Save percentage went up roughly by 0.15% in Phoenix. Doesn't sound like much but a .914 save percentage makes you a #1 Goalie. A .930% save percentage puts you in the conversation for Vezina.
22 games does not put you into a conversation for the Vezina, it makes you a good backup. But making 40+ saves continually in games in a different era on a different team. I watched him and seen the type of saves he had and IMO, he was more consistent than Bryz was.
I don't know why there are so many sour attitudes. Sure, we don't have a high end goalie, but I like any goalie in our system. Sure, Barbs does stupid things, often, but for the most part when he is on his game, he's sharp and makes plenty of saves. There have been games where LolBarbera stole it for us.
Mike Smith is bigger than Bryz. The size of Smith is incredible. With our defensive system and amazing goalie coach, I really like the chance of Smith being a solid starter for us. Time will tell.
I don't know why there are so many sour attitudes. Sure, we don't have a high end goalie, but I like any goalie in our system. Sure, Barbs does stupid things, often, but for the most part when he is on his game, he's sharp and makes plenty of saves. There have been games where LolBarbera stole it for us.
Mike Smith is bigger than Bryz. The size of Smith is incredible. With our defensive system and amazing goalie coach, I really like the chance of Smith being a solid starter for us. Time will tell.
I'm really excited to see him in action
I'm looking forward to seeing him play and am curious if Bryz can be the player that the Flyers think their getting...
22 games does not put you into a conversation for the Vezina, it makes you a good backup. But making 40+ saves continually in games in a different era on a different team. I watched him and seen the type of saves he had and IMO, he was more consistent than Bryz was.
Yes, Burke came in to the league and played well in an era where GAA was the key stat and not necessarily Save Percentage. I'll acknowledge your point on that issue.
That being said... He was not considered an elite goalie when Phoenix picked him up. He was average. Viewed as a goalie who never reached his full potential. Can we agree on that?
I'm looking forward to seeing him play and am curious if Bryz can be the player that the Flyers think their getting...
Now, I'm hoping Bryz does well, because I like him, however, there is this inner demon that keeps whispering into my ear that wouldn't it be ironic to see Bryz (without Burke) revert back to a little more inconsistency he exhibited under Fuhr and then have Burke turn Smith into an even better Bryz.
I'm looking forward to seeing him play and am curious if Bryz can be the player that the Flyers think their getting...
I think Bryz will be a vital part of the Flowers organization. He had a pretty good run in Anaheim followed by a great run with us. I think it was dumb of them to sign Bryz instead of grooming one of their young guys but its not my team, so what do I care?
I think the Flyers fans are going to be outraged at the events of the off-season if the team struggles out of the gate.
They blew up a Stanley Cup Final Appearance team to extremely overpay for a goalie. A goalie that it's apparent nobody else was really competing for. A goalie that they likely overpaid by roughly $6 Million for next year alone. Phoenix was in there for $6 Million per for maybe 4 years. Who exactly was going to offer Bryz anywhere close to what the Flyers paid? Big questions need to be asked to Flyer management.
Yes, Burke came in to the league and played well in an era where GAA was the key stat and not necessarily Save Percentage. I'll acknowledge your point on that issue.
That being said... He was not considered an elite goalie when Phoenix picked him up. He was average. Viewed as a goalie who never reached his full potential. Can we agree on that?
What I'm trying to say is that he was just as good playing for the Whalers as he was playing for the Coyotes. In between he lost focus because of personal matters and once he regain confidence and focus he returned to his previous form.
He was never as good for Hartford as he was for the Yotes in 2000-2001. He was probably a top 10 goalie in the league for Hartford though for a few years.
What I'm trying to say is that he was just as good playing for the Whalers as he was playing for the Coyotes. In between he lost focus because of personal matters and once he regain confidence and focus he returned to his previous form.
Burke had a career save percentage of .902, I'd argue that him being average was the norm, not the exception.
Having not seen much of Smith I scoured some vids. Apparently he's been in a few fights. I worry about a goalie that's easily agitated. You get a guy sitting in the crease all day making life rough is he gonna throw a fit or shrug it off and stay focused?
I'm seeing some decent saves on the "highlight" footage, but nothing spectacular. Most of it is pucks getting stuffed center mass. I do hope he kicks some ass, because that's all we got, but I'm still pretty skeptical of him as a starter.
