Competent? So much so that Detroit waived him after a 20 yr old prospect won a single game for them?
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Irving has not played well and has gotten more than enough opportunity in the past few years.
I disagree.
How many opportunities has Irving really gotten? Last couple seasons we had Karlsson who, outside of being a great team guy, was terrible, but he was playing games that Irving probably should have been playing.
Irving has 535 NHL minutes to his credit. Effectively 9 games. And you consider that 'more than enough opportunity?'
And hes had to play those games behind a team that has developed a notorious reputation of failing to support their backup goaltender. This team mails in their performances when the backup has to play and it doesnt matter who that backup may be.
Honestly, I think this is a crucial opportunity for Irving and I truly hope that Management is not going to royally screw it up by playing MacDonald ahead of him.
This is the first time that Kipper has been hurt and out of action for any significant period of time. We've all known it was going to happen eventually, but now its here and Management's hand is forced.
I'm hoping that MacDonald is here to back Irving up so they can send Taylor back to the farm. This team has a history of plugging gaps with aging retreads and I hope thats not the case here because it will solve nothing.
A Calgary Flames team with Joey MacDonald as their starting goaltender is not making the playoffs, and MacDonald is not the future solution. Let Irving ride this out, give MacDonald a game when Irving needs a break.
If we lose games then we lose games. We're losing games with Kipper in net, so whats the difference? Maybe it will be the start of a change in attitude or approach for this team.
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The World Ends when you're dead. Until then, you've got more punishment in store. - Flames Fans
If you thought this season would have a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention.
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I saw Kipper at hockey on Sunday, (minor hockey), and he did have a noticeable limp when walking up the stairs.
I'm no doctor but it sure didn't seem like a major long term injury he is dealing with.
No brace or walking aid and walking up and down hockey arena stairs points to not career ending.
Means nothing if he's walking around unaided. I had ACL reconstruction and ditched the crutches 2 days later. I still wasn't fit for any kind of strenuous activity for 6 months.
I like the move. It can't hurt having another goalie in North America.
Maybe jumping ahead of myself a bit, but I'm pretty upset that Hartley MAY NOT give Taylor a start. I sure as hell hope he does, but I'm not holding my breath.
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Goalie stats are a tricky thing. The goalie with the best GAA and SV% in a league isn't necessarily the best goalie. GAA is more of a team defensive stat. SV% can be skewed in either direction by the team allowing a lot of low % shots (which would give the goalie a high SV%) or by the team not allowing a lot of shots but allowing a lot of odd man breaks and high quality chances (which would lower the goalies SV%). IMO there is no pure goalie stat that tells us how good a goalie is. Goalie stats are hugely dependant on team defensive play.
Given how questionable goalie stats are combined with the fact that most of us have not seen any sizeable amount of Ramo's games and we really can't judge how quality of a prospect is. One of the posters is deferring to the Flames management and scouts opinion of Ramo and frankly that is about all we have to go on.
Would anyone pick Mike Smith over Pekka Rinne because Smith had better stats last year? And there's a reason why NHL don't just sign the European stats leaders every year. A hockey fan in NA will never hear about the vast majority of those players, because they don't have the qualities to be in the NHL. It's no different than AHL veterans who have great seasons but who no one believes can take that to the next level.
So it's a matter of scouting in the sense of evaluating whether a player can make the next step. Everyone knows the players. It's not about finding out that they exist, it's about judging how they'll do at the highest level. Some players flourish, some struggle.
And it's not controversial that Rämö has been among the top goalies for years there. I'm sure opinions differ as to how he might do in the NHL. I'd be careful about getting excited about any European veteran, but fan rankings and honorary titles are meaningless in determining how he'll do.
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I like the move. It can't hurt having another goalie in North America.
Maybe jumping ahead of myself a bit, but I'm pretty upset that Hartley MAY NOT give Taylor a start. I sure as hell hope he does, but I'm not holding my breath.
I'd say there's zero chance Taylor will get a start now. He'll backup Irving tonight, then be on the first flight to Abbotsford tomorrow (or Milwaukee, since that's where the next Heat game is).
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A magical stretch in February in which he won seven consecutive games and was a key part in the Red Wings' winning a record 23 straight games at Joe Louis Arena.
