Goaltending

[conundrumed]

I seem to be part of a dying crowd that still thinks Smith will be okay.

With Rittich playing well, it's time to let Smith take a step back and address what's ailing him.

If Rittich were struggling rn too, we'd be in big trouble.

Smith will come around, I know it's hard too watch. Players go through these confidence killers all of the time.

The team has overcome the Pens trauma, but Smith hasn't. Pucks are just going through him, that's a mental issue.

Hopefully Rittich can buy him some time to get to his happy place.

[MAC331]

22 minutes ago, conundrumed said:

I seem to be part of a dying crowd that still thinks Smith will be okay.

With Rittich playing well, it's time to let Smith take a step back and address what's ailing him.

If Rittich were struggling rn too, we'd be in big trouble.

Smith will come around, I know it's hard too watch. Players go through these confidence killers all of the time.

The team has overcome the Pens trauma, but Smith hasn't. Pucks are just going through him, that's a mental issue.

Hopefully Rittich can buy him some time to get to his happy place.

Patience levels are different with everyone. I say take a balanced approach between the 2 into 2019 and reassess.

[travel_dude]

1 hour ago, conundrumed said:

I seem to be part of a dying crowd that still thinks Smith will be okay.

With Rittich playing well, it's time to let Smith take a step back and address what's ailing him.

If Rittich were struggling rn too, we'd be in big trouble.

Smith will come around, I know it's hard too watch. Players go through these confidence killers all of the time.

The team has overcome the Pens trauma, but Smith hasn't. Pucks are just going through him, that's a mental issue.

Hopefully Rittich can buy him some time to get to his happy place.

 

With Smith's age factored in, there is some truth that he's reached the point of no return.  Only the select few ever stay at a high level at that age.   

Some goal scored seem to be a lack of confidence, while others seem to be slow reaction time.  Perhaps both can be attributed to confidence.  Don't know.

The team hasn't given up on him yet, but they need to be very careful in how they dole out the starts and how they manage the next few weeks.

 

Rittich has the net now, and should be given enough rope to prove he isn;t a flash in the pan.  I admit I was skeptical he could recover from how he played the end of last season, but the guy is so even-keeled that he used it as a learning experience.  He's playing at a level right now that you expect from your starter.  Play him like that for the next few weeks.  Smith needs to do something different.  Throw out the red pads and buy another set.  Burn the old ones outside the Saddledome.  Come to the rink as the backup and show that you are ready to win a game when you get a chance.  It may not be until they play Vegas or Arizona on the road.

[travel_dude]

Comments from Sigalet:

 

“When Smitty has struggled in the past, we’ve put clips together of things he has done well and what has made him successful — whether it’s a highlight reel or just clips where he’s on and letting pucks come to him,” Sigalet said. “That’s something we’ve done in a past and something he likes. Instead of focusing on the bad, you focus on the good. And then just a lot of one-on-one conversation, trying to get his confidence up and get his ego up.

“I think he’s had streaks like this in the past, and you always see him come out of it … He just has to take the pressure off himself. Just play.”

 

“It’s tough, and you feel it right away,” said Sigalet, whose own puck-stopping resume includes NCAA, AHL and a sliver of NHL action. “And it makes it even tougher when the team is playing really well in front of you and you’re watching the other guy at the other end making save after save. And then you start to think a little bit and get a little tight, knowing that you don’t want to let in the next shot because this guy is standing on his head.

“It’s not easy in a game like that.”

 

It's easy to compare Price's situation this year and Smith's.  Two vets that have played well in the past and have battled their way back.  The problem with that is that Proce and Rinne and Holtby have been elite tenders, while Smith is a good goalie that has been great at times.  I'm not sure that Sigalet's methods work, because when Smith has struggled, he has not found his way back.  A couple of good games after he returned, but the bad parts are still there.  Just because Smith likes it doesn;t mean it works.  If you never work on the plays that result in goals, how do you fix it.  It's not 100% confidence.  His technique is leading to the goals.  All you need to do is look at the first saves by Rittich.  Square to the puck.  Don't get too deep too soon.  Don't play too small.  Sit out and pay attention to the other goalie.

