Jedi SanFilippo: This is not the goaltending problem you are looking for

[brelic]

Interesting.... the way Anthony SanFilippo sees it, there is no goaltending problem. If I may be so bold as to sum up his loquacious post: Bryz was a victim of circumstance.

http://flyers.nhl.com/club/blogpost.htm?id=17024&navid=DL|PHI|home

There are two ways you can look at the Flyers goaltending situation.

The pessimistic view would be to examine Ilya Bryzgalov’s numbers from the 2012-13 season, see that he ranked 36th in goals against average (2.79), 43rd in save percentage (.900), 47th in even strength save percentage (.907) and 26th in save percentage while shorthanded (.866) and determine that it’s a mess.

The optimistic view is to see that the Bryzgalov was actually really good until he was forced into duty every night and wore down. It’s to take stock in the fact that he actually posted those numbers behind a patchwork defense for much of the season. And that despite all the negative press he received, he still finished with a winning record.

Couple that with the addition of Steve Mason via trade April 3rd, and his impressive numbers, albeit over a very small sample of seven games (4-2-0, 1.90, .944), and the Flyers appear to finally have a worthy tandem in place.

I tend to lean toward the latter.

Could Bryzgalov have been better this season? Yes. But considering all the factors outside of his control, in reality, any expectation of betterment on his part could only fairly be slight. There really were only a few games that he played this season where you looked at his performance and thought it was not up to snuff.

Yes, it would be nice if he made more stops on breakaways. Yes, it would be ideal if he would come up with more big saves on high percentage chances by the opposition.

That is the common gripe by sensible detractors (as opposed to the non-sensible sort who just dislike him because they’re predisposed to hating all Flyers goalies) and it is a fair one.

And if that’s something you want to hang on Bryzgalov, it is probably deserved.

But for the love of Pete, the guy was the team’s best player for at least half the season, if not more. To condemn him is over-reactive.

Put a healthy and stable defense in front of him for a full season, and I’m betting on a different outcome.

There was also a ton of pressure on him as the season progressed, again because of situational factors that were out of his hands.

He had no reliable backup to give him a day off. He had to start 22 games in a row as the team tried to recover and make the playoffs, and although he needed a break, he plowed through, fighting his fatigue to try and perform at his highest level.

Sometimes, he did. Others, he didn’t. But it wasn’t for a lack of caring, or effort, or desire.

Bryzgalov is actually a very competitive goaltender who wants to win. Just watch his reactions on the ice at the end of close wins. It means a lot to him. He doesn’t take hard losses well either. Some of his most memorable post-game comments have come after particularly difficult defeats.

That’s the sign of a competitor.

And it’s the reason I think it’s likely that he’s back next season and is not a compliance casualty.

That, and Mason, who still has something to prove, is a guy who wants to be a No. 1 goalie again and who has renewed confidence in a new situation.

Bryzgalov may need to be pushed to be better. He hasn’t really had that in his two years in Philadelphia. Sergei Bobrovsky was a clear backup in Bryzgalov’s first season – primarily because of the shiny, new, nine-year, $51 million contract Bryzgalov was toting.

Then, this season, it was evident in both cases of Michael Leighton and Brian Boucher that they were veterans just happy to still have NHL contracts and neither had any plans of unseating the incumbent Bryzgalov.

But now there’s Mason, who repeatedly said during his one month with the team that his goal is to be a No. 1 goalie again. Like Bryzgalov, he is ultra-competitive.

Which is why I feel Bryzgalov should be back with the Flyers and shouldn't be part of the amnesty conversation this summer.

Over the course of an 82-game season, two goalies who care, who compete and who want to be the go-to guy can push each other to play at the top of their game.

Or, it could go sour, and lead to disharmony, and more aggravation.

But, like I said before, I’m an optimist. And I think the reason for that optimism is already in place – maybe you just need to look in the right places to see it.

To contact Anthony SanFilippo, email asanfilippo@comcast-spectacor.com or follow him on Twitter @AnthonySan37

[radoran]

I can't take any "analysis" of whether Bryz should stay or go seriously if it doesn't include the words "cap hit" and/or "salary cap" anywhere in it.

Run the numbers and try to make Bryz fit under a lower cap while re-signing Giroux, BSchenn, Couturier, (Read?) and replacing Timonen.

