[Game Takes] Flames 6 Avalanche 5

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Bingo

The puck dies and he has to turn flat footed ... Hanifin races over to make sure the guy can't drive the net.

The culprit? Monahan coasting into the slot covering nobody.

The problem with that is that the puck carrier didn't have a great angle to the net and Smith would have had a routine to medium task to stop him (mind you, Smith was terrible at that point), because Hamonic recovered enough to make him go a little wide. Hanifin either wasn't aware of the shooter or made a bad decision - at that point he has to play it as a two on one.

Monahan just wasn't in a position to catch up IMO - it's not like he was even with the guy or anything at the outset of the play, so I think it was more Hanifin than Monahan.

Hamonic's issue was being caught between being able to glove the lob and moving back enough to fight for the puck when it landed - kind of bad luck, but the gap wasn't great. In hindsight, maybe he should have tripped him.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

The problem with that is that the puck carrier didn't have a great angle to the net and Smith would have had a routine to medium task to stop him (mind you, Smith was terrible at that point), because Hamonic recovered enough to make him go a little wide. Hanifin either wasn't aware of the shooter or made a bad decision - at that point he has to play it as a two on one.

Monahan just wasn't in a position to catch up IMO - it's not like he was even with the guy or anything at the outset of the play, so I think it was more Hanifin than Monahan.

Hamonic's issue was being caught between being able to glove the lob and moving back enough to fight for the puck when it landed - kind of bad luck, but the gap wasn't great. In hindsight, maybe he should have tripped him.

I saw Monahan close to the goal scorer but gliding ...

Odd play either way.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

Thanks again Bingo.

I'm not so sure Rittich gets the net against Chicago. I am quite sure that Peters and company still believe that Smith is their starter and the priority is to get him going. The W, combined with Smith's play in the third I think means Smith gets another start.

I know it's not popular, but that is what I would do too. Give Smith the net on Saturday and if he is still shaky, look at giving Rittich two of the three starts in California next week.

But I get the other argument. A few days off after Saturday so you don't want Rittich going cold.

I am really conflicted by this.

The Blackhawks are coming in to Calgary having lost two games because of a strong goaltending performance by the opposing team. Does that affect the decision about whom to play?

Also, I have for a long time now been concerned about Smith at the Saddledome, and this season has not alleviated that concern at all. On the road his SP is so far a respectable 0.912, but in Calgary he is sporting a brutal 0.840. This same issue killed the Flames’s playoff hopes last year.

In his entire NHL career comprising 28 games David Rittich has started TWO on home ice. I get what you are saying and it does make sense, but I think it is time for Rittich to have more of those home dates. I agree with you in that I think both goalies should split the next four, but I would rather see Rittich play one at home and get one of the California back-to-backs.




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[Kovaz]

Originally Posted by Bingo

I saw Monahan close to the goal scorer but gliding ...

Odd play either way.

I'm with you on that one. Watching the highlights again, Monahan's ahead of the goalscorer at the blueline but he just glides towards the puck and doesn't even take one glance over his shoulder. Just a poor job reading the play on his part. If you're playing C and there's a 50/50 puck in your zone you can't just assume your D will win it, you've gotta at least recognize that Wilson's going backdoor and take a stride or two towards covering that.

It was a bit of a soft play by Hanifin as well, but I'm ok with his read there. If he does a better job getting his stick in the passing lane he could've prevented it as well, so it's more of an execution error on his part. I've got a much bigger problem with Monahan being lazy than Hanifin executing the right play poorly.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by Bingo

The puck dies and he has to turn flat footed ... Hanifin races over to make sure the guy can't drive the net.

The culprit? Monahan coasting into the slot covering nobody.

I'm glad you caught that too. I was pretty pissed watching the replay and I may have uttered a curse word or two at Monahan. He still does that a little too often for my liking.

