[GDT] There is a game tonight, it's at 7pm, it's a home game and it's against the Minnesot-

[The Boy Wonder]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

The response from numerous posters to the goaltending situation continues to entertain: Smith wins four-straight starts and there are still complaints that he has not "played lights out." Rittich was pulled in his last start and lost his previous two—a string of three starts in six games—and yet "should get the opportunity to show that he can bounce back."

Look at the teams smith has beat in his last starts.

LA. Not Good
Chicago. Not Good
Columbus. Not Good that night

Smith still looks shaky in net, has little to no rebound control and flails at pucks and has been lucky to have them hit him. The team is winning in spite of smith to my eye test not because of him.

You could say that fluky save on anisimov saved the game but why on earth was he so out of position to require a back heel save in the first place.

He flounders around out there

Some of us just think Rittich should get a bit more leash than what Smith gets. Especially considering if Smith plays anything more than 40 games in the regular season he is likely too gassed to do anything in playoffs... He is old and we need to look to the future.

Rittich has had one bad start, and against columbus he was terrible, but how many times did peters go right back to smith earlier this season even after he gave us a start like that??

[The Boy Wonder]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I imagine the style of play might change Peters' mind too. Smith is good at dump and chase interception. CBJ were a cycling team but they had a much harder time when Smith could get the puck up ice quickly, or make a good pass to the opposite side D-man.

I haven't followed Minnie much lately but they used to dump and chase.

This is the first logical argument for why smith should get this start.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

It’s interesting to see Smith get bashed for making saves and wining. I don’t care if they go off his skate blade, his head or the knob of his stick.....as long as he’s stopping them it’s better than the alternative.

Regardless of who’s in net I want to see the team defense tighten up. Lots of great chances against the team lately, time to clean those up.

[puckedoff]

Originally Posted by The Boy Wonder

This is the first logical argument for why smith should get this start.

Yeah, you get the hell out of here GioforPM!!!

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

The response from numerous posters to the goaltending situation continues to entertain: Smith wins four-straight starts and there are still complaints that he has not "played lights out." Rittich was pulled in his last start and lost his previous two—a string of three starts in six games—and yet "should get the opportunity to show that he can bounce back."

Let's not forget Smith played some bad teams and bad teams never get good scoring chances that require a goalie to make big saves. Unless of course you're Big Save Dave! Then every win is a solid game!

[dino7c]

Chicago got plenty of good chances against Smith

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Chicago got plenty of good chances against Smith

Exactly, that's my point. Smith has had to make some good saves against bad teams but some don't want to give him credit for it. But Rittich can have a quite game against a bad team and he gets props.

[The Boy Wonder]

All I know, and I've been saying it since spring, is that this team will not go far this year if mike smith is our #1 goalie.

hopefully I'm proven wrong, but my eye test sure isn't giving me great confidence, he doesn't instill confidence when watching the opposition take a shot from anywhere inside the zone.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by The Boy Wonder

Look at the teams smith has beat in his last starts.

LA. Not Good
Chicago. Not Good
Columbus. Not Good that night

Smith still looks shaky in net, has little to no rebound control and flails at pucks and has been lucky to have them hit him. The team is winning in spite of smith to my eye test not because of him.

You could say that fluky save on anisimov saved the game but why on earth was he so out of position to require a back heel save in the first place.

He flounders around out there

Some of us just think Rittich should get a bit more leash than what Smith gets. Especially considering if Smith plays anything more than 40 games in the regular season he is likely too gassed to do anything in playoffs... He is old and we need to look to the future.

Rittich has had one bad start, and against columbus he was terrible, but how many times did peters go right back to smith earlier this season even after he gave us a start like that??

Rittich's game against Dallas wasn't good either, or was that the bad start you were talking about?

There are 54 games left and Smith has started 16 so far. You are worried he can't play 24 more games? Maybe you should worry a bit about how Rittich has never played more than 33 games in a NA pro season. Only over 40 once in the Czech league. Last year he only played 33 games combined NHL/AHL.

I think Rittich can handle a tandem assignment. I think Peters may be worried about a repeat of last year, though, when Rittich was thrust into a starting role for which he wasn't ready.