Good luck

They have one chance to get out from under this contract for free. They have to take it.

For what it's worth, I am on record saying he won't be bought out this summer.

That's what next summer is for.

Oh, and then there's this gem:

Bryzgalov may need to be pushed to be better.

Thank God they dealt Bob.

Seriously, though, this is what comes from starting at your conclusion ("Bryz wasn't that bad and should stay") and backfilling.

[RonJeremy]

The bottom line is Bryz is not worth the $$$, and should be bought out now. Why pay an average goalie superstar $$$, he does not have thge respect of his teammates, the guys in Phx also bad mouthed him, he does not make the big save adn he is incosistent. Bad defense or not, he lets in too many cheap goals. Use the cap space for more imprtant things, you never know what kind of trade opportunity could come along next season and we will have will not have the cap space since it will be wasted on Brys. GET RID OF HIM

[murraycraven]

I am not going to hate for hating sake with Bryz. He played well (not great) at the beginning of the year. Likewise he had a very good run, albeit one month last year, where I thought maybe this guy is going to be worth the money. The fact of the matter is that you are paying this guy and elite salary so he should be able to make those breakaway and timely saves... he should be able to actually stop something in a shootout... and yes, dare I say he should be able to steal games as elite goalies do.

The premise of this article is nonsense... When looking at the Player and his performance you have to keep in mind what he is being paid. If he is getting paid 2M a year than I have no issue but this guy is getting paid a large amount in a salary cap world. His contract is going to strangle this Organization for years if they choose to keep him.

Buy him out and move on...

[aziz]

Over the course of an 82-game season, two goalies who care, who compete and who want to be the go-to guy can push each other to play at the top of their game.

this always bugs me, too. it doesn't work that way. maybe it does with skaters competing for icetime, but not goalies. a skater can skate harder during his shifts, throw his body more, do things MORE if someone is pushing him, if he feels like he needs to step it up. goaltending...there isn't anything you can do MORE. you can't butterfly harder, you can't keep your angles more enthusiastically, you can't cover the puck with extra vim. "this shift, i'm gonna make glove saves like a BAMF, that'll show the coach." in the moment, someone takes a shot, the goalie does what he can to make a save. period. there isn't a range of engagement on the thing. can't do it extra super moar. the only time during a game a goalie thinks even a little about his backup or his place on the depth chart is when he gives up a soft goal. when he sees someone winding up for a shot, it is the furthest thing from his mind. well, you HOPE it is the furthest thing from his mind, anyway...because the only result if he's thinking about his place on the depthchart while setting up for a save is a bad goal against as the goalies head is somewhere other than where it needs to be. having competition for a starting spot either has no affect...or if the guy is prone to distractions, the affect is a bad one.

people say things like that, and I know they haven't the faintest what they are talking about.

[DaGreatGazoo]

Let's not forget that Sam is the "official" Flyers writers. He's listed on their NHL webpage. IMO..this is a bit of a spin piece. Nothing more.

I also agree that he'll be bought out after next season, not this upcoming summer.

[brelic]

Let's not forget that Sam is the "official" Flyers writers. He's listed on their NHL webpage. IMO..this is a bit of a spin piece. Nothing more.

I also agree that he'll be bought out after next season, not this upcoming summer.

That's the first thing that came to my mind... I used to like his writing. He was constructively critical before, much like Meltzer. But it seems like that is gone now from ASF.

[ruxpin]

I actually couldn't finish reading that. It's kind of insulting, actually. To get away with writing such bull****, the writer somehow has to assume that the reader is so bat's ass stupid that he'll buy the steaming pile of horse dung he's writing and put it on the mantle thinking it's a clock (just to complete the visual image, picture the reader then trying to wind up the clock!).

I like @aziz post but I do think there are even some goalies who will somehow step up their game when the stakes are higher; whether the stakes are personal or for the team. No, they don't butterfly harder or any of that, but somehow those individuals are able to amp up their focus and get their reflexes on higher alert and put the distractions aside. I do, however, think this state doesn't happen often and probably for not a very prolongued period of time.

