Bryzgalov how bad can he get?

[flyercanuck]

After letting in every other shot in the first, Lavy gives him the nod in the 2nd and our savior shows his confidence by looking behind him on his first decent save of the game. Just lovin' this wily vet.

[doom88]

Yeah...its..."frustrating".

[flyercanuck]

What was his save percentage tonight? .600?

[PHI Flyers10]

I only caught the second half of the third period. How has he looked recently? I haven't really had time to watch the games lately.

[mojo1917]

he looked pretty pedestrian tonight. he made some nice saves but wasn't tested after the first until buffalo used 6 skaters in an attempt to tie the game. he got beat on a nice shot off of a nice pass on the equalizer. i am glad though that Lavy stayed with him i hope he starts him tomorrow too... no more coddling this guy he's gotta fight through these "lapses" and bad bounces, the great ones do that, even when they're going bad or having a rough patch in the game, they battle and fight and give their guys a chance to even things up.

i want to see that from him before i start posting a buy out bryzgalov every week for the next 9 years.

[PHI Flyers10]

I know we're winning with him but his GAA and Save% are pretty bad. I'll take the wins over numbers but still. It's reminding me a bit of Halak. Goes to a different team and is average.

[wcflyer]

I'm not too worried about Bryz just yet, I think he will get it together soon. He let in a couple of softies tonight and made a couple of huge saves, even and we win. He should play more than four games in a row to get in the groove of things.

[Flyguys03]

Imagine how dominant this team would be if they had good goaltending and defense.

[Vanflyer]

I know we're winning with him but his GAA and Save% are pretty bad.

I sort of defended him a few days ago in regards to GAA / Sv Pctg. I said if you threw out his two back to back clunkers against Montreal and Ottawa that his gaa would be 2.45 and his sv pctg .917. Both middle of the road in the NHL. But, I might have to take that back if he doesn't start steadying the ship. What happened the guy that played 6 games in a row in the beginning of November and had sparkling numbers?

[Flyguys03]

I know every goalie lets in soft goals from time to time, but he lets in at least one a game. They had that with the old goalies that cost $850k a year.

[FlyersFan4Life]

breezy will be fine. lavy needs to play him for long stretches at a time like he was doing for the yotes. playing 1-3 games in row then flip flopping between goalies will not give him needed consistency

[radoran]

As reluctant as I am to indulge in this purely academic exercise - as Bryzgalov will be the #1 G here for at least the next 2-3 seasons regardless - one must point out (as the announcers did last night) that there were some pretty big stops in the 3rd and OT that kept the Flyers in the game and gave them an opportunity to win it.

The third goal was a definitely weak goal. No question. Aside from that, I'm not sure that many goalies get the other three.

Could Bryz maybe have tried a Miller-type poke check on Kassian instead of giving up the drop pass? Maybe. Could Kassian have taken the shot in that situation and beat a reaching Bryzgalov? Maybe.

Should someone have had coverage on the follow down the slot that scored on the Kassian drop? Yep. Did we all pretty much figure Leino would score against the Flyers. Probably...

There's a whole thread on Pronger being out and the "need" to sign someone to shore up the defense - but (while, to be clear, it IS the goalie's job to stop pucks) any goal that goes in is entirely the goalie's fault? Not quite.

Bryz is capable of sucking. All goalies are. Bryz' SV% against the Sabres was .833. The best American goalie currently playing's SV% last night? .853.

He's also capable of being better than most goalies.

No, I would not have signed him to a 9Y, $5.6M per contract. But I'm not the GM.

It is done. The die is cast.

Oh, and they won the game...

[DaGreatGazoo]

To me it's this simple...we paid a lot for him(overpaid), gave him a ton of years, and an NMC. Giving up 1 bad goal a game isn't good enough. Outside of his streak in early November, that's basically what he is doing...making some great saves, making some routine saves, and giving up a lousy one a game. That 3rd goal was brutal-that puck can NOT go in. Didn't we get a goalie of his pedigree to stop that exact thing from happening..the weak goal that demoralizes the team????

I'm not writing him off yet, but he needs to get better and find consistency-quickly.

[TedZep]

Oh, and they won the game...

A most excellent and puissant observation! It is nice to know the Flyers can routinely give up 3 goal leads and get it back as a matter of course. Not good for one's angina, but nice nonetheless.

It is a good thing the Flyers are the highest scoring team in the league, otherwise they'd be fair to middlin' in the standings.

[radoran]

A most excellent and puissant observation! It is nice to know the Flyers can routinely give up 3 goal leads and get it back as a matter of course. Not good for one's angina, but nice nonetheless.

