Quote:
Originally Posted by saillias
I just don't get why he's so hesitant to just declare one of them his #1.
Last year there was a stretch where Hiller started every game for a month and a half or so. Hartley was asked point blank in a scrum if he was the #1 now he refused to give him that label, and instead said they have two good goalies. The next game Hiller crapped the bed and Ramo takes over. Maybe a coincidence but there's a tried and proven way of managing goalies at the NHL level, and it's starter -> backup. |
Is the 1a/1b method also not effective? Dallas is using it to good effect with Lehtonen and Niemi. Elliott and Allen did the same in St Louis last season.
I think the more common system used is starter/backup because most teams have a guy that is a legitimate starter, someone you will expect to play 50-70 games in a season. We are one of the teams who don't have a goalie at that standard. I think the goalie tandem worked well for us last season and hopefully Hiller is fired up(given his comments today) enough to go out and show he can wrestle some games back off Ramo. It was only last season that he managed more starts and better stats than Ramo. I still think there is an average NHL goaltender in him.
But I don't think Hartley is in a position to name either as his main starter, neither are good enough for that distinction. Keep it as it is.