The fact of the matter is, though, that Bryz is not that goalie. He's the opposite. Look at his demand to the Russian team (I'm number one or I'm not playing). Even he knows it. It's why they moved Bob. If he's not Master of the Universe he's even more lousy. If he feels that he has to compete with Mason next year in some way, his numbers are going to get worse.

Yes, it would be nice if he made more stops on breakaways. Yes, it would be ideal if he would come up with more big saves on high percentage chances by the opposition.....And if that’s something you want to hang on Bryzgalov, it is probably deserved.

First, the word is some not more. Some stops on breakaways would be nice. Some big saves on high percentage chances would be nice. And really, when your save percentage is 47^th in the league EVERY chance against you is statistically a higher percentage chance than if they were shooting on 46 other goalies. "More." Who is this guy kidding? SOME would be a nice place to start.

Mason was hung out. Probably at the same rate that Bryz was. But in Mason's case, I remember a goalie who was squared to the play and had his ass between the shooter and the net. I remember a goalie who could get his damn pad out in time. With Mason, I remember a goalie who, when he went down, didn't have to call Medic Alert to get his ass back up again. Not with Bryz. He doesn't do well on either breakaways or "high percentage chances" because he's not square, is too deep in his net and therefore creates huge angles for shooters, and on the breakaway goes down to early and can't adjust in time because he can't lift his fat ass (we'll call it Uranus).

Who is Comcast trying to sell this to? They sell out the building every game, so they have fans who actually watch the damn sport, right? They can't be trying to convince the actual fan here, right? And this won't help them with "fans" like Toughfighter because 1) he's already drunk on the Kool Aid and 2) this article didn't use pictures.

Horrible piece of writing. But I agree with rad and Jack and others who said he survives this summer and is amnestied next summer. Maybe he'll get a career-ending injury in Russia and it will change the whole discussion.

Edited May 2, 2013 by ruxpin

[Bakanekimiwa]

while goalies are *always* blamed in Philly, you can bet that the goalie neither played as bad as ardent fans of the team would portray... nor was he really good. was he good enough? well, i think that's where sanfillipino is going with this article. He gave them a chance to win on most nights. The point being, our *team D* was atrocious on most nights.

i've said it before, but it bears repeating... bryz faced (to)numerous(to mention) breakaways and odd man chances, as well as, high percentage shots from between the dots, as i've seen a flyer's goalie face in my time. not that i'm recusing him of any bad plays.. sure, he had his share of goals 'he'd like to have back'.

all of which is to get back to the point that @radoran made... any discussion of bryz needs to center around his deal and the cap hit. this is the real problem and this is why so many are so hyper-focused on his play. he was no worse than just about anybody on the team this year, but he's receiving the lion share of complaints.

[ruxpin]

sure, he had his share of goals 'he'd like to have back'.

You mean like the one he ducked? I'm not sure I'd forgive him for that if he had 15 shutouts and won the Vezina (okay, yeah, I probably would, but ducking a freaking shot is just insane).

[aziz]

but he's receiving the lion share of complaints.

because he is the easiest to fix (buyout), come with the most collateral damage (cap hit), plays a position whose job it is to compensate for other peoples' mistakes, and quite frankly, I believe he also needs to be blamed for some measure of the defensive play in front of him. removing him creates more positive change in the teams' comportment than any other single player addition or removal. he deserves the lion's share of attention.

edit: which is why the idea of keeping him through next season is complete insanity. to voluntarily carry a known negative that you don't need to, just completely and utterly stupid.

Edited May 2, 2013 by aziz

[murraycraven]

because he is the easiest to fix (buyout), come with the most collateral damage (cap hit), plays a position whose job it is to compensate for other peoples' mistakes, and quite frankly, I believe he also needs to be blamed for some measure of the defensive play in front of him. removing him creates more positive change in the teams' comportment than any other single player addition or removal. he deserves the lion's share of attention.

edit: which is why the idea of keeping him through next season is complete insanity. to voluntarily carry a known negative that you don't need to, just completely and utterly stupid.

--- here here Aziz! Welll said...

