Mike Smith's... woes? He blows? Eating crows? Who knows! (Also David Rittich exists!)

[jonkaupp]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Why be great when you can be 8th amirite?

Just dumb. Mik Smith is a huge problem going back 12 months, but hey, if you combine his stats with rittich the flames are barely a top 10 team in terms of goaltending.

Makes me feel warm and fuzzy.

If you just use the last twelve games and ignore what the players have done over a much larger sample size then they’re basically the same player.

That’s his take in every thread. It’s total brain soup.

[zamler]

How many games into the season before we know who the starter is?

[Erick Estrada]

One way or another there's only 2-3 months left of fans having to endure this guy in a Flames jersey. I try not to hate on player but I really don't like Mike Smith at all. Can't wait until he's gone.

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by Table 5

It's a pretty great gameplan, because everyone knows he's too pig-headed to change his ways. Smith may be able to handle the puck, be he's extremely arrogant about it...he'll take needless risks and let's the opposing players get way too close before he takes action. I wish they would've pulled him right after that goal to embarrass him.

We know exactly where this is going if he starts in Round 1.

And there’s less time and space in the playoffs

[timbit]

Originally Posted by zamler

How many games into the season before we know who the starter is?

82 games.

Then Bill Peters will decide who starts in the first game of the playoffs.

After the first game, he will decide on who starts game 2...and so it goes.

Patience and endurance.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Just want to quote this for any that didn't see this post.

When the flames score 2 or less Mike Smith basically gives you no opportunity to win.

This has gone unaddressed all season and at the deadline.

If goaltending is the major factor in a flames ouster in round 1 or 2, I would show Treliving the door.

Boggles my mind how the organization went through deadline day and did basically nothing to improve or insulate the team from their only major weakness.

So let's imagine Flames finish 2nd overall in the NHl. Advance to 2nd round of the playoffs, making the final 8.

We'd fire the GM?

I am rather lukewarm on BT compared to most but that is over the top. The Carolina trade and drafting success has earned the guy some time.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Just want to quote this for any that didn't see this post.

When the flames score 2 or less Mike Smith basically gives you no opportunity to win.

This has gone unaddressed all season and at the deadline.

If goaltending is the major factor in a flames ouster in round 1 or 2, I would show Treliving the door.

Boggles my mind how the organization went through deadline day and did basically nothing to improve or insulate the team from their only major weakness.

Holy ####, that's a bad idea. You don't evaluate management on one aspect of the team. You evaluate an entire body of work and future trends. Clearly Treliving is doing a great job except for two areas: goaltending, and unrestricted free agency.

If you're ready to fire the best GM we've seen since Cliff Fletcher over not getting a good enough goalie, then I don't know what to tell you. The rest of the roster is a powerhouse deep group of players. Not only that, we seem to be set very, very well for the future of the roster, both cap-wise and young talent-wise.

Goalies are voodoo. I don't blame Treliving for failing to strike gold in a position that is very hard to predict, but even so, he found and signed Rittich who seemingly came out of nowhere. Does he not get credit for that at least?

I don't disagree with the rest of your post, but the bolded just makes absolutely no sense to me.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by timbit

82 games.

Then Bill Peters will decide who starts in the first game of the playoffs.

After the first game, he will decide on who starts game 2...and so it goes.

Patience and endurance.

It's not exactly ideal that no true starter has emerged. Sometimes teams switch starters mid stream in the playoffs but they don't usually switch back and forth with much success IMO.

You'd rather have a goalie who you know can shrug off a loss or bad outing and follow it up with something better.

[TheScorpion]

anyone who thinks the Flames should've gotten Quick should know that he's been the second-worst goaltender in the entire NHL this year

[Jiri Hrdina]

Yeah BT has GM'd this team to the best team we've seen in a long time, and the asset base is also in really good shape. Granted they've been using picks for that, but in doing so, they've built a core that should be competitive for a while.
There are many examples of teams that wander in the desert for a long time without good goaltending options. When you don't have it - it is very hard to get it.
Which isn't an excuse, but certainly you don't fire the guy over it.

