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

[kman35ca]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

No need to slog on Mike Smith, as a veteran I am sure he knows the gravity of the situation. And he wants to do everything he can to fix it.

Rather than throw him under the bus, the team just needs to sit him and let Rittich ride his wave until he either ####s the bucket or needs a break. It's the whimsical nature of goalie consistency. I'm sure Smith knew going into the season that the younger goalies are vying for his spot and will be given a chance to shine.

Bang on. Just gotta realize Smith is done. Happens to all goalies, just not in this fashion. Usually they aren't given this leeway, which I think is coming from over Peter's head. A great outcome would be to see Rittich take over as starter and keep up his play. And maybe Smith watching from the pine and getting his head back together and make some starts in b2b scenarios and playing decent would be the perfect solution. Then sign a good back up in the off season.

That's ideally how I'd like to see things go. But how often do things work out "ideally" in the NHL. I think we got enough cap space to sign a goalie like Steve Mason. Heard he won't take a low money offer, but if he's sitting at home for a 1/4 of the season that might change. Then either send Smith down, or play 3 goalies, with Smith eating popcorn.

No way to trade him now.... All I know is we can't afford to have Smith starting anymore. The experiment is over. Unless we want another high 10-16 draft pick....

[Stay Golden]

The best strategy for scoring on Mike Smith this season is shooting at Mike Smith and somehow they find a way past him.
Especially in the first period.

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by Johnny Makarov

Which is fine. Not calling him out in the media. but afterwards in the locker room he should have laid out into Smith and destroyed 2 garbage cans with a stick!

Honestly what would that achieve other than make everyone on the team think he's a prick? Everyone in that locker room knows it. Smith Knows it. We all know it. Hammering on that and getting angry is completely useless now.

Smith has lost it as is evidence from his last 30-40 starts and can't be tolerated any longer. If the organization didn't want to go to Rittich full time a week or two ago, they basically have no choice now or risk sending some pretty bleak messages to the team, fans. You just have to hope Rittich has improved enough and learned from last year so that he can now handle a much larger role or this season is going down the tube.

[CliffFletcher]

The Flames braintrust really have bungled this. There was a chance a week or two ago to transition to a tandem system, with the hot hand staying in net. That way you ease Rittich into a larger role.

By throwing Smith in again and again in an effort to let him find his game, they've exposed and completely deflated him. And now they pretty much have no choice but to promote Rittich to starter, with the big pressure that comes with that role.

[zamler]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

The Flames braintrust really have bungled this. There was a chance a week or two ago to transition to a tandem system, with the hot hand staying in net. That way you ease Rittich into a larger role.

By throwing Smith in again and again in an effort to let him find his game, they've exposed and completely deflated him. And now they pretty much have no choice but to promote Rittich to starter, with the big pressure that comes with that role.

All of this. The sad thing is you could see this coming a mile away but for some reason the Calgary Flames couldn't.

[Reign of Fire]

Maybe its time to waive Smith. If someone picks him, then he's off the book. If he clears, send him down to Stockton for a month. Let him build his confidence there. NHL games are too valuable to be trying to build up his confidence.

[TheRealPepman]

Can we replace Sigalet with Smith?

[GordonBlue]

I have to admit that at the beginning of the season I thought Smith was going to be a solid middle of the pack goalie.

that his poor play at the end of last year was just a result of rushing back from injury, and he'd be fine once healed and rested up.

[868904]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

The Flames braintrust really have bungled this. There was a chance a week or two ago to transition to a tandem system, with the hot hand staying in net. That way you ease Rittich into a larger role.

By throwing Smith in again and again in an effort to let him find his game, they've exposed and completely deflated him. And now they pretty much have no choice but to promote Rittich to starter, with the big pressure that comes with that role.

I think it's pretty clear that the Flames don't think Rittich is capable of being a number 1 goalie, this is supported by what Burke said. They felt their best chance of getting a number 1 was to have Smith work through his problems.

Rittich has always been the "extra". Management can't stop talking glowingly about Gillies and Parsons. In Stockton, Huska always seemed to favour Gillies even with Rittich playing well.

Seems to me they think Rittich is a good back up who can put up good numbers when he is the backup, but when forced into carrying the ball, he will fail. They are basing this on last year, rightly or wrongly.

They have no choice now but to see if Rittich can be the number 1 because every other goalie in this organization has failed. Rittich is the number 1 by default!

