Philipp Grubauer's rough season reached a new low as the Seattle Kraken sent their starting goalie to the AHL Coachella Valley Firebirds. Grubauer has struggled mightily, posting a 5-15-1 record and a league-worst .866 save percentage.
Former Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais used to call Major League Baseball the 'do-good' league. Once you get to the majors, it's about winning. If that's not happening, changes will be made in search of finding a solution. For Philipp Grubauer and the Seattle Kraken , that reality set in for the NHL team this week as Grubauer was placed on waivers and sent to AHL Coachella Valley as his disastrous season reached its nadir on Tuesday night.
Grubauer allowed five goals on 22 shots to the Anaheim Ducks in a 6-4 loss that saw Grubauer's record fall to 5-15-1, and his save percentage drop even further into the abyss at .866. 'It's gone rough over the last three weeks in the game situations that he's been in,' head coach Dan Bylsma said. 'Again, this is a team-based and it's performance-based, and it's a team-based thing. It's falling on Grubi's shoulder in this case. but I think we all bear responsibility, the players and myself included.' While major defensive lapses left Grubauer with no chance to stop multiple Anaheim goals Tuesday night, he also whiffed on a glove save attempt on a wrist shot from just inside the blue line to Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe. It's at least the second time this year Grubauer has allowed a goal on a similar shot. Ethan Cardwell of the San Jose Sharks scored against Grubauer on another long wrist shot in an 8-5 loss in November. Grubauer's .866 save percentage is the worst in the NHL among qualified goaltenders, and he's allowed 17.5 goals over expected – also worst in the league – according to MoneyPuck.com. Grubauer is allowing nearly a full goal a game (0.906) over expected per MoneyPuck's metrics. Every save has felt like a battle for Grubauer with nothing coming easy to the veteran backstop. 'It's difficult,' Bylsma said. 'It's a performance-based business, and, you know, that comes under a big microscope, and that comes under big games, and trying to win hockey games. And it can be very difficult trying to dig yourself out of that.' Grubi has been really diligent about it. He's worked hard. The last few weeks when he hasn't had a ton of playing time, he's worked real hard at trying to get his game back. And, you know, a lot of a lot of respect in terms of how he's dealt with it and trying to get his game back. It can be and needs to be seen as an opportunity now to do it for the next little bit not under the microscope. Get your game back. Get your game right. Get confident in who you are as a goalie and in your ability. Unfortunately, it's the next stage for Grubi.' The Kraken are hopeful that Grubauer can use the time in Coachella Valley to get his game back to the level it needs to be. With the NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off tournament coming up and just five games remaining before the break, the move to the Firebirds will give Grubauer playing opportunities he wasn't going to have in Seattle in the near future. Joey Daccord is expected to make all five remaining starts for the Kraken before the break with Aleš Stezka as the backup. 'I think with the upcoming schedule, our games spaced out here every other day and the 4 Nations coming up with the break, there wasn't going to be a lot of practice time and a lot of playing time for Grubi,' Bylsma said. 'Going to CV will give him some practice time, give him some game time to try to get his game back to where we all know and believe it can be.' It's a move the team had to make, even if it meant sending out one of the locker room's most respected pieces in the process. 'If you look past the hockey side of things, it's a friend that's not here with us now,' defenseman Adam Larsson said. 'So it's for sure different. And, I mean, it's tough for him, it's tough for us, it's tough for everyone involved.' Bylsma and Larsson both said the team hung Grubauer out to dry with the defensive effort against the Ducks. Goals from Troy Terry, Mason McTavish and Robby Fabbri were going to find the back of the net no matter the goaltender in net giving the quality of chances they created against Seattle's porous defense. 'Good defense could make your goalie look good. And I thought the other night we kind of left him out dry there on a couple goals. So I don't think he's the one to blame on those,' Larsson said. 'For sure, some holes in our on our defensive side of things. And, yeah, I mean, we're all responsible for how this season has gone so far.' But while defensive issues have been an ongoing battle, so has Grubauer's propensity for seemingly allowing a goal a game on a chance that he probably should have stopped. Playing behind the same defense, Daccord has a 17-12-2 record in 31 decisions in net for Seattle. His 917 save percentage ranks fifth-best in the NHL behind Logan Thompson (.927, WSH), Anthony Stolarz (.927, TOR), Connor Hellebuyck (.927, WIN), and Darcy Kuemper (.919, LAK). If Grubauer gets back on track over the next three weeks in the desert, he could still come back up to the Kraken for the restart after the 4 Nations break
PHILIPP GRUBAUE SEATTLE KRAKEN AHL COACHELLA VALLEY FIREBIRDS NHL GOALIE SAVE PERCENTAGE
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