The Dater Crusade Against Peter Budaj Continues

by Joe Dunman on Nov 7, 2008 12:20 PM MST in News Comment 26 comments

Denver Post beat writer Adrian Dater continues his relentless attacks on Colorado Avalanche goalie Peter Budaj. In nearly every blog post and every game recap he does for the paper, he includes some kind of swipe or negative comment. Even while his colleague Terry Frei qualifies his criticism and spreads the blame evenly, Dater refuses to let up.

In the All Things Avs blog post "Will Tucker be suspended?," a post that has nothing to do with Peter Budaj or Andrew Raycroft in any way whatsoever, Dater manages to slip in this little gem:

We’ll see what happens, but the Avs have bigger issues to contend with: namely, a team that has zero faith in its goaltending, one that is always looking over their shoulder worried about every shot against.

That's a pretty bold statement, and one not backed up with any quotes, sources or evidence whatsoever.

Jibblescribbits, intrepid blogging stalwart and MHH member, asked what was on most of our minds:

Is this opinion or do you have an anonymous source for this?

A pretty fair question for a journalist to answer when making a statement like "the team doesn't trust the goalie."

Unfortunately, Dater answers it just as I suspected he would:

Doesn’t take a detective to get the clues the boys in the room are giving off about that subject.

No, maybe not, but it does take a journalist to back up the statement with a quote or a source or something other than, "it just seems that way to me." I understand that locker room access is a holy sacred right bestowed upon only the most intellectually gifted among us---newspaper journalists---and that we mere plebes can't possibly imagine or comprehend the important secrets that are shared within. I get that. But this unsupported statement seems completely ridiculous when not backed up with any kind of clarification at all.

Ian Laperriere, for example, called out the defense two games ago for their sucking, and yet we're to believe that he really blames Budaj? Lappy's still on the team, so I assume Dater was referring to him, too. Was Lappy lying?

Let's say that Dater is right, that the members of the Colorado Avalanche actually have lost faith in Peter Budaj and don't trust him to stop any shots. Let's say that's true. If it's true, then I'll be happy to go on the record and say that every single player in the Avalanche locker room is a complete and total idiot. Morons, all of them. And if they're not stupid, they're petty and immature for blaming all their screw ups on a single player when they know good and well that the current five game losing streak is a collective failure.

I've watched a lot of hockey games in my day. Maybe not as many as Adrian Dater (since he has a few years on me), but I've seen a lot. I've seen good defense played. All you have to do is watch a Detroit Red Wings game to see how to play good defense. If you saw the Avs beat the Wild in the first round of last year's playoffs, you saw superb defense---probably some of the best defense ever played by the Colorado Avalanche at any time in their history. Good defense is not difficult to spot, and bad defense is impossible to miss.

Right now, the Avalanche are playing some of the worst defense in the history of the team. They're terrible---every single player---with the possible exception of John-Michael Liles who has sucked slightly less than the rest of his fellow blueliners. And they're not getting much help from the offense, who, believe it or not, should be adding some support when the opposing team is in their zone.

But the failure of the defense is not the fault of the goaltender.

So if Dater's right, and the Avs have actually lost faith in Peter Budaj, then they're all petulant assholes, or just dim-witted fools. Otherwise, it looks a lot like Dater's got a personal ax to grind against Peter Budaj. If that's true, then it says a lot about him as a journalist---a journalist whose work I used to enjoy reading but now purposely avoid.

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Comments

Does this mean

that you aren’t next on Dater’s shag list?

MHH: Shagging Dater one contributor at a time.

by Bob in Boulder on Nov 7, 2008 12:45 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

So is Budaj getting it on with Dater’s wife now too?

by Mrs @ MHH on Nov 7, 2008 12:55 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

Budaj is NOT a quality goaltender.

I’ve been reading this blog for a long time, and while I mostly agree with you Joe, I disagree on the subject of Budaj. While not a bad goalie, he’ll NEVER be a true #1 in this league. Blame the defense all you want (they do suck), but there is one stat that never lies—and that’s save percentage. At best he’s a 90% save guy—and that would be acceptable if he could stay there with consistency, but he can’t. Right now he’s bottom of the league in that department.

Say what you will, but this team doesn’t have faith in it’s goal tending, and when that happens, it spreads to the rest of the team. I know, because I’ve been on several teams where this was the problem. It drains your confidence. You worry about every single mistake, and every single shot the other team takes.

Avs fans, we have to face it: The experts were right all summer, and are being proved right in spades right now. This team needs a totally new direction, and if you ask me, the GM and Coach need to go.

by BraxtanFILM on Nov 7, 2008 1:03 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

Say what you will, but this team doesn’t have faith in it’s goal tending

Sounds to me that you’re “saying what you will.”

How do you know that the team doesn’t have faith in the goaltending?