[Flash Walken]

someone drive out to Stony Plain and see if Glenn Hall has finished painting his barn

[LouCypher]

If Rittich can play the Kipper role then Smith can play the Turek role problem solved haha.

I think realistically they wanted to give Smith a shot to see if he can return to form. Its probably not going to happen now its time to find another option and play Rittich to see if he can handle the load. I don't think its a disaster yet but if it continues it could be a real waste of an opportunity to give Rittich a shot and show some confidence in him.

[Poe969]

I keep checking to see if something has been done yet and I keep getting disappointed. The longer Smith is on the team, the less faith I have in the team.

[Manhattanboy]

Originally Posted by Poe969

I keep checking to see if something has been done yet and I keep getting disappointed. The longer Smith is on the team, the less faith I have in the team.

The longer Smith is on the team the steeper the decline in the standings.

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

Um, read that again, sorry. 2017 deadline. Flames already had drafted Tkachuk by then.

Yes, but when talks were at their heaviest (atleast according to the media) it was the 2016 draft and Pittsburgh wanted what would have been Tkachuk. Who knows how much the two sides talked after that. Pittsburgh might have even wanted more seeing as they ended up not dealing him to anyone.

[Mattman]

Alright I want to count the amount of games that have cost us points this season, due to weak goaltending.

Oct 11th - St. Louis loss 5-3 Smith with 3 goals on 17 shots. Smith pulled.

Oct 19th - Nashville loss 5-3 4 goals on 24 shots. Flames were the hungrier team, but lost the goaltending battle.

Oct 25th - Pittsburgh loss 9-1 6 goals on 19 shots. Also given this was just a bad game collectively for the Flames. Some goals he couldn't save like the deflection, or Crosby's shot, but he was coughing up rebounds like something else.

Honourable mention: Nov 1st - Colorado 6-5 win. Smith let's in 4 goals on 14 shots. Smith let's in a couple softies.

Nov 7th - Anaheim 3-1 loss. 3 goals on 24 shots. Smith let's in a softy from Silfverberg.

Nov 15th - Montreal 3-2 loss Your chances of scoring a goal on Mike Smith seem to be significantly greater if you float a shot DIRECTLY at him. This shouldn't have been a game that the Flames lost. Smith let's in 3 on 22 shots faced. Our empty net faced 1 shot and 0 goals against.


This is just 6 games where I felt like Smith definitely had no control over the game and played worse than any of the goalies we have had in Calgary over the last 7 years.

6/13 starts for Mike Smith have resulted in games that cost us points so far.


I'm done with Smith. This is too well structured of a team to have it blown on lousey goaltending, and for that matter if this continues for even one more game, it's on the coaches and management.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Mattman

Alright I want to count the amount of games that have cost us points this season, due to weak goaltending.

Oct 11th - St. Louis loss 5-3 Smith with 3 goals on 17 shots. Smith pulled.

Oct 19th - Nashville loss 5-3 4 goals on 24 shots. Flames were the hungrier team, but lost the goaltending battle.

Oct 25th - Pittsburgh loss 9-1 6 goals on 19 shots. Also given this was just a bad game collectively for the Flames. Some goals he couldn't save like the deflection, or Crosby's shot, but he was coughing up rebounds like something else.

Honourable mention: Nov 1st - Colorado 6-5 win. Smith let's in 4 goals on 14 shots. Smith let's in a couple softies.

Nov 7th - Anaheim 3-1 loss. 3 goals on 24 shots. Smith let's in a softy from Silfverberg.

Nov 15th - Montreal 3-2 loss Your chances of scoring a goal on Mike Smith seem to be significantly greater if you float a shot DIRECTLY at him. This shouldn't have been a game that the Flames lost. Smith let's in 3 on 22 shots faced. Our empty net faced 1 shot and 0 goals against.


This is just 6 games where I felt like Smith definitely had no control over the game and played worse than any of the goalies we have had in Calgary over the last 7 years.

6/13 starts for Mike Smith have resulted in games that cost us points so far.


I'm done with Smith. This is too well structured of a team to have it blown on lousey goaltending, and for that matter if this continues for even one more game, it's on the coaches and management.

Anaheim and Montreal for sure - there's no debate at all. I didn't think the team played well overall in the Nashville loss - I didn't think they were hungrier. I seem to recall the same against St. Louis, though him being pulled speaks a lot. I can't put Pittsburgh on any individual.