I'm actually quite shocked at a lot of the Bryz bashing I've read since the trade. I think he was by far the best Goalie this team has ever had. Considering the make up of the team, that was playing in front of him, to pull off as many wins as he did, was a pretty remarkable thing. I think we asked way to much of him, and he pulled out many wins for us despite our lack of high end scoring and offensive(sometimes absent) minded defense.
I'm sad to see Bryz go, but think he will thrive in Philly.
Having not seen much of Smith I scoured some vids. Apparently he's been in a few fights. I worry about a goalie that's easily agitated. You get a guy sitting in the crease all day making life rough is he gonna throw a fit or shrug it off and stay focused?
I'm seeing some decent saves on the "highlight" footage, but nothing spectacular. Most of it is pucks getting stuffed center mass. I do hope he kicks some ass, because that's all we got, but I'm still pretty skeptical of him as a starter.
I'm actually quite shocked at a lot of the Bryz bashing I've read since the trade. I think he was by far the best Goalie this team has ever had. Considering the make up of the team, that was playing in front of him, to pull off as many wins as he did, was a pretty remarkable thing. I think we asked way to much of him, and he pulled out many wins for us despite our lack of high end scoring and offensive(sometimes absent) minded defense.
I'm sad to see Bryz go, but think he will thrive in Philly.
That's where I disagree, Tippet teams are kind of like Jacque Lemaire teams, they always make a goalie look good. Now that doesn't mean Bryz isn't good on his own (I happen to think he is) but I think he was more of a beneficiary of the system than the system was of him.
I'm actually quite shocked at a lot of the Bryz bashing I've read since the trade. I think he was by far the best Goalie this team has ever had. Considering the make up of the team, that was playing in front of him, to pull off as many wins as he did, was a pretty remarkable thing. I think we asked way to much of him, and he pulled out many wins for us despite our lack of high end scoring and offensive(sometimes absent) minded defense.
I'm sad to see Bryz go, but think he will thrive in Philly.
I think Bryz was excellent. However, I would not call him the best goalie this team has ever had. For me, I think that would be Sean Burke with Bryz as a close second...
Watching some video on Smith, he really does remind me of Bryz. They both just drop at expect the puck to hit them, neither is fast. I noticed Smith lost track of the puck a few times just in that short video, something Bryz did a lot. Seems they are just hoping to make another Bryz with someone with less talent. I don't see that working out.
I do like that he is intense, sometimes Bryz seemed total indifferent, and I hated that.
I expect Mike Smith to easily have a career year. Depending on who they replace Fiddler and Jovanovski with, and any upgrades, that might be enough to get him into Vezina consideration. Smith is very much underrated and Tippett's system will maximise his value, as it did for Bryzgalov.
But there were a number of goalies that made out far better after a tumultuous weekend of free-agent signings.
While most of the goalies that landed in new cities maintained similar roles, a few labeled as backups were handed a rare opportunity to prove they can be effective starters.
Of those deals, I feel Mike Smith's situation with the Coyotes is the most promising.....
I think his playmaking abilities will vastly improve our efficiencies in our own end. We don't have a very mobile group back there as it is and Bryz was awful at it. Hopefully Smith's first pass (he has one of the best in the league as far as goalies go) will ease the burden on our vets and limit the number of times Klesla gets rocked behind the net. LOL.
I think his playmaking abilities will vastly improve our efficiencies in our own end. We don't have a very mobile group back there as it is and Bryz was awful at it. Hopefully Smith's first pass (he has one of the best in the league as far as goalies go) will ease the burden on our vets and limit the number of times Klesla gets rocked behind the net. LOL.
I swear I think he likes being hit. He has to see it coming, he just doesn't move.
I don't remember you being this acerbic since before Burke was traded.
Quote:
Originally Posted by XX
But Burke is terrible.
I figured this was a better spot for this.
I hated the idea of Smith on June 30th.
I was extremely disappointed on July 1st.
By July 2nd I was resigned to the fact that he was the best we could do.
Yesterday I still felt he sucked and would fail, but understood the lack of options.
Today I find out we could've had an all star instead, but CHOSE the ****** backup.
That's why I'm pissed. We just decided not to make the playoffs. Why shouldn't I be pissed? Why aren't more of you equally pissed?
Last edited by PhoPhan: 07-07-2011 at 05:43 PM.
Reason: qdp
