Sort of like firing the coach, it's easy to blame the goaltender. Much more difficult to quantify and judge (as we see on most fan message boards) is the contribution of the team game to the goalie's stat sheet.
Sometimes, it really is the goalie pooing his pants. Most of the time at this level, though, it's a reflection of the team.
the quality of chances the oilers gave up in the game against the leafs were so critically awful, so lacking in defense and intensity, that most of the goalies in the league would have been hard pressed to make a positive impact on the final score. On a 3-2, if BOTH defenders take the puck carrier on the left wing, the goalie is going to have a bad time, whether it's Ken Dryden or Rick Tabaracci. You simply can't abandon the front of the net to chase the puck carrier. This isn't EASHL or Atom, this is the NHL.
While Weekes critiqued the goaltending of Dubnyk, there was precious little analysis on the downright horrible team defense of the oilers, except by the only skater on the panel, Stock. Of course Dubnyk is going to cheat on that play, the same way Luongo used to cheat off the shortside post when he couldn't rely on his defensemen to take the backdoor option away. As a casual fan, you can say, "that big goalie should've had that," but then you'd be ignoring the at-will passing the leafs had through the Oiler's defensive box, and the high quality of the shot from Kadri.
I feel like i'm taking crazy pills sometimes trying to explain this, but the Oilers are all-world levels of awful in their dedication or even understanding of a defensive mindset. Their defense leaves a lot to be desired, but so does Calgary's. The difference is a TEAM commitment to 3 zone hockey. The Taylor Hall show meanwhile is dedicated to selfish personal stats and gratification.
That team isn't going anywhere until they value a dump-in, shotblock or a backcheck as much as a goal or assist. For a few players on that roster like Hall and Schultz, I don't think it'll ever happen.
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