I've picked on Feaster before, but I think his latest item at THN is even more reprehensible than his Heatley offering.
This time, he's congratulating himself on not trading for Tomas Vokoun, whom he argues has yet to carry his team to the post-season and last year, when new coach Pete DeBoer really needed him to elevate his play, he faltered, stumbling badly enough that DeBoer handed the starting reins to backup Craig Anderson down the stretch.
Holy shit, the list of things wrong with this claim is staggering.
Let's get the obvious stuff out of the way: Vokoun has been one of the best goalies in the league the last few years, despite playing on some pretty crappy teams. His SV% the since 2005-06 has been .919, .920, .919 and lastly .926...you know, the year he "faltered badly down the stretch". That save rate was second in the entire league, BTW, behind Vezina winner Tim Thomas.
Anyways, Feaster ignores the fact that Florida was the worst team in the league in terms of preventing shots last year and were 17th in the league in terms of goals for. The only reason they were within spitting distance of the post-season was - that's right - out of this world goaltending (from both Vokoun and Anderson). To place their failure to make the play-offs at Vokoun's feet isn't just wrong, it borders on the obscene. His "stumbling down the stretch" was doubtless little more than a near unsustainable SV% coming back down to earth - which is especially disastrous when a team gives up almost 35 shots a game. "Alright, Tomas" said coach Peter one day after practice. "I know you're in the top 5 in terms of SV% in the league and we allow teams to routinely pepper you with shots on a nightly basis...but I really need you to elevate your play down the stretch..." Pfffft. As I wrote back in February in response to the news that the Panthers would be keeping Bouwmeester:
The lone factor holding the Panthers in the race is that unsustainable .933 ES SV%. Should that uncanny number continue for the rest of the season and squeeze the cats into the play-offs, I have no doubt they'd be swept aside in short order by whoever they'd end up facing in the first round.
Of course, Feaster also ignores the fact that Vokoun has indeed appeared in the post season...and although he's never won a series, his career SV% of .922 in the play-offs suggests he's at least done his part when he's made it there.
Damn your lack of clutch Vokoun!
Feaster continues:
Not surprisingly, Vokoun has faltered and the Panthers find themselves desperately needing help from their backup goalie yet again. The only way for Florida to climb back into the hunt is for Clemmensen to do for his current squad what he did last year in Newark, and time is of the essence.
Seriously. Jay is pointing to Vokoun's .902 SV% through a grand total of five games to start the year as proof positive that he can't "handle the pressure" and needs to his back-up to "save him". This is below-grade messageboard fodder...written by a former NHL exec.
Imagine how history might have changed had we agreed to the deal with Nashville. The Panthers gave up a second round pick in 2007, plus a first- and second-rounder in 2008 for Vokoun. Had we done that deal, that first round pick in 2008 could have been our overall first pick and Steven Stamkos might now be skating in Nashville!
Or maybe with one of the best goalies in the league the Lightning wouldn't have finished last in the NHL, meaning, you know, the pick wouldn't have been first overall.
