Quote:
Originally Posted by heep223
You are wrong.
This season (even strength)
High Danger Scoring Chances Against/60 Mins: 11.4
Goals Against/Game: 2.01
Last season (even strength)
High Danger Scoring Chances Against/60 Mins: 11.7
Goals Against/Game: 1.88
This team is allowing fewer high danger scoring chances than last season. But significantly more goals on the chances they do allow.
I think I should repeat this. This team is allowing fewer high quality chances against than last season.
Given that the Flames have scored about the same amount as last season, average goaltending would put this team in playoff contention (which is exactly what happened last year). There have been team d breakdowns for sure but this team was sunk by their goalies.
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Those breakdowns happened in the Kipper era, the difference is he bailed them out more often than not. Those types of saves are easy to forget, but if its a non-save, they are etched into your memory.
The biggest issue with the goaltending this year IMO is the deflating goals, the unscreened floaters, the heavy rebound tap ins...If the Flames managed to get one or two big saves in a game on a defensive breakdown - that could be the difference between making the playoffs or not. Directly impacts confidence through the lineup as well.
Last year Hiller had an incredible game early in the season vs Chicago. That set the tone for the year, if he didn't win that game for us we may have not made the playoffs. I know that may sound crazy, but confidence is the biggest x-factor in hockey.