UPL is NOT an NHL goaltender

[mansquito]

Discussion; some of his flaws should have been fixed by the goaltending coach at this point in his career. He comes out of the net and often can't find his way back. Leaving an empty net. His numbers tell the story, and most of the goals he let's in a competent NHL goalie would save. Whether it's mental or lack of talent, He should have been put on waivers. No one picking him up would tell the real story of how others view his play.

[mjd1001]

1 minute ago, mansquito said:

Discussion; some of his flaws should have been fixed by the goaltending coach at this point in his career. He comes out of the net and often can't find his way back. Leaving an empty net. His numbers tell the story, and most of the goals he let's in a competent NHL goalie would save. Whether it's mental or lack of talent, He should have been put on waivers. No one picking him up would tell the real story of how others view his play.

I think he has the talent to be an NHL goaltender.  

I think this year he is having a really bad year.  There are some that are saying he is being hung out by the team in front of him. There is SOME truth to that, but there are way too many times he needs to be making more saves.   Every goal is not black and white....there are some goals that even the best goalie in the world is not going to make a save on everytime....but they will make saves on them 50-60% of the time. UPL is making saves on seemingly 25% of those.  

I don't need him to make every save when a quality NHL shooter is one on one with him, but he certainly needs to make more than he currently is.

Goaltending, in particular UPL, to me is the 2nd biggest reason for this team being as low as they are in the standings (Behind the collective early/mid season play of Cozens/Quinn, and just ahead of the utter failure of the 4th line giving up so many goals when their only job is to NOT give up goals.)

I'm don't want him jettisoned from the team yet, but he needs to be better next year.

[HumanSlinky39]

I think he's fine. Will he ever win a Vezina? No. But he's at worst a solid backup. He does let in a lot of soft goals, so that's why I think we either need Levi to live up to his hype or find a legit #1. UPL starting 30-35 games is fine. 

[7+6=13]

He's flawed, but not an NHL level goaltender at all, is quite ridiculous.

 

 

 

Edited Saturday at 10:29 PM by 7+6=13

[sabresouth]

Yet another season with subpar goaltending. UPL is a backup goalie, would not be a starter on any playoff contending team. Will this be the year ka addresses our goaltending woes. NOPE. 

[Demoted]

That would mean Levi isn't either...

[SwampD]

1 minute ago, Demoted said:

That would mean Levi isn't either...

He's not.

[JoeSchmoe]

Amongst goalies that have played 30+ games (i.e. starting goalies) UPL is 30 out of 34 in goals saved above expected.

This team has a lot of holes to fix, but UPL's play might be the biggest all, especially when you factor the psychological effects weak goals have on a team.

[PerreaultForever]

Late March and it's come to blaming the goaltending. That's later than usual. Who said Adams wasn't making progress!!!!!!!!!

 

Psst. The defense sucks. 

[PromoTheRobot]

2 hours ago, mansquito said:

Discussion; some of his flaws should have been fixed by the goaltending coach at this point in his career. He comes out of the net and often can't find his way back. Leaving an empty net. His numbers tell the story, and most of the goals he let's in a competent NHL goalie would save. Whether it's mental or lack of talent, He should have been put on waivers. No one picking him up would tell the real story of how others view his play.

The Sabres are not an NHL defense.

35 minutes ago, sabresouth said:

Yet another season with subpar goaltending. UPL is a backup goalie, would not be a starter on any playoff contending team. Will this be the year ka addresses our goaltending woes. NOPE. 

But our defense is awesome! Right? I assume that's the case since you aren't bringing that up.

[JoeSchmoe]

7 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

The Sabres are not an NHL defense.

But our defense is awesome! Right? I assume that's the case since you aren't bringing that up.

They're both bad, but UPL's metrics are worse than the defense's.

The defense is marginally better than UPL in high danger shots against and somewhat better in medium danger shots against.

Both need to be better, but UPL needs to be betterer. 😁

[PromoTheRobot]

1 hour ago, JoeSchmoe said:

They're both bad, but UPL's metrics are worse than the defense's.

 

You can't separate the two. It's like saying Josh Allen sucks as a QB if his receivers drop every pass. Quoting stats is just says you don't understand what you're seeing on the ice.

