Greyhound goalie numbers

Since arriving in town about a week ago, import goalie Nick Malik has a received a virtual hero’s welcome from a faction of the local media. And that’s okay. But the numbers show that, over the course of this season, Soo Greyhounds have a much better winning percentage when overager Bailey Brkin is the goalie of record.

The numbers don’t lie.

Four goalies have tended twine for the Greyhounds thus far this Ontario Hockey League season.

Overager Christian Propp struggled with a 4-7-1 record, 4.79 goals against average and .853 save percentage with the Greyhounds before being traded to the Kingston Frontenacs in November.

Second-year man Ethan Taylor has a 3-5-0 record, 3.67 goals against average and .861 save percentage with the Greyhounds thus far this season.

The rookie Malik, fresh from playing the first half of the season in the Czech Republic, has an 0-2-0 record, 4.02 goals against average and .877 save percentage since joining the Greyhounds.

And the aforementioned Brkin, who arrived in the Soo via Western Hockey League waivers in November, has a 13-7-1 record, 3.52 goals against average and .882 save percentage as a Greyhound.

Simple math adds up to this: the Greyhounds have a record of 13-7-1 when Brkin plays and a record of 7-14-1 when he doesn’t.

With an overall record of 20-21-2, the Greyhounds are in ninth place in the Western Conference of the OHL and four points out of a playoff spot.

The Greyhounds are home to the Flint Firebirds on Wednesday of this week before heading out on the road for five straight games.

I get it.

Malik is the goalie of the future.

But Brkin should be the goalie for this season.