[flamesforcup]

Tickets for this game are cheap AF on stubhub. Some as low as 8$

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by The Boy Wonder

Look at the teams smith has beat in his last starts.

LA. Not Good
Chicago. Not Good
Columbus. Not Good that night

Smith still looks shaky in net, has little to no rebound control and flails at pucks and has been lucky to have them hit him. The team is winning in spite of smith to my eye test not because of him.

You could say that fluky save on anisimov saved the game but why on earth was he so out of position to require a back heel save in the first place.

Worst rebound control of the season was last game, against Rittich.

Smith was in the position against Chicago because he'd just gone post to post the other way to try and stop a wraparound. He ended up forcing the player to pass over to Anisimov instead (who should have been covered but wasn't) and then he ended up making the skate save.

Fluky? Did you say that when Kipper did it? Or even Berra in that shootout?

ETA:

Rittich's wins are: Colorado (good team), NYR (bad team but he saved the game), Buffalo (medium), Chi, LA, Edmonton, (bad, bad, bad teams), Vegas (terrible that night), Winnipeg (good - he saved the game).

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Inferno

Exactly, that's my point. Smith has had to make some good saves against bad teams but some don't want to give him credit for it. But Rittich can have a quite game against a bad team and he gets props.

I know, wasn't directed at you...I was agreeing

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by flamesforcup

Tickets for this game are cheap AF on stubhub. Some as low as 8$

then $50 in fees lol

[Manhattanboy]

Who was it on the Wild that broke Johnny's hand? Team is full of hackers.

[dammage79]

IDC which goalie starts anymore, as long as they give the team the best chance to win.

TBH, I don't see either goalie in a flames Jersey beyond this season. It's the last major overhaul Treliving has on his plate.

I think this team is near Chicago level right now with Niemi when they started their cup runs. Not so good goalie but the team in front of him is lights out awesome.

Neither goalie has been stellar outside of Smiths effort in CHI lately.

And frankly I just do not believe Rittich can handle a #1 goalies workload. He tends to start overplaying when he gets a run of games. First shot in CLB game he butterflies and slides right out of the crease like Reto Berra used to do.

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

Who was it on the Wild that broke Johnny's hand? Team is full of hackers.

Staal

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

Who was it on the Wild that broke Johnny's hand? Team is full of hackers.

Staal.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by The Boy Wonder

*Smith bad! Rittich good!*

Straw men and equivocations abound in this post.

Some of us just think Rittich should get a bit more leash than what Smith gets. Especially considering if Smith plays anything more than 40 games in the regular season he is likely too gassed to do anything in playoffs... He is old and we need to look to the future.

Well, this is just patently false. Since both goalies are on pace to play fewer than 50 games it seems abundantly clear to me that any concerns about fatigue heading into the post-season are badly overblown. As usual, the same tired tropes of "looking to the future," and "more leash" are used to validate opinions that would see the Flames ride Rittich into oblivion.

Rittich has had one bad start, and against columbus he was terrible, but how many times did peters go right back to smith earlier this season even after he gave us a start like that??

The coach continued to play his starting goaltender through a rough patch in hopes of seeing him work through it? Astonishing.

The fact of the matter is that the Flames have two goalies that need to play. While Smith was the clear-cut starter heading into this season, things have changed, and the promising back-up goalie in his second NHL season is being given an opportunity to show that he can eventually be a starter. David Rittich is not there yet. Hopefully he gets there, but until he does I suspect the team will continue to operate with a measure of caution and something closer to a two-goalie platoon with the veteran starter he is seeking to supplant.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by dammage79

IDC which goalie starts anymore, as long as they give the team the best chance to win.

Precisely. The coaches have done a pretty good job of handling their goalies this season. They deserve some benefit of doubt before the Game #30 mark.

TBH, I don't see either goalie in a flames Jersey beyond this season. It's the last major overhaul Treliving has on his plate...

I think Rittich will be here, and I am sure as hell oping that he uses this season as a stepping stone to becoming a bona fide NHL staring goalie.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by The Boy Wonder

All I know, and I've been saying it since spring, is that this team will not go far this year if mike smith is our #1 goalie...

It's a good thing that Mike Smith is no longer the Flames #1 goalie. At least, his recent workload does not reflect that of a clear-cut starting goaltender.