[Game Takes] Flames 3 Islanders 1

[Bingo]

Game Takes:
Flames 3 Islanders 1

- Smith solid again
- Five on five points for Gaudreau
- Tkachuk snaps his streak
- Hamonic goes home

[Strange Brew]

I didn’t catch a lot of the deadline chatter so your comment about reports the team (players) didn’t want any changes was news to me. As in didn’t want new blood, or didn’t want anyone gone? Maybe that’s not unusual and in any case management seemed to try awfully hard to make a deal.

As for goaltending, to me it is clearly Smith’s job to lose now vs. a true tandem. Just my observation and opinion but I don’t believe Rittich can win back the starters net unless Smith loses it.

[transplant99]

calgary leads edmonton by 29 points if anyone cares anymore.

lol!!

[DeluxeMoustache]

Good write up.

Smith was damn good tonight.

The only goal, while arguably stoppable (2 on 1, the D took away the pass and gave him the shot), was among that 5-10 percent of shots that shooters take on goalies and go in. (Just didn’t quite get down quickly enough and it was placed well. Somebody turned down the gravity, perhaps. )

Some huge saves, including that highlight reel late beauty.

I have been less high and low about him than a lot of folks. Last year for sure in part because save percentage is a team stat, and last year down the stretch after his return, it was a combo of him and the team causing issues. (Still have taken opportunity when he was struggling to make a joke about moving goalposts)

I was pleased but cautious of late, as I saw a lack of real challenge in quite a few of his ‘triumphant return to form’ games recently. Solid, but not spectacular. Aggregate results of late are definitely piling up in his favour . That is great. He wasn’t letting in the backbreakers, gave the team a chance to win, and they won. I thought he fought off some rebounds and glove side shots, while saving what he had to and not costing the team.

Tonight? A really good game against a quality opponent. Some real good sequences. Sure hope this is what we see moving forward and he is not hurt

[DoubleK]

^^^

Well said about Smith.

[Bingo]

Numbers after last night's game

Last 5
Smith .928
Rittich .872

Last 10
Smith .918
Rittich .889

Last 15
Smith .902
Rittich .899

Last 20
Smith .909
Rittich .905

Smith is starting to build a body of work that suggests he's the guy, for sure.

But Rittich's last start was solid, so maybe if he puts another one up tonight it's a tandem.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Numbers after last night's game

Last 5
Smith .928
Rittich .872

Last 10
Smith .918
Rittich .889

Last 15
Smith .902
Rittich .899

Last 20
Smith .909
Rittich .905

Smith is starting to build a body of work that suggests he's the guy, for sure.

But Rittich's last start was solid, so maybe if he puts another one up tonight it's a tandem.

I'm looking at how the week+ has gone and it reminds me of how the 17/18 season started.

Smith is rolling, and Rittich is stepping in and doing the work of a solid back-up.

I'm really looking forward to eating pounds and pounds of crow pie. Even as recent as 2 weeks ago I was off spouting that there's no reason to believe Smith would ever find his game again due to age and the fact that he had lost it for an entire calendar year.

Now it's only been a few weeks, but Smith is looking rock solid. The league is visibly tightening up, and and the Flames alongside their goalies are grinding out wins these days. Very encouraging.

Also, goalies are weird.

[Jiri Hrdina]

A tandem is ideal. The coach needs to trust both guys such that if one falters in the playoffs there is an easy move to the other.
2 years ago the coach clearly didn't trust The Chad, so instead stuck with Elliott even as he wasn't play well. By the time they made the switch, after a softy early in game 4- it was too late
And in reality Johnson would not have made a difference as by that time he had been bad for a while.
The coach needs to be able to have two guys he trusts.

[Enoch Root]

A really solid outing by Rittich tonight would set things up beautifully for the Flames... one month left in the season, the nasty travel is behind them, they have a healthy lead in the western standings, and both goalies are playing well.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

A really solid outing by Rittich tonight would set things up beautifully for the Flames... one month left in the season, the nasty travel is behind them, they have a healthy lead in the western standings, and both goalies are playing well.

The remaining hurdle for the Flames goalies is to start dominating games on home ice. It's been a persistent problem for two years now, and it's important to start establishing some defensive dominance at the Dome.

[transplant99]

I think I heard yesterday somewhere that the last 4 SC winners all used 2 goalies in the playoffs.

Seems to be a thing in the NHL more and more. You need 2 goalies. Even if both are "average" you may be in better shape than a clear #1 and a shaky backup.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by transplant99

I think I heard yesterday somewhere that the last 4 SC winners all used 2 goalies in the playoffs.

Seems to be a thing in the NHL more and more. You need 2 goalies. Even if both are "average" you may be in better shape than a clear #1 and a shaky backup.

It's true, and I am increasingly more convinced that a team's chances at a long playoff run are dramatically increased if both their goalies have have not played in a lot of games.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

A tandem is ideal. The coach needs to trust both guys such that if one falters in the playoffs there is an easy move to the other.
2 years ago the coach clearly didn't trust The Chad, so instead stuck with Elliott even as he wasn't play well. By the time they made the switch, after a softy early in game 4- it was too late
And in reality Johnson would not have made a difference as by that time he had been bad for a while.
The coach needs to be able to have two guys he trusts.

I believe Smith is definitely the organization's preference for a playoff starter due to experience. But so long as Rittich plays reasonably well in his starts down the stretch, I expect they would not have much patience for poor play before inserting him (unlike the Chad). I don't know if that meets the definition of a tandem (which I think of just riding the hot hand and no real preference) but maybe that's just semantics.

To put it another way, if it was a true tandem, we wouldn't have a strong idea with 20 games left who would start playoffs of game 1. Personally, I believe it is evident that Smith starts that game.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

I believe Smith is definitely the organization's preference for a playoff starter due to experience. But so long as Rittich plays reasonably well in his starts down the stretch, I expect they would not have much patience for poor play before inserting him (unlike the Chad). I don't know if that meets the definition of a tandem (which I think of just riding the hot hand and no real preference) but maybe that's just semantics.

To put it another way, if it was a true tandem, we wouldn't have a strong idea with 20 games left who would start playoffs of game 1. Personally, I believe it is evident that Smith starts that game.

I agree with this, and this is why I am also convinced that this is the very definition of a goaltending tandem. Smith has looked better than Rittich most recently, but with just under 20 games left I think there is still a lot of room for that to change. If they both look great heading into the playoffs, then I agree that the Flames will start Smith on the balance of his experience.

Overall, I am quite happy with how the goalies have been handled all season, and I am pleased with how the Flames goaltending looks heading into the playoffs.