[conundrumed]

11 minutes ago, travel_dude said:

 

With Smith's age factored in, there is some truth that he's reached the point of no return.  Only the select few ever stay at a high level at that age.   

Some goal scored seem to be a lack of confidence, while others seem to be slow reaction time.  Perhaps both can be attributed to confidence.  Don't know.

The team hasn't given up on him yet, but they need to be very careful in how they dole out the starts and how they manage the next few weeks.

 

Rittich has the net now, and should be given enough rope to prove he isn;t a flash in the pan.  I admit I was skeptical he could recover from how he played the end of last season, but the guy is so even-keeled that he used it as a learning experience.  He's playing at a level right now that you expect from your starter.  Play him like that for the next few weeks.  Smith needs to do something different.  Throw out the red pads and buy another set.  Burn the old ones outside the Saddledome.  Come to the rink as the backup and show that you are ready to win a game when you get a chance.  It may not be until they play Vegas or Arizona on the road.

I know Smith has said he's talked to his Coaches, teammates, family etc about his struggles and just trying to get his head in the right place.

It sounds like something any good goalie coach can work with. It takes time though. Don't need to rebuild him, just get him to relax and get comfortable.

He looks so unsure of himself and frustration is written all over his face. When things aren't working for vet goalies they have to take a step back and get back to the basics.

This is where Rittich is the polar opposite of Smith. Rittich completely relies on the fundamentals for all 60 minutes, Smith relies on athleticism.

He needs to think the game better. Pucks hit you and you absorb them, have you're angles perfected. Don't cheat, stay loose.

He's playing like his own worst enemy.

On a brighter note, does Rittich pull out the old skool awesome poke check again tonight?

[travel_dude]

11 minutes ago, conundrumed said:

This is where Rittich is the polar opposite of Smith. Rittich completely relies on the fundamentals for all 60 minutes, Smith relies on athleticism.

He needs to think the game better. Pucks hit you and you absorb them, have you're angles perfected. Don't cheat, stay loose.

He's playing like his own worst enemy.

On a brighter note, does Rittich pull out the old skool awesome poke check again tonight?

 

Back to the positives.  Looking forward to Ritter against the Oilers.  Big chance for him to show he can be a starter.  Getting the wins is important right now.  Start the hot hand and don;t let it cool off.  Give the kid some rope.  He's responsible for 10 of our 21 points this season.  This in 6 starts.  

 

Other than a blowout loss, you go back to Rittich for the near future.  He's earned the net right now and deserves to be given starts while Smith is working out his issues.  Perhaps he can learn from the kid.  The bolded is exactly what Rittich does.  Worry less about stickhandling the puck and get your basic game back.  You don;t need to be flashy to win.

[conundrumed]

3 minutes ago, travel_dude said:

Comments from Sigalet:

 

“When Smitty has struggled in the past, we’ve put clips together of things he has done well and what has made him successful — whether it’s a highlight reel or just clips where he’s on and letting pucks come to him,” Sigalet said. “That’s something we’ve done in a past and something he likes. Instead of focusing on the bad, you focus on the good. And then just a lot of one-on-one conversation, trying to get his confidence up and get his ego up.

“I think he’s had streaks like this in the past, and you always see him come out of it … He just has to take the pressure off himself. Just play.”

 

“It’s tough, and you feel it right away,” said Sigalet, whose own puck-stopping resume includes NCAA, AHL and a sliver of NHL action. “And it makes it even tougher when the team is playing really well in front of you and you’re watching the other guy at the other end making save after save. And then you start to think a little bit and get a little tight, knowing that you don’t want to let in the next shot because this guy is standing on his head.

“It’s not easy in a game like that.”

 

It's easy to compare Price's situation this year and Smith's.  Two vets that have played well in the past and have battled their way back.  The problem with that is that Proce and Rinne and Holtby have been elite tenders, while Smith is a good goalie that has been great at times.  I'm not sure that Sigalet's methods work, because when Smith has struggled, he has not found his way back.  A couple of good games after he returned, but the bad parts are still there.  Just because Smith likes it doesn;t mean it works.  If you never work on the plays that result in goals, how do you fix it.  It's not 100% confidence.  His technique is leading to the goals.  All you need to do is look at the first saves by Rittich.  Square to the puck.  Don't get too deep too soon.  Don't play too small.  Sit out and pay attention to the other goalie.

