[PGT] Flames lose 5-2 to the Sharks due to a terrible 90 second span and snakebit offense

[Samonadreau]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I have a hard time believing this team will make much noise in the playoffs with this goaltending. The first line isn't going to be able to score at will in the playoffs and we are starting to find out what happens when they don't overcome mediocre/bad goaltending.

What do you mean 'This Goaltending'.... holy overreaction. Rittich has been consistent all year and the sharks scored on 2 brutal turnovers. Wasn't his night but like give the kid a chance.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

I sure can. He was directly responsible for both goals and did not look engaged at all.

Smith gave the team a chance to win. He had no help on the goals that he let in.

That's not the point. It's about the differing lengths of leashes. Smith gets every benefit of the doubt, unearned.

[dino7c]

Rittich has poor numbers at home

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by troutman

That's not the point. It's about the differing lengths of leashes. Smith gets every benefit of the doubt, unearned.

Unearned? One is a +10-year NHL veteran and the other is a first-year starter. The coaches treat the goalies differently BECAUSE THEY ARE DIFFERENT.


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[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Rittich has poor numbers at home

Both goaltenders do.


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[troutman]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Unearned? One is a +10-year NHL veteran and the other is a first-year starter. The coaches treat the goalies differently BECAUSE THEY ARE DIFFERENT.


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Yes, the difference is Rittich is playing much better than Smith, this year.

This is not likely to change, given their ages.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Both goaltenders do.


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Exactly, Flames need a goalie

Replace Smith, push Rittich....scoring isn't gonna be as easy down the stretch and in the playoffs

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Samonadreau

What do you mean 'This Goaltending'.... holy overreaction. Rittich has been consistent all year and the sharks scored on 2 brutal turnovers. Wasn't his night but like give the kid a chance.

His numbers have been trending down since the Christmas as let's not forget he was top 5 earlier in the season and is now ranked in the mid teens. Another month like the last month and he will be in the 20's. They were discussing on 960 that he's been letting in soft goals as well but a lot of them have been late in games where the Flames have been up by a few goals so they are easier to dismiss. This is why you don't go all Oilers and sign a goaltender in the middle of the season based on a small sample size. I'm not saying that the Flames shouldn't re-sign Rittich but I'm not 100% sold on him being a dependable starting goaltender in this league. It seems to me the coach doesn't have a lot of faith in either of his guys right now which is not ideal.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by troutman

Yes, the difference is Rittich is playing much better than Smith, this year.

This is not likely to change, given their ages.

90% of the time they pick Smith's spots to give Rittich some rest...many times in a b2b or 3 in 4. That is probably why they don't pull him.

Rittich is playing way more than Smith, you guys are acting like Peters kicked your dog. It's a good lesson for Rittich, be ready to go. Flames are a divisional playoff team already...the rest of the season is to get ready for the playoffs

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Samonadreau

What do you mean 'This Goaltending'.... holy overreaction. Rittich has been consistent all year and the sharks scored on 2 brutal turnovers. Wasn't his night but like give the kid a chance.

Well, the brutal turnover on the second goal was Rittich's own. On the first, turnover or not, that was a pee wee shot. Even I would have stopped it.

That said, I agree with the rest. Rittich was god awful last night, but there is no reason not to expect him to bounce back tomorrow.

[CroFlames]

It's tough to bounce back when you let in 3 goals quickly, two of which were butter soft by Rittich. I don't blame Smith for the deflection.



If just one of those glorious chances on the PP go in, the complexion of the game is totally different.



You learn from this and move on.



The goal pull was neither here nor there. Sometimes a guy needs a chance to figure it out midgame, other times he needs to watch from the bench. Watching from the bench is not the turning point in the season some of the idiotic talking heads think it is (cough Francis cough).

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by troutman

Yes, the difference is Rittich is playing much better than Smith, this year.

This is not likely to change, given their ages.

