2005 post lockout - pad width 12 to 11 inches
2011 - pad height up thigh to 55 percent (so basically extra height covering 5 hole when you butterfly)
2013 - pad height to 45% (knee to hip)
2017 Feb - Pants
2018 season - chest protectors
So nothing lower body this year as far as I can tell
One of the bigger differences in chest protectors this year is the change in padding to accommodate the size change. It makes certain spots more painful to stop a puck. Appears some goalies are having a harder time adjusting to it than others.
Philadelphia's Brian Elliott complained of bruises early in the season in an interview with the Courier-Post, and two-time Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky of the Blue Jackets last week told the Columbus Dispatch he fears getting hit by pucks and called the equipment change "terrible." Coming off winning the Stanley Cup with Washington, Braden Holtby is less concerned about bruising and more worried about a significant injury.
"Sooner or later someone's going to get hurt pretty bad," Holtby said after feeling the sting of a few shots at a morning skate. "You can deal with bumps and bruises and stuff. It's when you hope someone doesn't get a broken bone or some sort out of it. If they keep making things like that, they're going to have to start monitoring the stick technology because guys shoot so hard right now we'll have no choice but to be bigger."
One of the bigger differences in chest protectors this year is the change in padding to accommodate the size change. It makes certain spots more painful to stop a puck. Appears some goalies are having a harder time adjusting to it than others.
But how long of a leash do you give him? We’ve been extremely fortunate that the team hasn’t bled points when he’s had a bad game, last night we did. Can’t imagine the team is super comfortable risking points playing him in the hopes that he becomes slightly less awful.
For sure, and I don't have an answer.
I think he can be better (his stats can't get much worse). And a trade might be tough/impossible for Tre to pull off to solve it. Maybe go 50/50 between him and Rittich for a while? Maybe Smith starts finding his game?
I really don't know. I just know unless Tre can pull off some sort of trade to solve it we need both guys going. We're in a tough spot.
Yes, he's getting older but I still think Smith can be a useful goalie this season if he can get things figured out in his head.
Smith is 37 years old and has been playing goal for a long time. I would completely understand if his physical attributes were starting to wane but his mental fortitude should be at it's peak. I understand that any goalie can experience confidence issues, or play too tight from time to time but it seems to be happening too consistently with a guy with Smith's level of experience. I really hope he does get it figured out but there's certainly no guarantee of it.
__________________
The of and to a in is I that it for you was with on as have but be they
Yes, he's getting older but I still think Smith can be a useful goalie this season if he can get things figured out in his head.
I totally agree with him playing small. Look at the softy he let in. He's crunched into a little ball trying to trap the puck into himself (and not succeeding). I actually think he's way better when he's doing the unconventional flailing some posters don't like, because at least then he's being instinctive and not overthinking.
The Following User Says Thank You to GioforPM For This Useful Post:
There's a bunch of goalie coaches who concentrate on positive mental aspects, as opposed to technique (although they do that too). Some of them have degrees in psychology.
Maybe that's what Smith needs.
I'd pay a lot to get Mitch Korn, who's followed Trotz around from team to team. you can't argue with his track record. Hasek, Vokoun, Rinne, Holtby. Of course lots, if not most, of that is the talent of the goalies, but he sure didn't stifle or thwart that talent.
Last year, before Korn got to NYI with Trotz, Greiss was .892. This year so far he's .940. Lehner has improved from .908 with Buffalo last year to .924 in NY.
If not him (because he's so tied to Trotz), maybe one of his coaching students.
Two goalies I would try and target, with one more of a reach than the other. Washington prospect Ilya Samsonov. Holtby may be starting slow again but he’s won a Vezina and they just won the cup. He may be available if it helps them push for a cup again this year. This is maybe a long shot but I’m hoping Washington is thinking short term goals while Ovechkin and Backstrom are still elite and riding the high from last year. Samsonov is only 21 and was rated one of, if not the top rated goalie prospects last year.
The second and more realistic option is Cayden Primeau from the Canadiens playing for Northwestern in the NCAA. He’s younger (20 this year) and put up great stats last year and off to a solid start this year. With Carey Price in an contract for life, Montreal is a team to target for goalie prospects.
Stats:
Primeau ( 2.60, 0.911 this year, 1.92 0.931 last year)
Samsonov (3.47, 0.881 this year AHL 2.31 0.926 last year KHL)
I’ll welcome any thoughts, comments or discussions on either choice.
__________________
Geology rocks but geography is where it's at
Last edited by serratedmuffin; 11-09-2018 at 09:00 AM.
