[PGT] Flames 2 @ Wild 6

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Outside of the knee injury Ramo's biggest issue is the fact he's a tweener. He's an above average backup or a below average starter.

And he's paid too much for that roll.

You can't really go with him and Ortio as you may write off a season again, but you also can't afford to have him back up a true starter unless he takes a big hair cut in salary.

For me the biggest thing with Ramo is you never know what you're going to get from him game to game or week to week.

Hiller is consistently bad but at least you can rely on it.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Flames need to decide who there back up is next year, Ramo or Ortio, and they NEED to find someone better to start. I really don't care which way they go in regards to Ortio or Ramo, but if that tandem is our best option, we are in trouble.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Bingo

had a look at Ramo's rolling 5 game save percentage through the season.

He was above the NHL average of .913 for 4 data points in November and 13 straight data points from mid December to mid January

He was solid

Had a tough finish though.

how many data points below the average?

[Enoch Root]

For normal or decent goaltending, I think you can expect a distribution something like this over the course of a season:

1) Won us the game: a few
2) Won the goaltending battle: a handful, maybe a dozen
3) Goaltending was even at both ends: majority of games
4) Lost the goaltending battle: a handful, maybe a dozen
5) Lost us the game: a few

If you're season looks like that, you have decent, or about par goaltending, and have nothing to worry about.

If you are skewed upwards, you are laughing

If you are skewed downwards, you have a problem.

For the Flames this year, I would venture it looks something like:

1) 0 - 1 maybe? I can't think of any
2) 3 - 5? Ramo had a few really good games in his hot stretch
3) 20 - 30? goaltending was fine in December, and for a few stretches here and there
4) 20 - 30? it seemed like, other than December, almost every night
5) 10 - 15? goaltending directly cost us too many to count

I think with decent goaltending we were a playoff team for sure. Easily better than Colorado, likely better than Minnesota, and probably in a race with San Jose.

[TheScorpion]

Hey everyone, I'm sorry for posting a spoiler - that was a big mistake that I really shouldn't have made, and I feel really bad for it.

After watching those highlights, man, Backstrom got lit up. Play Joni the rest of the way, Bob.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

how many data points below the average?

The rest ... so about 20

[Bingo]

and keep in mind he could have a .9131 save percentage and be considered above average when really we're talking average.

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by Cleveland Steam Whistle

Flames need to decide who there back up is next year, Ramo or Ortio, and they NEED to find someone better to start. I really don't care which way they go in regards to Ortio or Ramo, but if that tandem is our best option, we are in trouble.

I won't be surprised to see Ortio re-signed, and Ramo brought to camp on a PTO. Then they battle for the back up spot behind whoever else the Flames bring in to be the starter.

[Flash Walken]

I would be fine with having Ramo in net next year, even if it means having an outside shot at the playoffs.

The flames aren't in a position to pay a mediocre free agency goalie to start for them unless the dollars are too low to say no.

This is the uncomfortable in-between stage of growing your hair out but the solution isn't to chop your hair off or shave the sides so you have a stupid top-knot, you just need to wait it out.

Calgary is fortunate to have decent goaltending in the pipeline, and frankly, they don't have anything else that looks as good as their goaltending prospects do which means Free Agency needs to be all about addressing organizational needs which means size and toughness on the wings.

With Jokipakka rounding out the top 4 now Calgary really only has one massive organizational weakness and that's wingers. It's time to go to the store and buy one. In the meantime, you just have to wait it out until one of the goalie prospects shows something at the pro level.

If you're going to have #### goaltending you might as well not spend any money on it and spend that money on guys who can actually score up front.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Ramo won't be ready to go at the start of the season. I don't see him as an option going forward. The Flames will have two new goaltenders come fall. Probably Reimer and Raanta if I had to hazard a guess. They might surprise and convince someone to trade them an up and comer, but I think that might be a slim possibility unless a larger hockey deal is worked out.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

I would be fine with having Ramo in net next year, even if it means having an outside shot at the playoffs.

The flames aren't in a position to pay a mediocre free agency goalie to start for them unless the dollars are too low to say no.

This is the uncomfortable in-between stage of growing your hair out but the solution isn't to chop your hair off or shave the sides so you have a stupid top-knot, you just need to wait it out.

Calgary is fortunate to have decent goaltending in the pipeline, and frankly, they don't have anything else that looks as good as their goaltending prospects do which means Free Agency needs to be all about addressing organizational needs which means size and toughness on the wings.

With Jokipakka rounding out the top 4 now Calgary really only has one massive organizational weakness and that's wingers. It's time to go to the store and buy one. In the meantime, you just have to wait it out until one of the goalie prospects shows something at the pro level.

If you're going to have #### goaltending you might as well not spend any money on it and spend that money on guys who can actually score up front.

agreed.

I think next year is a wait-it-out year on several fronts. Most notably the cap (because Wideman, Engelland, Raymond, Bollig and Smid ALL come off the books).

But also because they are still waiting for some of the young guys to grow and develop so they can see what they actually have.

And also because of goaltending.

If we can find a really good young guy in the Murray ilk, great. Otherwise, all we really need is to get through next year.