By now the news that Claude Julien is essentially available to any team who wants to negotiate with the Bruins has sunk in across the NHL. Claude Julien was not sunk by his methods in my humble opinion, some bounces, a low save and shooting percentage are conspiring against him with a poorly built roster. Does this sound familiar?
Take into account that the Bruins have the best CF% in the NHL at even strength and you have to wonder, just else was Claude supposed to do, play goal himself? To compare the Jets are 18th in the league. Look at the rosters, who would you want to have as a franchise?
Why are we talking about Julien in a Jets blog? Well it's pretty simple really, the coach and perhaps with support of the GM and ownership are doubling down on the very thing that cost a better coach his job. In this case that thing is Ondrej Pavelec.
Paul Maurice has stood by his goalie call-up, and now has seemingly doubled down on him for the rest of the season after Pavelec has gone 3 wins and 4 losses with a 3.34 GAA and a .985 save percentage in all situations. More so TSN produced this piece on the goalie yesterday to only heighten the mystique.
The Jets, while most would not believe it, still have a chance at getting into the playoffs. Oh it will be tough that's for sure but should they get some league average goaltending it could happen but right now that's a pipe dream. If it is really a pipe dream what is in that pipe that has Maurice riding a goalie with stats like those mentioned above?
Well here is Hellebuyck's 35 games broken into 7 game segments with his save percentage
1-7 .912 avg 8-14 .909 15-21 ..908 22-28 .906 29-35 .903
That is not as ugly and he's been inconsistent, at times utterly lost between the pipes but why is replacing him with the less a move that is getting praise? In fact what exactly has Pavelec done to earn the coach's trust?
In the 8 games the Jets have played since Pavelec was recalled the Jets have scored more than 3 goals (number needed to win based on how many Pavelec lets in on average) in 62.5% of those games- five in total. In the previous 47 games the Jets scored more than 3 goals in just 23% of those games 11 in total!!!
This is from one of the top scoring teams. In all of Pavelec's games the Jets have needed to score more than three goals to win for 100% of the time. In the 35 games Hellebuyck has played this season the Jets have need to score more than 3 goals 17 or 48.5% of the time. I know which odds I like better.
In 14 of those 25 games the Jets have only needed to score 3 goals to win, or in 40% of games played.
Yet today we hear that Maurice wants to give Hellebuyck some action soon and low and behold he hints at Friday against, who... oh the Blackhawks. Hellebuykc is 4-0 against them with an average .965 save percentage in those games!!!
There is no denying that the early anointed number one goalie struggled with consistency this season. He was not ready to carry the load and rarely got support from his back-up. What the problem seems to be is that the coach is doubling down on a worse option based on the fact his team scores more lately?
While Hellebuyck has been given support with time away from the pressure of starting he's not getting much in terms of support with playing games, unless it's against Chicago. These are desperation moves, ones that come when you are running out of methods to improve the team. It's not unlike moving Byfuglien to forward. Where is the patience and support that Pavelec received from the organization for Hellebuyck?
If things go from bad to worse, and I'm betting they will, what does that say to the team and to Hellebuyck? Who justifies these moves to fans and season ticket holders? It shouldn't be Maurice because his fate should be the same as Julien's.