Reason: Added Samsonov’s age and pedigree
Two goalies I would try and target, with one more of a reach than the other. Washington prospect Ilya Samsonov. Holtby may be starting slow again but he’s won a Vezina and they just won the cup. He may be available if it helps them push for a cup again this year. This is maybe a long shot but I’m hoping Washington is thinking short term goals while Ovechkin and Backstrom are still elite and riding the high from last year. Samsonov is only 21 and was rated one of, if not the top rated goalie prospects last year.
The second and more realistic option is Cayden Primeau from the Canadiens playing for Northwestern in the NCAA. He’s younger (20 this year) and put up great stats last year and off to a solid start this year. With Carey Price in an contract for life, Montreal is a team to target for goalie prospects.
Stats:
Primeau ( 2.60, 0.911 this year, 1.92 0.931 last year)
Samsonov (3.47, 0.881 this year AHL 2.31 0.926 last year KHL)
I’ll welcome any thoughts, comments or discussions on either choice.
The issue with Samsonov is that he is signed for a couple more years (I think) in the KHL and could just sign there again.
The issue with Samsonov is that he is signed for a couple more years (I think) in the KHL and could just sign there again.
Elite prospects show him playing with Hershey in the AHL this year so he’s already in North America (as do the stats listed for this year). So that isn’t an issue unless he decides to return which is always a concern for Russians but he came over to be a number 1 so I imagine getting that opportunity would convince him to stay on this side of the pond.
__________________
Geology rocks but geography is where it's at
Instead of looking for a young emerging backup who has good numbers but needs an opportunity to prove himself, let's play our young emerging backup who has good numbers but needs (another) opportunity to prove himself.
Yes he struggled in that role last year, but the team was also playing like garbage and couldn't score. Something tells me he'll handle it better this year -- at the very least i think the team will play better in front of him knowing that not every shot against has a chance of going in.
The Following User Says Thank You to tvp2003 For This Useful Post:
Honestly pretty tired of spending all these picks and prospects attempting to find the right goalie for this team. The Flames’ top goaltender right now was a free pick up in David Rittich. We need to just find another diamond in the rough again. I’d honestly take Karri Ramo back as he was actually really good here and has found a way to get healthy and is doing very well in the Finnish League right now.
I have mentioned in the past my problem with Smith’s demeanour in games. Even when we first got him. Some call it intensity and competitiveness. But I have never liked it when goalies lose their cool or are vocally criticizing teammates.
I always prefer goalies that have a calming nature to their game. Was one of the best features of kipper. Good goal, bad goal, big save, easy save... it didn’t matter. He reacted the same way every time. He got up and took a drink of his Gatorade and got back to work. It’s why he rarely had stretches of letting in lots of bad goals. He kept his composure and would usually recover from a bad goal.
Guys like Smith, Elliott, and hiller have been the opposite. The second they let in a bad goal or a goal gets deflected by one of their own teammates... they look to the sky, or slam their stick or shrug their arms at teammates. That’s not a calming influence and never helps the goalie or their team mates get better. When smith lets in one bad goal... everyone knows he’s going to let in more... he never recovers during the game. Ever.
For reasons like these I would like whatever goalie the flames target next to be a calm, cool and collected style of goalie the way kipper was. I know his natural ability is not something that is easily found but I just want a goalie that focuses on stopping pucks and keeping in a focused state. Not someone who is trying to make breakout passes and is telling players how to defend. I would avoid guys like Lehner for this reason. He, like smith, is too reactionary/hot tempered and is not a calming influence to the team.
I actually believe Rittich is a good option going forward and I think has real potential to become a starter. He plays a tight game and his rebound control is good. Would love for the flames to approach kipper himself to come in as the new goalie coach to pass on his mental approach to Rittich as well as future flames goalies.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I agree with this a whole lot. I love the passionate goalies too, but there was something about having a calm Kipper that never let you think the game was over. It always felt odd to pull Kipper, as by the time the mask came back down he had as good a shot at playing as lights out then as he did at the start of the game.
Sometimes he'd pop back up to his feet really quick after a frustrating one (his goof or someone else', it didn't matter), maybe he'd go for a quick skate... but he seemed to reset every time (man, Kipper was the damn best).
I wonder whether or not that's what we have in Parsons. He can get fired up if something physical happens around the net, and he is one of those goalies that will speak up if something needs to be said to a ref or an opponent... however, there's something about him that seems purposefully calm.
I get the feeling that he knows the importance of this somehow, and works to bring that to his on and off-ice persona. Definitely a 'wait and see' with the demeanour of a 21 year old, but I'm on the same page as you and pretty excited about what that chapter could be
