Goaltending

[CheersMan]

54 minutes ago, Cowtownguy said:

I am old if 50 is old, which it is. I graduated when the Flames nearly won it in '86. I was drunk as a skunk for the '89 championship, which happened in undergrad. That was awesome as everyone had a Flames jersey or a greaser jersey. If you gave a greaser student a hard time, you instantly made 10 Flames friends who chimed in to help you. '04 was amazing with the Red Mile, Cinderella story etc.

 

So, this city is about to lose its mind, and I don't think younger Calgarians are aware of what is about to happen. If we push past the first round, and I believe we have the talent to do so, this is going to be a serious par-teh. Treliving has assembled a pretty good team that has the ability to gel and play over their heads. 

 

Good times man, good times.

That’s a pretty big number .....mine is slightly larger. 

 

Red Mile is now awesome but Electric Ave, now that was where the real party was. I want to party again but this time on the Red Mile.

[rocketdoctor]

1 hour ago, CheersMan said:

That’s a pretty big number .....mine is slightly larger. 

 

Red Mile is now awesome but Electric Ave, now that was where the real party was. I want to party again but this time on the Red Mile.

 

Haha I think there are a lot of 50ish people around!

 

Was in Alberta for 89.   I was a young 25 year old soldier.   Paid lots to a tout for game 2 of SCF.   Great times.

2004 I was in UK swearing at the TV as we lost game 7.   Had to go for a very long walk afterwards to calm down.

 

 

 

[flames-fan-in-jets-land]

I may not be as old but I remember the '81 conference finals against Minnesota. Dino Ciccerelli was having a amazing playoff. At Minny games fans had green inflatable Dinos. At the Corral Flames fans had red Dinos hanging in a noose from a stick. I lived in Prince Rupert BC at the time and one of the big things was not having to watch the Nucks in those stupid yellow "V" unis for a while.

 

Edit: Sorry for continuing the off topic nostalgia.

[flames-fan-in-jets-land]

18 hours ago, travel_dude said:

Page 444 of the goalie thread, and we are still looking for the next starter for next year.

If Rittich is to be that guy next year, why are we talking about Smith?

Just saying.

Put your season on the line with a guy that is probably done this summer or the guy you scouted and built to where he is today.

The guy guaranteed to be here next season.

- Because it's not next year yet and there's alot (hopefully) of playoff hockey to go.

 

- Neither is guaranteed to be here next season. Depending on what happens this playoff I wouldn't be surprised to see Rittich signed for 2-3 and Smith for 1 more. The farm guys don't seem to be ready and it's pretty slim pickings out there.  Unless that Russian goalie signs and surprises everyone.

[conundrumed]

3 hours ago, rocketdoctor said:

 

Haha I think there are a lot of 50ish people around!

 

Was in Alberta for 89.   I was a young 25 year old soldier.   Paid lots to a tout for game 2 of SCF.   Great times.

2004 I was in UK swearing at the TV as we lost game 7.   Had to go for a very long walk afterwards to calm down.

 

 

 

Damn, I was living in Hither Green in SE London in '89.

Had to go to the Maple Leaf Pub! 2004 I was living in Calgary.

This year I'll likely be in Ontario for the end, but Calgary for the start.

Start times suck in Ontario...not as bad as for you though!

[travel_dude]

2 hours ago, flames-fan-in-jets-land said:

- Because it's not next year yet and there's alot (hopefully) of playoff hockey to go.

 

- Neither is guaranteed to be here next season. Depending on what happens this playoff I wouldn't be surprised to see Rittich signed for 2-3 and Smith for 1 more. The farm guys don't seem to be ready and it's pretty slim pickings out there.  Unless that Russian goalie signs and surprises everyone.

 

If you really believe that Rittich has to have a good playoff to stick around.....

Stopgap measures do not work.  Hiller.  Elliott.  

Smith has not proven to be the better goalie all year, and we really just saw a resurgence of his play when he got the net for a bunch of games against lesser teams.

In fact, we would be outside looking in if not for Rittich.

We beat most of the West as a result of him.

Has Smith helped us get there?  For sure.

His numbers overall (SA%, 5v5 SA%, GAA) are not that great.

We can probably win with him, but he's bigger risk to falter than Rittich.  IMHO.

 

I get where you are coming from.

And if Smith is the starter until we lose out or win the cup, so be it.

That's either his parting glory or swan song to retirement.

[conundrumed]

3 minutes ago, travel_dude said:

 

If you really believe that Rittich has to have a good playoff to stick around.....

Stopgap measures do not work.  Hiller.  Elliott.  

Smith has not proven to be the better goalie all year, and we really just saw a resurgence of his play when he got the net for a bunch of games against lesser teams.

In fact, we would be outside looking in if not for Rittich.

We beat most of the West as a result of him.

Has Smith helped us get there?  For sure.

His numbers overall (SA%, 5v5 SA%, GAA) are not that great.