Edited yesterday at 12:45 AM by PromoTheRobot

[Huckleberry]

UPL is an NHL goaltender, but a back up one.

[JoeSchmoe]

1 hour ago, PromoTheRobot said:

You can't separate the two. It's like saying Josh Allen sucks as a QB if his receivers drop every pass. Quoting stats is just says you don't understand what you're seeing on the ice.

It's different.

If UPL isn't expected to make saves because his D left him out to dry he's not penalized in the Goals Saved Above Expected stat (on average).

In the dropped pass example the QB is penalized.

Edited yesterday at 02:14 AM by JoeSchmoe

[sabresouth]

3 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

The Sabres are not an NHL defense.

But our defense is awesome! Right? I assume that's the case since you aren't bringing that up.

No our defense is bad as well. As I stated in the Jacob Bryson thread. Bryson wouldn't make the lineup of a playoff contending team yet we signed him. 

Goalie is bad 

Defense is bad

KA is bad

I'm sure I'm leaving some body out...

[JoeSchmoe]

2 minutes ago, sabresouth said:

I'm sure I'm leaving some body out...

Lafferty.

Never, ever leave out Lafferty.

[LGR4GM]

2 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

You can't separate the two. It's like saying Josh Allen sucks as a QB if his receivers drop every pass. Quoting stats is just says you don't understand what you're seeing on the ice.

You literally can separate the two. Also you can literally separate drops from good passes. 

Dismissing stats just says you don't understand what they're trying to show you on the ice. 

[Wyldnwoody44]

Woulda been nice to have Ullmark right about now 

[GASabresIUFAN]

Defense vs goaltending.  UPL stood on his head last year behind a horrific defense.  This season the defense is actually a scant bit better, but he just can’t seem to muster those same miraculous saves this season.  The truth is he looks like the goalie we saw in the AHL and his 1st couple of seasons in Buffalo.  

There is no question in my mind that if we improve the defense UPL/Levi/Reimer will have a better chance night in night out, but he has to be better.  
 

 

[SabreFinn]

Luukkonen was not a fan of the defensive system Ruff had them play. It just didn't work out well and I think it made him hesitate a bit. Then came the loosing streak and season was over. On defense and offense the team has kept doing the same misstakes over and over with giveaways causing turnovers and defenders that can't defend rebounds giving opponents not only one but sometimes two extra chances. 

With the way the team plays and the way the D-corps are constructed the Sabres doesn't deserve better goaltending. A former Finnish NHL goalie said that there are hardly any goaltender in the world the constantly would look good in a Sabres jersey.

[Berg]

All our goalies play well in other teams...

[bob_sauve28]

11 hours ago, Huckleberry said:

UPL is an NHL goaltender, but a back up one.

I just wonder (hope) having Levi up next year makes them both better and makes it so one is not playing too much. UPL is just not ready to be the man every game. Plus competition makes both of them better. Playing the hot goalie might be the way to go. 

[mansquito]

20 minutes ago, bob_sauve28 said:

I just wonder (hope) having Levi up next year makes them both better and makes it so one is not playing too much. UPL is just not ready to be the man every game. Plus competition makes both of them better. Playing the hot goalie might be the way to go. 

Yeah, I don't see that happening! UPL is a head case whenever Levi has been up. 

For those who want to give UPL an out by blaming the D (that I completely agree is poorly constructed), when he doesn't pass the eye test. Watch the goals that typically beat him... Most of the time he overplays the puck to one side or the other and has neither the skill nor the quickness to get back. The book is out on him around the league, and basically players on the opposing team are smirking when they score, they know.

[bob_sauve28]

6 minutes ago, mansquito said:

Yeah, I don't see that happening! UPL is a head case whenever Levi has been up. 

For those who want to give UPL an out by blaming the D (that I completely agree is poorly constructed), when he doesn't pass the eye test. Watch the goals that typically beat him... Most of the time he overplays the puck to one side or the other and has neither the skill nor the quickness to get back. The book is out on him around the league, and basically players on the opposing team are smirking when they score, they know.

If what you are saying is true, then this team is not that bad. They just need a quality goaltender like most other good teams have. 

[Cranky old man]

5 hours ago, Berg said:

All our goalies play well in other teams...

All our former players look better on other teams.