Cam Talbot - Mod warning #251

[Vidic15*]

Toronto exposed his glove hand. They were obviously shooting for it. His positioning is off too. He has a lot of work to do.

 

[nevesis]

Toronto exposed his glove hand. They were obviously shooting for it. His positioning is off too. He has a lot of work to do.

Funny, his positioning was great on lots of saves. I wonder where all these goaltending experts came from all of a sudden?

 

[Charlie Conway]

I'm not worried. He's getting NHL starting pressure for the first time, and he wasn't getting much help on some of those boneheaded plays. He'll settle down, and we'll be fine.

 

[offdacrossbar]

Funny, his positioning was great on lots of saves. I wonder where all these goaltending experts came from all of a sudden?

to me he looked shaky.

his puck handling wasn't sharp. he wasn't challenging shooters as much especially in the 3rd and his glove looked balky in the 3rd as well.

he's usually very smooth positionally and fluid side to side. i saw some nervousness from him i don't normally see. smooth and controlled went to jerky and scrambly.

so much of why he does is confidence. to me, he was struggling with that more than anything last night.

 

[0ddManRush]

I think Cam is perfect backup like some have said, but I'd still feel more comfortable if the Rangers brought in a veteran to keep on the bench.

 

[Thirty One]

I think Cam is perfect backup like some have said, but I'd still feel more comfortable if the Rangers brought in a veteran to keep on the bench.

Yep. I think Zatkoff of Pittsburgh would make a lot of sense. He's signed through next season on a one-way salary. They have Matt Murray (20) ripping up the AHL. Swapping Zatkoff for Desjardins would save them 275K next year.

 

[silverfish]

He needs to be better.

 

[GordonGecko]

Cam gets to start in front of his idol tonight - if there's ever a game he's going to want to bring it to it's this one

 

[Unpredictable1]

Funny, his positioning was great on lots of saves. I wonder where all these goaltending experts came from all of a sudden?

I fully agree. While I admit he's struggled on some plays that resulted in goals on some of them - people are so quick to completely dissect and scrutinize his skill after 3 games.

He'll be fine.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

I fully agree. While I admit he's struggled on some plays that resulted in goals on some of them - people are so quick to completely dissect and scrutinize his skill after 3 games.

He'll be fine.

Yea, that kind of snap judgment is only allowed if he does well people.

 

[GordonGecko]

Yea, that kind of snap judgment is only allowed if he does well people.

He's done well in more than a "snap judgement" sampling of games. Now all of a sudden people are qualifying those past games (including shutouts and amazing performances) as "backup goalie games".

lol, WTF is a backup goalie game? A game is a game, the guy has shown he has the skills and mental fortitude. He hasn't played well since Hank went down, does that mean he doesn't have the ability to? His past performance shows otherwise.

If you're going to pass final judgement you'd be doing him justice by weighing in all those other games more heavily versus his recent stretch. Good thing for him he's going to have a bunch more games to prove himself.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

He's done well in more than a "snap judgement" sampling of games. Now all of a sudden people are qualifying those past games (including shutouts and amazing performances) as "backup goalie games".

lol, WTF is a backup goalie game? A game is a game, the guy has shown he has the skills and mental fortitude. He hasn't played well since Hank went down, does that mean he doesn't have the ability to? His past performance shows otherwise.

If you're going to pass final judgement you'd be doing him justice by weighing in all those other games more heavily versus his recent stretch. Good thing for him he's going to have a bunch more games to prove himself.

There is something to be said about a "backup goalie game."

Talbot has spot started generally against lesser competition with a team that has played pretty darn well in front of him more often than not (knowing you've got the backup in goal instead of the future hall of famer probably has something to do with that mentally).

Anyway, I like Talbot. He's had a rough start as a full-time starter here. I dont think thats enough to say we're doomed. But I also don't know why people can't call it what it is -- a poor and ominous start to his full-time duties.

 

[nyr2k2]

He's done well in more than a "snap judgement" sampling of games. Now all of a sudden people are qualifying those past games (including shutouts and amazing performances) as "backup goalie games".

lol, WTF is a backup goalie game? A game is a game, the guy has shown he has the skills and mental fortitude. He hasn't played well since Hank went down, does that mean he doesn't have the ability to? His past performance shows otherwise.