We can probably win with him, but he's bigger risk to falter than Rittich.  IMHO.

 

I get where you are coming from.

And if Smith is the starter until we lose out or win the cup, so be it.

That's either his parting glory or swan song to retirement.

Dude. Not even I'm overthinking this.

We're a 1A/1B team. Let's all take a deep breath and deal with it.

Now let's be happy we have 2 good goalies and exceptional D.

The biggest concern should be offence drying up, not the backend.

We'll live and die by Offence, imho.

Can't win 0-0.

I'm far more concerned with our offence producing. If that gets turned off, we'll be doomed either way.

 

[robrob74]

3 hours ago, flames-fan-in-jets-land said:

I may not be as old but I remember the '81 conference finals against Minnesota. Dino Ciccerelli was having a amazing playoff. At Minny games fans had green inflatable Dinos. At the Corral Flames fans had red Dinos hanging in a noose from a stick. I lived in Prince Rupert BC at the time and one of the big things was not having to watch the Nucks in those stupid yellow "V" unis for a while.

 

Edit: Sorry for continuing the off topic nostalgia.

 

Get outta town!!!

 

i grew up in Rupert. I was 6 going on 7 in ‘81, but maybe lived in Queen Charlotte at the time. I lived there for half of grade 1. 

 

I was an isles fan then. Ban wagon! 

 

Maybe we should sign Billy Smith? Oh wait we have a Smith. 

[conundrumed]

Sarnia's own, Dino Ciccarelli.

I'll stop there about him.

But his dad did me an inadvertent solid, lol.

I took a job in Calgary, company head office, Edmonton.

My first (with them) shutdown with the Edmonton guys was pretty much a "who tf are you"?

My standard line, by that time, was, "I'm from Sarnia, Ontario, don't worry, I've done shutdowns".

Well 3 of them lost their excrement. Dino, Dino, Dino, yeah yeah yeah.

"Do you know his Dad, Frank"? Yeah yeah yeah...

"We spent 6 weeks at his hotel last spring".

"He asked us to a CHI-DET playoff game, paid the shot. Limo, we drank all the way there, free with him in the box. He threw us all Hawks jersey's before the game, took us to the Hawks dressing room, met everyone, signed our jersey's".

"After the Wings won, threw us Wings jersey's went into their locker room, met everyone, they all signed our jerseys".

"Then we partied and gambled in Greek Town".

L Out effing loud.

So I earned social acceptance immediately.

Thanks Frank, but two of those Blockchainers I wouldn.t ask to find a run in nylons. lol

The other is one of my favourite guys.

[Thebrewcrew]

If the Flames are gonna trust the playoffs to Smith, there’s a very good chance he’s back next season, barring an Elliott like collapse of course 

[MAC331]

13 hours ago, Thebrewcrew said:

If the Flames are gonna trust the playoffs to Smith, there’s a very good chance he’s back next season, barring an Elliott like collapse of course 

Some how I don't think so.

[travel_dude]

14 hours ago, Thebrewcrew said:

If the Flames are gonna trust the playoffs to Smith, there’s a very good chance he’s back next season, barring an Elliott like collapse of course 

 

I'm with Mac on this.

The guy showed life for half the year.

He may in fact win us the cup.

Regardless.  Time to move on after this year.

Goalie coach?  Maybe.

Other than that, we could have 3 goalies that could show enough growth between now and training camp.

Gillies, Parsons, Russian guy.

 

That doesn't include the inevatable goalie search.

 

[JTech780]

 

Hopefully Rittich is ok. We are going to need both goalies in the playoffs.

[robrob74]

30 minutes ago, JTech780 said:

 

Hopefully Rittich is ok. We are going to need both goalies in the playoffs.

 

Why would our own media tell everyone that our goalie can possibly have an injury 

[travel_dude]

3 hours ago, robrob74 said:

 

Why would our own media tell everyone that our goalie can possibly have an injury 

 

Subterfuge baby.

Game the other teams into thinking the starter is injured.   

[conundrumed]

On 4/4/2019 at 10:17 PM, Thebrewcrew said:

If the Flames are gonna trust the playoffs to Smith, there’s a very good chance he’s back next season, barring an Elliott like collapse of course 

I think that's fair reasoning. If Smith has a good playoffs, I would assume it becomes more likely.

[travel_dude]

Did last night's game give anyone a warm fuzzy feeling?

Didn't for me.

Lack of offense with 3 regulars (two of them 30 goal guys) and trying to feed JH for 100.

Dress 7D instead of plugging the hole with a forward.

Score one goal.  Check.

3 goals on 25 shots.

 

Rittich's last game wasn't much better.

Sat 4D and 3 regulars.

 

Smith is a battler, but takes risks.

Hope he doesn;t against the Avs.

They are a quick strike team.

 

If it's Rittich starting, then he needs to lessen the wild stick plays and concentrate on low danger shots.

A solid goalie I have faith in.