[Shazam]

I'm hoping one of the many goalies in the system blossoms.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

anyone who thinks the Flames should've gotten Quick should know that he's been the second-worst goaltender in the entire NHL this year

So, an upgrade on Smith then, amirite?

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Shazam

I'm hoping one of the many goalies in the system blossoms.

Best bet is Parsons but that's a long way off.
Rittich seems to at least be a 1B for next year
So the question is who do you bring in to tandem with him - probably for the next 2-3 years

My list would be
Talbot (I think he can rebound away from that mess)
Varlamov
Lehner (long shot)
Howard (probably re-signs in Detroit)

I prioritize Talbot and then my plan B is Varlamov

Also interesting to remember that Gillies is on a 1-way next year, albeit at a hit that would preclude the Flames from sending him down I suppose.

[Beninho]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Best bet is Parsons but that's a long way off.
Rittich seems to at least be a 1B for next year
So the question is who do you bring in to tandem with him - probably for the next 2-3 years

My list would be
Talbot (I think he can rebound away from that mess)
Varlamov
Lehner (long shot)
Howard (probably re-signs in Detroit)

I prioritize Talbot and then my plan B is Varlamov

Also interesting to remember that Gillies is on a 1-way next year, albeit at a hit that would preclude the Flames from sending him down I suppose.

This is the only place I’ve seen people who actually think Talbot is worth salvaging. He’s done too


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[Jacks]

Just watched the post game interview, I can forgive the mistakes but wish he would just own up to it.
"Mistakes are going to happen we need to be better"
Just own it Smith, you had a bad night, don't blame your team. I'd love to know what he was saying to Hanifin at the bench for 30 seconds, it should have been an apology but I doubt it.

[Kswiss]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

So, an upgrade on Smith then, amirite?

Haha. Gold!

[Jacks]

Posted by Beninho
This is the only place I’ve seen people who actually think Talbot is worth salvaging. He’s done too



That's what everyone said about Dubnyk. Talbot didn't forget how to play, he had the life sucked out of him.

[TheScorpion]

Devan Dubnyk was 28 when he left Edmonton... he turns 33 in a couple months

Cam Talbot turns 32 in a couple months

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Why be great when you can be 8th amirite?

Just dumb. Mik Smith is a huge problem going back 12 months, but hey, if you combine his stats with rittich the flames are barely a top 10 team in terms of goaltending.

Makes me feel warm and fuzzy.

YOU called it a "major" weakness, not me.

And who would you have acquired to make the goaltending "great"?

But move those goalposts to feel better about being wrong.

You want a weakness on this team?

Look at the PK.

[Kasi]

I think people should realize that average goaltending does not mean always getting avg GAA and save percentage. It means averaging to that. Which Smith hasn’t done when taking while season into account. But since end of November his numbers have been serviceable. But yes he’s had stinkers. Every goalie does. Just look at our two division rivals. Martin Jones has had as many games where he’s lost a game similar to Smith. Even Fleury with his superior numbers has had his share of stinkers (he has 7 shutouts but overall middle of the pack numbers). Same with Hellebucyk.

This hypothetical goaltender that is average and has no variance doesn’t exist. The closest there probably is right now is the Lightning/Bruins/Islanders tandems but even they have bad games. So bad games will happen like last night. It sucks, but no more for us than it does for San Jose when Jones ####s the bed. The thing that matters more is just overall numbers over a large sample size. And that shows that our two goalies for a 3 month period have both been slightly below average goaltenders. I don’t think there was any goalie on the trade market that would have been a meaningful upgrade at a reasonable price. None of the ones available were long term solutions which likely weighed into the costs of acquiring them. Obviously it needs to be addressed in the off-season since with the talent here we should be capable of supporting a goalie with “good” average numbers. Maybe Rittich can be that guy eventually but he isn’t there now.

I just wish the forum would freak out a bit less over a bad start. Every goalie has them, even goalies much better than the 2 we have. It’s the overall trends that matter and I hope both of ours stay positive and that Smith bounces back from last night.