JFC Sigalet, kid gloves with Smith's personality?

I can almost say, so that's what happened.

Don't be nice, challenge him, show him the bad, get him fired up.

He's a big boy, he can handle it. I guarantee he's not nice when someone else screws up.

Focus on the bad with a, "wtf was that"?

Holding hands and singing kumbaya isn't going to help him. Be a coach. Moreso, be a man. Motivate him. You're not his buddy, you're his boss.

[flames-fan-in-jets-land]

3 minutes ago, conundrumed said:

JFC Sigalet, kid gloves with Smith's personality?

I can almost say, so that's what happened.

Don't be nice, challenge him, show him the bad, get him fired up.

He's a big boy, he can handle it. I guarantee he's not nice when someone else screws up.

Focus on the bad with a, "wtf was that"?

Holding hands and singing kumbaya isn't going to help him. Be a coach. Moreso, be a man. Motivate him. You're not his buddy, you're his boss.

If Smiths problems are coming from within (confidence, head games) then the only person who can do anything about it is Smith himself. Head coach has gotta say get back to basics. No more of the unnecessary passing/puck handling. Goalie coach has got to refresh him and hammer in his fundamentals. Most of all HE has to realize hes not the young buck he used to be, athleticism, reaction time and conditioning are all going to taper off regardless. Adjusting to a more basic, positional style may save him.

[travel_dude]

17 minutes ago, flames-fan-in-jets-land said:

If Smiths problems are coming from within (confidence, head games) then the only person who can do anything about it is Smith himself. Head coach has gotta say get back to basics. No more of the unnecessary passing/puck handling. Goalie coach has got to refresh him and hammer in his fundamentals. Most of all HE has to realize hes not the young buck he used to be, athleticism, reaction time and conditioning are all going to taper off regardless. Adjusting to a more basic, positional style may save him.

 

He needs a "head" coach as much as a goalie coach that can work him through the fundamentals.  

I tend to agree about timing and reaction starting to slow down.

Hasn't happened yet to me....  

[flames-fan-in-jets-land]

6 minutes ago, travel_dude said:

 

He needs a "head" coach as much as a goalie coach that can work him through the fundamentals.  

I tend to agree about timing and reaction starting to slow down.

Hasn't happened yet to me....  

I stayed unathletic, indifferent, and out of shape purposely so the eventual downward spiral wouldnt be much of a shock.

[JTech780]

This chart is pretty interesting, shows just how good Rittich has been. 

 

It also shows that Mrazek might actually be a decent trade target if he was available.

[conundrumed]

57 minutes ago, flames-fan-in-jets-land said:

I stayed unathletic, indifferent, and out of shape purposely so the eventual downward spiral wouldnt be much of a shock.

That's epic. lol

[DirtyDeeds]

On 11/15/2018 at 10:33 PM, The_People1 said:

 

Did Peters manage his goalies well in Carolina?  They seem to have had 3 headed monsters every season under Peters.

Here it depends how much influence Singalet has.

[conundrumed]

We think we have goalie problems? Anyone watching TBay vs Philly?

Domingue vs Picard. Ouch.

[travel_dude]

40 minutes ago, conundrumed said:

We think we have goalie problems? Anyone watching TBay vs Philly?

Domingue vs Picard. Ouch.

 

I was.  How many of those were quality shots, though.

I wonder if Philly is as much a goalie wasteland as the Flames have been.

Rittich has been a breath of fresh air this year.

Early yet, but considering how well the team in front is playing, we should be crushing it.

[conundrumed]

4 hours ago, travel_dude said:

 

I was.  How many of those were quality shots, though.

I wonder if Philly is as much a goalie wasteland as the Flames have been.

Rittich has been a breath of fresh air this year.

Early yet, but considering how well the team in front is playing, we should be crushing it.

Ummm...considering the goalies, all of them?

[kehatch]

Now comes the coaches test. Who do they start Monday? Better be Rittich. 

[travel_dude]

10 minutes ago, kehatch said:

Now comes the coaches test. Who do they start Monday? Better be Rittich. 

 

Is it really a question?

