Who should be our Game 1 Goalie?

[CursedCats]

It’s a topic we discuss a lot in the game threads, might as well make it a topic. What does everyone think?

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[FlaPanthers11]

Some people are going to declare this cut and dry because they don’t like the Bob contract but as I’ve said previously the contract does not play into deciding who should start this year in the playoffs.

Driedger has a 0.881 sv% in the last month and a 0.879 (with a 3.14 GAA) vs Tampa and Carolina. Bob’s numbers aren’t much better. Knight allowed 3 despite having a good game.

I believe we are currently getting average goaltending from all 3 but behind a defense prone to major errors. In my opinion you start with Bob and shift to Driedger if he has a bad game. Knight won’t get a serious look unless one of the first two are injured.

 

[Gentle Man]

Our best option is to sit Yandle and address the f*** out of the bottom pair D.

Ekblad isn't coming back, which ideally you could have him on the top pair with Nuuti and have Forsling Weegs then Montour Gudas

But right now, we have a MAJOR 3rd pair problem. Goaltending won't fix that.

Verhaeghe Marchment coming back will fix the forwards

 

[GrumpyKelly]

Some people are going to declare this cut and dry because they don’t like the Bob contract but as I’ve said previously the contract does not play into deciding who should start this year in the playoffs.
.

Contract is the exact reason why Bob will be starting. It's the reason he's been getting starts at all when Driedger ran away with the job for a year. Heck even now when Driedger has been in a slump his save % is still .923 vs Bob's .904.

 

[Pigge]

I trust Bob in the high pressure situation. Throwing one of the others to the wolves in the first game would be a more delicate gamble.

 

[5 Hole]

I expect to see another gear in Bob come playoff time. I’d give him 1 game to get it right. after that it’s a crap shoot. I’m afraid Tampa would wreck Knight. Could be the opposite too and we go on a magical run.

 

[Prominence Problem]

Most likely I think they will play Tampa.
If that's the case you most definitely play Bob. Bob is in the Lightning's head.

 

[FlaPanthers11]

Contract is the exact reason why Bob will be starting. It's the reason he's been getting starts at all when Driedger ran away with the job for a year. Heck even now when Driedger has been in a slump his save % is still .923 vs Bob's .904.

I don’t care much about Driedger’s February save percentage against Detroit. That’s not winning us a playoff game. Both guys are in similar form at the moment (with one hurt) and both have performed exactly the same against the teams we are competing against. Those are the considerations that should be used to determine the starter. Given that both have been equally below average in those situations, they will start the series with Bob deferring to his larger body of work (including dominating our opponent just a couple years ago in the playoffs) albeit with a short leash.

 

[RogerRoger]

I expect to see another gear in Bob come playoff time. I’d give him 1 game to get it right. after that it’s a crap shoot. I’m afraid Tampa would wreck Knight. Could be the opposite too and we go on a magical run.

He has choked in the playoffs every year except one, so I'm not sure why we'd expect him to turn it around and become a playoffs performer in his 8th try.

Like it or not, Q will default to Bob. What could make things interesting, is that there are two games against Tampa before the playoffs. The last one might be a meaningless game where guys sit, so it might only be one game that can give us an idea of who should start.
If Driedger is healthy I'd give him the first against Tampa to see if he has bounced back and can "steal" the workload from Bob.

 

[KW]

I’m sure Q is thinking about this a lot. He’ll surely play Bob in one of the two last games against Bolts and Driegs in the other. How those go will probably determine the starter - if both are great or neither is great, then it’s Bob. That’s my guess anyway.

 

[letsgrowcactus]

I thought Driedger was hurt?

Knight has been impressing pretty much on every level, and I like how he bounces back after bad performances (see last year's U20, which he started out with a bad game and then finished with three shutouts for the gold). But he's just turned 20 and has three NHL games under his belt. Which could be somewhat to his advantage in that the teams don't yet have a playbook on him, but fresh out of college, three NHL games experience. I just don't see how you go there. (Now if Driedger is still hurt come playoffs and Bob loses games 1 and 2 in a terrible fashion... then it gets interesting).

If Driedger's hurt, then it's Bobrovsky's net. If Driedger's healthy, have them split the remaining three games and see how it goes... If I had to make the call right now, today, I say go with the official long-term n.1 (sigh) and start Bob... but he's on a very short leash.

Now would be a great time for Bob to have strong playoffs and win some goodwill back.

 

[GrumpyKelly]

I don’t care much about Driedger’s February save percentage against Detroit. That’s not winning us a playoff game. Both guys are in similar form at the moment (with one hurt) and both have performed exactly the same against the teams we are competing against. Those are the considerations that should be used to determine the starter. Given that both have been equally below average in those situations, they will start the series with Bob deferring to his larger body of work (including dominating our opponent just a couple years ago in the playoffs) albeit with a short leash.

I don't mind Bob starting, maybe he'll find some of that magic that he had against Tampa last time. Plus Driedger has been injured. I wouldn't mind them splitting games until they find the guy with the hot hand.

