[PGT] Mike Smith loses the game with 2 abysmal goals against. Flames lose to Habs 3-2.

[redforever]

Originally Posted by GullFoss

hamonic went over after goal 2

Cause that one is not al on Smith.

[Ped]

Maybe Rittich isn't the answer.


But as I said last week, how do you not go to the guy who's been playing better, has better stats, and is coming off a shutout? A freaking shutout!


They better find out if Rittich is better than last year, because Smith is definitely not the answer.

[RedHawk12]

Just watched the post game interview with Hamonic. Said something to the effect of "we win and lose as a team, it's never about one guy". Clearly this loss was on Smith but I just want to take some time away from all the Smith bashing to give some kudos to Hamonic for being a great teammate.

[midniteowl]

Originally Posted by GullFoss

hamonic went over after goal 2

Because goal 2 wasn't all his fault, but betcha after the 3rd goal, his teammates must be thinking WTF man, you have got to be kidding me!

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Duffalufagus

Rittich isn’t the answer. Which is why they keep going back to Smith.

They kept going back to Smith as the coaches believed it was confidence problem and playing him more would help him get it back. Now we're at a point where the noose has tightened enough and they can't afford to ride Smith anymore.

Now is the time to ride Rittich and see where it takes us.

[Bunk]

Parsons bang on in his overtime call. It needs to be more on the coaches.

[GullFoss]

Originally Posted by Bunk

Parsons bang on in his overtime call. It needs to be more on the coaches.

who is parsons? Is he on CP? Very coherent. Could have a job on the fan960 one day.

[Strange Brew]

The worse Smith plays, the more pressure there is on Rittich to prove he can carry the load. That’s not ideal.

[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by GullFoss

hamonic went over after goal 2

I meant after the third goal. Not a single player even looked at him from that point onwards.

[Johnny Makarov]

Lost in all this Backlund's crosscheck to Drouin's face after the goal. I"m pretty sure he's going to get suspended for that.

Although I wish he would have crosschecked that spaz Shaw in the face instead.

[redforever]

Originally Posted by Ped

Maybe Rittich isn't the answer.


But as I said last week, how do you not go to the guy who's been playing better, has better stats, and is coming off a shutout? A freaking shutout!


They better find out if Rittich is better than last year, because Smith is definitely not the answer.

This is what is so frustrating. The coaches seem to have determined Rittich is not the answer. Yet they have not played him enough to see if that is actually the case.

And in the games Rittich has played, he has had good games, definitely much better than Smith. Not only in results but also his positioning and calm manner on the ice.

[ckendall]

Originally Posted by redforever

And scoring is easier if you are not playing tight and worrying when the next softie is coming. These softies are just so deflating. Heck, we are all more than deflated, especially after such a good effort. The Flames must be feeling worse than us.

Beer league players know that a $&#@ goalie changes the whole way you play. You’re scared to give up shots. Any shot. No on3 can play that way. Goalies have to make routine saves. End of story.

[Ashasx]

What would you guys do if we start Rittich on Saturday, and as the Flames are known to do against the Oilers, the team fails to show up and they allow 5 or 6 goals?

[Bunk]

Originally Posted by TheAlpineOracle

I meant after the third goal. Not a single player even looked at him from that point onwards.

I had a very good vantage point of the bench - watched Gaudreau and a few other players, you could tell pretty easily they were absolutely fuming inside.

[Ped]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

What would you guys do if we start Rittich on Saturday, and as the Flames are known to do against the Oilers, the team fails to show up and they allow 5 or 6 goals?

Then they'll have the start to an answer of whether or not Rittich is ready to seize a chance.

[Phagoof]

On a high note, Gio is playing out of his mind with 18 points.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

What would you guys do if we start Rittich on Saturday, and as the Flames are known to do against the Oilers, the team fails to show up and they allow 5 or 6 goals?

Press the panic button.

[Flames Fan, Ph.D.]

Disappointing.

Strangely though, I'm reatively upbeat about this team. The compete level and overall attention to defense has been much improved. I realize the NHL is high scoring nowadays, but I can see this team winning 2-1 (3-1 w/ empty net) games on a relatively consistent basis if the goaltending moves towards average. And if the offense trends back up, their tendency to outchance and pressure teams will make games even more comfortable. And who knows what can happen if we play in games where we might score the first goal. One can dream.

Also thought there was a small glimmer of hope to the second powerplay unit Peters rolled out.

Rittich has a lot of pressure on him, and I bet Treliving is even more nervous than he is.

[Bunk]

Originally Posted by Dion Phagoof

On a high note, Gio is playing out of his mind with 18 points.

All three pairings are playing good hockey. Nice to see. Brodie was excellent tonight too.

[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by Bunk

I had a very good vantage point of the bench - watched Gaudreau and a few other players, you could tell pretty easily they were absolutely fuming inside.

That’s how I saw it and I sit directly across from the bench. Not even the D acknowledge him for the rest of the game.