Stat watching is difficult on goalies, so it becomes almost irrelevant comparing a goalie's SV% over the last few years.
For instance - Raanta does indeed have better stats than Johnson over the last 3 or 4 seasons, but what kind of a team was in front of him? How many golden opportunities and second/third chances was Johnson required to make vs Raanta?
You need a lot more stats to backup any story you would like me to believe about your favorite goalie vs my favorite goalie. SV% as a stat is nice to know, but doesn't really tell me much.
Not that I am saying that Johnson is better than Raanta (I think I voted Raanta in this poll, actually). I am just saying that simply going by one or two metrics isn't doing much in the way of convincing me one goalie is vastly superior to another. I like the fact that Johnson had a .920 in front of a terrible Buffalo team, and that he did do a great job in carrying the Flames for a while. Has Raanta done so in his time with Chicago or New York? (I don't know).
I just find that there is a whole lot of 'noise' about goalies in this thread, but not much in any thorough analysis of a particular favorite. Why does someone like a particular goalie so much? What do they see in him that makes a person feel he would be a good choice for Calgary? That's what I am hoping to learn from this thread.
For me, the most important aspect for a goalie is to just be consistent. Make the saves you are supposed to make. Make an occasional highlight reel save when the game is on the line? Great! But I will give those up every time for no bad goals. That is all I am hoping for in net for now. Just some consistently decent goaltending ala Fred Brathwaite. I am hoping for the next Miika, but I will take the next Fred for now.
Flames don't need a goalie to steal games like Talbot does for Edmonton. They just need a goalie not to lose games for them. That is all I am asking for with regards to that position. Just some consistently average goaltending. Dependable. I have no idea who can provide that any longer.
Hope the Flames get 5 goalies. Screw up 2 games in a row, you get thrown on waivers. Go through them all. That is how confident I feel on the available options. (and no, I don't expect the Flames to get 5 goalies - just illustrating my point in how little confidence I have in any goalies at the moment).
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