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Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher
Well you’re missing the context that Smith was one of the best players on a really bad PHX/ARI team and Elliott stats are flattering because he played for some strong STL teams.
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Except he really wasn't. Smith has provided mediocre goaltending on every team he has been on. Is it surprising that every one of those teams was mediocre to bad? Is there a possible link there? Is Smith just over-rated because he was marketed well by his team? You can think what you want, but Arizona fans will tell you a different story about Mike Smith. There's no goaltender who runs hotter and colder than Mikes Smith. What you are seeing in Calgary is pure Mike Smith and the same way he played in Phoenix, Dallas and Tampa.
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Classic case of good goalie on a horrible team vs mediocre goalie on an excellent team. Makes it so straight statistical comparisons aren’t very useful.
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Okay, so career statistics don't matter now. So how about just looking at the performances in Calgary? Is that fair? Smith had arguably the better team in front of him, and backstopped that team to a non-playoff year. He had a better save%, but a worse goals against average. The most important factor, he was only 2 games over .500 for the Flames, while Elliott was 8 games over .500. Elliott got his team into the post-season under the same coach, same systems, and with a weaker blueline (Wideman, Engelland, Jokipakka, and Bartkowsi!). I get the disgust in Elliott's epic meltdown for the Flames, but he provided way more consistent and reliable goaltending for the Flames, and for every other team he's played for. He's a mediocre goaltender as well, but he's just slightly less mediocre than Smith.
Here's the thing about this discussion. Neither are a goaltender you want to have backstopping your team. This is like trying to decide which McDonald's burger is best. None of them are any good. You're better off walking out the door and finding a different place to eat. The Flames would be better off finding a goaltender that is better than either of these two duds.