Now, tell me something. Clearly the team just relied on price. Do you find it concerning that over the past four seasons he’s 30th in save percentage and 41st in GAA, and that’s even with getting rid of all the goalies with under 40 games, or do you think the recent playoff run means he’s just remembered how to dominate, and that’s that? Just seems like if you’re calling edmundson a revelation and Romanov a good one, you might just be reaching a bit and really setting yourself up for disappointment. The future may be bright. You really can say that about any team, but i don’t think the habs make the playoffs the next two years.

Why are you looking at the last 4 seasons, specifically?

Four years is a solid sample size.

Why not 5? Why not 3?
Is it because you specifically want to start with the year when Weber was out the whole year to bias your stats?

Honestly it was just random. I just said, “huh, 4 sounds good.”
But sure, lets bump it to 3. It’s better, but it’s not good. 21st in GAA and 25th in save percentage.
5 years is 31st in save percentage, 21st in GAA.

Meh.

Okay, now compare our defense and forward depth next year to the cumulative average of that group. We’ve been icing teams $10mm-$20mm below the cap most nights those 3 seasons.

I agree that our team relies heavily on overall team depth and we need to be healthy (like most teams) to be effective. But there isn’t a hockey fan with half a brain anywhere who is worried about the quality of Carey Price as a goaltender on our team. One of the greatest to ever do it. His career statistics prove that, and his play these last two playoffs prove that he isn’t slowing down, he’s actually still ascending.

Stats require context to understand them.

Ohhhhh there are plenty of people that worry about that. Do you remember the stretch this very season where he was so bad they had to switch goalie coaches as a last ditch effort to get him going?

I don’t think he’s a high end goalie. I think he’s an average to low end goalie at this point in his career, that is very capable of getting super hot for a stretch.

I don’t see much of a difference between this years habs, last years habs etc. slightly different names. Same team. Suzuki is good, and i really like him, but is he a legit top center? I’m not seeing that. Caufield is exciting, but that’s a pretty small sample size. Is he a debrincat, or is he going to be more of a powerplay specialist. We’ll see! The future is tough to predict, but i feel like your’e trying to change the past now. Things could change, but i don’t think anyone could realistically think that the habs are finishing ahead of boston, tampa, toronto, or florida.

People underestimating both Price and the Habs is nothing new. That’s why they play the games.

Simply put, those who don’t think Price is good, they just don’t understand the position. People are entitled to their own opinions, even the wrong ones.

Then why hasn’t he been good?

That’s your opinion. I can’t connect all the dots for you. At some point, you need to stand on your own.

Well, not really. Goalie is by far the least subjective position in hockey. He hasn’t been good for the last five years. Now, we’ve seen he’s capable of getting hot as a pistol for stretches, but if he’s so good why hasn’t he, you know, been good.

That’s your opinion. It’s not a particularly good one, but you’re allowed to feel that way.

So you don’t have an explanation for that? Again, it’s not my opinion. It’s pretty objective here. You say stats need context, so put it in context for me. Let’s hear this context. Why has carey price, and I’ll be nice to you and add this qualifier: why has carey price, statistically, been between average and bad over the last five years?” Give me this context babe.

I already did. A man is generally not able to see that which he is unwilling to see.

Point of curiosity, how many Price games, not against Boston, have you watched in the regular season to come to your opinion?

Ahhhhh, so your hypothesis is poor defense?
So, what about the other goalies out there that have played in front of poor defenses and done better. Like, John Gibson for example?

Now. Your question regarding how many games have i watched price play…its plenty, but is that really relevant. If this was a d man and you were telling me about all the little gap control things he does that don’t show up on the stat sheet, I’d be right there with you. But it’s a goalie. Its just really not that subjective. Now, lets say you wanted to come tell me that carey price really had a good game despite giving up four goals on 25 shots, I’m happy to hear that. Very valid. All four of those goals might have been back door plays impossible to stop. But we’re not talking about a game. We’re talking about a FIVE YEAR sample. He’s been below average over five seasons. You can’t just wish that away.

Plenty is vague. What number would that be? Approximately of course.

I agree that large sample sizes are preferable. So what’s your argument for not using career statistics? For the biased belief of recent decline? His play the past two playoffs has killed that argument. Still ascending…

Leafs fans are usually the ones who overvalue regular season statistics. I would have expected more from a Bruins fan.

I refer you to the last paragraph of the previous post.

You’re afraid to approximate the number of games?

Idk, 50ish. I just don’t think it really matters. This is like taking a guy thats been top five in goals over five years and saying he’s not a goal scorer.

50 games not including Bruins games, I’m guessing that’s unlikely.

Simply put, we have different views on the position. You’re entitled to your opinion. Ironic though that NHL players consistently voted Price best goalie in the world during those years. I guess you could educate them as to why they had collectively been wrong for so long, cuz, you know, numbers.

Yup. Different views. I think goalies are good when they save a high percentage of shots, and have a low number of goals against. You think something different apparently

As do the collective of NHL shooters. So I find myself in good company.

It would be nice if elementary school mathematics worked for everything. Higher numbers = good. Lower numbers = bad. Apples, oranges, hockey teams with 22 other moving parts…

It’s all the same for comparison purposes to the simple minded.