See You Vladar: 2020 Playoff Goaltending

RSN Diaspora

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To get the obvious out of the way, Jaro is now goalie #1. As we recall from 2019, you can realistically ride goalie #1 all the way through the SCF...in a normal year. But is the 35-yo Halak able to do so in a compressed playoff schedule that is perpetually subject to change? And if he can, is it even advisable?

If the answer to both questions is an unequivocal “yes,” then this is largely an academic exercise, useful only if Halak gets injured. But if there’s a “no,” “maybe,” or “we’ll see” in the mix, then we’ve got two relative unknowns to discuss: newly minted backup Dan Vladar, and 3rd string goalie Max Lagace (who didn’t dress yesterday).

Vladar has never been on NHL ice, while Lagace put up sparse and moderately unattractive numbers in backup duty for Vegas in the last two seasons. Neither one inspires a lot of confidence with me, but is it reasonable to expect Halak to power through to the SCF without a break in this environment? If not, I assume you go to Vladar? Maybe not?
 

tmracht

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If the Bruins win the next game and go into game 5 up 3-1 I think maybe you give Vladar any chance just to see what you've got. Maybe not the only reason why people didn't want Rask go game 2, but you really don't want to burn out your goaltender in this kind of a format.

Maybe Halak could play each game, but I'd much rather him do that later in the playoffs than in round one if it's not a must win game kind of deal.

The calculus gets a little harder if it's 2-2, In that case I probably start Halak and then maybe think about Vladar game six if you're victorious in game five.
 

TFP

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Halak is going to play until he's no longer able. I'll be surprised if Vladar gets a minute except in the case of injury or mop up duty in a blowout.
 

Ferm Sheller

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Halak every minute except, as TFP notes, in the event of an injury or a blowout.

Tim Thomas had perhaps the best post-season run of any goalie ever at age 37. Twenty-five games in two months, essentially a game every other day, including three game 7s.
 

Ferm Sheller

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If the Bruins win the next game and go into game 5 up 3-1 I think maybe you give Vladar any chance just to see what you've got. Maybe not the only reason why people didn't want Rask go game 2, but you really don't want to burn out your goaltender in this kind of a format.

Maybe Halak could play each game, but I'd much rather him do that later in the playoffs than in round one if it's not a must win game kind of deal.

The calculus gets a little harder if it's 2-2, In that case I probably start Halak and then maybe think about Vladar game six if you're victorious in game five.
No way would that happen absent an injury/illness to Halak. If Vladar failed and the Bs went on to lose the series, BC would never hear the end of it.
 

tmracht

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No way would that happen absent an injury/illness to Halak. If Vladar failed and the Bs went on to lose the series, BC would never hear the end of it.
I guess I'm on the minority side which is totally understandable. I guess I would handle it slightly differently but I completely understand the people that would ride the number one when the backup is completely unproven.
 

RetractableRoof

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One of principles Joe Torre operated by was to "win the game that is in your grasp". He did everything he could to not lose a game because he went with his second best in an effort to save his closer or keep pitcher X fresh. He burned out pitchers, but he also seems to have accomplished his goal of accumulating Ws, especially in the playoffs. Similarly, the Bruins are in the playoffs, Halak needs to be ridden until the wheels come off. Hire a personal massage therapist (Tour de France style), buy a hyperbaric chamber, cover him in bubble wrap, install 15 hepa filters in his room and/or up the oxygen content in his room at night... hire gregorian monks to serenade him gently to sleep, do whatever it takes... but until the wheels come off.
 

Ferm Sheller

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I guess I'm on the minority side which is totally understandable. I guess I would handle it slightly differently but I completely understand the people that would ride the number one when the backup is completely unproven.
You also have to remember that Vladar is coming off of a good season after a rocky start to his pro career. I assume that they feel he's a guy who could develop into a #1 goaltender, so I'm not sure how excited they would be to have him make his NHL debut in the playoffs.
 

The Gray Eagle

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If the Bruins are down 3 in the third period of a game that isn’t an elimination game, it might be a good idea to bring in Vladar to get his debut out of the way and prepare him in case of a Halak injury.
 

cshea

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If they fall behind by 3 or 4 in a game we might see Vladar but it is extremely unlikely they start him and it’s even less likely the put him into a game they are leading, even if it is by 10.
 

5dice

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I believe it will be Jaro until the wheels fall off this year. Vladar has next year to still prove something, but Swayman, with his Hobey finalist and Richter trophy in hand, should pass him quickly as the next man up in a future state when the Halak contract extension is over after next year and/or Rask retires in a similar timeframe.
 

kenneycb

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Meh, Zane McIntyre was basically the same (stud in NCAA, Hobey finalist, Richter winner) and it's highly unlikely he's making the NHL anytime soon. Goalies are a crapshoot.
 

Ferm Sheller

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Meh, Zane McIntyre was basically the same (stud in NCAA, Hobey finalist, Richter winner) and it's highly unlikely he's making the NHL anytime soon. Goalies are a crapshoot.
This is right and so the more lottery tickets you have among G prospects, the better. And some goaltenders develop late, so it's too early to say who'll have the better career, Vladar or Swayman, (if either of them even have an NHL career to speak of) at this point.
 

5dice

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Meh, Zane McIntyre was basically the same (stud in NCAA, Hobey finalist, Richter winner) and it's highly unlikely he's making the NHL anytime soon. Goalies are a crapshoot.
Sure and so was Hellebuyck the same set of awards and is who he is. Not saying Swayman is a lock as an NHL stud, but he has an excellent chance of being better than both Vladar and Keyser, no?
 

Ferm Sheller

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Vladar had a .936 save percentage and a 1.79 GAA in the AHL this year. Swayman's never played a second of pro hockey.
 

TSC

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Sure and so was Hellebuyck the same set of awards and is who he is. Not saying Swayman is a lock as an NHL stud, but he has an excellent chance of being better than both Vladar and Keyser, no?
Vladar is barely a year older than Swayman and just lead the AHL in GAA and SV%. At this point, both the floor and ceiling for Vladar seem higher.
 

Ferm Sheller

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Vladar is barely a year older than Swayman and just lead the AHL in GAA and SV%. At this point, both the floor and ceiling for Vladar seem higher.
Right. I mean, if you could only keep one of them and had to jettison the other, I think you'd have to keep Vladar, but you wouldn't have much confidence that you've made the right decision. If that makes any sense.
 

Ferm Sheller

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And a list of goaltenders who have won or been a finalist for the Hobey Baker trophy appear in the link below. It's a pathetic list (in terms of NHL success), to say the least.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobey_Baker_Award
EDIT: It appears that of the 15 goalies on this list who were drafted in 2016 or prior, only 2 have had any NHL minutes to speak of: All-World Ryan Miller, and very solid Brian Elliot.
 

tmracht

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Right. I mean, if you could only keep one of them and had to jettison the other, I think you'd have to keep Vladar, but you wouldn't have much confidence that you've made the right decision. If that makes any sense.
Kind of like Rask and Pogge? With JFJ valuing Pogge more than Rask because of the WJC Gold.

Goalies are hard to evaluate that young.