Toronto's Goaltending Dilemma (Who starts in the playoffs?)

[Ciao]

He's played in 4 game 7's. 5 deciding games.

In deciding games

Leafs have scored 2 goals, 1 goal, 2 goals, 4 goals, 1 goal.

In those games, were Matthews, Marner, Rielly, Nylander, Hyman, Dermott have also lost...

We may need Andersen to be better, but let's not pretend this is just a Andersen issue. We scored enough goals to win a game, in ONE of FIVE games. Nobody played well enough. Nobody should really be trusted to be game seven players, until they prove they are. If Campbell can get back to his streak form, I'm more than happy to go with him. If Andersen comes back, is injury free, and at peak Andersen levels, I'm happy to go with him. I don't really care, as long as that is the best goalie, right then. Heck, it could be Rittich, or Hutch for all I care....

But the whole team needs to be better than they have been. That's my point.

Well, then, I think its obvious that the Leafs need a good enough goalie who can keep the goals out -- and if it's not exactly a shutout who can actually score a few on his own to help the skaters up front.

Then the Leafs would win for sure.

Maybe Andersen should get a bigger paddle to practice a 200' slapshot with a little movement on it at the end, to help even the score if he let's one or two in.

 

[Confucius]

Agreed. I believe Andy plays at least one game prior to the playoffs. They have to figure out how to make the cap work.

He may get a chance to steal the starter's spot back. We start Campbell and he screws up badly and gets pulled early in a game. Andersen comes in and goes Vezina the rest of the game, that may get him the next start.

 

[socko]

Campbell AINEC. The debate is on for the backup role. And right now it should probably be Hutchinson. I'm not giving anything to Andersen. He needs to earn the backup role if he wants it.

 

[kurt]

Has there been any updates on when Andersen might even return?

 

[Seras]

Andersen if healthy, Campbell if not.

 

[cipher]

No SANE Leaf fan who has watched the last 2 years of Anderson would have him starting over Campbell.

It would be nice to know how many fans from other subs voted on this poll.

 

[Seath The Scaleless]

8 games left and we're still not sure when Andersen is returning....

This is Campbell's net and he's your game 1 starter.

 

[Willchel Marlynder]

Good game by Campbell tonight. Still get a bit nervous when he handles the puck, but he's solid.

 

[BrainyBomber]

How is Freddie winning this poll? Have his voters not watched him this year He's been atrocious.

I hope it's just recency bias cause Jack is top ten leaguewide in GAA and SV%. Overall he's been great and is not a perennial playoff choker.

 

[ToDavid]

There’s no way they can go with anyone else but Campbell. I’m sure he’ll be on a short leash if Andersen is healthy, but it’s his net right now.

 

[TheGreatOne11]

How is Freddie winning this poll? Have his voters not watched him this year He's been atrocious.

I hope it's just recency bias cause Jack is top ten leaguewide in GAA and SV%. Overall he's been great and is not a perennial playoff choker.

The question was asked after a rough stretch for Campbell so you have the knee-jerk response people on this board over populating Andersen, plus others from other boards messing with us when we were down to make it seem we could lose faith in Campbell so quickly.

Campbell has solidified himself as the #1.

End of story.

 

[SprDaVE]

It'll be Campbell regardless of Andersen.

 

[DarkKnight]

Interesting how much that poll changed after one game.

 

[Mats13]

Andersen being this close to Campbell says a lot about the IQ of this board

 

[Gary Nylund]

Interesting how much that poll changed after one game.

The thing to take away from that IMO is that when all we have to choose from is a bunch of question marks, naming a starter 3 weeks before we have to name one would incredibly stupid. I never participate in polls but even if I did. I wouldn't answer this one for the simple reason that it's too early.

Today it looks like probably Campbell. But I wonder how many of the people saying it's Campbell end of story are the same ones that wanted to fire him into the sun just a short time ago.

 

[Budz]

I think Campbell starts - but I think for the Leafs to go all the way Freddie HAS to play a role.

