Login

***Chevy*** · 10-05-2023, 10:17 AM

Since the swap from Simon T Hockey Sim to Franchise Hockey Manager in Season 53, there has been an underlying...nearly joke of a question that has plagued both the SMJHL and SHL together: Do Goalies Matter (also phrased as "Does Goalie TPE matter?")?

Before diving off the deep end into this argument, I will preface that I support the idea that goalie TPE does matter, but not in a way that some would think and I will explain why below. So lets go right into it.

To properly frame the argument on if goalies and their TPE matters we should first make the comparison of goalies to skaters. To put it bluntly, goalies are far easier to max out their effectiveness on than skaters. Why is this? For starters, regardless if you are a forward or defenseman, you have at around ten attributes that make up the foundation of how your player is going to perform. These attributes include: Stamina, Strength, Speed, Balance, Agility, Acceleration, Defensive Read, Offensive Read, Puckhandling and Passing. These are the basis for every skater. Why? Well, you have to be able to skate (and not fall on your face) and you have to be able to handle a puck while you are skating or passing to a team member. With such a spread, and all of the other thirteen attributes being used to specialize what type of skater you are (based on if you are a forward or defenseman), all of your earned points to apply to attributes mean more, and thus earning more points makes you a more effective skater. This is especially important when you get into the minutia at the high end earning where attributes get around eighteen up to their max of twenty.

This is far different than goalies and I feel is the basis of the argument on goalie points not mattering. For some time now, since the move to Franchise Hockey Manager we have been able to observe a variety of levels of earning from goalies ranging all the way up from the highest earners like Harry Carpet, Strom Chamberlain, Elizabeth Doyle and Del'Vecchio to successes with barely any earning to the likes of Thor Odinson and others who were still greatly successful but not as committed to earning.

Why the difference? Well, for starters to be an effective goalie you really only have to invest heavily in four major attributes (out of the 14 total you can manipulate. Those attributes being: Positioning, Reflexes, Recovery, Rebound Control; with the to main ones determining if you are going to make a save being positioning and reflexes. Read that again. Two attributes, positioning and reflexes will make the primary determination on if you are going to make a save or not. This is even stated in the Franchise Hockey game manual. The other attributes then are what I consider "enhancement" attributes that determine how well you are going to make that save. Are you just going to bounce it off your glove? Not if you put points into glove save. Deflect off your blocker back to the forward sitting in front of the crease? Not if you put points into blocker save and rebound control. Are you going to be a starter? Well, you had better put some points into goalie stamina and mental toughness (so you don't take an RNG penalty after letting in some goals).

Not only as a goalie do you have fewer attributes to invest in, which means you don't necessarily have to earn quite as much to be effective, but as the attributes increase the cost of points to increase them isn't as dramatic as they are for a skater. To put it into perspective, to go from a level 18 to level 20 attribute as a goalie costs 40 points each. The same move for a skater is 50 points then 55 points. That's 25 more points to apply to max out as a skater on an attribute than it is as a goalie.

With all this information though, does that answer the question of "Do goalies (tpe) matter?". Yes. Yes they do. A strong defense can help shoulder the burden of a small earning, but effective goalie as long as that goalie has invested in the main "saving" attributes, but if you have a goalie that is trying to max earn (see previously mentioned Carpet and Chamberlain), they can be the difference makers in shouldering the burden of a young and inexperienced defense. It has been seen many times, and continues to be seen in the league amongst McBride award nominees and winners where the higher earners who have maxed out the "saving" attributes and also invested heavily in the "enhancement" attributes have stolen games away that should have not been able to be won...on paper at least.

To summarize, yes goalies matter. Not only can they help fill the gap of a weaker defense, but they are...and can be some of the funnest players to play as....strictly speaking as a former goalie. Granted, it still is frustrating when the game's "average goals per game" balancer kicks in and there is a sudden massive loss in a game (looking at you random 8+ goal games), however despite small hiccups like that, goalies still put up amazing save numbers and perform amazing feats when it matters most.

Goalies matter.

*Carpy48* · 10-05-2023, 10:29 AM

We all matter Heart

***By-Tor*** · 10-05-2023, 10:44 AM

Goalies matter <3

Just not to the SHL :kek:

Credit to enigmatic, Merica, and tweedledunn for sigs

*CptSquall* · 10-10-2023, 07:00 PM

Approved

Navigation

Extra Menu

About us