Biron

[buffjoe]

Unconditional effort. That's what has been the key to the Sabres early success this year. They've been playing hard when they are in the lead, they've been playing hard when they are losing. They start the game off quick and finish the game off hard. This group of guys seem to have finally figured the key to being a consistently good team. Can anyone argue that the first period and a half may have been JP Dumont's best as a professional player. I counted four times where he delivered dominating shoulder checks to Thrasher players. That brings me to Biron. Forget that he let in some bad goals. Forget that he wasn't ready to play last night. What Marty did last night was quit. He stopped giving an effort. No goalie is going to be on his game every night but that doesn't mean you stop playing. Atlanta was playing hard and hitting hard in the third period. The Sabres forwards and "D" couldn't let their guard down or ease up or they would have been put through the glass. But there was Marty bent over inside the net, sulking and not even trying. He quit like 5 yr old in cross rink blowout. How do you convince the other 18 guys to play hard when they see him waving half-heartedly at a dump in from the point? Now Lindy has to go back and sell the hard working program to his players all over again. Thanks Marty. Take a seat.

[LALAFONTAINE]

How can you say he quit? Some night you just don't have it as a goaltender. Did Hasek quit a couple of years ago when we played Detroit? No. He looked very crappy though.

It is tough to get the other 18 guys to continue to work, not because Biron is lazy, because he isn't, but because he's ineffective.

JP Dumont continues to play amazing.

[buffjoe]

La La - I think I said that not every goalie is going to be on his game every night. Throw out your Hasek/Biron comparison because when you play like Dominic Hasek and carry your teams for years you can throw tantrums, be a baby and take nights off. But when you're Marty Biron and you haven't proven anything you don't need to quit. You certainly don't need to quit when the coach puts his butt on the line to give you another period to redeem yourself. The goals in the third were not the result of a goalie having an off night. They were a result of a goalie having a bad night and then not trying anymore.

[LALAFONTAINE]

Hasek never took nights off either. Either does Biron. When you look bad, you sometimes look really bad.

What makes you say the goals Biron gave up in the third period were a result of not trying? The worst goal he gave up was in the second period. That wasn't a result of anything but bad goaltending. The fact he didn't have his goalstick covering the 5 hole isn't laziness.

I'm having trouble recalling the goals he gave up in the third period, but one of them was a penalty shot. I'm not going to blame Biron for that. That leaves 2 other goals.

[thegame]

I don't think his poor play has anything to do with "not trying".

His problems come from, IMO, concentration lapses where he seems to get beat on quick shots. Often, one bad goal can lead to a couple more in quick order with Marty as well. He'll go along fine for a good amount of time, then break down. His pention to let in bad goals at crucial times has been with him ever since he's been this team's #1, and it continues through last night. This is the primary reason why I'm no fan of his. This team won't make the playoffs without a change in Marty's game for the better, again IMO.

[Buffalobro22]

How anyone could possibly back Biron even slightly after that performance is crazy. He has not proven that he can carry a team for a season and get them to the playoffs, and if you listen to management that is the goal of the season.

[buffjoe]

Biron's body language had "quit" all over it. Have you ever been in a pick-up game where after about 45 minutes everyone gets tired and they stop playing defense. The game deteriorates to a series of odd man rushes and breakaways and the goalies stop playing hard. They stay on their knees for an extra four seconds. They leave the five hole open. They try and stop everything by throwing their stick at it. That's what happened with Biron in the third period last night. He backed up into the crease, dropped down early and made half-hearted attempts to make saves. Okay for a pickup game. Not Okay for an NHL goaltender. The Thrashers announcers picked up on it. After the breakaway goal the Thrasher announcer belittled Biron for not even making an effort on the play. He further belittled his effort on the floater from the point. These are professionals pointing it out not just me.

[LALAFONTAINE]

Originally posted by Buffalobro22
How anyone could possibly back Biron even slightly after that performance is crazy. He has not proven that he can carry a team for a season and get them to the playoffs, and if you listen to management that is the goal of the season.

Who's backing Biron's play against Atlanta? I'm just not playing amateur psychologist and saying it's because of laziness.

[LALAFONTAINE]

Originally posted by buffjoe
Biron's body language had "quit" all over it. Have you ever been in a pick-up game where after about 45 minutes everyone gets tired and they stop playing defense. The game deteriorates to a series of odd man rushes and breakaways and the goalies stop playing hard. They stay on their knees for an extra four seconds. They leave the five hole open. They try and stop everything by throwing their stick at it. That's what happened with Biron in the third period last night. He backed up into the crease, dropped down early and made half-hearted attempts to make saves. Okay for a pickup game. Not Okay for an NHL goaltender. The Thrashers announcers picked up on it. After the breakaway goal the Thrasher announcer belittled Biron for not even making an effort on the play. He further belittled his effort on the floater from the point. These are professionals pointing it out not just me.

Forgive me if I don't take the word of soccer announcers when it comes to sports. Forgive me for not relying on the hockey genius emanating from Atlanta.

Of course a goalie is not going to look good on terrible goals like that five hole abomination. Belittling someone's effort on that goal is simply stupid. How could effort have made a difference on that play? Biron simply got away from proper goaltending fundamentals. That's a lapse in concentration if anything. The problem on that play was he didn't get his stick down. That doesn't take any additional effort. Actually, it probably takes less effort.

The breakaway goal? I haven't seen one goalie not try on a breakaway goal ever. The thing that soccer boy announcer doesn't understand is that a goaltender keys his moves off of what he sees. If a goaltender gets faked into moving one way and then realizes he's going the other way, he's too late. He's already commited. And the goaltender will look stupid. He won't look stupid from laziness, but because he commited too early.