UPL 🗑️ Thread

[JoeSchmoe]

Here's a stat. UPL is 36th of 39 in save % since the 2022-23 season (minimum 100 games played). We can't be a serious team until he's gone.

If anyone needs to vent... Vent here.

[LGR4GM]

3 minutes ago, JoeSchmoe said:

Here's a stat. UPL is 36th of 39 in save % since the 2022-23 season (minimum 100 games played). We can't be a serious team until he's gone.

If anyone needs to vent... Vent here.

What's he for goals saved above expected per 60 mins?

[inkman]

What’s a realistic plan for UPL’s future?  
 

I’m guessing 99.9% of proposed solutions aren’t going to happen. 

[JoeSchmoe]

6 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

What's he for goals saved above expected per 60 mins?

Not sure. NHL doesn't post that and Moneypuck only doesn't do cumulative seasons as fast as I know.

[LGR4GM]

2 minutes ago, JoeSchmoe said:

Not sure. NHL doesn't post that and Moneypuck only doesn't do cumulative seasons as fast as I know.

Was just curious. I think the sv% alone is telling 99% of the story anyways. 

[transient]

4 minutes ago, inkman said:

What’s a realistic plan for UPL’s future?  

Continue to submarine the Sabres until the current FO and coaching staff is finally sent packing, then see if he can catch on in a different league when they finally part ways with him.

[LGR4GM]

3 minutes ago, transient said:

Continue to submarine the Sabres until the current FO and coaching staff is finally sent packing, then see if he can catch on in a different league when they finally part ways with him.

He'll do okay in Liiga.

[Taro T]

9 minutes ago, inkman said:

What’s a realistic plan for UPL’s future?  
 

I’m guessing 99.9% of proposed solutions aren’t going to happen. 

Realistic is bump him to #3 for this season, looking for a trade partner, particularly when some gets an injury and loses their starter for an extended timeframe.

Should he be here at the end of the year, give him an opportunity to make the parent club, but expect him to be the Amerks goalie while either Levi or Ellis get traded with the other one acting as Lyon's backup next year.

Especially with the cap going up, there's a better chance than people expect that they can send him somewhere.  Pretty sure both parties are at the point they need a fresh start.

 

And, no, don't expect that to happen as long as Adams is calling the shots.

[darksabre]

All I know is that there is something about UPL that brings out the worst in the entire team. 

And this team is already enough of a mental train wreck. 

[mjd1001]

At this point, if you can find anyone to take his full contract off your hands, I'd do it.

2round pick, 5th round pick, 'future considerations', whatever. Take the best offer. 

To me its important to just 'move on' and free up that money if its possible.

If Lyon and Levi/Ellis aren't the answer, then you are in no worse situation on the ice than you are with UPL, but you have nearly $5m more in cap space.

With Doan, and Kesserling, and Benson, and Tuch, and 3 bottom of the roster spots needing to be signed next year, AND currently only about $20m to spend on all of that, every dollar counts and you are wasting a lot of those dollars on UPL.

If he can be moved, The return in assets doesn't matter. The return in cap space is more valuable than what he gives you as a player now.

[PASabreFan]

21 minutes ago, darksabre said:

All I know is that there is something about UPL that brings out the worst in the entire team. 

And this team is already enough of a mental train wreck. 

What's your take on Lyon's vibe as a goalie and how he's seen by his teammates compared to UPL?

[darksabre]

6 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

What's your take on Lyon's vibe as a goalie and how he's seen by his teammates compared to UPL?

I think Lyon demonstrates a higher level of focus and he battles harder. I think the players in front of him see that and feed off of it. 

You see the way UPL responds to something like the near breakaway that happened last night that resulted in a goal and you can just tell he's not locked in enough. I don't think he sees his job as that of someone who needs to bail his teammates out, he sees his job as making the saves that he is expected to make and nothing more. 

Players will respond when they know their goalie is keeping them in a game. Lyon fights to keep them in the game. UPL, not so much. 

[Mr Peabody]

He let a soft one in and I didn’t watch the 3rd do can’t comment on how he finished.  I’m a lot more concerned about our forwards than goalie at this point.  Lyon has played well and Ellis did also in his sneak peek preview.  You need to find out what you’ve got and so I can’t argue with starting UPL.   Blues didn’t need the 2nd goal so IMO it wasn’t UPL that cost them the game. I read somewhere we lost 70% of the board battles?  

[Believer]

45 minutes ago, darksabre said:

All I know is that there is something about UPL that brings out the worst in the entire team. 

And this team is already enough of a mental train wreck. 

Lack of faith. Same problem the vets like Dahlin, Thompson, and Tuch have in their Owner and GM, imo

[mjd1001]

8 minutes ago, Mr Peabody said:

He let a soft one in and I didn’t watch the 3rd do can’t comment on how he finished.  I’m a lot more concerned about our forwards than goalie at this point.  Lyon has played well and Ellis did also in his sneak peek preview.  You need to find out what you’ve got and so I can’t argue with starting UPL.   Blues didn’t need the 2nd goal so IMO it wasn’t UPL that cost them the game. I read somewhere we lost 70% of the board battles?  

Scoring was in issue last night of course, but if the Sabres did lose 70% of the board battles it only made the game 'on ice' closer than it was. The bottom line is the Sabres pretty much dominated chances to score. For most of the game they had double the shots. They were way up on offical 'scoring chances'. They had more 'high danger' scoring chances.  Whether it was through board battles, possession, faceoffs, or whatever...the Sabres had a lot more legit chances to score than they allowed.  They just didn't finish.

