Should Johnson or Elliott Start Game 4?

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by Mass_nerder

I can't really see anyone but Elliott starting, as gg doesn't really seem to like tinkering with lineups.
I can't see it making a difference either way though. Anaheim has really brought the heat when it mattered, and they'll be motivated to finish this, and Elliott and Johnson have both been shakey lately.

Trouble with starting Elliot is mentally it's in everyone's heads, if Gillies can come in and steal a game for us it would put everyone in a better mindset should Elliot come back in after 1 game or 2.

[belsarius]

I would go with Johnson. 6 in a row for Elliott and beyond that I think he has a dismal all time record vs Anaheim. The team still needs someone back there that they have some confidence in, while Johnson has been meh for most of 2017 he did have a great run and would be as amped up as anyone to play in front of the C of Red.

[TheOnlyBilko]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

This post is terrible...

Why is my post terrible? Cause I asked a question? I didn't know how he got the "moose" nickname and now I do. It's great that he wanted to honor his deceased friend. Im not sure if his deceased friends nickname was moose, but he was a world champion for calling a moose. If I was Elliott, I would have told people not to call me Moose and explain i that i was just remembering/honoring a deceased friend. I stand by my opinion that using the same nickname as one of the NHL'S all time greats is lame.

[The Fonz]

Said Gillies earlier, but voted Elliott.

Elliott's collapse on the ice after the OT winner was scored looked like that of a man who knows he just lost millions of dollars. Give him 1 last opportunity... if the contract implications of tomorrow night's game aren't enough for him to steal the show, then Elliott has no business being a 1A goaltender in this league.

[TheOnlyBilko]

Back on topic, if people are voting for Gillies they have given up on the series and are hoping for a miracle or they figure that since Johnson and Elliott will not be back next season that we might as well get Gillies in and give him some playoff/high pressure experience. Regardless of what happens this series I really hope Calgary keeps Gillies with the big club next season and plays at least 30-35 games. His time has come to give him the shot at the NHL.

[Azhouse]

I have visions of Johnson starting the last game against the Oilers at home where everyone was amped and ready to go, rowdy crowd etc...

Gillies please.

[flambers]

I can not vision the Flames Coaching staff placing a rookie with 1 game experience into this type of game.

As for Johnson, he has not played in a while.

I voted for Elliott. (I do agree, he has played very poorly)

I don't see any other option....

[CsInMyBlood]

Johnson.

If not for the great goaltending streak he gave us after the horrible start we had, we wouldn't be in the playoffs at all.

Yeah, Elliott had the longer hot streak but he has shown he has literally dropped the puck into the net.

Give Johnson a chance if he is healed and ready to go.

[Azhouse]

Originally Posted by flambers

I don't see any other option....

A recurring theme in the Flames 'tending woes.

[Tron_fdc]

No reason why we can't start Gillies. It's always tough to get that 4th win, and in this series I just can't see all this puck luck going to the ducks in game 4. Whoever starts tomorrow PROBABLY will get the win, so why not start Gillies. He's better than Johnson, and right now my beer league goalie is better than Elliott.

Start whoever gives you the best chance to win moving forward after tomorrow. It's not Elliott, and IMO it's not Johnson.

Gillies wins tomorrow. We FINALLY win in Anaheim game 5. Ducks formally declare a goaltender controversy and run with Bernier the rest of the series. Coin flip in game 6/7 who wins.

Or we just give up and complete the sweep.

[Beninho]

Gillies actually is big and has a glove. Unlike the other 2 goalies the flames employ. Give him the start, Johnson will get ####ed. The future can't get here soon enough as far as the flames goaltending is concerned. Gillies has a full year in the AHL, 3 years of college, and is 23 years old, it may be a bit premature but his development won't be ruined. He gets beat so what, he hopefully has enough confidence to not let one game decide the rest of his career.

[Flamescuprun2018]

Anybody but Elliott for me. Gillies for the experience opportunity sounds good.

Recognizing a limited sample size. We have the last (17th) ranked goalie in the playoffs this year. Oilers have the 3rd ranked goalie. The GSAA is very telling. Elliott has given up 4 more goals than league average for number of shots faced and Talbot has saved 3 goals more than league average for number of shots faced.

If we had Talbot level goaltending in this series we would have given up 7 fewer goals and be leading 3-0 in the series!

I cannot believe our misfortune with goalie signings. Elliott was 0.930 SAA in regular season and 0.921 in playoffs last year. Does make me wonder a bit about our goalie coach.

Blues really got it right with Jake Allen over Elliott it would seem.


