Sorry. The goal tender is the position i pay the most attention to in hockey. I feel it is the most important position on the team and i expect a lot from goaltenders. Alright, i'll piss on Pavalec from now on. How the hell can somebody whose Save % is under 900 still be a starting Goalie in the NHL. The Jets should waive that guy already.
Easy answer to that question: Andrej Pavelec's the best option we have, and it's not just him. You have to watch the games. Stats is derivative of team play, personal performance, and a bit of luck (good and/or bad).
Stats are a partial explanation to a player's season, but not the sole basis and/or argument for measuring individual success. Anyone who watches sports and understands those fundamentals, is aware of this.
A guy can play his heart out for games on end, and look solid in those games. Having chance after chance that he has generated, but for whatever reason can not capitalize. The stats page may tell you a story, but the coaching staff, and educated fans following those games, could tell you another story altogether.
Prime example: Victor Hedman. Getting plenty of solid minutes in Tampa Bay. He's been doing all the little things right and has been receiving positive reviews from both his team and fans/observers. The biggest reflection of that is his contract extension that he signed recently. We can go on about how he only has 2 goals and is a - in 20+ games this year, but we can also see he logs more minutes on a nightly basis than anyone on that team. And that his stats are more of a reflection on overall team performance. I can also tell you he has smart positioning, anticipates and reads plays well this season, poke checks with the best of them and is a great skater, but just because he hasn't put up the points or is a + does not mean he has not been putting forth the effort, or that he's been garbage. You don't extend a player for that length at that price at this point in time unless you see promising things. Nor would he continue to eat up big minutes. Luke Schenn was off several games back, and it reflected on his coach's faith in him. His ice time was cut down dramatically, to even one point, where he was benched. Last season Schenn led all NHL defenseman in hits and was tops on his team in blocked shots. Seeing zero power play time last season, he still amassed 5 goals and 22 points at the tender age of 21. btw Schenn's game has improved his play recently (4 points in his past 2 NHL contests), and low and behold, what do you know, so have his minutes!
I also get what you're trying to do, and I don't find it funny. Point is, you were wrong about Marc-Andre Fleury last year, as he had turned around his season, and did it with a depleted roster in front of him. Half of it was him, the other half of the reason for his turn-around was Dan Blysma's system.
There are many intangibles. But you sir, are incorrect on your observations on Fleury and Pavelec, or are going based on very little evidence. Do you realize where Andrej's average save percentage stems from? Costly turn overs, missed assignments and defensive errors from being a relatively new team, in a new environment, a pressured environment to perform at a high level right away in a hockey hot bed. If you look at his stats of recent, they have improved vastly. He's coming around, just like the Flower did last year. Educate yourself, before you mess yourself.
