Is Marty Turco to Blame for Star’s Slump?

Message boards all across the web are calling for Star’s goalie Marty Turco’s head in retribution for the Star’s Western Conference cellar performance.  When watching a Star’s debacle, it is easy to blame the net minder for one or two goals that might seem like routine saves to the hockey fan’s eye.  But if that is the case, shouldn’t the Stars be racking up more points seeing as they’ve been losing games scoring more than three goals?

Here is a statistical argument stating the defense is to blame for the Star’s woes

“The Great One” Wayne Gretzky said 100 percent of the shots you don’t take don’t go in.  The meaning behind this for offensive players is put the puck on net and good things will happen.  Gretzky seems to be an authority on lighting the lamp, so take this moral to be true.

So looking at this statement as a goalie, the more shots that make it to your kitchen, the better chance one has of getting past you.

So far this season Turco has faced 784 shots in 29 games played.  This averages down to a few hundredths over 27 shots per game.

If this trend stays constant throughout the rest of the season, and just making the assumption Turco will sit three more games the rest of the season, as he has up to this point, Turco would face 2,052 shots in 76 games.

In his career, Turco has never seen more than 1,648 shots in one season.  He faced that many in the 2003-04 season playing in 73 games.  So this season stays consistent Turco will face a little over 400 more shots than he has ever faced in a single season.  400 more shots directly equals more chances for bounces to go against the Stars.

One problem with these numbers however lies in Turco’s games played.  The most games Turco has ever played in a single season is the 73 he competed in 03-04.  The 2,052 shots compared to this is based on 76 games, which would set a new career record for Turks.

So far Turco has been scratched from the starting lineup only three times, whichis new ground for Turco.  At this rate he would play more games than he ever has in a single season.  But the next highest shot total in a season came in 05-06 with 1,624 in 68 games.

Turco averages in the 60 game range throughout his career.  So if Turco gets a few more off nights throughout the rest of the season and plays 68 games as he did in 05-06 he would finish with 1,836 shots fired on him.  This is still around two hundred more shots than he has ever faced.

Using good diductive reasoning, what is the cause of an increase of shots on goal?  The answer is bad defense.

Weather it be odd man rushes or not filling shooting lanes, the Stars D-men are letting their goalie down.  But truly why stop with the d-men when defense is played with five players.  This problem could also be from forwards not backchecking and relieving some pressure put on the defense.  However a more careful viewing of game tape would prove the lack of experience among the Stars blue line is allowing for more shots, allowing for more goals.

A slump is usually never one person’s fault, whether that be Sean Avery or Marty Turco.  Everyone has a part in a loss and everyone has a part in pulling the season back together.  While Turco can practice more to be sharper and take away that one to two goals that really are his fault, he can’t practice for himself and someone else.  The defence needs to step up, learn how to talk to each other, communicate effectively, and take away shot chances, especially in high scoring areas.  To be completely cliche, Defence wins championships…or makes playoffs.