Mike Smith's... woes? He blows? Eating crows? Who knows! (Also David Rittich exists!)

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by -TC-

Rhett isn't confident the tandem is ready for the playoffs... he actually made a good point in saying the last time Rittich faced real pressure, he didn't handle it well...and Smith is done, he just is.

I think a goalie is priority one at this point.

I think Rhett Warrener is wrong most of the time.

When was the last time Rittich faced "real pressure"? To my mind the Edmonton game before the break was the Flames biggest game between last night and the NYE SJ game. While the Oilers are a crappy team, it was a building in which the Flames had never won, it was a National game, and Edmonton was coming off two crucial wins and desperate to make up ground in the playoff race.

Rittich won both those games, and he was really good in Edmonton.

[FlamesAddiction]

It's almost time we start looking at top performing AHL goalies as trade targets.

Last year, about 30 goalies saw action in the playoffs. There is a good chance that if the Flames make it past the 1st round, Smith is going to have perform at a level he hasn't achieved all season.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

I think Rhett Warrener is wrong most of the time.

When was the last time Rittich faced "real pressure"? To my mind the Edmonton game before the break was the Flames biggest game between last night and the NYE SJ game. While the Oilers are a crappy team, it was a building in which the Flames had never won, it was a National game, and Edmonton was coming off two crucial wins and desperate to make up ground in the playoff race.

Rittich won both those games, and he was really good in Edmonton.

Last night was a high-pressure game.

[chummer]

Rhett is concerned with the soft goals allowed by Rittich lately.

I didn't think he was wrong.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Last night was a high-pressure game.

Yeah, I said that.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

It's almost time we start looking at top performing AHL goalies as trade targets.

Last year, about 30 goalies saw action in the playoffs. There is a good chance that if the Flames make it past the 1st round, Smith is going to have perform at a level he hasn't achieved all season.

Almost all. If Smith has to come in for a game or two, and pitches a shutout, he actually has done that a couple times this year.

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

I think Rhett Warrener is wrong most of the time.

When was the last time Rittich faced "real pressure"? To my mind the Edmonton game before the break was the Flames biggest game between last night and the NYE SJ game. While the Oilers are a crappy team, it was a building in which the Flames had never won, it was a National game, and Edmonton was coming off two crucial wins and desperate to make up ground in the playoff race.

Rittich won both those games, and he was really good in Edmonton.

No self respecting Flames fan, let alone hockey fan in general, is ever allowed to praise any player at anytime for positive achievements against the Oilers. It's just far too easy.

Shame on you.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

No self respecting Flames fan, let alone hockey fan in general, is ever allowed to praise any player at anytime for positive achievements against the Oilers. It's just far too easy.

Shame on you.

Damn.

[CSharp]

Should've let Rittich stay in goal last night. He would've shut the door on the Sharks after those two bad goals. I had confident with Smith early last season, but after his injury and this season, I have no confidence with him in net. Felt this way with Hiller and then with Elliot. Smith has not shown that he can shut the door in the 3rd periods, whereas Rittich has.

[neo45]

I’m not saying Rittich didn’t make a mistake on that second goal here, but it’s also not completely his fault. I’ll even go as far to say it MOSTLY wasn’t his fault.

The players gave up a breakaway, Rittich made the right call to play the puck, and the Flames players didn’t give him an easy target so he had to try going up the middle. Burns also played it perfectly.

I think he deserved another opportunity.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by neo45

I’m not saying Rittich didn’t make a mistake on that second goal here, but it’s also not completely his fault. I’ll even go as far to say it MOSTLY wasn’t his fault.

The players gave up a breakaway, Rittich made the right call to play the puck, and the Flames players didn’t give him an easy target so he had to try going up the middle. Burns also played it perfectly.

I think he deserved another opportunity.

I think the second goal was his opportunity. The first goal was bad, and when a goalie allows another bad one in quick succession then the coach is likely to relieve him.

I bet Rittich will start tomorrow.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Almost all. If Smith has to come in for a game or two, and pitches a shutout, he actually has done that a couple times this year.

I wouldn't count on it in a playoff series where every game is critical though. Fifty-one goalies have shutouts this season. It's the overall body of work to consider.

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by CSharp

Should've let Rittich stay in goal last night. He would've shut the door on the Sharks after those two bad goals.

I highly doubt he would have stopped the third goal and most likely that would have been it for him anyway.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Well, I think it is interesting, and could be more interesting.

Relying on stats of cup winning goalies since 2004 gives you, what, 13 data points?

Also, need I remind you that ... it was in! :-)

It's 14, and the only thing I'd say to that is it's the most important data point. In my initial post I also looked at the cup final losing goalies...Martin Jones started 65, and a bunch of others in the 59-62 range.

If you want more data points, it isn't too hard to extrapolate: count every instance of a goalie starting more than 68 games, and I can tell you that zero of them made it to the cup finals.

Or the much longer list of goalies who started more than 62 games...I can tell you that exactly 1 of them won a cup and 1 other made it to the finals.


And I'll add, this doesn't necessarily indicate a relationship totally specific to the goaltenders' performances, but it may speak a bit to team composition and how capable they are playing in front of a backup more in the regular season. A team who needs to have the best goalie in net 70+ times probably needs everything to go right for them...subtracting any single piece (goalie or otherwise) is more likely to be de-rail them.

[The Boy Wonder]

Not sure if it’s been discussed but the athletic did an article and actually analyzed whether smith truly protects d men, and prevents shots by playing the puck more.

They concluded he doesn’t actually impact the game positively very much at all by playing the puck so much but the increase in shots for vs. Shots against us a wash.

So basically the one reason coaching staff gives for playing him against heavier teams means nothing. MS =NG

Hopefully rittich bounces back tonight

[Manhattanboy]

My own view is that Smith’s puck handling is a liability for our defence as opposed to being an asset.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

My own view is that Smith’s puck handling is a liability for our defence as opposed to being an asset.

The 2 most exciting plays in hockey.

When the goalie plays the puck.

What happens next.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

My own view is that Smith’s puck handling is a liability for our defence as opposed to being an asset.

Oh, agreed. His decision making with the puck is often horrible

Peters said earlier this year that they expect and can deal with gaffes, the thinking is that they force forechecking teams to change their game plan.

[The Boy Wonder]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Oh, agreed. His decision making with the puck is often horrible

Peters said earlier this year that they expect and can deal with gaffes, the thinking is that they force forechecking teams to change their game plan.

Which the stats prove isn’t true

Second part obviously

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by The Boy Wonder

Which the stats prove isn’t true

Second part obviously

I get that. I have heard the narrative about protecting D from hits and data reportedly doesn’t bear it out. The metrics for interrupted strategy may potentially not be shot quality so much as quality.

A moot point though. Obviously the net of it is that he hasn’t helped anything this year