Quote:
Originally Posted by browna
Those guys wilted big time when the spotlight was on them in the next week and a half of games after Smith got hurt in Brooklyn. At least a below average goal per game each of them let in, nevermind the losses.There wrr lots of moving parts with the scoring drying up and the team abdandoning a coach, but the way those backups played really hurt at the most important time of the year.
Smith played fantastically well last year and you have to hope he can keep that up. And hopefully the ability and confidence of those backups is up a notch too.
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They were also rookies. Can’t expect perfection from rookie goalies. There’s growing pains you have to live with if you wanna develop young NHLers especially in goal. I’d expect Rittich/Gillies to be more solid this season if Smith went down. I was really impressed with Gillies after he let in the weak goals each game. He would’ve got some wins if our offense hadn’t been so anemic
It’s not comfortable trusting the net to young goalies but it’s a necessary growing pain if you want to develop them. Playing them is part of the solution to the post-Smith Flames. We need to be developing them into potential starters for the year or two after.