Biron v. Roloson: You make the call
by Dominik on Nov 8, 2009 3:02 PM EST
in This, That & What-Not
Email
PrintMaybe it's a sign of how close they are, but I've been surprised at the wide array of very firm opinions on whether Martin Biron or Dwayne Roloson: a) is a better 'keeper, and b) has been better this season. I'm not talking just fans who have watched Islanders games, but fans of the Sabres and Devils who were alternately relieved that Biron or Roloson started against their team.
It's especially fun for me because I don't have yet have a preference -- not on this year's work. You can cite their (rather minimal) playoff histories, you can cite the teams they played behind, and you can talk about specific goals allowed this year that expose tendencies in their game. Plus, there's always: Roloson is old. But I'm unconvinced, at least for their performance thus far.
So I'll throw some figures out there -- there's a little more after the jump -- and you make your argument. One thing I'll concede, though it's very early: Continuing his recent trend, Roloson's save percentage on the penalty kill is quite strong (.925), whereas Biron's thus far is not (.867). On the other hand, the Isles have scored far more for Roloson than they have for Biron. (NYI-GF is goal support, or how many goals the Islanders have scored when they're in net.).
Note: GF/GA totals don't match the team GF/GA you'll see in the standings, because for some insane reason the NHL counts shootout W/L as a GF or GA in the standings, just one of many reasons the shootout is an unholy affront to Western civilization.
Opponents: One more factor I don't put too much stock in, particularly at this point, but it's fun to toss out there: Which teams have they played against? Here are the combined records (as of today) of the teams Roloson and Biron have started against. (That means Buffalo is counted once for Roloson and twice for Biron.) The first record excludes the games these two started.
Biron opponents (minus his starts): 69-43-8 | Including Biron's starts: 74-44-8
Roloson opponents (minus his starts): 72-51-15 | Including Roloson's starts: 73-54-17
So what'll it be? I know many of you have expressed opinions already or over the summer, but has your opinion changed at all? Do these numbers influence you? And while I'm focused on this season's performance, you can consider this an open thread to debate the traditional "he's playoff-tested"/"He's old"/"His contract makes him better trade bait" ideas as well.
31 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
As a concerned fantasy owner, put my vote for Biron.
GF/GA totals don’t match the team GF/GA you’ll see in the standings, because for some insane reason the NHL counts shootout W/L as a GF or GA in the standings, just one of many reasons the shootout is an unholy affront to Western civilization.
Amen to that. I can tell you the reason the NHL does it, though — it likes to brag about artificially-inflated offense.
http://www.battleofcali.com/
For the sake of his trade value, I really hope Biron starts to carry your fantasy team to new heights.
Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.
Roly all the way
and the most telling stat isn’t even up there: playoff performance. One very telling stat that IS up there is the PK %. Thats’ when a team really needs its goalie to shine and Roly has. I like Marty, but Roly’s the guy.
I’m a fan of Birons after watching him the last two years for Philly when I did manage to get a game. I think the GF/GA is most telling between them. The Isles have scored nearly twice as many goals with Rollie in net then Biron.
But it doesn’t really matter. Both of them are doing exactly what we needed from them. They’ve come in, and solidified the goalie position which was awful last year. Its not Rollie Vs Biron as long as the team wins. There haven’t been any games which Biron or Rollie lost that you say to yourself “If only (Other Goalie) was in net instead of him”. The weak showings from either of them seem to be in the past, and if they have a bad game its more because of whats in front of them.
Also, Biron is definitely the trade bait of the two. I think the whole reason for Roloson being signed was so the Isles had a solid backup for the next two seasons while the prospects in Bridgeport came along.
I was going to say Biron
has been slightly better this year from what I’ve watched, but those numbers say Roloson has been a little better. Either way, they have been about equal this year. One thing about Roli: he’s been really slow moving inside the crease and doesn’t always get to the spot that quickly. Might be his age catching up with him. If I had to pick one going forward, I’d take Biron, just because he is younger and the difference between him and Roli is minimal.
Rolly slow side to side
I agree with what you said exactly. I think Rolly has played very well and makes himself as big as possible and is very good at playing the point shots. He is very slow on the wraparounds or whenever the other team controls behind the net. Biron is just more balanced I feel
I almost get the sense Roloson is the wise old hand, like he plays the game a little smarter. They’ve both had long careers, but maybe for Roloson when the clock is ticking on your career it really crystallizes every little advantage you need to seize to stick around.