Hasn't stolen a game in some time, but keeps us in it.

[cross16]

i would start Rittich but I will be shocked if it's him. All signs point to Smith. 

 

I really hope it works but count me as pretty skeptical. I don't have much faith in Smith. 

[JTech780]

I don't like the way Smith has been making his saves, but he has been making them of late.

 

I think Rittich had the job, but he hasn't very good at since the All-Star break.

 

I honestly don't have much faith in either goalie at the moment. Just have to hope that one of them can get on a hot streak.

[MAC331]

52 minutes ago, JTech780 said:

I don't like the way Smith has been making his saves, but he has been making them of late.

 

I think Rittich had the job, but he hasn't very good at since the All-Star break.

 

I honestly don't have much faith in either goalie at the moment. Just have to hope that one of them can get on a hot streak.

What have the games been like vs COL, who played against them the most and results ?
Given the last few games Peters could flip a coin.

[sak22]

9 minutes ago, MAC331 said:

What have the games been like vs COL, who played against them the most and results ?
Given the last few games Peters could flip a coin.

Rittich started game 1, gave up 2 early in his first start of the season.  He settled in and the Flames came back and won in OT 3-2.

Smith went game 2 and put us down 4-1 going to the third, some really ugly goals allowed IIRC.  Team stormed back to win 6-5

Rittich went game 3, had a solid showing the team in front of him did not, lucky for us Varlamov was worse than Smith was in the second game.

 

Head to head the edge goes to Rittich, granted Smith had improved from his start in November, I still believe Rittich was more responsible for 2 wins were Smith was a benefactor from a dominant period.  I believe Smith will still be the guy in game 1.

[MAC331]

11 minutes ago, sak22 said:

Rittich started game 1, gave up 2 early in his first start of the season.  He settled in and the Flames came back and won in OT 3-2.

Smith went game 2 and put us down 4-1 going to the third, some really ugly goals allowed IIRC.  Team stormed back to win 6-5

Rittich went game 3, had a solid showing the team in front of him did not, lucky for us Varlamov was worse than Smith was in the second game.

 

Head to head the edge goes to Rittich, granted Smith had improved from his start in November, I still believe Rittich was more responsible for 2 wins were Smith was a benefactor from a dominant period.  I believe Smith will still be the guy in game 1.

I think the key to beating COL will be on Backlund and Frolik to shutdown McKinnon's line. I don't think we have a Goalie edge right now so error on the side of experience and start with Smith is my thinking.

[flames-fan-in-jets-land]

41 minutes ago, sak22 said:

Rittich started game 1, gave up 2 early in his first start of the season.  He settled in and the Flames came back and won in OT 3-2.

Smith went game 2 and put us down 4-1 going to the third, some really ugly goals allowed IIRC.  Team stormed back to win 6-5

Rittich went game 3, had a solid showing the team in front of him did not, lucky for us Varlamov was worse than Smith was in the second game.

 

Head to head the edge goes to Rittich, granted Smith had improved from his start in November, I still believe Rittich was more responsible for 2 wins were Smith was a benefactor from a dominant period.  I believe Smith will still be the guy in game 1.

The fact that the Avs have been playing really good since the last meeting gives me a bit of concern. We've seen teams go up by 1 early and go to shut down hockey. They may only have 1 line to worry about but it doesn't take alot of skill to plug up the neutral zone.

[JTech780]

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

The fact that the Avs have been playing really good since the last meeting gives me a bit of concern. We've seen teams go up by 1 early and go to shut down hockey. They may only have 1 line to worry about but it doesn't take alot of skill to plug up the neutral zone.

 

Grubauer played great at the end of the regular season last year for Washington and actually stole the starters job from Holtby. Then he laid two great big eggs in the first two games of the playoffs, then Washington went back to Holtby and Grubauer never saw the net again.

 

Until he proves otherwise I expect the same result this with Grubauer. The difference is that Colorado doesn't have Holtby to "fall back on".

 

Colorado's top line great, but Backlund, Frolik and Tkachuk are one the best shut down lines in hockey if not the best. MacKinnon's line is going to get their points, but if we can limit it and then put the pressure on the rest of Colorado's lineup this should be a quick series. 

 

The series can go sideways if Calgary doesn't take Colorado seriously or if we don't get good enough goaltending. Every team that makes the playoffs is a dangerous team and if you don't treat every opponent that way, you will get burnt.

[cross16]

The Avs record looks good but I think that is really driven by Grubauer. \Unless it's a bad team, the Avs are routinely and the short end of the stick when it comes to shot/chance generations and the pace of the game. Seem pretty consistent in this way the whole year, just lately the goaltending has been excellent so their record reflects great play that I don't think is really they. They still bleed a lot of chances when they play against good teams. 

 

I think Grubaeur's going to need to play at this level in order to give the Avs a chance. Flames matchup great against the Avs and have payed them well all season, so I don't suspect too many issues unless Grubauer continues to put up a.950 save %.