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Lindgren recalled, end of Niemi?


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https://www.habseyesontheprize.com/latest-news/2019/3/11/16694264/charlie-lindgren-laval-rocket-icecaps-helmet-price-niemi-roster-move

 

Poor Niemi, is the end of his career here?

 

Some were saying Habs should add a better back-up at the deadline, i didnt think would be enough of a difference to matter. BUT, after his last two outings how can they put in back in anymore?

 

Lindgren 11-14-6 2,94, 0.884 this year

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It's a tough one with Carey Price.  Last year I made a thread about us needing a better backup goalie and we added Niemi to the fold. It seems one year later, a similar theme has emerged.  With a starting goalie of Price's caliber it's not only difficult to conserve money on the position due to his "Price-tag" and skill level but because not many quality backups will want to play 15 games a year.  Once the team has a backup of such quality,  they'll want out at their first opportunity. It turns out to be a Schneider - Luongo situation or other similar situations in the recent past like Quick and Kuemper or the fact Washington lost Grubauer. In fact,  it wasn't long ago that we had our own Price and Halak decision. 

 

Price doesn't like getting pulled.  I often feel as though Price needs better internal competition, in order for him to not take things for granted and respect that he could get pulled or replaced at any moment's notice. On the other hand, he hates when that happens and again,  any solid backup could create an internal conflict which would have the media asking questions. It's a quandary.  Perhaps the correct solution is to have a young backup with great potential.  Welcome Lindgren. The only problem is that if he plays well for you in the role,  he won't be with the organization for very long. On the other side of things,  It can also become somewhat of a Golden Knights situation with Malcolm Subban,  and I don't have any confidence in that team any time Fleury is not in the net. 

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I agree. The dilemma of the backup is the same dilemma that comes with having any expensive star player. You still need guys playing behind that expensive star on the depth chart. And the only sustainable answer in a cap system is to have excellent young talent coming up on the cheap.

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1 hour ago, IN THE HEARTS OF MEN said:

and just to throw it out there... McNiven has been much better then Lindgren of late

Yes, but I believe that at this point, involved in a playoffs race,  you want to avoid playing an inexperienced NHL goalie and go with the one who's been there already and, probably, won't have the same amount of stress in his game.

 

Lindgren sucked in the AHL, but so did Biddington in Blues' affiliate  and see how he turned his game around once he played behind an NHL level team.

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2 hours ago, IN THE HEARTS OF MEN said:

and just to throw it out there... McNiven has been much better then Lindgren of late

Habs brass do follow the Rocket, so likely taken into account. Lindgren will be riding the bench most games and perhaps they want McNivan playing more.

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I don't get why anyone cares if Carey hates getting pulled.  If he deserves to be pulled then pull him!  He can also use the rest.  Some games, like against Pittsburgh or Anaheim recently, he just doesn't have it and we shouldn't have to coddle him at this point in his career.

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This was overdue by a few months as it would have given the Habs more time to see what Lindgren has to offer in the NHL, but at least they finally clued in that the team can't play confidently in front of Niemi anymore.

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15 hours ago, Neech said:

I don't get why anyone cares if Carey hates getting pulled.  If he deserves to be pulled then pull him!  He can also use the rest.  Some games, like against Pittsburgh or Anaheim recently, he just doesn't have it and we shouldn't have to coddle him at this point in his career.

 

That's not how it works. CP is the team alpha male and the key to its success. Coaches these days do not needlessly antagonize such players. Pissing them off is too risky, too needlessly disruptive. (Remember Roy? Tremblay still thought it was 1975 where you could bully superstars. We all saw how that worked out).

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14 hours ago, Trizzak said:

This was overdue by a few months as it would have given the Habs more time to see what Lindgren has to offer in the NHL, but at least they finally clued in that the team can't play confidently in front of Niemi anymore.

 

It doesn't sound like either Lindgren or Niemi will see the net, barring an injury to Price or the Habs clinching their playoff fate. 

 

Sounds like they are using Lindgren for practice so that all practices have two goalies. 

 

Price will sit out any practices he wants to sit out, but will likely be in net for every game. 

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3 hours ago, Commandant said:

Price will sit out any practices he wants to sit out, but will likely be in net for every game. 

If you assume the final couple games will matter.:tumbleweed:

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10 hours ago, BCHabnut said:

Islanders insane save percentage catches up to them. Habs beat them twice and end up facing the top metro team. Price is in a zone down the stretch. Heard it here first. 

:clap:

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  • 8 months later...

Following up to the old Niemi topic, he has now played in 10 games for Jokerit in the KHL. 0.888 save percentage and 3.48 GAA, not so much different from his numbers here last season ).887, 3.78). The team's #1 goalie, Janis Kalnins, is at 0.932 and 1.94.

 

On our side, Kinkaid is also at 0.888 so far. I hope he will improve yet, and the Devils game was a positive outing, but wishing it doesn't make it true.

 

The more things change, the more they stay the same?

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18 minutes ago, tomh009 said:

Following up to the old Niemi topic, he has now played in 10 games for Jokerit in the KHL. 0.888 save percentage and 3.48 GAA, not so much different from his numbers here last season ).887, 3.78). The team's #1 goalie, Janis Kalnins, is at 0.932 and 1.94.

 

On our side, Kinkaid is also at 0.888 so far. I hope he will improve yet, and the Devils game was a positive outing, but wishing it doesn't make it true.

 

The more things change, the more they stay the same?

 

Given his numbers last season, I never had very high hopes for Kinkaid. But he did play very well against the Devils...maybe he can build on that.

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Kinkaid was 0.891 last season, effectively the same as Niemi. Better GAA than his start this year but that may speak more about our defensive gaffes than anything else.

 

We don't know whether Bergevin tried to get Elliott. But the Kinkaid signing was about a week after Elliott signed with the flyers, so it's certainly possible that Elliott could have been the first choice. As has been discussed many a time, not every UFA is keen to play for the Habs.

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What's a little bit weird is that we don't seem to have developed very many young G over the past few seasons. Condom and Tokarski are the best two I can remember - and that ain't saying much, although "Safe Nets" Condon did have one decent season as a starter in Ottawa. I get that Price is locked-up long term, but you'd think that just by the sheer law of averages, some NHL-calibre goalie would have percolated up through our system...

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3 hours ago, Habber31 said:

I would much rather have seen Brian Elliott signed. 

 

Part of the reason that Elliott stayed in Philly was that he'd have a shot to still battle for the starting role.  He wasn't going to get that in Montreal so I suspect the Habs wouldn't have even been a consideration for him.

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3 hours ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

What's a little bit weird is that we don't seem to have developed very many young G over the past few seasons. Condom and Tokarski are the best two I can remember - and that ain't saying much, although "Safe Nets" Condon did have one decent season as a starter in Ottawa. I get that Price is locked-up long term, but you'd think that just by the sheer law of averages, some NHL-calibre goalie would have percolated up through our system...

 

There was some hype about Lindgren and McNiven a year or two ago... now we have Primeau coming through with presumably more hype than any of them.  

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44 minutes ago, dlbalr said:

 

Part of the reason that Elliott stayed in Philly was that he'd have a shot to still battle for the starting role.  He wasn't going to get that in Montreal so I suspect the Habs wouldn't have even been a consideration for him.

 

He also went with the dont move your shit deal.

 

Anytime two teams are competing, there needs to be a good reason (wife, more money, childhood dream, etc...) cause if you dont have that, hes going to re-sign with the team where he doesnt have to pack and move his shit.

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