[murraycraven]

while goalies are *always* blamed in Philly, you can bet that the goalie neither played as bad as ardent fans of the team would portray... nor was he really good. was he good enough? well, i think that's where sanfillipino is going with this article. He gave them a chance to win on most nights. The point being, our *team D* was atrocious on most nights.

i've said it before, but it bears repeating... bryz faced (to)numerous(to mention) breakaways and odd man chances, as well as, high percentage shots from between the dots, as i've seen a flyer's goalie face in my time. not that i'm recusing him of any bad plays.. sure, he had his share of goals 'he'd like to have back'.

all of which is to get back to the point that @radoran made... any discussion of bryz needs to center around his deal and the cap hit. this is the real problem and this is why so many are so hyper-focused on his play. he was no worse than just about anybody on the team this year, but he's receiving the lion share of complaints.

-- Bak... this is 100% true... just as the QB is usually the highest paid player on the field in footbal. Along w/ that $$ comes scrutiny in your play which is justifiable. Would you pay Tom Brady money for Michael Vick's play? Hell no... Bryz is being paid to be an elite Goalie and he is average at best... Actually, his stats say he is downright terrible. The only way Bryz will be that type of Goalie is if you clone 6 Lidstroms to play in front of him on a nightly basis.

Edited May 2, 2013 by murraycraven

[doom88]

Dance corporate monkey!

[xganarchy]

Next season we'll be hearing the same things about Mason when he lets in bad goals. What is the common denominator? The media riles up the fans and the goalie ends up the scapegoat. Bryz has not played up to his contract, but this team was hell bent on signing the biggest name available that offseason. And as we all should know, part of the amount/length of contracts are supply/demand. It's a never ending cycle.

[ruxpin]

Next season we'll be hearing the same things about Mason when he lets in bad goals

That is 100% true. If--IF--Bryz is bought out this summer, Mason will be the most hated man in Philly by Christmas. If not, Mason gets a reprieve.

[murraycraven]

at least

That is 100% true. If--IF--Bryz is bought out this summer, Mason will be the most hated man in Philly by Christmas. If not, Mason gets a reprieve.

Well, at least if they buy Bryz out we wont have that ridiculous contract choking the salary cap...

[ruxpin]

at least

Well, at least if they buy Bryz out we wont have that ridiculous contract choking the salary cap...

Oh, I don't think the "Mason will be the most hated man" thing is an argument for keeping Bryzgalov.

It doesn't matter who is in net, they're likely to be hated in Philly as soon as a red light goes on behind the goal. So if you can get the same result for a fraction of the cost, go for the discount.

I can't believe I'm making that argument, to be honest, because I really do want good goaltending in Philly. I just think it may not be reality at this point.

[aziz]

@xganarchy

Next season we'll be hearing the same things about Mason when he lets in bad goals.

Well, sure, if he is as bad and confidence-sucking as bryzgalov.

And as we all should know, part of the amount/length of contacts are supply/demand.

No, not in this case . Remember, Holmgen did the bryzgalov contract during the window between acquiring his rights and July 1. He put himself in a position to have to overpay bryzgalov to make sure he didn't reach free agency and let supply/demand do its thing. He and vokoun were the only two starters signed by new teams that summer. There was no demand. Vokoun, statistically superior to bryzgalov, signed a one year $1.5mil deal. Had bryzgalov gotten to free agency, with only two teams looking for a new starter, he would have been lucky to get $3mil. Remember, the summer before, nabokov had to go to Russia because no one wanted to spend anything on a starting goalie.

Holmgren at least doubled market price on bryzgalov's contract, and the term was completely bizarre. Supply and demand had nothing whatsoever with it.

[aziz]

Mike smith, too. Sorry.

[brelic]

Mike smith, too. Sorry.

Dan Ellis was another one, though his terms weren't too bad.

[radoran]

Holmgren at least doubled market price on bryzgalov's contract, and the term was completely bizarre. Supply and demand had nothing whatsoever with it.

And I have absolutely no precious litte faith that he will "get it right next time."

Vokoun was such an obvious choice at the time, it is almost criminal that they signed Bryz for nine years.

[aziz]

@brelic

I don't think anyone in the world would mistake Dan Ellis as a starter, but....point taken.

[brelic]

@brelic

I don't think anyone in the world would mistake Dan Ellis as a starter, but....point taken.

But he was signed for exactly that reason, wasn't he?

[aziz]

Well, no. He was brought in to back up roloson and smith. He played 31 games for Tampa.