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

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

I am not under any illusion that Mike Smith has performed consistently well this year. He has not. It has been a bad year for him punctuated by poor performances amid a handful of excellent games here or there. But I have been around long enough to see that a goalie—ANY goalie—can go on a heater in April and May and carry his team to the Cup Final. So, I am not at all ready to discount the possibility that it could happen to the Flames, even in front of Mike Smith playing goal. I sure don't expect it to happen, but am definitely not willing to concede that the Flames have no chance of winning with him in the net.

Kirk Maclean in 93-94 comes to mind.

I have little doubt that, absent some big change, Rittich will have the number one status by the POs.

[GioforPM]

For the record, in the last six games counting tonight, they've alternated starting goalies.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Kirk Maclean in 93-94 comes to mind.

I have little doubt that, absent some big change, Rittich will have the number one status by the POs.

I tend to agree, and while I personally hope that Rittich is the starter I am not particularly worried about Mike Smith starting in the playoffs, because I believe it only happens if he is playing well.

[Draug]

Originally Posted by Toonage

I've been hard on Smith too. We all have.

But look at it this way. If Smith starts the playoffs, and performs the same way then that he did over the past 6 games, we're onto round 2.

No way. The recent Stanley Cup winning goalies have all had greater than. 922 save percentage throughout the playoffs.

And I dont think the odds of winning round 1 is very good if you spot the other team 1 free win amongst 6 games, as Smith has done in his past 6 starts.

No matter whom becomes our playoff goalie, he'll have to be significantly better than Smith has been the past 6 games.

[Toonage]

Did he not just win 5 of his past 6 starts?

Does a series still end at 4 wins?

[The Boy Wonder]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

I am not under any illusion that Mike Smith has performed consistently well this year. He has not. It has been a bad year for him punctuated by poor performances amid a handful of excellent games here or there. But I have been around long enough to see that a goalie—ANY goalie—can go on a heater in April and May and carry his team to the Cup Final. So, I am not at all ready to discount the possibility that it could happen to the Flames, even in front of Mike Smith playing goal. I sure don't expect it to happen, but am definitely not willing to concede that the Flames have no chance of winning with him in the net.

THis is exactly the point. So if thats what we require, and most teams that go on a deep cup run have a goalie playing lights out, then why would we choose to back Smith to be the guy when he has shown that he doesn't have that level of play in him anymore and he is in fact the longest shot to go on a heater...

Would you not want to give your team the best possible chance of going on a run??? Odds are against it being smith

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Draug

No way. The recent Stanley Cup winning goalies have all had greater than. 922 save percentage throughout the playoffs.

And I dont think the odds of winning round 1 is very good if you spot the other team 1 free win amongst 6 games, as Smith has done in his past 6 starts.

No matter whom becomes our playoff goalie, he'll have to be significantly better than Smith has been the past 6 games.

In his last 6 starts he is 5-1 with a .914 save%.

Pretty good.

[The Boy Wonder]

Originally Posted by transplant99

In his last 6 starts he is 5-1 with a .914 save%.

Pretty good.

yeah but how good were the opponents?

I recall watching the tampa game and thinking, "my god this would be awful if smith was in net."

Theres a reason smith doesn't get to start the difficult games and its because he is not a good NHL goalie anymore.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by The Boy Wonder

yeah but how good were the opponents?

I recall watching the tampa game and thinking, "my god this would be awful if smith was in net."

Theres a reason smith doesn't get to start the difficult games and its because he is not a good NHL goalie anymore.

The division leading Islanders twice and the Penguins, AZ and Anaheim.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by transplant99

In his last 6 starts he is 5-1 with a .914 save%.

Pretty good.

And I suspect that those SC winning goalies upped their stats in the POs compared to, say, February. Games are tighter.

Again, not to say that Smith should start, or that I expect him to suddenly vastly improve. But if he's playing well and gets in I'm not upset. If Rittich is playing well and gets in I'm not upset. If they get in because the other craps out, I'm concerned. But that happens, even with good goalies. MAF has had some terrible PO performances. Quick in 15-16 was terrible. Same with Dubnyk.

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by The Boy Wonder

yeah but how good were the opponents?

Minnesota - possible first-round opponent
Arizona - possible first-round opponent
NYI x 2 - first in their division
Pittsburgh - Crosby and Malkin

And then Anaheim, who sucks.

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

And then Anaheim, who sucks.

And they even gave the Flames a good game. He may have gifted them a goal but he also made some good saves that kept it tied and allowed the Flames to win late.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by The Boy Wonder

THis is exactly the point. So if thats what we require, and most teams that go on a deep cup run have a goalie playing lights out, then why would we choose to back Smith to be the guy when he has shown that he doesn't have that level of play in him anymore and he is in fact the longest shot to go on a heater...

Would you not want to give your team the best possible chance of going on a run??? Odds are against it being smith

This is entirely beside my point, and I have already said that I prefer Rittich to start in the playoffs. I was responding to another poster who claimed that Mike Smith would get "lit up" and the Flames would be "pretty much done" if he plays post-season games.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Inferno

And they even gave the Flames a good game. He may have gifted them a goal but he also made some good saves that kept it tied and allowed the Flames to win late.

Yeah, that Anaheim game felt like a playoff game.

[redforever]

Rittich's worst games were right after the ASG...and the whole team was playing lousy then, not just Rittich.

Everybody in the GTs was moaning about how the Flames were not playing the same as before the ASG, that they had to get their mojo back.

[Itse]

I've been a critic of Smiths since even before the season started, but I wouldn't try to argue that he hasn't played some very good games this season, or that he hasn't been mostly okay recently.

Not great. Enough very good games that he looks like a passable NHL goalie.

It's just that this is Smiths best stretch of games in a year. That's really, really unlikely to last in his age. (Of course he only needs to have one good spring...)

Rittich is no sure thing. He's just the better bet, IMO. Time is on his side.

[IliketoPuck]

Originally Posted by transplant99

The division leading Islanders twice and the Penguins, AZ and Anaheim.

Whoa now.

Let's put the Islanders into context here. They are 22nd OA in GF/GP. Not exactly an offensive juggernaut. Same goes for AZ at 28th GF/GP and Ana at 31st GF/GP.

Of all the teams you listed, only Pittsburgh is dangerous offensively, at 5th OA in GF/GP. And if I recall correctly, Smith let in 4 against them.

As I've seen it put elsewhere, the next time Smith starts for the Flames will be too soon.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by IliketoPuck

Whoa now.

Let's put the Islanders into context here. They are 22nd OA in GF/GP. Not exactly an offensive juggernaut. Same goes for AZ at 28th GF/GP and Ana at 31st GF/GP.

Of all the teams you listed, only Pittsburgh is dangerous offensively, at 5th OA in GF/GP. And if I recall correctly, Smith let in 4 against them...

Context, indeed.

In Rittich's last five starts he has won games against #16 and #20 top-scoring teams, and lost in a S/O to the #27 team. He allowed six goals against the best team in the League, and two goals on six shots against the #2 scoring team.

There is not a perceptible difference between the most recent performances of both Flames goalies. It would be great if people could evaluate them by the same criteria.

[CanadaMatt]

An entire thread of confirmation bias on both sides...cherry picking stats to back up each sides position...a position from which nobody will move.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by CanadaMatt

An entire thread of confirmation bias on both sides...cherry picking stats to back up each sides position...a position from which nobody will move.

says the voice of reason on the James Neal front