I didn’t say that the team did have faith, I’m just asking for anyone who says they don’t to offer some sort of proof or evidence or anything to back up the claim.

Go Avs! Let's get some goals!

by Joe Dunman on Nov 7, 2008 1:47 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

True enough. I like Budaj and I hope they keep him as a backup…but they need a solid #1.

That being said, even Budaj would benefit greatly with a personnel change behind the bench. The team completely lacks an identity or system that they are comfortable playing in. Perhaps in another city, Granato would be a good coach. Unfortunately, as much as I want him to succeed, I just don’t see it happening in Denver. We’ve been down this road before, and frankly I’m shocked that he wasn’t completely let go the first time. Seems like a bad idea to demote someone and then keep them around. Just bad business.

by BraxtanFILM on Nov 7, 2008 3:25 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Save %

Blame the defense all you want (they do suck), but there is one stat that never lies—and that’s save percentage.

Save percentage is an awful statistic. The fact is there are no quality goaltender stat out there, because save % is proportional to the quality of shots given up. 20 shots from point blank in front of the net are going to result in a lower save % than 20 shots from the point. Since we agree the defense in front of Budaj blows right now his save % is going to be deflated.

Now I’m not saying he’s played well.. I in fact agree with Terri Frei on how he’s played.

I still think he can be a #1 guy. That doesn’t mean I think he’s been great, but I think everyone is so focused on him that they aren’t seeing the other major problems for the Avs. But I guess that’s just the curse of being a goaltender

I believe in Peter Budaj

by Jibblescribbits on Nov 7, 2008 3:48 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Look at osgood, he plays behind a great defense and everyone thinks hes a sure fire hall of famer and All star game goalie, put him on a team with no defense and he gets destroyed, look at last years All star game, he gave up 5 goals in the first period and then Nabby had a shurout the next period with the same team.

"To have arrived on this Earth as a product of a biological accident, only to depart through human arrogance, would be the ultimate irony"
R. Leakey, Origins; 1977
"Two roads divurged in a wood, and I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference"
R. Frost

by Savage33 on Nov 7, 2008 4:00 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Save % II: The Wrath of Khan

I disagree somewhat. While no goaltending statistic is a complete indicator as to how well they are playing, SV% is very close. In addition, several of the goals that have been scored on Budaj are clearly bad goals. This happens in almost every game. In addition, his rebound control is atrocious, so he himself creates several of those point blank chances.

That being said, he would surely benefit from some solid Defense. But as I’ve said before, I place most of the blame on the coaching, and more than that—the GM who hired him.

by BraxtanFILM on Nov 7, 2008 5:53 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Is Hackett even coaching him anyway.

by Savage33 on Nov 7, 2008 7:04 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Save % III: The Return of the Jibbles

Save % is an indicator, and it tells you a little, but it’s still not very good. For example even with rebound control, Budaj has given up some rebounds, but as I say below shooters against the Avs are being coached to shoot low because the defense isn’t clearing any pucks or people out of the crease. Partially Budaj’s fault (and yes some of Budaj’s goals have been awful, the backhander by Conroy in the first Calgary game comes to mind) but also a reflection of the defense in front of him.

In the SJ game Nabby gave up many of the same rebounds, but the Sharks D cleared the pucks away.. that’s what good defense does.

I believe in Peter Budaj

by Jibblescribbits on Nov 7, 2008 7:06 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Honestly, I agree with the previous commenter.

Although I’d like to see Dater go one post without ripping on the goaltending, it is a position that needs to be ripped on.

If the Avs had Backstrom in net last night, would they have lost 3-1? I really doubt it. As Mike Haynes said, his catching glove was a like a vacuum. Where is Peter Budaj’s vacuum? I understand the defense has been a mess, but they did do a pretty decent job after the three goals. Minnesota’s D wasn’t superb during that power play when the Avs got chance after chance. It was the goalie that bailed them out.

The season isn’t over yet. Colorado may be on a huge skid right now, but they’re only five points back of the 8th seed. That’s hardly insurmountable, especially when there are 70 games to play.

by AvslovaFactor on Nov 7, 2008 1:38 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

I understand the defense has been a mess, but they did do a pretty decent job after the three goals.

You see, that’s the problem right there. If they played that way BEFORE THEY GAVE UP THREE GOALS, then we wouldn’t be having this conversation. You can’t tell me that the Avs have started each game they’ve lost strongly with average or above average defense only to have Budaj give up a weak or soft goal and then they have to dig themselves out of it. Rather, they start flat (with a few exceptions), give up some high-quality scoring opportunities, largely hang Boots out to dry, and then try to rally some time later in the game (or never at all in Chicago). Putting an All-star, fictional goalie (yeah, fictional because there isn’t one get-able goalie in the league that will turn this turd ship lollipop around single-handedly) in net will not fix the lack of effort and defensive play.

