Quote:
Originally Posted by Textcritic
I am confident that Brian Elliot will play at least 15 of the remaining 40 games.
Both goalies have played <25 games this season, and Elliott has one less win than Johnson since Dec 1. I see nothing in the current situation to suggest that one will suddenly take on the lion's share of starts in the second half. Yes, if one of them goes on a tear he will play until he starts to tail off. But I do not believe that either goalie has shown with any confidence that they will play at an elite level for the balance of the year. I'm frankly surprised that you seem so willing to position Johnson as the starter after what has transpired in the first half. Unless something dramatic happens they will continue to play in tandem until April.
|
Counting their recent wins is one measure to be sure. But Elliott looked shaky in many of those wins and they were clearly against lesser competition. If you want to take a numbers based approach, look at their save percentage and GAA for the entire year.
In my view, Johnson had already been given the starters job (tenuous, to be sure) but he lost his hold after some underwhelming starts. I would suggest he has it back again, and will receive the majority of the starts rest of the way. Johnson really controls the situation and playing time will be predicated mostly on his play.
I predict Elliott gets about 10 starts rest of the season. If he gets more than that, it will mean Johnson is not playing well or is hurt.