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Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache
We are looking at it in different ways...
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Yes. Which is another way to concede that I am ignoring nothing.
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We agree the team should make the playoffs even if Smith keeps playing inconsistently.
We appear to disagree on how much the team should play the guy, and for what reasons. I see a guy who has some issues with his fundamentals, is lucky to be 11-8-1 and based on his contribution could just as easily be 7-12-1.
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I think “lucky” is a red herring. It essentially means that the results do not correspond to your expectations and explanations. I have my own thoughts about how best the Flames ought to approach this situation with their goalies, although I suspect them to be mostly naive and conjectural, and thus not good for much. However, I do think based upon what we have seen to date that the manner in which the Flames are handling Rittich suggests that the coaches are concerned about his workload. This strikes me as a highly legitimate concern. If they continue to manage his starts as they have I think it is likely more to do with this than it is based on some online-generated fantasies about “getting Smith going,” or the trepidation felt by coaches at the prospect of hurting his feelings.
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It has been nearly a calendar year since he has played at the level of a NHL starter.
In fact, if Rittich got hurt, and Smith from Feb-Dec 2018 is the new normal, he has what it takes to potentially goaltend the team’s way out of a playoff spot.
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Most likely. But the GM can do only so much. I think he is probably taking a calculated approach in this to ride it out as long as possible. I suspect that Treliving is not impressed by available options, and still believes that he has time on his side to resolve it for now.
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