I'm not saying Backstrom's an elite goalie, but he's still better than Josh Harding. That's why he's starting games over Josh Harding. If we want to improve our team, that doesn't happen by increasing Josh Harding's role.
The problem starts with.....goaltending
- Thread starter Sportsfan1
- Start date
I'm not saying Backstrom's an elite goalie, but he's still better than Josh Harding. That's why he's starting games over Josh Harding. If we want to improve our team, that doesn't happen by increasing Josh Harding's role.
i'm really conflicted about the goalie situation. 1) I believe Backstrom is a better goalie than Harding but 2) I believe a more dynamic goalie is better suited to the team as it stands now, with the complete lack of structure and prevalence of shots coming in screened and tipped. When it comes down to it I'd rather just keep trucking with Backstrom and hope the team gets their crap together.
Jarick
Doing Nothing
Backstrom has played better than Harding this year... but neither have played particularly well. Though the team in front has been far worse than the players between the pipes.
been posting from my phone
this team needs a goalie that isn't afraid to play the puck, and can even contribute to breakouts. wish matt hackett was like that...
This. I am not a big Backstrom fan and he is not "elite" but he is "best" we have atm.
Sportsfan1
Registered User
*Assuming Harding medically continues to stay on the ice
Harding the vet at this point and Hackett tandom could in theory be stellar next year, but for us to have faith Harding can be reliable he absolutely in my opinion has to take over the starting job from Backs this year for this team to I would go so far as to say have a real shot at a playoff birth.
And if his play in Chicago is any indication, Yeo's going to be riding Backstrom as much as he can.
There's a reason I wanted Hackett backing up Backstrom this season. Harding was never going to overtake Backstrom as the #1 and you can't count on Josh to stay healthy. Find out what Hackett's capable of when you have an proven starting goaltender rather than wing it with a injury prone back-up with MS and a guy with under 10 games experience if we do go with Hackett/Harding next season(and Hackett doesn't get games this year). The past is the past now though, although we could potentially buy Harding out after this season and re-sign Backstrom to tandem with Hackett, if the organization still has hopes for him(Hackett).
Sportsfan1
Registered User
Now for those who keep count (aka: like me)
That is 3 very good, 1 average, 4 really bad game by Backs.
That is 3 very good, 1 average, 4 really bad game by Backs.
hirawl
Used Register
- Dec 27, 2010
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Basically what you're saying is you don't know too much about goaltending, right?
It's this really sweet thing called rebound control.
When Backstrom is on his game, it's fine. When he's not, it isn't just costing a goal, it's costing games.
This last game was the first time all season that I wasn't cringing every time there was ANY sort of offensive pressure. Backstrom just isn't as good as the team made him in the past, we aren't clearing those terrible rebounds like we used to, and Backstrom can't control them as well as he used to.
Deflection? Likely goal against. Any shot to the blocker side? GOLDEN scoring chance on a bad rebound. Glove high? He loses his mind, and ends up on his ass and out of position. Shot from the point? Juicy rebound that the team isn't making up for anymore. Any sort of cross-ice passing? He always over commits on the first shot, so is NEVER in position for a pass vs. a shot.
These issues just don't occur with Harding, because his athleticism usually gets him out of trouble with whatever positioning deficiencies he has.
We don't have the team defense that we did in years past. Which means we need a goalie who doesn't require full team defense like we had in years past. Backstrom requires that, more than almost any other starter in the NHL that I've seen recently.
his rebound control is blown way out of proportion because our team is generally horrible at clearing anything out of danger. pucks or bodies.
you have to have heard it in Yeo's comments. We're not getting to their rebounds like they are to ours.
and this "costing us the game" crap is ludicrous when you consider we're scoring one goal a game. I suppose that's the goalies fault, too. Doesn't matter who is in net, if your team wins scoring just one goal, it's probably because your goalie stole the game--that's stole, as in played well above any reasonable expectation and pitched a shutout.
you have to have heard it in Yeo's comments. We're not getting to their rebounds like they are to ours.
and this "costing us the game" crap is ludicrous when you consider we're scoring one goal a game. I suppose that's the goalies fault, too. Doesn't matter who is in net, if your team wins scoring just one goal, it's probably because your goalie stole the game--that's stole, as in played well above any reasonable expectation and pitched a shutout.
DANOZ28
Registered User
i really dont understand why CF re-signed harding when we has several goalies waiting 4 their chance. i wanted harding traded . if we keep backs at a much lower renewal rate (3.5 max) what do we do with the rest? big mistake by CF. imo hacket or somebody should be gaining experience this year so they arent greenhorn next yr. did i mention CF made a mistake? ps2 he also made a mistake not keeping T-rex (theodore)
UMD05
Hobey Baker Champs
It's pretty obvious he 1) didn't intend to re-sign Backstrom or 2) wasn't sure Hackett would be ready in 2013-14. It was likely the former. Of course, that was before Harding was diagnosed with MS, so that may alter the plan.
DANOZ28
Registered User
because the market for goalies doesnt appear to be great thats why i think we re-sign backs next year. who besides the khl would pay him 4 mill?
We're not scoring enough, that's not news to anyone. But when we're spending too much time in our own zone because (among other things, I'm not trying to say it's 100% on Backstrom) of rebounds going straight back to the other team... It's hard to get clean breakouts when you're fighting your own goalies lack of rebound control.
And in regard to us clearing things out? That's 100% what I said. We're not as good as we used to be at clearing rebounds, which means we need a goalie that can control them better himself. Something Harding has fewer issues with.
One other thing that I noticed about last night, different than any previous game, Backstrom was covering the puck a LOT more. We're a pretty solid faceoff team, that's something that needs to happen MUCH more.
for sure. agree with you there. precisely because our team has been pretty poor in scrambles and any time Backs slides the puck away instead of covering usually results in one of those. much rather take the chance on a clean win off a faceoff.
It almost sounds like people are saying Backstrom has bad games but Harding doesn't. Then what do you call that Chicago game? How about the Detroit game? Bottom line is that Backstrom has looked better overall than Harding has so far this year and Harding has his share of bad games as well.
Jarick
Doing Nothing
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