UPL wasn't awful all night, he didn't let in 6 goals or something like that, but the goals he did let in, one he was slow on, the other was just soft, soft, soft (again.)  The soft goals I hardly noticed 2 years ago, but since the start of last season, they are happening on a very regular basis with him.

And as far as UPL not costing them the game. Yeah, they didn't score so that is kinda true, but they really, REALLY limited St. Louis to hardly any good scoring chances.  Other goalies would not have allowed those 2 goals that UPL did last night, and hence it would have/could have been going to OT again at 0-0.

Edited 1 hour ago by mjd1001

[JoeSchmoe]

9 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

Scoring was in issue last night of course, but if the Sabres did lose 70% of the board battles it only made the game 'on ice' closer than it was. The bottom line is the Sabres pretty much dominated chances to score. For most of the game they had double the shots. They were way up on offical 'scoring chances'. They had more 'high danger' scoring chances.  Whether it was through board battles, possession, faceoffs, or whatever...the Sabres had a lot more legit chances to score than they allowed.  They just didn't finish.

UPL wasn't awful all night, he didn't let in 6 goals or something like that, but the goals he did let in, one he was slow on, the other was just soft, soft, soft (again.)  The soft goals I hardly noticed 2 years ago, but since the start of last season, they are happening on a very regular basis with him.

And as far as UPL not costing them the game. Yeah, they didn't score so that is kinda true, but they really, REALLY limited St. Louis to hardly any good scoring chances.  Other goalies would not have allowed those 2 goals that UPL did last night, and hence it would have/could have been going to OT again at 0-0.

Agreed. We also can't discount how the soft goals deflate the heck out of the team. This team looked like the same old defeated, lethargic group we've seen so many times over the past 3 or 4 years. They don't have the resilience to bounce back like a veteran team that trusts their goalie would. 

Edited 1 hour ago by JoeSchmoe

[ponokasabre]

He has to go

 

It almost felt like last night was trying to showcase him for a trade,  you know, and that really failed honestly. Lindy has no faith in him, that you can tell by his usage the last games of the year. And he isn't even KA's goalie, that's Levi. Yes KA gave him the extension, but that doesn't matter.

The solution to me is simple....Georgiev is traded, released, sent to KHL, loaned to finish league, I don't care. Then UPL goes on waivers, not a team would take that contract, and he can go down and be Levi's back up.

Then you run Lyon and Ellis up here, and if something happens to either one of them, you give Levi one more shot, and if that doesn't work, you then have UPL in the minors that could be called upon, its the only option.

Seattle had Grubauer in the minors, Jack Cambell has been in the minors, Villie Husso, and on an on, this is not some out of the blue thing

[...]

1 hour ago, inkman said:

What’s a realistic plan for UPL’s future?  
 

I’m guessing 99.9% of proposed solutions aren’t going to happen. 

.01% chance they keep playing him in the hopes he "finds his game". 

[Taro T]

42 minutes ago, darksabre said:

I think Lyon demonstrates a higher level of focus and he battles harder. I think the players in front of him see that and feed off of it. 

You see the way UPL responds to something like the near breakaway that happened last night that resulted in a goal and you can just tell he's not locked in enough. I don't think he sees his job as that of someone who needs to bail his teammates out, he sees his job as making the saves that he is expected to make and nothing more. 

Players will respond when they know their goalie is keeping them in a game. Lyon fights to keep them in the game. UPL, not so much. 

Right now, he ISN'T locked in.

But personally don't believe that's due to him not considering it to be a part of his job.  Believe it's because he NEEDS those around him to believe in him and  talk him up and if they don't, well he doesn't seem to have that internally.  Shortly after he got the starters job the very 1st time, he mentioned in an interview that he plays his best when he knows the net is his and his teammates know it's his as well.  That seemed like such an odd thing to say, but then you watch him play and it seems to track with his best play.

But, also, right now they aren't in a position where they're going to, even if they wanted to, tell him he's the man and give him the bulk of the starts over Lyon.  It's why this kid would've given him the start against the Mammoth; he'd just had a great OT and though he only faced 3 shots in the SO (and there were only 4 attempted shots out of the 5 chances) he got credit for 5 saves and EVERYBODY was talking about how great he'd played.  (Even though he hadn't played great until 60 minutes had passed.)  So, he MIGHT've had that external support that he needs to get into his head in a good way.

But then, watched the Utes jump up and take it to the Sabres out of the gate and expect now that it would've blown up in their faces had they let him get that start.  But, still, expect that was their best chance to get him back to the January '23 UPL we saw back then.

Maybe he can get back to that level on another team.  But really doubt he can do it here with where things currently stand.  Lyon is the starter and Ellis and Levi are bearing down on him for the backup job.  Nothing is going to get handed to him anytime soon and doubt he has the ability to simply go out and take it either.

[DarthEbriate]

57 minutes ago, Mr Peabody said:

He let a soft one in and I didn’t watch the 3rd do can’t comment on how he finished.  I’m a lot more concerned about our forwards than goalie at this point.  Lyon has played well and Ellis did also in his sneak peek preview.  You need to find out what you’ve got and so I can’t argue with starting UPL.   Blues didn’t need the 2nd goal so IMO it wasn’t UPL that cost them the game. I read somewhere we lost 70% of the board battles?  

I mentioned the 70% ---  It was on the Blues broadcast last night. I think it was 68.something% to 31 and change. But it wasn't at the end of the game, so the Sabres may have recovered a bit, although they still were losing puck battles clean through until the end.