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Opinion: Petr Mrazek should be starting Game 1

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It's funny seeing people post jokes about Bryzgalov on here now, but a few years ago when he was playing out of his mind in a 7 game first round series against the Wings, guaranteed some of those same people were saying "OMG Bryz is too good..we just might lose this series", etc, etc, etc.....

Ha. You're gonna make fun of me man, I haven't been sleeping too much and the loss was still fresh on my head, but when I said this I was semi serious.

Ha

Edited by jimmyemeryhunter

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If Blashill begi becomes head coach next year I wonder if he'd be considering a Mrazek, McCollum tandem and try to resign him.

With Howard under contract, I highly doubt this will happen. If anything, McCollum will sign elsewhere with a team he can get a chance in the NHL with but he will spend a lot of time in the AHL if he gets his shot and misses.

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Babs says he is going to have a beer and decide who starts the last game...

Is there any chance he goes with Mrazek in the playoffs?

The two main differences between Petr and Jimmy right now seem to be puck-handling (in favor of petr) and experience (in favor of jimmy).

It was nice to see Jimmy playing so well the other night and in the shootout. He seemed to be getting his confidence back, and just in time. I thought he would have been the obvious choice. But now, who knows.

If the knock against Petr is a lack of experience, well, there is only one way to change that. And I think his puck-handling would be a huge asset in the playoffs.

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Babs says he is going to have a beer and decide who starts the last game...

Is there any chance he goes with Mrazek in the playoffs?

The two main differences between Petr and Jimmy right now seem to be puck-handling (in favor of petr) and experience (in favor of jimmy).

It was nice to see Jimmy playing so well the other night and in the shootout. He seemed to be getting his confidence back, and just in time. I thought he would have been the obvious choice. But now, who knows.

If the knock against Petr is a lack of experience, well, there is only one way to change that. And I think his puck-handling would be a huge asset in the playoffs.

It's a tough call because they've both been letting in awful goals even when they play well otherwise.

Watching the highlights from tonight's game, Howard made several huge saves. But then let's in a couple brutal ones. I swear it's like he's turned into Fleury.

Mrazek seems to play more consistent throughout a game, you just don't know if it'll be consistently good or awful.

I still think you have to go with Howard but on a very short leash.

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It's a tough call because they've both been letting in awful goals even when they play well otherwise.

Watching the highlights from tonight's game, Howard made several huge saves. But then let's in a couple brutal ones. I swear it's like he's turned into Fleury.

Mrazek seems to play more consistent throughout a game, you just don't know if it'll be consistently good or awful.

I still think you have to go with Howard but on a very short leash.

Howard always makes a couple of saves a game that seem like he shouldn't have had a chance to stop them. Then he let's in trashy shots from garbage angles.

He's not the most acrobatic goalie(understatement) i think most of his game just relies on him being positionally sound, and when he's on his game his mind is diagnosing where he needs to be fast enough to get him there in time, which is why I think you don't see our guys blocking shots all that much.

Hes very practiced at being in the right place at the right time, I think he's just thinking about it too much now. Relying on practice to get into place, instead of his instincts putting him there...

He's showing flashes of getting it back, just not fast or steady enough to be confident that hell find it again this year.

And Mrazek has that confidence to him, almost cockiness where hell get beat because he's wayyyy too aggressive, but then the next series he does the same thing and makes a crazy save.

He has had more than a few troubling games where he let in 3,4,5 goals, but the team was still in those games...

When Howard let's in 3 the game is going to get ugly...idk if that's because he jump starts the breakout, or if the team just felt the need to step it up for the adolescent in their net...

Butttt He's won at every level, was a huge reason the griffins won the AHL championship, and in the past he's always Rose to the occasion...

So even if jimmy was playing above average at this point, I feel like there's be that creeping thought in the back of everyone's mind that petr may be able to be bigger in the bigger moments....

