Quote:
Originally Posted by stemit14
I don’t understand why management would feel this way. No one really knows if a guy can be a number 1 until he is given the opportunity. Right now, the opportunity is there and Rittich should be given the chance to go with it.
Kipper was never a number 1 goalie until the opportunity came up. There was no doubt he was a number 1 goalie for this team after he ran with that opportunity.
Last nights game would have been a perfect way to transition Rittich into playing more games. It’s against a less-skilled team that the flames can dominate when they play their game... which they did last night. Let’s Rittich get his confidence up for his next game that is a bigger test because he’s coming up against McDavid. I know the oilers are no good but McDavid’s line is always dangerous.
Now, instead of a confident goalie who would have gotten a nice win last night to start a home stand... Rittich will be a goalie that
1. hasn’t played in a week,
2. is facing the best offensive player on a division rival on Saturday night in a must-win game, and
3. is probably thinking that management sees him as merely a last resort because smith is just that bad instead of showing confidence in Rittich by giving him the net against Montreal.
I bet if Rittich has a bad night, they go right back to smith. Smith gets multiple bad games to regain his confidence and play... but rittich will have a very short leash.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
|
It’s the same management that believed Elliott and Smith could be starters for a contending team. Management has shown zero ability to pick the right goalie nor when to promote goalies. It’s been an issue since Kipper has left. I guess starting a 36 year old with a .876 save percentage is a smart idea. Smith has a big leash? I’d like to know for what exactly. We are treating him like he’s done something worthwhile in his time here in Calgary. The only goalie of recent memory that deserves the leash smith is getting was #34. 42 year old kipper would have a better save percentage than 36 year old smith, I’m convinced of that.