. If the plan is to give the net to Ullmark next season, then there is nothing to do but hope Lehner plays well into the deadline and then trade him.

[Wyldnwoody44]

You think goaltending is the problem?

Not THE problem, but certainly A problem.

If our team is as fragile as we have been taking about, then letting In a softie will always keep this team from winning.

 

Not that it's necessarily true, but food for thought.

[Stoner]

Woody is my Sean Spicer.

 

Think about the confidence Dom gave teams, and Miller many a time. This team doesn't have that.

[inkman]

He's getting pummeled.

Time the out mother . What does this mean? Is he losing fights? He has the best GAA and save percentage of his pro career. I don't think 2.77 and. 917 are anything to look down on. What are you basing this on? The color of your on any given day.

Edited October 29, 2017 by inkman

[Weave]

Time the ###### out mother ######. What does this mean? Is he losing fights? He has the best GAA and save percentage of his pro career. I don't think 2.77 and. 917 are anything to look down on. What are you basing this on? The color of your ###### on any given day.

 

After a meal with beets Ulmark looks the worst.  Like, bloody terrible.

[dudacek]

I think the Shark game is Lehner’s Buffalo career in a nutshell.

He played well enough to win, but he didn’t.

And the fans willl forever hold it against him.

Edited October 30, 2017 by dudacek

[Scottysabres]

Time the ###### out mother ######. What does this mean? Is he losing fights? He has the best GAA and save percentage of his pro career. I don't think 2.77 and. 917 are anything to look down on. What are you basing this on? The color of your ###### on any given day.

On watching a few games.

Yes his numbers don't appear bad, but he's been fighting the puck.

I catch a lot of the Rochester games on my feed. Sorry if my opinion offends, but its what I've seen.

[nfreeman]

I think the Shark game is Lehner’s Buffalo career in a nutshell.

He played well enough to win, but he didn’t.

And the fans I’ll forecer hold it against him.

 

I might revise your 2nd line to say "he played well enough to win except for when that one save was needed in winning time."

[3putt]

Let's not consider the perfect shot Couture made.  It doesn't help the narrative.  That he was able to walk in uncontested also hurts some of the other narratives.  All these guys are the best in the world at this game.  That shot was perfect and is maybe a 2 in 10 to pull off.  I Don t fault Lehner on that one.  I tip my hat to Logan and move on.

[Wyldnwoody44]

Let's not consider the perfect shot Couture made. It doesn't help the narrative. That he was able to walk in uncontested also hurts some of the other narratives. All these guys are the best in the world at this game. That shot was perfect and is maybe a 2 in 10 to pull off. I Don t fault Lehner on that one. I tip my hat to Logan and move on.

Lehner would get more of a pass, if, he didn't let that happen time and time again. I don't think anyone is taking anything away from that shot, he roofed it. But there was Sparkles, on his knees not moving like usual with 4 minutes to go In a tie game.... 1 point was needed there, at a minimum. So it all adds to the frustration

[Eleven]

Not THE problem, but certainly A problem.

If our team is as fragile as we have been taking about, then letting In a softie will always keep this team from winning.

 

Not that it's necessarily true, but food for thought.

 

Exactly.  

[dudacek]

Lehner would get more of a pass, if, he didn't let that happen time and time again. I don't think anyone is taking anything away from that shot, he roofed it. But there was Sparkles, on his knees not moving like usual with 4 minutes to go In a tie game.... 1 point was needed there, at a minimum. So it all adds to the frustration

This is all true, but it is also true that Lehner finds himself in that position game after game because the Sabres skaters are so rarely good enough to seal a game on their own.

 

This is not a case of Gerry Desjardins losing a game the Sabres should have won.

It is a case of Robin Lehner losing a game the Sabres could have won.

 

Games the Sabres should have won have been so few and far between, we have lost perspective.

[Stoner]

Has anyone else noticed that Robin has toned down his dramatic reactions to allowing a goal?

[Pokey Jones]

I've always thought you should draft a goalie every year and have a farm system full of them. Goalies are weird creatures and many of them don't develop until later than other players. Look at Bobrovsky as an example. You end up with too many good ones you will always be able to trade them but you need to have a huge goalie development system. You simply will not win it all in this league without great goaltending. 

[MattPie]

I've always thought you should draft a goalie every year and have a farm system full of them. Goalies are weird creatures and many of them don't develop until later than other players. Look at Bobrovsky as an example. You end up with too many good ones you will always be able to trade them but you need to have a huge goalie development system. You simply will not win it all in this league without great goaltending. 

 

Corey Crawford to the red and black courtesy phone, please.

[Eleven]

I've always thought you should draft a goalie every year and have a farm system full of them. Goalies are weird creatures and many of them don't develop until later than other players. Look at Bobrovsky as an example. You end up with too many good ones you will always be able to trade them but you need to have a huge goalie development system. You simply will not win it all in this league without great goaltending. 

 

Yep

[Trettioåtta]

We are 30th in the league in goals for per game - despite our top 6 containing Kane, Eichel, Reinhart, ROR, Okposo. Focus on the goalies is not our top priority in my opinion.

[Eleven]

We are 30th in the league in goals for per game - despite our top 6 containing Kane, Eichel, Reinhart, ROR, Okposo. Focus on the goalies is not our top priority in my opinion.

 

Not a top priority, no, but they should take one every year until they hit.  And then keep taking them.

[Trettioåtta]

Not a top priority, no, but they should take one every year until they hit.  And then keep taking them.

 

Yeah I agree with always drafting a goalie. Priorities exist for a reason and focusing on number 3 rather than 1 is a poor way to correct a problem.

 

I think people also don't appreciate how young Lehner is. He could still be in the AHL at his age and people would be hyping him up as the next big thing. He has several years before he is in his prime yet.

[Pokey Jones]

We are 30th in the league in goals for per game - despite our top 6 containing Kane, Eichel, Reinhart, ROR, Okposo. Focus on the goalies is not our top priority in my opinion.

Well yes, but I am thinking in terms of building an organization for now and for long term success. You need to work from the foundation. This was a huge failure for Murray, not building a great farm system. A great goalie will take you farther than you should really go. Take Montreal for example. They can't score either, but last year they were ok due to great goaltending. This year Price has been a bit off and they are just as bad as us. Schneider is playing really good for New Jersey, add a few youngsters and they have instant improvement. You just can't have a goalie who lets in soft 3rd period goals on a team that is struggling offensively.

[MODO Hockey]

Well, 

 

A goalie cant win all games, but a goalie can for sure change a teams spirit.

 

Ullmark is atm 7th of all goalies in AHL on games played vs save %, that is not bad at all.

324:49 15 0 2.77 3 3 0 164 179 0.916

There is no way they will call up Ullmark unless Robin or Chad is injured. But for now maybe 

that would be a good thing for us if that happened, this sound harsh and selfish but this is the only way he will be

called up i believe.

 

Ive seen Ullmark change a bad team to a good team by his positive mind, he did this twice here in Sweden.

The team was in such bad shape, he got called up from Juniors and played so good, he started a thing with the fans after the games with a goaliedance etc, the wibes he sent actually worked both on and off the ice, and this shitteam actually eneded up a good team after all. 

Edited November 1, 2017 by MODO Hockey

[dudacek]

 

 

Harrington with a piece worth reading on Lehner:

 

http://buffalonews.com/2017/10/31/mike-harrington-lehner-understands-the-chatter-but-keeps-blocking-it-out/