I agree on the side-to-side movement. On the other hand, one complaint about Biron has been him cheating off the post.
Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.
Numbers be damned I would love to say that they were dead even in terms of play but the numbers don’t exactly tell you who is on the ice or what the demeanor of the team is at game time. From watching the games I would have to say that in the beginning of the season I would have said Biron…hands down. It just appeared that the team played a little better for him than they did for Rollie. Then there is the fact that he may have only stopped 1 shot on net during the shootouts in the Isles extensive body of work during the deciding activity of a tied/blown game.
That doesn’t make me get all warm and fuzzy. However it appears that after the team figured out his baseball swing clearing method and his desire to win in regulation,they appeared to come back a little more and and the backchecking appears to be helping the dmen to level a couple of people ie.Sutton’s Section of the tv side of the home net.
Where I once would have said Biron hands down there is now a lot of momentum with Rollie. However, I will stick with Biron because I believe that he has the energy to finish and stop at least one shot in the shootout when needed…which seems to happen a lot with this team.
both have had their ups and downs, if rollie was a little better in the shootouts, he’s looking like the far superior play…
that bogosian goal was weak, as was that blueliner in the devil game… they both have had some holes so far…
personally i prefer roloson as he’s less prone to shrinking low when he can’t find the puck, but i don’t think it’s a big margin between the two
why isn't #16 hanging in the rafters?
A DiPietro Sighting
He was at the Dogcatemy Awards for the North Shore Animal League the other night.
No casts or crutches in this pic Click Here
Personally, couldn’t they have gotten him a hip high dog so he didn’t have to bend over to pet him?
Wow! I almost forgot what he looked like. I like the little dog that he seems to be coincidentally bending over to pet. That is rather amusing. You may as well add the caption “Look what I can do now,” below the picture.
by metalcoconut on Nov 9, 2009 12:50 PM EST up reply actions
lol, that’s not him, that’s his evil twin!
seriously tho, is it me or does he look really thin?
why isn't #16 hanging in the rafters?
Ha, that does look thin. Must be the cut of the suit!
Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.
He does look REALLY thin and not very healthy…maybe the pic just caught him at an awkward angle but I don’t know…
could just be that i’m used to seeing him in his pads and all… but even his wedding photo, his face looks thinner … maybe it’s part of the rehab, the lighter you are the easier on the joints and all and you build up from there…
why isn't #16 hanging in the rafters?
That’s right, he’s gotta ease the burden on those achy joints. The facial hair threw me, maybe that distorts proportions … but what happened to the camera adding 10 lbs.?
Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.
*adopts maternal role*
“Ricky, is that new woman of yours not feeding you enough? I just knew she wasn’t capable of taking care of my boy…”
Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.
I have a pic with him from that day. :) He was somewhat surprisingly bulked up then more than at any othre time in his career.
Lets go Islanders...
by TheMetalChick on Nov 10, 2009 10:59 AM EST up reply actions
found this on a fantasy sports site from the post about his weight loss…
Rick DiPietro (knee) is at least a month from returning to the lineup.
The goalie continues to work out on his own at the Islanders practice facility in Syosset. A noted fitness freak, doctors told DiPietro to lose some of the muscle in order to reduce the pressure on his wonky knees. He complied – although it’s not known how much weight he’s lost. It’s best to wait until DiPietro plays for a while before gambling on him.
Source: New York Post
why isn't #16 hanging in the rafters?
Yeah I think its the shot itself, the facial hair, and that we are used to seeing him in gear.
Really though, I thought he bulked up a bit TOO much before last year. He doesnt need any extra lbs on those knees! Seriously.
His wedding pics were from just a few months ago and you say he looked thin but I think he looked great. I know youre mostly (all lol?) guys so everyone might not have looked at the wedding pics- they are here if you didnt see em and want to take a look.
Lets go Islanders...
by TheMetalChick on Nov 9, 2009 2:54 PM EST up reply actions
And on HNIC Pierre LeBrun was talking about a couple more weeks…I only hope it means Bridgeport first.
Something tells me Thanksgiving will not be a quiet one.
Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.
Quick comment from a Sabres fan
We know quite a bit about both these guys from their tenure here. Roloson came in during the ‘99 EC finals against the Leafs when Hasek was injured and while he was not spectacular, he did what he needed to do to get a win in Toronto. He’s a competent backup and will certainly win you games as a starter but he’ll never be anything more than an average NHL goaltender.