The coaches know that Smith is reeling.

Putting him back in right now is the worst thing they could do.

BP sounded like he was keeping Smith out until he gets his confidence back, not before.

All Rittich knows is that when he gets a game, he tries to do everything possible to get it.

He has no expectations to get the next start.

 

 

[Thebrewcrew]

Think any questions about Rittich struggling at home can be put to rest. He’s a much different goalie this season than last. Bright eyed rookie being handed the reigns right as the whole team was being decimated by injuries. This year it’s not all completely new to him, he feels confident and is playing very well. IMO at this point he has enough runway to play a bad game and still get a shot at redemption. 

[The_People1]

9 hours ago, Thebrewcrew said:

Think any questions about Rittich struggling at home can be put to rest. He’s a much different goalie this season than last. Bright eyed rookie being handed the reigns right as the whole team was being decimated by injuries. This year it’s not all completely new to him, he feels confident and is playing very well. IMO at this point he has enough runway to play a bad game and still get a shot at redemption. 

 

He was good as backup last season too but once given the reigns, he was overwhelmed.  

[kehatch]

10 hours ago, travel_dude said:

 

Is it really a question?

The coaches know that Smith is reeling.

Putting him back in right now is the worst thing they could do.

BP sounded like he was keeping Smith out until he gets his confidence back, not before.

All Rittich knows is that when he gets a game, he tries to do everything possible to get it.

He has no expectations to get the next start.

 

 

 

It shouldn't be a question. But Smith is popular in the room and it's easy to justify a start, as they have been doing all season. He played well so we need this to keep going. Or, he played bad so we need to get him going. Or, he has a good record against this team and its a chance to get him going. Or, if he sits too long it is just a bigger blow to his confidence, he needs to play through this. How do you guage that a goalie has his confidence back anyway? 

 

The simple answer is one goalie is winning and one isn't. Until that changes Rittich should be getting the starts. If Rittich falters then give Smith a chance, but until then play the guy who is playing well. 

[travel_dude]

1 minute ago, The_People1 said:

 

He was good as backup last season too but once given the reigns, he was overwhelmed.  

 

After the Smith injury:

Five of his games he gave up 4 or more goals.

Six of his games he gave up 3 or less.

 

Last year was last year.  Brodie is a different player, as is Hamonic.

We have a better third pair D and a Brouwer-less team. 

[kehatch]

11 minutes ago, The_People1 said:

 

He was good as backup last season too but once given the reigns, he was overwhelmed.  

 

Indeed. And I am on the record saying I question his abilities as a starter. But now is the time to see what you have. The reigns can be taken away anytime it gets to be too much. And you never know, maybe he does have the ability.

[travel_dude]

1 minute ago, kehatch said:

 

It shouldn't be a question. But Smith is popular in the room and it's easy to justify a start, as they have been doing all season. He played well so we need this to keep going. Or, he played bad so we need to get him going. Or, he has a good record against this team and its a chance to get him going. Or, if he sits too long it is just a bigger blow to his confidence, he needs to play through this. How do you guage that a goalie has his confidence back anyway? 

 

The simple answer is one goalie is winning and one isn't. Until that changes Rittich should be getting the starts. If Rittich falters then give Smith a chance, but until then play the guy who is playing well. 

 

Popular or not, Smith was not the frst choice for starting against EDM.  History would suggest that Smith was the better choice.

They may decide to give Smith a game sooner than later, but I doubt they do that without seeing something different from Smith.

They thought he was ready to battle.  He wasn't.

They tried after what looked like some good saves.

He wasn't ready.

 

The GM is going to provide his perspective.

Popular or not, the team has confidence in Rittich.

They show it by leaving him out to dry.

They show it by battling back for him.

If you asked anyu of the players today, they would tell you who they want to see next game.

[flames-fan-in-jets-land]

43 minutes ago, kehatch said:

 

Indeed. And I am on the record saying I question his abilities as a starter. But now is the time to see what you have. The reigns can be taken away anytime it gets to be too much. And you never know, maybe he does have the ability.

Better to see what he can do now while Smith is healthy rather than wait until Rittich has to play the majority because of an injury.  A lighter workload would probably lessen the chances of a Smith injury also.