 

[DarkKnight]

The thing to take away from that IMO is that when all we have to choose from is a bunch of question marks, naming a starter 3 weeks before we have to name one would incredibly stupid. I never participate in polls but even if I did. I wouldn't answer this one for the simple reason that it's too early.

Today it looks like probably Campbell. But I wonder how many of the people saying it's Campbell end of story are the same ones that wanted to fire him into the sun just a short time ago.

I commented early in the game last night, his body language and positioning was aggressive, he looked way more confident than recent outings. Hopefully he’s back on track, because he does look quite good when on.

 

[socko]

The race was over a long time ago. The last few weeks should be giving the net completely to Campbell and getting him ready for the playoffs. The tough choice will be deciding who to give the backup starts to, but really we're screwed if Jack gets injured.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

Andersen being out for so long only spells bad news going into playoffs with him.
Campbell feels like the only real option.
seems like we were little premature on this one.
Campbell starting to get back to himself?

 

[nuck]

Andersen being this close to Campbell says a lot about the IQ of this board

I think Campbell's recent stumble has some people thinking, and rightly so. If you accept Freddy's brutal season was somewhat driven by playing hurt for much of it, he was .936 in the 19-20 play-in and Campbell has never started an NHL playoff game. I went with Campbell because it isn't clear if Andersen will get in any regular season games but JC has to finish strong and that still might not mean he isn't a backup after his first playoff loss. Ideally they have a solid Campbell and a healthy Andy to choose from.

Campbell is 1-1 with .875 and .945 vs Habs this year. Freddie is .909. .920, .943, .875 3-1 vs Habs this year. Its close if they are both healthy.

 

[Sweet Leaf]

Campbell has to get game 1.

That's all we know for sure.

Edited to add: I've said for years that we aren't winning a playoff series until our goaltender doesn't get outplayed, which we have never experienced with this group. That's on Fred. Rask (2 series), Blue Jacket goalies, Holtby....they all outplayed Freddie and it wasn't close. His penchant to give up soft goals kills us in the playoffs.

 

[BoredBrandonPridham]

Campbell has to get game 1.

That's all we know for sure.

Edited to add: I've said for years that we aren't winning a playoff series until our goaltender doesn't get outplayed, which we have never experienced with this group. That's on Fred. Rask (2 series), Blue Jacket goalies, Holtby....they all outplayed Freddie and it wasn't close. His penchant to give up soft goals kills us in the playoffs.

I, too, have said for years that we will not win games in which we don’t score more goals than we let in. No one seems to listen to me.

 

[Sweet Leaf]

I, too, have said for years that we will not win games in which we don’t score more goals than we let in. No one seems to listen to me.

Its amazing the amount of time we have spent dissecting playoff failure ie roster construction, toughness, the defense, the coaching, destroying the young guys for not bringing it etc....

In the meantime, if Fred outplays the other teams goalie, we win ALL those series. Unfortunately, he's been outplayed in every series and it's hard to win in the playoffs when that happens.

Thats not to say everything else shouldn't be discussed or is irrelevant. You can always get tougher, you can always play better defence, other guys can always play better....however the biggest factor is the opposing team's goaltender being better than our guy.

 

[Legion34]

With Bogo on LTIR can we get Freddie into a few games? Or would Hyman have to stay out?

I think jack is the starter. But it would be good to get Freddie into 2-3 of the last few

 

[BoredBrandonPridham]

Its amazing the amount of time we have spent dissecting playoff failure ie roster construction, toughness, the defense, the coaching, destroying the young guys for not bringing it etc....

In the meantime, if Fred outplays the other teams goalie, we win ALL those series. Unfortunately, he's been outplayed in every series and it's hard to win in the playoffs when that happens.

Thats not to say everything else shouldn't be discussed or is irrelevant. You can always get tougher, you can always play better defence, other guys can always play better....however the biggest factor is the opposing team's goaltender being better than our guy.

Having a forward core so deep that we have elite top line forward talent on our 2nd line is a big reason we’ve been able to tale every series down to the wire despite having a goal tender that regularly gets outplayed.