That is far from the only difference. While Rittich is now a better goalie than Smith there is still a lot he is learning about playing and winning in a long NHK season. He is going to get different treatment because the Flames coaches want him to be successful. I suppose you could debate the merits of their approach but it’s silly to insinuate that the coaches’s treatment of Smith is preferential. I see the differences more attuned to each goalie’s personality and his needs.


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[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I have a hard time believing this team will make much noise in the playoffs with this goaltending. The first line isn't going to be able to score at will in the playoffs and we are starting to find out what happens when they don't overcome mediocre/bad goaltending.

I don't buy that. Rittich is 20-4-4. He had a very rare off night after a long break of waiting around for a big game, was rusty and jittery like seemingly half the team. Necessary learning experience for him, if anything, that better prepares them for playoffs. That does not suddenly imply that our goaltending is overall bad. Ridiculous statement.

Literally upgrade Smith with 70% of the backup options out there and our goaltending is probably in pretty comfortable hands.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Well, the brutal turnover on the second goal was Rittich's own. On the first, turnover or not, that was a pee wee shot. Even I would have stopped it.

That said, I agree with the rest. Rittich was god awful last night, but there is no reason not to expect him to bounce back tomorrow.

You think you may have stopped it.

Spin around shots are not as easy to read as most people likely think. Generally unexpected and there is no usual shooter body movement that is second nature to read. Also the point of release was likely obscured by Andersson’s skate.

It was ugly for sure but those weird ones aren’t as sure of a stop as everyone thinks.

Definitely not an indicator that he was unprepared to stop normal shots.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Well, the brutal turnover on the second goal was Rittich's own. On the first, turnover or not, that was a pee wee shot. Even I would have stopped it.

That said, I agree with the rest. Rittich was god awful last night, but there is no reason not to expect him to bounce back tomorrow.

A chance to rebound, ahead of the deadline, will tell the Flames a lot about Rittich and his growth from last year.

Last time he was yanked (Columbus IIRC), he came back with a great performance (albeit a 1-0 loss) and then two good games against Minnie and St. Louis.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

I don't buy that. Rittich is 20-4-4. He had a very rare off night after a long break of waiting around for a big game, was rusty and jittery like seemingly half the team. Necessary learning experience for him, if anything, that better prepares them for playoffs. That does not suddenly imply that our goaltending is overall bad. Ridiculous statement.

Literally upgrade Smith with 70% of the backup options out there and our goaltending is probably in pretty comfortable hands.

I acknowledge Smith is done but if he's not getting excused for bad play neither should Rittich.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

A chance to rebound, ahead of the deadline, will tell the Flames a lot about Rittich and his growth from last year.



Last time he was yanked (Columbus IIRC), he came back with a great performance (albeit a 1-0 loss) and then two good games against Minnie and St. Louis.

*EDIT* I misread that...

I believe this would have been Rittich’s first regulation loss at home all season, but Smith is the goalie of record.

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[8sPOT]

Not even mad, Flames played well I thought. They got some flukey goals, we missed a bunch of open nets, some tap-ins, a post.

You just know the Flames are going to be really pissed after that one. I expect them to demolish Vancouver tomorrow. Makes me excited just thinking about that game. Final game of Hockey Day in Canada too.

[Robbob]

I have no problem with the short leash. If you heard the Coach after the game a big part of it was to use it as a time out and try to settle the team down. It didn't work. He mentioned that they discussed putting Rittich back in. Smith was probably playing well enough to not make the change back.

Flames looked every much as a team that had played 2 games in 15 days. Timing and decision making were off or half a second behind. A Flames team rolling capitalizes on at least half of those chances and it is a different game. As much as Jones gets credit for the goal-tending performance, he was swimming and out of control on a bunch of the scrambles and was fortunate the forwards key stoned cops the puck or fanned on a shot with an open net.

[chummer]

The Fan not sold on the Flames goaltending, asking what it would cost to get Bobrovsky.