normalpsychology
Registered User
yes. the overpaying JR seems to consistently do is really starting to hurt us. especially if we aren't able to resign semin. you can add larose to that list. even staal who is making as much as sidney crosby
Cam has become/is becoming the most divisive player on this team with the fan base. You will have you Cam apologists who will continue to defend him to no end and those who see he is an average goalie who has had flashes of brilliance at times but whose consistency problems and tendency to let in soft goals may actually put him below average.
What, no mention of those who had nothing to say about his performance over the past 3 weeks but came out of the woodwork again when he struggled over the past 4 periods? That seems like an influential group as well.
The idea that Ward is below average because his game is up-and-down is just nonsense. Who would you consider to be a league-average goalie? Howard, Varlamov, Pavelec, guys like that? You're saying Ward is worse than that crowd because he's inconsistent and they aren't? Heck, look at the next bracket up from that group. Bryzgalov is inconsistent. Brodeur lets in softies all the time. Luongo is prone to meltdowns. Quick and Halak have been brutal this year. Fleury is consistently mediocre. Who exactly is in this huge group of above-average goalies who are consistently excellent?
The problem isn't that Cam lets in soft goals. Yes, every goalie does it... His problem is that when he does, it snowballs into a horrid game, and then a stretch of a few games where he really does play like one of the worst goalies to ever play the game before getting his head back on straight.
I'd rather have a goalie who is consistently good, positionally and fundamentally sound, but not quite as athletically talented as Ward, who can make the routine saves consistently, and struggles with the massive scrums in the crease than someone like Ward, who can excel in those scrums, but is massively susceptible to the routine shot going in.
He's overpaid by what $500k? No biggie. Btw he is right at about #10. He always will be in the 7-10 range. He looks bad this year. He never looks great when he doesn't play absurd amounts of games. He was the player I was most worried about being effected by the lockout.
I think Ellis should get the next two starts and decide where to go from there.
I mentioned after the Montreal game with those soft goals that I was worried they'd go to Ward's head and he wouldn't be able to shake it off. Unfortunately it seems like that's what happened.
I don't think Ward needs to be written off. Way too early for that. But he does need to get his confidence back. That said, we're in a bind with the short season. We can't throw away games while we wait for that to happen. So I'd go with Ellis against Tampa Sat. If Ellis plays lights out and earns it, then play him again. If not, go with Ward. You've got to go with the hot glove.
What I really wish we had is Barrasso still as goalie coach. He seemed to do wonders when he was here with Ward's mental game. The problems Ward had when he was coach tended to be injuries.
I'd be a horrible head coach, because I'd destroy his confidence. I'd tell him in front of the entire locker room that Ellis was starting until Ellis **** the bed! When he gets his head screwed back on straight, come talk to me! Until then, you're on bench door duty!
I'm not saying he's elite but the guy has no defensive help.... Most of the time he's trying to do it all himself back there and yeah, that can make you prone to mistakes.
The idea that Ward is below average because his game is up-and-down is just nonsense. Who would you consider to be a league-average goalie?
Kahuna, how do u really feel about Ward??/ Cant wait till he proves you wrong..