Which is the only reason I think Jimmy's experience/positioning doesn't trump his puck playing, and I can definitely see Mrazeks aggressiveness coming back to bite us.

Edited by jimmyemeryhunter

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After this game tonight, Babcock and the team have every right to be displeased with Howard. And to top that, going forward they will be even less confident playing in front of Howard because those goals he let in were the difference between us winning and losing. We could be playing Montreal in round 1 and if we play them like we did tonight, I like our chances. But if Howard is in net giving away goals, that effort won't matter. I think Babs should start Petr Saturday to get him ready for the playoffs, no time to give Jimmy a short leash. Give Pete the go. He has been by far the more consistent one and, while he may give up some weak goals, he also wins games more often than not and helps the D out a LOT with his ability to handle the puck. Judging by Babs' comments tonight I think this is the case.

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After this game tonight, Babcock and the team have every right to be displeased with Howard. And to top that, going forward they will be even less confident playing in front of Howard because those goals he let in were the difference between us winning and losing. We could be playing Montreal in round 1 and if we play them like we did tonight, I like our chances. But if Howard is in net giving away goals, that effort won't matter. I think Babs should start Petr Saturday to get him ready for the playoffs, no time to give Jimmy a short leash. Give Pete the go. He has been by far the more consistent one and, while he may give up some weak goals, he also wins games more often than not and helps the D out a LOT with his ability to handle the puck. Judging by Babs' comments tonight I think this is the case.

The problem is that Mrazek has not been by far the most consistent one. He can't seem to string together two good games.

Lately it seems like neither one wants the starting job.

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Aside from a couple turnovers (every team has them throughout the course of a game) our D was pretty solid last night. Montreal, one of the stingiest teams in the league had close to double our turnovers. I think last night is as good of a defensive game as their capable of. Last two goals shouldn't have happened with an NHL goalie. Howard knows that, Babs knows that

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Howard has never had that amazing of a playoff run, so I don't see where being a veteran an having experience helps in this case. Either way, whichever goalie plays will be on a short leash.

Howard has never had that amazing of a playoff run, so I don't see where being a veteran an having experience helps in this case. Either way, whichever goalie plays will be on a short leash.

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It appears that Babs has Mrazek in mind because he started him in the final and crucial game of the season. Not like Howie needed the rest. And plus, Mrazek played well, he got a shutout.

So, in light of the above, I put all my chips in and say that Babs puts Howie in net for game 1.

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It appears that Babs has Mrazek in mind because he started him in the final and crucial game of the season. Not like Howie needed the rest. And plus, Mrazek played well, he got a shutout.

So, in light of the above, I put all my chips in and say that Babs puts Howie in net for game 1.

:lol: I don't doubt you're right unfortunately.

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It appears that Babs has Mrazek in mind because he started him in the final and crucial game of the season. Not like Howie needed the rest. And plus, Mrazek played well, he got a shutout.

So, in light of the above, I put all my chips in and say that Babs puts Howie in net for game 1.

I think its petr, thats why he started sunday Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It could also mean that he wanted to give Howard, his starter, extra rest before the playoffs started or that much less chance of getting injured. Or that he wanted to get one last look at Mrazek to help decide.

It's going to be Howard though, there is no doubt. Mrazek getting a shut on in the last game of the regular season against one of the worst teams really doesn't mean all that much.

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Bill Roose made a point the other day that it'd be easier to start with Howard and go to Mrazek if Howard falters than the other way around. But why would that be the case? I just don't see any reason to think that. I'd say it's better to start with Mrazek early, so if he does drop the ball the team won't be too far in the hole.

I'd hate to switch from Howard to Mrazek when we're down 2-0 or 3-0 on the series, and put all that pressure on Mrazek. While I don't think Howard will be a winning goalie, I'd feel more comfortable going with the veteran presence in a playoff crunch if it comes to that.

So I say start Mrazek and run with him until he falters.

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