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+---- Thread: (GRADED) Deep Dive #1: Goaltending in the Playoffs (/showthread.php?tid=125660)
(GRADED) Deep Dive #1: Goaltending in the Playoffs - CptSquall - 07-28-2022
Now, ever since I decided that I wanted to make a goaltender, the thought has crossed my mind. How do i make him as effective as possible? After all, everyone on this site wants their player to be a difference maker.
Of course I have heard all of the rumours about how "Goalie TPE doesn't matter" and the general apathy about goalies in this league seems to set one up to infer that it is not worth it. Worst of all, one could get the impression that having a good goaltender doesn't even matter. That is where this deep dive comes in. I am about to bring you all on a journey to see what kind of numbers that goalies put up in the playoffs. With particular attention being paid to the starters of the Challenge Cup champions from the first 3 and last 3 seasons! That's right, we will look at who all from those championship teams did well and, even more so, where they rank in their playoff performances. As well as the TPE totals of each one.
First off, S53:
Back in the bad old days you only needed 12 wins to pick up the Challenge Cup. Due of course to having so many less teams. In S53 the cup champion goalie was Geezus Kryyst. The man posted a Goals Against Average of 1.71 which was 2nd, a Save % of .941 which was also second. Fantastic numbers what also sticks out to me are the other two numbers FHM gives us. Total Saves and Goals Saved Above Average. The last one being a seeming equivalent to PDO or luck for goalies. For Kryyst, he made 412 Saves in 15 games which was 88 more than second place. GSAA for him was a ridiculous 10.75! You have to be good to be lucky, and lucky to be good. Geezus was both here. It's little wonder how the Hamilton Steelhawks demolished their way to the cup. Kryyst ran a TPE Build of 1555.
S54:
The next season's winner was Aleister Cain of the New Orleans Specters. Who exemplifies this whole setup with a VERY ridiculous number. Mans posted a Goals Against Average of 2.89 which was 4th, a Save % of .923 which turned out to be 3rd best. He stopped 615 shots in 17 games and it was 130 MORE! than 2nd and he only played 2 more games. This all stemmed from a Goals Saved Above Average of 47.23! That is LITERALLY games worth of saves. What is looking like the major factor in winning as a mix of being really good of course, and MASSIVLY lucky. Cain of course went into the playoffs with a 1775 TPE Build.
S55:
S55 featured Elizabeth Doyle as our champion. Playing for the Buffalo Stampede of course. Her Goals Against Average for this first cup of her Career was 1.86, The only GAA below 2. Obviously 1st that season. Her Save % was .927, which is great but only good for 3rd. Now for the other 2. She made 408 Saves in 17 games it was far and away 2nd most behind Aleister Cain again who made 701 in 20 games. No wonder NOLA got within a game of that cup. Doyle's Goals Saved Above Average came out to 40.03. Fantastic but 2nd again to Cainer with a stupid 62.07 GSAA! Luck can certainly play its part, but this one shows that you need some skill as well. Doyle only had 1057 TPE in her playoff build which makes you wonder.
S63:
zooming ahead to these last 3 playoffs. How much has changed? Well it now takes and NHL sized 16 wins to bring home the Challenge Cup. Your winner here in S63 was A Jobin of the Hamilton Steelhawks. He posted a Goals Against Average of 1.87 and it was 2nd. A great Save % of .932 but it was only 3rd. Both were done in 25 games however which speaks to his skill to be able to maintain such a high level of play. This did translate to 686 Saves. Yes that was the most. His Goals Saved Above Average was 20.38. Not insane numbers, however he had the highest luck. His TPE build totaled out to 1170.
S64:
For S64 we take you to Mat Smith of the Chicago Syndicate. Nice variety of teams, but lets see how this plays out. In 23 games he managed a Goals Against Average of 2.61. This got him 3rd. His save % was 9.17. Not overly special. Good for 7th. He stopped 689 shots which was 3rd and almost 100 less than his Finals opponent Evgeni Petrov. His Goals Saved Above Average was 24.94. Good for 4th but very good overall. Interestingly, much like S55 with Doyle and Cain. Smith and Petrov here followed a similar pattern. Petrov was better in more of the team and luck stats like GSAA and Save %. Where Smith was better at a more individual level with GAA. Both of course had amazing, well built teams. But it seems like Atlanta was floated by just a little more luck and when it ran out, skill took over. Mat Smith had 1952 TPE at his disposal of course.
S65:
Now we come to last season and Olof Karsikko's Los Angeles Panthers. In 20 games, which was 2nd most on its own. He posted a Goals Against Average of 1.90 which was of course 1st by a solid margin. His Save % was also 1st at .937. He stopped 565 pucks, though it paled in comparison to 779 of Storm Chamberlain, who was his finals opponent. Olof's Goals Saved Above Average was tops at 16.21. High powered numbers but it is interesting to me that luck overall was around normal. His solid 1428 TPE Build shows a good mix.
So, i suppose this is time for closing remarks about the above. Firstly, we've seen a range of TPE's from 1000 to 2000 more or less. A lot of this goes to show that you can be a good goalie along each of these lines. Mind you it may seem that TPE doesn't matter. I can tell you that it does come down more to build than how much TPE you have.
Luck, or Goals Saved Above Average does seem to play a massive part. Whilst you don't need to be the MOST lucky, you do need a lot of luck riding on you at least most of the time. Can't just float on skill alone, but you do need some of it. For skill more than anything. NONE of these goalies were outside of the top 5 in Goals Against Average. Which goes to show that yes, skill matters. Its a bit of where you put your TPE, what level of defensive strength your team has, the style they play, and finally how new the goaltender is.
Word Counter says 1150 Words.
RE: (GRADED) Deep Dive #1: Goaltending in the Playoffs - Opera_Phantom - 07-29-2022
@CptSquall APPROVED! +5 TPE