Minnesota State 2021-22 Meet the new conference- same as the old conference

[J.D.]

So who has the better save% matters this year, but didn't matter in 2020, when McKay had better numbers across the board than Swayman? The goal posts seem to move a lot in this game.

When did I say anything about Jeremy Swayman?

[purpleinnebraska]

Lol. The sv% was essentially the same (0.939 to 0.942) & again, Swayman had over 300 additional saves (761 to 1099). McKay faced nearly 25% fewer shots this year than Levi & over 30% fewer than Swayman in '20. Get a clue.

Let me explain math to you. I'll try to dumb it down, but I can only do so much. Saves are part of the equation of figuring out save %. Goals allowed also count. So if you have a lot more saves, but a lower save %, that means you gave up a lot more goals. And when you give up more goals, your team has a reduced chance of winning.
Simple enough for you?

[purpleinnebraska]

When did I say anything about Jeremy Swayman?

Don't know whether you ever did. I do remember that we were told in 2020 that there was more to it than stats. There were "quality saves," which were never defined, and there was "Where would his team be without him?" (Don't know how you quantify that, but where they were WITH him was behind us in the Pairwise, and behind other teams in his own conference).
None of this is a knock on Swayman, by the way. He had a perfectly fine season. But the award certainly wasn't based on stats. But now, 2 years later, we're told that the ONLY thing that matters is stats, and Levi and Perets have better ones. You can understand why we're struggling a little bit with buying the arguments now.

[bruinsfan11]

Can you dumb it down farther than Swayman plays for the Bruins and Dryden McKay will be a career AHL/Euro League goalie???

[moose97]

Good gravy. Sure, let's rehash 2020. Sure, Swayman allowed more goals but he also saw a ton more shots against per game. Maine only scored 3.62 gpg while allowing 3.21 gpg. Mankato, meanwhile. scored 4.03 while allowing 1.47 (hhm, sounds awfully familiar to this year's 2.55 gpg scoring & 1.67 against for Northeastern & Mankato's 4.08 vs 1.28). Now, while facing a significant amount of more shots, Swayman had to put up essentially identical numbers to McKay, otherwise Maine would have basically lost EVERY SINGLE FUDGING GAME. Just like Levi this year. Mankato doesn't NEED McKay. Maine NEEDED Swayman. Northeastern NEEDED Levi. Seriously. Stop embarrassing yourself

[moose97]

Final thing. The Richter is not for the "best" goalie, it is for the "most outstanding" (directly from the Richter website). Clearly, those who vote have placed an emphasis on a goalie making a difference in helping their team win. You don't have to like it, but thems the facts. Nothing stopping you guys from creating your own goalie of the year award out of spite. Hell, the Richter is only 8 years old. Not like it has some magical history behind it

[J.D.]

Don't know whether you ever did. I do remember that we were told in 2020 that there was more to it than stats. There were "quality saves," which were never defined, and there was "Where would his team be without him?" (Don't know how you quantify that, but where they were WITH him was behind us in the Pairwise, and behind other teams in his own conference).
None of this is a knock on Swayman, by the way. He had a perfectly fine season. But the award certainly wasn't based on stats. But now, 2 years later, we're told that the ONLY thing that matters is stats, and Levi and Perets have better ones. You can understand why we're struggling a little bit with buying the arguments now.

To be clear, I haven't seen any of these guys enough to know who is better. I just have a hard time looking past what Levi did on a clearly inferior team compared to Minnesota State/Quinnipiac.

[Bale]

Can you dumb it down farther than Swayman plays for the Bruins and Dryden McKay will be a career AHL/Euro League goalie???

I mean, that has exactly nothing to do with a college award.

[Bale]

To be clear, I haven't seen any of these guys enough to know who is better. I just have a hard time looking past what Levi did on a clearly inferior team compared to Minnesota State/Quinnipiac.

I think that's kind of the rub. Dryden has had 4 years of top echelon goalie play, but it gets discousted because he's got a good team around him. It's impossible to come up with a stat that shows how defenseman are able to activate more in the offensive end or the lack of second chances he gives up. Dryden is underappreciated outside of the CCHA. The number of shots that a team gives up is the deciding factor in this award. He's legitimately an historical goalie in the context of wins, shutouts, gaa, and sace percentage, but it's not recognized because he's got a good team around him.

That's not to take anything away from Swayman, LaFontaine or Levi (who I am presuming will win). It's just the perspective of one mankato fan.

[J.D.]

It's not an easy thing for voters to vote on. There are three outstanding candidates. Maybe voters vote McKay this time as it's his last shot. I don't know. They could rename it the McKay award for all I care as recognition for a career achievement. It's sorta like the stunning lack of Penrose awards for Jerry York. I have nothing against McKay but the quality of team around you should be a factor.

[J.D.]

For the record I never bought into LaFontaine being better than McKay. So maybe that's inconsistent of me since I think his numbers were better than McKay's. But this year I just can't look past Levi for this singular year.

[bruinsfan11]

Everyone gets off on numbers and discounts the eye test is my problem; swap Swayman for anyone except maybe Spencer Knight in 2020 and would the team have been better??? Likely.

[Iwearpurple]

It's comical that you think having 200+ fewer saves & at the same time, a worse save% makes said goalie "the best"

And his win% (against tougher competition, shutouts against St. Cloud, UMD, Massachusetts and Notre Dame) which is much higher than the other 2 means nothing? Really

[moose97]

And his win% (against tougher competition, shutouts against St. Cloud, UMD, Massachusetts and Notre Dame) which is much higher than the other 2 means nothing? Really

Again, the Notre Dame game is irrelevant as it came after voting ended. Secondly, Mankato had by far the worst SOS (18) of the #1 seeds, and Northeastern (32) isn't as far behind as you seem to think

[moose97]

And his win% (against tougher competition, shutouts against St. Cloud, UMD, Massachusetts and Notre Dame) which is much higher than the other 2 means nothing? Really

Now that I'm home from work, I can dig into some of the numbers & reiterate my point. These three shutouts (again, ignoring the Notre Dame game - which wouldn't skew these figures a whole heck of a lot) you are creaming yourself over? McKay had a whopping combined 60 saves. Of the 9 periods played, McKay only faced double digit shots in one of them, that being the 3rd vs Duluth, in which he faced damn near a quarter (14 shots - 23%) of the 60 saved. The rest of the period save totals? 1 (lol), 7, 9, 7, 5, 8, 3, and 6. McKay barely broke a sweat in 8 of those 9 periods.

And there is the knock. Any time Mankato posts a shutout, the first thing any non MSU fan does is check the SOG. And they see ridiculous things like 5 total saves vs LSSU. Or 9 total saves vs UST. And all it does is perpetuate the belief that McKay is a product of the extremely talented defense in front of him. Fair or not, that perception has become the reality of how McKay is viewed. Take off your purple colored glasses and you might just see it too.