MacDonald, 32, was promoted from Grand Rapids when Jimmy Howard broke a finger and leaped over a struggling Ty Conklin to become the starter.
MacDonald appeared to have finally found an NHL roster spot.
And then, in a game March 14 in Anaheim, he hurt his back. Later, he found out it was a bulging disc.
Thursday, as the Red Wings returned to Joe Louis Arena, MacDonald was still rehabilitating the wonky back — but optimistic he'll play somewhere this season.
...
In 14 appearances, MacDonald was 8-5-1 with a 2.16 goals-against average with the Wings.
He will begin the season on injured reserve. When MacDonald is ready to play, he'll be waived and assigned to Grand Rapids if no team claims him.
Detroit Red Wings goaltender Joey MacDonald will see the team doctor on Monday or Tuesday, hoping to receive clearance to play after missing 10½ months with back issues.
Once he is cleared, the next step likely would be a conditioning stint with the Grand Rapids Griffins.
“I could see that happening, go down and get a few games under my belt and then come back. But who knows?'' MacDonald said. “You got (Jimmy Howard) playing every single night. He needs a break coming up.
I'm going to chalk this up to (i) Kipper being out for at least another week or two, (ii) Feaster pulling the trigger on a veteran back-up becoming available at no cost, and (iii) needing an insurance policy in case Irving falters in the next couple of games (i.e. Taylor was not that guy).
MacDonald hasn't played in a long time so I would question whether he even sees any action on Wednesday. I think the bigger story with this signing is (i) how long Kipper will be out for, and (ii) how Irving responds tonight (and thereafter) to having another obstacle placed in his way.
Last edited by tvp2003; 02-11-2013 at 02:05 PM.
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I'd say there's zero chance Taylor will get a start now. He'll backup Irving tonight, then be on the first flight to Abbotsford tomorrow (or Milwaukee, since that's where the next Heat game is).
You're probably right. It's unfortunate because we don't know what kind of NHL goalie Taylor is. Heck, he could be the next Kipper for all we know. We'll never know until he gets that chance.
What worries me (and maybe it shouldn't), but Taylor's going to have to go through waivers. There have been tons of scouts at Heat games since the start of the season. I hope one of those scouts don't give the word to their GM and he gets picked up. That would suck.
You're probably right. It's unfortunate because we don't know what kind of NHL goalie Taylor is. Heck, he could be the next Kipper for all we know. We'll never know until he gets that chance.
What worries me (and maybe it shouldn't), but Taylor's going to have to go through waivers. There have been tons of scouts at Heat games since the start of the season. I hope one of those scouts don't give the word to their GM and he gets picked up. That would suck.
they'd have to keep him up, so I doubt a team would claim a guy that had a single NHL game 5 years ago
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You're probably right. It's unfortunate because we don't know what kind of NHL goalie Taylor is. Heck, he could be the next Kipper for all we know. We'll never know until he gets that chance.
What worries me (and maybe it shouldn't), but Taylor's going to have to go through waivers. There have been tons of scouts at Heat games since the start of the season. I hope one of those scouts don't give the word to their GM and he gets picked up. That would suck.
Do not worry.
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I wonder what will happen when Kipper returns. If it is indeed true that Kipper is not far off from returning, then who becomes the backup this season? I doubt that the Heat want to continue with 3 goalies down there. Is a team close to giving Brust a contract? Is there a trade being worked out somehow for Irving?
For the Flames to go out and get MacDonald, you would think one of these 2 points are probably in the Flames' minds:
1) MacDonald is so good, that a team simply can't pass up this chance to claim him
2) The Flames have pretty much given up on Irving
If Kipper is out long-term, well.. I guess the Flames still have given up on Irving. I really wonder what kind of a game he will have tonight after this move.
Count me in as one of those guys that were interested in seeing Taylor in net for a game. The guy seems just so steady and consistent in the AHL, and it isn't like he has ever gotten a real chance in the NHL. Would love for the Flames to start him and see what happens one game.
If Kipper isn't returning for a while, maybe no one has to be the backup. Maybe it can be MacDonald and Irving splitting starts (unless one catches fire and plays out of his mind, of course).