The knock on Biron has never been talent. He is probably one of the most skilled goaltenders playing. Why he’s been a backup/marginal starter for most of his career instead of the elite goaltender he could have become is because of his work ethic. He doesn’t practice well. He’s easily distracted because of his legendary gift of gab. He is probably better than Miller but what makes Miller a top-tier goaltender is that he works like a fiend to get better. Biron won’t and never has.
Biron is the better goaltender but he will lose his luster over time the more you play him and recognize his flaws. Start Roloson.
"I could have conquered Europe, all of it, but I had women in my life." - King Henry II of England
the thing is...
Roly became a different goalie after he left Buffalo. He twice took rather average teams to the third round of the playoffs and once to the Cup Finals. That is something that Marty has never and likely will never do. A lot of people might have said that Chico was “more talented” than Billy. The way that you can tell them apart today is that Billy is the one with the four championship rings and the Conn Smythe.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Lighthouse Hockey
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
Featured Stories
Islanders Schedule
In Association With
Latest Puck Daddy - NHL from Yahoo! Sports
- Who are the Non-Smythe candidates for the Devils, Kings?
- End is near for Rick Nash, Blue Jackets as trade discussions set to resume
- Why the Devils and the Kings are evidence the Capitals shouldn’t trade Alex Ovechkin
- Eulogy: Remembering the 2011-12 New York Rangers
- Stanley Cup Final: 5 keys for New Jersey Devils and Los Angeles Kings
Latest stories and headlines from NHL.com
- Shawinigan wins Memorial Cup in OT
- Cataractes forward Chaput wins Memorial Cup MVP award after putting up 12 points
- Knights' impressive run comes up just short in Memorial Cup final
- Zlobin's overtime goal lifts Cataractes over Knights in Memorial Cup final
- Zlobin's overtime goal lifts Cataractes over Knights in Memorial Cup final
SBNation.com Recent Stories
1979-80
Source: Uploaded by user via NYIslanders on Pinterest
May 24, 1980: Tonelli to Nystrom. At long last, the steady build of the New York Islanders from expansion doormat to surprise semifinalist to annual contender reaches the promised land: Buoyed by a late season trade for Butch Goring that gave the team the depth up the middle GM Bill Torrey had been seeking, the Islanders knock off the Philadelphia Flyers in six games.
The victory justified the faith in coach Al Arbour who guided them from their second season to their first Stanley Cup seven seasons later. The Islanders would not be the first expansion team to win the Stanley Cup, but they would be the only one capable of a dynasty.
1980-81
Source: Uploaded by user via NYIslanders on Pinterest
May 21, 1981: This time it was much easier. After falling to "only" 91 points in the 1979-80 season, the Islanders returned to their division title tradition, piling up 110 points -- a whole 13 points over second-place Philadelphia.
Between the quarterfinals (where they beat the upstart Oilers in six games) and the finals, the Islanders reeled off eight consecutive wins -- with a four-game sweep of archrival Rangers in between. As they defeated the Minnesota North Stars in five games for their second Cup, their goal difference in the final was a combined +10.
1981-82
Source: Uploaded by user via NYIslanders on Pinterest
May 16, 1982: Another year, another landslide title. The Islanders won the Patrick Division by a whopping 26 points over the second-place Rangers, and were seven points clear of their nearest competition for the President's Trophy, the still-not-quite-ripe Edmonton Oilers.
A first-round scare against the Pittsburgh Penguins turned in the Isles' favor thanks to John Tonelli's heroics, and a true dynasty was on its way: Past the Rangers in six games, then an eight-game sweep of the Quebec Nordiques and Vancouver Canucks to run away with the Stanley Cup.
1982-83
Source: Uploaded by user via NYIslanders on Pinterest
May 17, 1983: Not so fast, whipper-snappers. The Edmonton Oilers' steadily rising challenge for league supremacy took them all the way to the finals for the first time, where the New York Islanders summarily dispatched them in a four-game sweep. For the Islanders, the Dynasty was secured. For the Oilers, it was a powerful lesson in where talent ends and the demands of playoff hockey begin.
Four years, four Cups, 16 consecutive playoff series wins (a record that would grow to 19 until the rematch with the Oilers the following year). Mike Bossy scored 60 goals yet again, and Wayne Gretzky became acquainted with Billy Smith's crease.
