[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

So, Hiller should be counted upon to post +.910 seasons ad infinitum? He will bounce back because other goalies in the NHL have done so?

He's soon to be 34-years-old; it seems very much within the realm of possibilities that age may be catching up to him. If it is as soon as this season, then I am also concerned that while he does not look much worse than he did last year at times, I have much less confidence that he ever will look as good as he did again.

What I've watched this season isn't a goalie who's not looking like himself. It's mostly just a goalie who hasn't been tracking the puck very well on the perimeter, which is probably something he just needs to work on with the goalie coach.

Just off the top of my head these are his games.

He stole the 3on3 OT against the Canucks. Not his best game, but a very typical Jonas Hiller game.

Against the Blues was a sub-par game. Two goals come to mind he probably should have had - Colton Parayko. But those aren't the kind of goals I'd associate with an aging or even struggling goalie. They just seemed like a bad night and the defense didn't do him any favors.

Against the Oil he was still making highlight-reel saves I.E. against McDavid. But the team was horrible in that game. He was hung out to dry.

He was solid against the Red Wings. Shut them out at even-strength, too.

He was good against the Rangers, even if his save percentage was not.

He was awful against the Sens and Sharks. Should have been pulled in both games. That said the team was also awful against the Sharks.

He was mediocre against the Sabres. Could have been better, but not an uncharacteristic game for Jonas Hiller in any season. That he was sick as it gets at least excuses that anyways.

...and as much as he should have won against the Rangers in regulation, the team deserves equal parts blame for the last two goals. Granlund for the penalty with 2 minutes to go after just killing one, and Bennett/Wideman for whatever happened on that plinko goal by Boyle.

I'm not saying Hiller's been good this season but I just haven't seen a goalie who's totally lost his game like his stats would tell you. I thought the same thing about Ramo when we waived him. If anything, the only goalie who looks like he's lost his game is Ortio, and I have more blind faith in Ortio than others do.

But how can you in good conscience give Hiller a run of start sto find his game? The 2 games he filled in when Ramo was out with the flu, were won in spite of his shaky goaltending. With Ramo at least looking like an NHL goaltender as of late, why would you want to take him out and give Hiller a shot that he might get up to Ramo's current level?

You don't give Hiller a run of undeserved starts. Play Hiller as a backup until Ramo has a horribad game (which he will eventually because he always does after a string of strong starts), and see if Hiller can use that to springboard himself to a string of starts. I don't want to take Ramo out at all. I'm just not panicking about our goaltending situation. These are the same goalies we had last year and in Ramo's case the year prior- they're not stars but they're not as bad as their stats have been and they haven't even looked as bad as their stats most nights.

OK instead I'll bet you $20 that for all the games Hiller plays for us from now to the rest of the season (minimum 5), that his save percentage will be below .914 for those games.

Haha. 'Yer on.

(watch Hiller be at .9135 for that stretch )