But it's all about the contract and that's why Bob gets to start. I don't know why you try to diminish what Driedger has done, they've been splitting starts with Bob pretty evenly. And either way the fact remains Bob's save % has been straight up garbage during his time here, for 80 games now. One of the worst in the league.

 

[Cricket Green]

The guy making the most. But the moment he's beaten for the 3rd time? Out he goes.

 

[FlaPanthers11]

I don't mind Bob starting, maybe he'll find some of that magic that he had against Tampa last time. Plus Driedger has been injured. I wouldn't mind them splitting games until they find the guy with the hot hand.

But it's all about the contract and that's why Bob gets to start. I don't know why you try to diminish what Driedger has done, they've been splitting starts with Bob pretty evenly. And either way the fact remains Bob's save % has been straight up garbage during his time here, for 80 games now. One of the worst in the league.

I just don't think the contract is making the decision. I'm not trying to diminish anything from Driedger. He was good early in the season but he's been equal to Bob in 7 games against good teams and he's been worse than Bob the last month (maybe the injury played a part). The playoffs are all "what have you done for me lately" and both have been neck and neck in that regard, for better or worse.

Looking for the tiebreaker there you can go one of two ways:

1. Go with the guy who has had a sustained stretch of very good play more recently (Driedger) or
2. Go with the guy who has a longer track record of very good play (Bob)

They're going to go with option 2. Option 2 is the reason for the contract so by extension the conrtract is making the decision but I don't think Q has any issue running with Driedger. Driedger had the chance to win the net the last month and didn't do it. If he had, the contract would not have been involved in the decision.

The guy making the most. But the moment he's beaten for the 3rd time? Out he goes.

The leash will be much shorter. I expect Q to continue what he's done this season and switch guys after each loss.

 

[Rat Trick]

I really don't care about Bob's sv% in the playoffs. All I care is the win%. If he lets in a few softies, but makes winning saves of games, that's all I ask from him. Win a cup, who remembers your statistics?

 

[Thomas Colavecchio]

He has choked in the playoffs every year except one, so I'm not sure why we'd expect him to turn it around and become a playoffs performer in his 8th try.

Like it or not, Q will default to Bob. What could make things interesting, is that there are two games against Tampa before the playoffs. The last one might be a meaningless game where guys sit, so it might only be one game that can give us an idea of who should start.
If Driedger is healthy I'd give him the first against Tampa to see if he has bounced back and can "steal" the workload from Bob.

Has it been said by Q that Driedger is in fact ready to go? I saw the report that he was skating, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's game ready.

If he is indeed ready, my thought is that Q plays CD against the Stars. This essentially is a playoff game, as both teams (especially the Stars) need the 2 points. Also, he has not played in a while, and he has not been as sharp as he had been earlier when he has played.

I think Q would then start Bob in the TB game on the 8th. If Bob is strong in that game, then my guess is he'd come back with him on the 10th against the Lightning to close out the regular season. If Bob stinks it up on the 8th, Q certainly will have a call to make.

I feel the starting goalie in that season finale will move forward with prep for Playoff Game #1 as the starter; and at this point I'd assume that would be Bob..

I think Knight finds playing time only if there is an injury to either CD or Bob.

 

[PSLguy]

No question, Bob is going to start Game 1. He also will start game 2 unless he totally yits the bed in game 1, even if it's a loss.

 

[StrangeVision]

Call me crazy, but I kind of think Bob is going to turn it on in the playoffs.

 

[Panteras]

Bob was actually one of if not our best player in that last Islanders series...

 

[Cricket Green]

The leash will be much shorter. I expect Q to continue what he's done this season and switch guys after each loss.

After each loss? Try mid-game.

 

[Prominence Problem]

So what's the Thought here by everyone:

Is Knight done playing the 2021 regular season?
Personally I don't know, I could see him sneaking in one of these three remaining games. Especially if the final game has absolutely zero meaning.
I don't actually see him getting in to any playoff games.

 

[FrolikFan67]

Start bob, but if he loses and gives up 3 or more in the process then switch to driedger.

ride whoever until they lose, then flip

 

[Cricket Green]

I don't actually see him getting in to any playoff games.

If Bob and Judge shit the bed, he absolutely will play.

 

[Chaos2k7]

He has choked in the playoffs every year except one, so I'm not sure why we'd expect him to turn it around and become a playoffs performer in his 8th try.

Like it or not, Q will default to Bob. What could make things interesting, is that there are two games against Tampa before the playoffs. The last one might be a meaningless game where guys sit, so it might only be one game that can give us an idea of who should start.
If Driedger is healthy I'd give him the first against Tampa to see if he has bounced back and can "steal" the workload from Bob.

Choked? How, and when?

@ViD

 

[Prominence Problem]

If Bob and Judge shit the bed, he absolutely will play.

I doubt it.
If Bob and Judge shit the bed, then you can figure they'll be down two, or three games to nothing. Highly doubt they go to Knight in that big of a hole.