Is Chad Johnson the real deal? A legit starter?

[Tkachuk Norris]

Devan Dubnyk, Tim Thomas. I'm not saying he's going to do it but it's not like it hasn't happened before.

 

[DJJones]

Why the hell did the Sabres let this guy go?

 

[OvermanKingGainer]

How the hell is this guy playing this lights out. He's been one of the best goalies in the league the last month.

I think he's just on a hot streak. He's not as good as he's been the past month

In his final 36 games as a Sabre (November 1st onward), Johnson had a .928 SV%
In his first 14 games as a Flame, Johnson has a .930 SV%

That is a bit more than a month.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Career backup on a hot streak.

They said the same about Dubnyk. Who knows...

 

[Revelation]

I've maintained that he's a top 3 goalie in the league for some time now, glad others are starting to come around

 

[madmike77]

I've maintained that he's a top 3 goalie in the league for some time now, glad others are starting to come around

Ok top 3 is a definite stretch. He's playing great right now though.

I find it curious he looks so good in the Flames system, while Elliott looks so bad. Is it the system, the goalie, or a bit of both?

Elliott was consistently good in St. Louis, but he's been bad in Calgary.

 

[East Coast Icestyle]

Ok top 3 is a definite stretch. He's playing great right now though.

I find it curious he looks so good in the Flames system, while Elliott looks so bad. Is it the system, the goalie, or a bit of both?

Elliott was consistently good in St. Louis, but he's been bad in Calgary.

I chalk Elliot up to sample size, mostly. But our d really did hang him out to dry

 

[Aladyyn]

And they should have. Johnson is one of the best backups in the NHL. Talbot has been a top 10ish starter this year, and was a legitimate starter last year as well.

So Talbot is like Johnson, got it

 

[sabresfan129103]

Why the hell did the Sabres let this guy go?

He wanted a chance at a starting gig which wouldn't have happened here.

I also heard he wanted to be closer to home.

 

[FerrisRox]

They said the same about Dubnyk. Who knows...

No, they didn't. Devan Dubnyk wasn't a career back up at all. He was a starting goalie for the Oilers at age 25.

 

[FerrisRox]

I've maintained that he's a top 3 goalie in the league for some time now, glad others are starting to come around

You think there are other people that think Chad Johnson is a Top 3 goaltender in the NHL?

Are you serious with this?

 

[SnoopDogg]

As a Sabres fan, yes.

 

[Deen]

His numbers certainly suggest he is.

 

[WeDislikeEich]

6 wins in his last 8 games, 3 being shutouts. You look back in his career and he's actually put up some really decent numbers with his best as a Sabre last year playing 45 games. Backups don't play 45 games a year lol. I see him playing 55-60 games this year, which is unheard of for a backup. I think this guy is too good to be a backup. But we also know that Elliot wants the net.

Right now, he has taken over as the starter for the Flames and the talk of the town. He's in for a huge payday if he keeps this play up. Watch the Flames in front of him and they play well. Watch the Flames in front of Elliot and they leave him out to dry.

If things stay this way and Johnson ends up playing 60+ games this year and maintaining his .930SV %, I see Elliot walking at the end of the year as a UFA and the Flames signing Johnson to a long term deal. Make Gillies the back up going forward.

Nobody saw this coming, we all thought that Johnson would be the backup and Elliot would take over behind the flames net. Flames had arguably the worst goaltending last season and it's nice to see that they now have two solid goalies to go to each game. Because goaltending kill their season last year, if it wasn't for that, they would have made the playoffs.

When the Flames signed him, I thought he was just another average joe, dime a dozen back up but he's actually very good. He's got very quick lateral movement post to post and kinda reminds me of Kiprusoff. But I just cant tell if he's a late comer (he is already 30) or if he's just on a hot streak.

He was absolutely a starting caliber goaltender for Buffalo last season. He was fantastic filling in for Lehner. I kept waiting for him to falter but it never happened.
I was sad to see him go, but I understood him wanting to go home and have the chance to compete for a starting job. Glad to see him having success in Calgary.

 

[Ace]

I remember we tried to tell flames fans that he was better than Elliott. Give me guy who shines behind a bad possession team over a guy who does behind one of the best every single time. And he's a local guy to boot so it's extra cool.

 

[JT Kreider]

Well after Price's semi fall back to earth, I think it is safe to say:

Chad Johnson is the best goalie in the league.

 

[FlamerForLife]

For the people saying it's just a hot streak, does a hot streak last over a year?

 

[kirby11]

Dude absolutely balled out for us last year while lehner was hurt, nice to see him getting a shot at being the guy in Calgary and running with it.

 

[Ainec]

Chad "calm as a reflecting pool" Johnson

 

[BobColesNasalCavity]

Trades in his cleats and a career as a pro bowler to become one of the best goalies in the NHL.

Up there with Bo Jackson as one of the best athletes of all time?

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

For the people saying it's just a hot streak, does a hot streak last over a year?

45 starts with significant rest in an >82 game period isn't statistically significant in terms of sustainability, especially as an elite-level guy.

But yeah, he's a competent 45-55 game starter.

 

[Bleedred]

He's somehow doing what I thought Brian Elliott might be able to do for them and what Elliott did in St Louis a couple different years there.

 

[IslesNorway]

At some point he will return to his Islanders form and you'll see how bad he can be

 

[Lunatik]

He's somehow doing what I thought Brian Elliott might be able to do for them and what Elliott did in St Louis a couple different years there.

Elliott's numbers are skewed from a small sample size and poor play in front of him. Seems like when he plays he is having a good game and then the Flames turn stupid. Take the last game against the Sabres for example, Elliott had been playing fantastic, then the Flames take 3 sequential penalties (they were already at 4 on 4 IIRC) and then they had the worst 90 seconds on the PK that I have ever seen and it resulted in 3 goals against, none of which were his fault.

 

[Lunatik]

At some point he will return to his Islanders form and you'll see how bad he can be

He was good before the Islanders and has been good on 2 teams since the Islanders. Why would you think that is the norm when it is less than 20% of his career?