It is a good thing the Flyers are the highest scoring team in the league, otherwise they'd be fair to middlin' in the standings.

No one said they could "routinely" give up 3-goals leads and get it back "as a matter of course." I could just as easily turn around and say something hyperbolic like "if the goalies don't shut out every team, the Flyers might have to score more than one goal as a matter of course otherwise they'd be fair to middlin' in the standings!"

Having already stipulated that the nine-year, $56M contract was a Bad Idea, what more would you like?

Here are the two Flyer goalies so far this year:

Bryz: 11-5-2, 2.89, .900

Bob: 5-2-1, 2.82, .900

I fail to see what "playing Bob" gives the Flyers over "playing Bryz." All other things being equal - like it or not - the team is going to play the guy they hired to be the #1 more often than the guy they hired to be a backup. Would I have made the same choices? No.

Yes, "if" things were different, they would be different. They're not. The Flyers signed Bryzgalov to the contract, He's the #1 goalie. They're 16-7-3 with the third best record in the league and one point out of the Conference lead, which they can take tonight, at home.

I'm not asking anybody. I'm just telling everybody. We can argue about Bryzgalov, or we can play 'Here we go gathering Nuts in May' with the end part of an ants' nest. It's all the same to me.

[flyercanuck]

@radoran

He made a couple of good saves, but that 3rd goal was what we'd term a "backbreaker" from any of our previous 47 goalies who all made 1/5 what Bryzgalov is being paid to not let those exact type of goals in, but is, almost every game. The other 3 were good goals, but isn't a "franchise" type goalie, y'know, one signed for $51 Million supposed to wow us with a stop on one of those every so often? He's capable of being better than most, he's just not showing it.

I think it was Giroux who let Kassian go, if he watched junior he'd know that's not a guy you ease off on ; )

The best American goalie currently playing is a Bruin. Miller hasn't been that since the Olympics. And Thomas may be the best goalie anywhere right now. Miller played an average game. I still think if we switched goalies last night Philly wins by 3 goals easy. Miller was stopping the #1 offence in the league, Bryz was facing a popgun offence. I hate Russian goalies...play Bob.!!!!

And gather your own nuts.

Edited December 8, 2011 by flyercanuck

[radoran]

@radoran

He made a couple of good saves, but that 3rd goal was what we'd term a "backbreaker" from any of our previous 47 goalies who all made 1/5 what Bryzgalov is being paid to not let those exact type of goals in, but is, almost every game. The other 3 were good goals, but isn't a "franchise" type goalie, y'know, one signed for $51 Million supposed to wow us with a stop on one of those every so often? He's capable of being better than most, he's just not showing it.

I don't know what else to say here but:

I think the signing was a bad signing.

I think the signing was a bad signing.

I think the signing was a bad signing.

I think the signing was a bad signing.

I think the signing was a bad signing.

I think the signing was a bad signing.

I think the signing was a bad signing.

I think the signing was a bad signing.

I think the signing was a bad signing.

I think the signing was a bad signing.

I think the signing was a bad signing.

I think the signing was a bad signing.

I think the signing was a bad signing.

I think the signing was a bad signing.

I can continue to make this point for the next nine years, but it might get a little old, eh? You might take into account that I have made and will continue to make that point - CONCURRENT with the point that the Flyers are going to play Bryz more than Bob.

I think it was Giroux who let Kassian go, if he watched junior he'd know that's not a guy you ease off on ; )

The best American goalie currently playing is a Bruin. Miller hasn't been that since the Olympics. And Thomas may be the best goalie anywhere right now. Miller played an average game. I still think if we switched goalies last night Philly wins by 3 goals easy. Miller was stopping the #1 offence in the league, Bryz was facing a popgun offence. I hate Russian goalies...play Bob.!!!!

I was going on the Versus hyperbole about Miller. Probably should have used quotes. Or said "winningest."

If you think I'm short-selling my fellow UVM Alum Tim Thomas, I'm not :-)

Now, as I showed above, so far this season Bob's stats are IDENTICAL to Bryzgalov and he's been chased as many times as Bryz - in fewer games.

Career-wise?

Bryz: 345 games, 2.55, .915

Bob: 63 games, 2.62, .913

What's the "up side" to playing Bob? Why the hue and cry to put in the guy with IDENTICAL stats to Bryzgalov - both over his career and this season? If nothing else, Bryzgalov has shown that he can be consistent at that level for FIVE TIMES as many games as Bob has.

"Might" Bob blossom into the next Patrick Roy? Sure, that's possible. He could also dissolve into Trevor Kidd (without the kewl padz).