Rk Player GA SA SV SV% GAA SO MIN GSAA
1 Jake Allen 3 117 114 .974 0.91 0 198 5.36
2 Pekka Rinne 2 95 93 .979 0.61 2 197 4.79
3 Cam Talbot 3 83 80 .964 0.98 2 183 2.93
4 MAF 6 109 103 .945 1.87 0 193 1.79
5 Lundqvist 7 118 111 .941 2.16 1 194 1.43
6 Carey Price 5 89 84 .944 1.53 0 196 1.36
7 Bernier 0 16 16 1.000 0.00 0 33 1.14
8 Martin Jones 5 77 72 .935 1.66 0 181 0.50
9 F Andersen 9 120 111 .925 2.47 0 219 -0.42
10 Dubnyk 6 78 72 .923 1.87 0 193 -0.43
11 Holtby 10 116 106 .914 2.74 0 219 -1.71
12 John Gibson 8 85 77 .906 3.22 0 149 -1.92
13 Crawford 9 98 89 .908 2.77 0 195 -2.00
14 Anderson 8 74 66 .892 2.58 0 186 -2.71
15 Tuukka Rask 9 88 79 .898 2.89 0 187 -2.71
16 Bobrovsky 11 107 96 .897 3.49 0 189 -3.35
17 Brian Elliott 11 97 86 .887 3.67 0 180 -4.07

[Badgers Nose]

I'm conditioned to want to see our next rookie make the team, it's been the most consistently rewarding part of being a flames fan the last 4 seasons.

I think Gillies might be our starter next year.

He seems like one of these super kids like 19, 23, 13 that seem to have incredible poise and self confidence. In the extremely unlikely event that Ducks blow him out, so what? He'll get over it.

If he wins the next two he will be a messiah.

[oldschoolcalgary]

just seems like all this Gillies talk is in the same vein the "best player on the team is the backup QB" mindset...

my guess is that the status quo remains... but GG has got to use a short hook on him if he's looking nervous out there.

I just hope and pray that GG doesn't hold onto his timeouts like their were precious diamonds: two games in a row, we ought to have used them (once before the 5 on 3 and yesterday when the ducks made it 4-3) and we didn't...

Everyone in the damn dome could see that game was slipping away in the third...while the timeout might not have saved the game, at least it would have been an attempt to calm the boys down...

[Beninho]

Originally Posted by oldschoolcalgary

just seems like all this Gillies talk is in the same vein the "best player on the team is the backup QB" mindset...

my guess is that the status quo remains... but GG has got to use a short hook on him if he's looking nervous out there.

I just hope and pray that GG doesn't hold onto his timeouts like their were precious diamonds: two games in a row, we ought to have used them (once before the 5 on 3 and yesterday when the ducks made it 4-3) and we didn't...

Everyone in the damn dome could see that game was slipping away in the third...while the timeout might not have saved the game, at least it would have been an attempt to calm the boys down...

No this is different. This is fans wanting to see the possible future for the flames goaltending after Goalie no.1 shat the bed so hard we all will have nightmares for the entire summer. You start Elliott after that #### show? Or Johnson who doesn't know how to use his glove? Gillies should get the start, he's bigger and the future. Let's see what he can do right now, could be massive for this team moving forward and may allow the flames to realize they don't have to get rid of assets for a fleury or a Bishop.

[CsInMyBlood]

I guess the thing that bothers me about people wanting Gilles in, is why shouldn't Johnson get that chance first? He has been with the team all year and thus deserves the shot more than Gilles.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by CsInMyBlood

I guess the thing that bothers me about people wanting Gilles in, is why shouldn't Johnson get that chance first? He has been with the team all year and thus deserves the shot more than Gilles.

Is Johnson 100% healthy. I made I clear in my post about that when I chose Gillies. Groins don't heal overnight.

[Beninho]

Originally Posted by CsInMyBlood

I guess the thing that bothers me about people wanting Gilles in, is why shouldn't Johnson get that chance first? He has been with the team all year and thus deserves the shot more than Gilles.

Cuz he's been terrible since becoming the backup again. Yes he helped save the season but the ducks will kill him. Johnson will get lit up. I have zero confidence in him or elliott at this point.

[CsInMyBlood]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Is Johnson 100% healthy. I made I clear in my post about that when I chose Gillies. Groins don't heal overnight.

Yeah, that is very true, not sure if he is 100%.

[oldschoolcalgary]

Originally Posted by Beninho

No this is different. This is fans wanting to see the possible future for the flames goaltending after Goalie no.1 shat the bed so hard we all will have nightmares for the entire summer. You start Elliott after that #### show? Or Johnson who doesn't know how to use his glove? Gillies should get the start, he's bigger and the future. Let's see what he can do right now, could be massive for this team moving forward and may allow the flames to realize they don't have to get rid of assets for a fleury or a Bishop.

well, since what i think doesn't actually matter, its not something i worry about ...

i've already put out my position of starting Johnson if he's healthy...and Elliott if not...

if there's been no word of Gillies being called up by now, then its pretty unlikely he's going to start for us tomorrow...