I’d also like to say that nobody is giving a ringing endorsement of Budaj on this blog. I still believe that he is a serviceable goalie that can get the job done in the right circumstances. Expecting him to steal games (which is what would have had to happen in the vast majority of the Av’s losses this season) is not a recipe for winning. I’ll go on record and say expecting your goaltending NO MATTER WHO HE IS to steal 2-out-of-3 games will result in more losses than wins.

Also, point of order, Joe isn’t talking about goaltending in this post, he’s talking about Dater’s OPINION of Budaj and the FEELING in the locker room being taken as gospel by many. Jibbles asked “Have you heard a player say that, even off the record?” Dater’s reply was “No, not really, I just have a gut feeling generated by my years of hanging around locker rooms and knowing how guys like to drop clues to journalists in there.” Say what you want, but that sentence should either make you laugh or cry depending on your maturity level. But the bottom line is Dater is reporting his opinion as fact.

Colorado Avalanche: Gellin' and Propellin'!!!

by Mike @ MHH on Nov 7, 2008 2:11 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Backstrom sure played well, but the Avs didn’t get anything on him cleanly either. When he gave up rebounds, and he did, the Wilds were all over the Avs forwards trying to get those rebounds. Not one Av forward went towards the net without getting a stick lifted, bodied up, or knocked around. The Avs defense IS NOT doing those things and they are making the goalie’s life miserable. If Backstrom had been in out net last night he most likely would have lost 2-1, maybe still 3-1.

Now and then we had the hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be PIRATES.
-Mark Twain-

by Americanario on Nov 7, 2008 2:11 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Speaking of the Wilds

I was wearing my Forsberg jersey the other day at the store on my way to one of the games the Avs won way back when. The checkout lady asked me how the Avalanches were doing. Hadn’t heard that one in a long time. Oh well, at least she recognized the jersey.

MHH: Shagging Dater one contributor at a time.

by Bob in Boulder on Nov 7, 2008 2:28 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

f the Avs had Backstrom in net last night, would they have lost 3-1? I really doubt it. As Mike Haynes said, his catching glove was a like a vacuum. Where is Peter Budaj’s vacuum?

This one is easy.. The Avs were hitting Backstrom in the chest and glove. The Wild (and Blackhawks, and Sharks) were hitting Budaj in the pads. The other teams scouts are obviously aware that if you shoot low on the Avs 2 things will happen:

1) there will be a rebound (which is a slight mark on Budaj, but also remember this is true of every goalie. A puck to the pads will result in a rebound).
2) the Avs defense won’t be there to keep a guy from getting a rebound opportunity.

I believe in Peter Budaj

by Jibblescribbits on Nov 7, 2008 3:52 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Mike – I agree that the defense overall needs to be better (I think this is obvious to anyone who has watched hockey for more than, well, I don’t know, 12 games this season?) But if on just one of those goals, Budaj had robbed them, the game changes dramatically. (The second goal would probably be the one that Budaj would want back. I think that it’s true that the other ones were more the fault of the defense)

Jibbles – Yeah, the defense needs to clear people out. Actually, didn’t Adam Foote try that and then get penalized? I’m not even sure the Avs know how to play tough D in the NHL since the rule changes.

My point is, if Backstrom is in net, it’s unlikely that one or two of those goals go in and the entire game becomes a different story. (And at the same time, the Avs could be shooting low at Budaj when he’s in the Wild net)

by AvslovaFactor on Nov 7, 2008 4:16 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

Won't argue

I won’t argue that Backstrom is better than Budaj, especially this season. My point was never that Budaj would be a vezina or all star,. My point was that he could be good enough to be an asset for the Avs. He’s not there yet, to our chagrin, but he’s hardly the only one to blame.

I believe in Peter Budaj

by Jibblescribbits on Nov 7, 2008 4:23 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

It's all about the D

The thing is that they’re not without talent. They’re just lazy/unmotivated/inconsistent/soft/I don’t actually know but they have periods of games where it’s ab absolute free for all in front of the net for opposition forwards.

Budaj hasn’t been great this season. But if the defense got off it’s fat lazy asses and actually played 3 periods of defense, he wouldn’t look anywhere near as bad.

Liles excepted from criticism, natch.

by eltharion_doa on Nov 7, 2008 11:00 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

Foote's penalty on Thursday

Foote’s penalty was because he was caught retaliating a stick jabbed on his body by a Minnesota player. It was not for clearing out a player in front of the net. Did anyone see Dallas versus Anaheim game on Center Ice last night. The Stars cleared out pucks and players in front of the goalie all night long. It can be done. Yes I know they have Turco. He played great last night after a rough start this season.

by eve on Nov 8, 2008 9:40 AM MST reply actions 0 recs