[FBI]

I would agree with Czarnik in for Hathaway

[kermitology]

Did anyone else think Monahan had a bit more jump after he got bumped down to play with Dube and Ryan? Dube in particular seemed to make him move a little more urgently.

[the2bears]

Originally Posted by kermitology

Did anyone else think Monahan had a bit more jump after he got bumped down to play with Dube and Ryan? Dube in particular seemed to make him move a little more urgently.

Double shifted I think? Not "bumped down" per my understanding.

[kermitology]

I saw Lindholm centring Gaudreau and Neal, so I saw bumped down.

[the2bears]

Originally Posted by kermitology

I saw Lindholm centring Gaudreau and Neal, so I saw bumped down.

Could be, but with Bennett and Jankowski both out for a time I thought I'd heard or read there was some double shifting going on.

[Enoch Root]

More like running 3 lines than double shifting. And Monahan and Gaudreau were separated. To me, that's more of a bump down.

And it seemed to put a spark under him.

[the2bears]

Good on Peters for recognizing and lighting a little fire in him.

[DeluxeMoustache]

I think that is an improvement in coaching.

Gulutzan by comparison practically never split up Monahan and Gaudreau, and pretty much never split up Backlund - Tkachuk - Frolik . So that’s a lot of degrees of freedom that he is taking away from himself as a coach. Man, he was awful

[Itse]

Originally Posted by cam_wmh

Great write-up, except I give Rittich the reins indefinitely, not until he loses. I even consider calling up Gillies.

Smith was beyond bad.

Pretty much this. Smith has been literally the worst goalie in the league (as measured by sv%, 4th worst in GAA), Rittich has been the 3rd best (both in sv% and GAA). That has to start showing in who gets the starts.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Itse

Pretty much this. Smith has been literally the worst goalie in the league (as measured by sv%, 4th worst in GAA), Rittich has been the 3rd best (both in sv% and GAA). That has to start showing in who gets the starts.

Rittich definitely should be getting increasingly more starts, but I don’t think it is a good idea to now sit Smith and have Rittich starting games indefinitely. The best thing to do is to transition him into a new role and see how he does. Start with having them split in November and go on from there.


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[Enoch Root]

I think the best thing to do is play who is hot / playing well.

I just don't get the "Smith is our #1 so he will get the majority of the starts" argument. What other players get that treatment? All forwards and defensemen have to earn their ice-time and their status, and if they play poorly, they are going to slide down the lineup (even if only temporarily).

Yet for some reason, goalies play to a different rule set. I say ice-time should be earned. And there is no debate about which goalie is currently earning it.

Also - I think it was TextCritic that pointed it out - the fact that Rittich has started only 2 games at home so far over the past 2 seasons, despite the absolutely horrific home ice stats for Smith, is astounding.

If he keeps earning starts, keep giving him starts.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

I think the best thing to do is play who is hot / playing well.

I just don't get the "Smith is our #1 so he will get the majority of the starts" argument. What other players get that treatment? All forwards and defensemen have to earn their ice-time and their status, and if they play poorly, they are going to slide down the lineup (even if only temporarily).

Yet for some reason, goalies play to a different rule set. I say ice-time should be earned. And there is no debate about which goalie is currently earning it.

Also - I think it was TextCritic that pointed it out - the fact that Rittich has started only 2 games at home so far over the past 2 seasons, despite the absolutely horrific home ice stats for Smith, is astounding.

If he keeps earning starts, keep giving him starts.

The big thing for me is Smith's expiring contract.

If he had three years and $18M left I think getting him going would have a much greater emphasis. With his UFA status, they don't need to get him going as long as they don't see not getting him going as a huge risk to the season at hand, which is where I think they are.

Rittich at home tonight could be a sign that they're moving towards the now and not the rest of the season when it comes to goalie starts, and that's honestly the first step towards transitioning from a starter/backup to a tandem or even a swap.

Two things that keep me from fretting this year ... Smith has no term, and we still have a first round pick (the trauma from last year is real)