I tend to think there are actually more games they won in spite of his bad play than they've lost because of it. Which isn't a mark for him, it's a mark for the team.

I think we are all done with Smith as a starter. It's just that the options aren't great at the moment, and it seems to me that Rittich as number one for an extended period is all they can do.

[King Theo]

I was of the mind to give Smith more time to find his game, but at this point he is letting in way to many soft goals. And when he does you see the life come out of the team. I think that it is time to give Rittich 75% of the starts. Put Smith on the bench, and if he looks this bad in his next 2 or 3 starts as a backup, wave him.

[stemit14]

Originally Posted by 868904

I think it's pretty clear that the Flames don't think Rittich is capable of being a number 1 goalie, this is supported by what Burke said. They felt their best chance of getting a number 1 was to have Smith work through his problems.



Rittich has always been the "extra". Management can't stop talking glowingly about Gillies and Parsons. In Stockton, Huska always seemed to favour Gillies even with Rittich playing well.



Seems to me they think Rittich is a good back up who can put up good numbers when he is the backup, but when forced into carrying the ball, he will fail. They are basing this on last year, rightly or wrongly.



They have no choice now but to see if Rittich can be the number 1 because every other goalie in this organization has failed. Rittich is the number 1 by default!

I don’t understand why management would feel this way. No one really knows if a guy can be a number 1 until he is given the opportunity. Right now, the opportunity is there and Rittich should be given the chance to go with it.

Kipper was never a number 1 goalie until the opportunity came up. There was no doubt he was a number 1 goalie for this team after he ran with that opportunity.

Last nights game would have been a perfect way to transition Rittich into playing more games. It’s against a less-skilled team that the flames can dominate when they play their game... which they did last night. Let’s Rittich get his confidence up for his next game that is a bigger test because he’s coming up against McDavid. I know the oilers are no good but McDavid’s line is always dangerous.

Now, instead of a confident goalie who would have gotten a nice win last night to start a home stand... Rittich will be a goalie that
1. hasn’t played in a week,
2. is facing the best offensive player on a division rival on Saturday night in a must-win game, and
3. is probably thinking that management sees him as merely a last resort because smith is just that bad instead of showing confidence in Rittich by giving him the net against Montreal.

I bet if Rittich has a bad night, they go right back to smith. Smith gets multiple bad games to regain his confidence and play... but rittich will have a very short leash.


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[Beninho]

Originally Posted by stemit14

I don’t understand why management would feel this way. No one really knows if a guy can be a number 1 until he is given the opportunity. Right now, the opportunity is there and Rittich should be given the chance to go with it.

Kipper was never a number 1 goalie until the opportunity came up. There was no doubt he was a number 1 goalie for this team after he ran with that opportunity.

Last nights game would have been a perfect way to transition Rittich into playing more games. It’s against a less-skilled team that the flames can dominate when they play their game... which they did last night. Let’s Rittich get his confidence up for his next game that is a bigger test because he’s coming up against McDavid. I know the oilers are no good but McDavid’s line is always dangerous.

Now, instead of a confident goalie who would have gotten a nice win last night to start a home stand... Rittich will be a goalie that
1. hasn’t played in a week,
2. is facing the best offensive player on a division rival on Saturday night in a must-win game, and
3. is probably thinking that management sees him as merely a last resort because smith is just that bad instead of showing confidence in Rittich by giving him the net against Montreal.

I bet if Rittich has a bad night, they go right back to smith. Smith gets multiple bad games to regain his confidence and play... but rittich will have a very short leash.


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It’s the same management that believed Elliott and Smith could be starters for a contending team. Management has shown zero ability to pick the right goalie nor when to promote goalies. It’s been an issue since Kipper has left. I guess starting a 36 year old with a .876 save percentage is a smart idea. Smith has a big leash? I’d like to know for what exactly. We are treating him like he’s done something worthwhile in his time here in Calgary. The only goalie of recent memory that deserves the leash smith is getting was #34. 42 year old kipper would have a better save percentage than 36 year old smith, I’m convinced of that.

[868904]

This whole goaltending debacle stems from this management team betting on Gillies and Parsons.

They thought one of them would be ready to be the no. 1 now. They bet wrong. They never had faith in Rittich. They always saw him as the back up. They feel Rittich will just fail when they give him more starts.

They had too much faith in Gillies and therefore went with band-aid solutions like Elliot and Smith.