The "down side?" Destroying the goalie you've just signed for nine years and committed 8.8% of your total cap to...

And gather your own nuts.

Shhh! Be Vewy Qwiet... I'm hunting heffalumps...

[flyercanuck]

So seriously, what do you think of the signing?

Just yankin' yer chain...I missed ya rad!

[radoran]

So seriously, what do you think of the signing?

Just yankin' yer chain...I missed ya rad!

Glad to be here, FC - and good to see many of you folkses again :-)

[brelic]

The reality of it, though, is that there's no way Bryzgalov plays 9 years in Philly. None. I know that his contract and his NMC say otherwise. But you can pretty much take that to the bank.

Bryz will not be here 9 years. Period. I doubt he'll even be the starter in 4-5 years.

So, it sucks now and looks like a boat anchor (though lighter than Pronger's osmium anchor), but the Flyers can and will get out of it if they want to. That's the bottom line.

It'll be like a neat magic trick. Poof!

[aziz]

What's the "up side" to playing Bob? Why the hue and cry to put in the guy with IDENTICAL stats to Bryzgalov - both over his career and this season?

imo, if bob saw consistent starts for a while this season, his statistics would be far better than they are now. to this point, he has had no chance to develop any kind of game to game rhthym, and his numbers reflect that. all of which is to say: i don't think putting the season's stats side by side really gives a good picture of the capabilities of the goaltenders. they've been asked to fill different roles, and bob has been handed the harder one (harder to role to shine in, anyway).

with all of that said, you are exactly correct, bryzgalov is the #1 guy and needs to be played as such. due 100% to his contract, though, and nothing else. i believe that in the very short term (relative to bryzgalov's contract), the flyers would have more success with bob than bryz...but the short term in that case kind of kicks the long term in the nuts, so the short term will just have to take care of itself with bryzgalov getting the majority of the load.

[aziz]

The reality of it, though, is that there's no way Bryzgalov plays 9 years in Philly. None. I know that his contract and his NMC say otherwise. But you can pretty much take that to the bank.

please don't take offense to this, but that really sounds like, well, like denial. as in, the idea that bryzgalov being the starter in philly for the next 9 years is such an obviously terrible thing that you simply refuse to believe it could happen, so you insist it can't. based on nothing other than you insisting it can't. i don't see any outs. no movement, so the minors aren't an option. no movement so an unapproved trade isn't an option. if bryzgalov continues to play like he has, he is obviously being paid twice what he is worth, so even if you could get bryzgalov to approve a move, no GM would want to take a guy being overpaid that badly. take that idea that no GM would want bryz at that salary, and then realize that not only would the GM not want that salary:performance ratio, but the term AND NMC would follow it.... i dunno. GM's make stupid moves quite a bit, so maybe someone out there might think that bryzgalov just needs a change of scenery...but that guy would have to be confident enough to commit to all those years, knowing he would have his hands tied by the NMC. and then bryzgalov is likely to only approve a trade to a contending team...and what "contending" team is likely to take that kind of gamble (other than the flyers).

i just don't see how the flyers could possibly get rid of the contract. buyout would seem to be the only way...but buyout penalties stick around for twice the remaining term....buy bryz out in year 5 of the deal, and you'd take the buyout cap hit for 8 more years. i just don't see that happening until after the 7th or 8th year.

the CBA re-write maybe changes things, so we'll see what kind of options the team will have under the new rules. maybe buyouts are relaxed in some way. or...maybe there'll be a one-time penalty-free buyout window next summer. which brings up an interesting question....assuming what we see is what we get with bryzgalov for the rest of the season, and maybe another bryz-collapse come playoffs...would comcast be willing to buy out 8 years of a 9 year deal?

in any case, my money is on bryzgalov being with the team for 7 or 8 years at a minimum. the contract is written in such a way that the team has very little ability to do anything with it. the new CBA being the wildcard here.

[mojo1917]

@aziz

well you're all "mr sunshine and puppies " today... thanks

good thing there aren't any bridges near by to jump from.

[ChiFlyfan]

Who is in net tonight?

[Flyguys03]

@aziz

Yeah, they are stuck with this contract. The NMC basically makes it an over 35 contract with the exception of if he retires they are free and clear. But the chances of that are slim to none. He is going to be here for a LONG time.

Regarding one time buyout window with new CBA, I don't think they buy him out after one season unless he just completely tanks. I would love to see them do that to pronger, but unfortunately I don't see them doing it and they will be stuck with that cap hit for the duration.

Edited December 8, 2011 by Flyguys03