If you're going to pass final judgement you'd be doing him justice by weighing in all those other games more heavily versus his recent stretch. Good thing for him he's going to have a bunch more games to prove himself.

Backup goalie games are often against softer competition. They're hand-picked starts in many cases. It's also a situation where the backup is always coming in fresh. It's completely different from both physical and mental standpoints to know that you're the starter and are expected to play 80 percent of the games and all the games against top opponents. Completely different.

Regardless of any of that, the 30-whatever games Talbot had played prior to this point IS a small sample size.

 

[GordonGecko]

Regardless of any of that, the 30-whatever games Talbot had played prior to this point IS a small sample size.

It is, and this recent stretch is microscopic compared. So the jury is very much still out either way.

Agreed that backup games are typically against softer opponents, but AV has started him against very good teams too in the time he's been here

 

[Rangerfan4life90]

I don't think people are realizing the mental shift it takes to go from a backup to now a starter, and taking over for one of the best goalies in the world. Instead of spot starts here and there, he has to be ready for EVERY game now till Hank comes back.

I'm sure Talbot didn't expect to suddenly be the starter (although, backups are always prepared in case of a scenario like this, you still don't think it.). I think Talbot will ultimately be fine. Maybe not great or elite, but he'll be good enough to hold down the fort till Hank comes back.

 

[Unpredictable1]

There is something to be said about a "backup goalie game."

Talbot has spot started generally against lesser competition with a team that has played pretty darn well in front of him more often than not (knowing you've got the backup in goal instead of the future hall of famer probably has something to do with that mentally).

Anyway, I like Talbot. He's had a rough start as a full-time starter here. I dont think thats enough to say we're doomed. But I also don't know why people can't call it what it is -- a poor and ominous start to his full-time duties.

I don't think anyone is saying he's standing on his head or trying to mask the truth here, and pretty much are suggesting the same. Yes, he has stumbled over the last 3 games and hasn't been the Cam we normally see. The comments that are head scratchers are how quick people are throwing him under the bus and labelling his career now because of the last 3 games. It's like most things on this section, "I only know what happened within the last week" mentality.

Before the last 3 games everyone is delighted with Cam and saying he could be a starter. Now it's all forgotten.

Personally I'll give him more of a leash since he got us our first win in Montreal in what seems like 20 years by way of shutout.

 

[pjr378]

Entire squad went off somewhere for the first 10 minutes of the 3rd period. Handled himself well and made a key breakaway save earlier.

 

[trilobyte]

I'm no goaltending expert, but I think I can tell when a goalie looks like he is in position and econimical in his movement. Cam stopped second chances a few times tonight, and it was often when the team in front of him was standing still giving him no help in the first half of the 3rd. I was very impressed by him.

 

[GOAT AINEC]

Much better tonight but Rangers aren't going to be scoring 4+ goals every game.

 

[Draft Guru]

I thought tonight was the best game he has played since Hank went down, but 4 straight games of a save percentage below .900 is a bit concerning (and before that, the BOS game he was at exactly .900).

He has to be better.

 

[Unpredictable1]

So is this when the "first time a backup will win vezina" crowd comes out?

4-1-1 since the King needed a rest to heal wounds.

 

[The Gloaming]

Great game from Cam tonight. Really saved our bacon in the first half of the game.

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

Great thinking to **** all over him after a couple of somewhat shaky games. He was absolutely stellar tonight, and quite good against the Avs. I was fairly positive that once he had a couple games to get settled in he'd start playing very well.

 

[BlueshirtBlitz]

Great thinking to **** all over him after a couple of somewhat shaky games. He was absolutely stellar tonight, and quite good against the Avs. I was fairly positive that once he had a couple games to get settled in he'd start playing very well.

He's still a backup goaltender in the NHL.

Don't know why some people are so upset by that fact.

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

He's still a backup goaltender in the NHL.

Obviously, but A) he's performed quite well in his role, B) every goalie in the league would be a backup goalie to Hank and C) maybe it's just me, but I've always felt he could be better than just a good backup goalie. I think he could be a guy who splits with another starter, an all around solid goalie. He isn't Hank, but he's a talented guy.

Still time for him to put up or shut up yet, we'll see how he plays as the games go on.