Let me also add on another post and I may be dead wrong here on this but this is how I feel and I'm using career numbers to prove my point.
I think Shesterkin is overrated. Yes, he has the ability to steal games and he was the Vezina winner two years ago...but vs Carolina he's barely over .500 in his career.
If you count the playoffs from 2022 he's only 9-7 vs us in his career. If you take those playoff numbers out he's 5-4 with a 2.58 GAA and a .913 save percentage and we've already shelled him once this season and a few times in his career.
Small sample size I know but it's enough to know that he is not some out of this world goaltender. Carolina knows him well.
This is why I think goaltending is even because Andersen stole some games vs the Islanders as well. I do think he stole game 1 from them and maybe game 3; Varlamov stole game 4. Crucify me on that but that's what I think.
Now, I know Shesterkin has a higher ceiling but I have a feeling that if Raanta did not start for us 2 years ago we win that series.
Andersen is healthy and I do believe he is motivated now because he knows he was given another chance and at the time he was out did not know if he'd ever play again.
If I was a goalie that would motivate me as well knowing that my career may have been over but now I'm back.
This is why I think he's played out of this world since his return because he was given another chance and I do believe he wants to definitely take advantage of it.
The same with the Islander series; people thought the Islanders had the goaltending advantage; they did 2 years ago as well and we knocked them out both times. So, what was the advantage?
Yes, he (Shesterkin) did beat us 1-0 and 2-1 but both those games could've gone either way and the 1-0 loss was on a deflection off our skate.
He's definitely a beatable goaltender. He's not Henrik Lundqvist. I would also say he's not Brodeur but we've owned Brodeur in the playoffs.
Andersen is 9-6-3 vs the Rangers with a 2.80 GAA and .904 save percentage. A lot of that was when he was the Leafs.
A larger sample size but the difference is not otherworldly.
Good goaltending starts with good defense. If you don't have good/great defense goaltending would falter so it's really a team has to have good defense in front of the goalie.
Example is Petr Mrazek. He was really good here and he's not doing too well in Chicago thanks to the defense in front of him.
This is just my opinion on this goalie thing.
Regardless, I'm glad that Carolina is now getting the respect they deserve (betting odds consider them favorites).
Carolina now has to prove it on the ice and their stars need to shine (looking at you Guentzel) in this round.
Sorry for the long post. Had a lot on my mind.
I think Shesterkin is overrated. Yes, he has the ability to steal games and he was the Vezina winner two years ago...but vs Carolina he's barely over .500 in his career.
If you count the playoffs from 2022 he's only 9-7 vs us in his career. If you take those playoff numbers out he's 5-4 with a 2.58 GAA and a .913 save percentage and we've already shelled him once this season and a few times in his career.
Small sample size I know but it's enough to know that he is not some out of this world goaltender. Carolina knows him well.
This is why I think goaltending is even because Andersen stole some games vs the Islanders as well. I do think he stole game 1 from them and maybe game 3; Varlamov stole game 4. Crucify me on that but that's what I think.
Now, I know Shesterkin has a higher ceiling but I have a feeling that if Raanta did not start for us 2 years ago we win that series.
Andersen is healthy and I do believe he is motivated now because he knows he was given another chance and at the time he was out did not know if he'd ever play again.
If I was a goalie that would motivate me as well knowing that my career may have been over but now I'm back.
This is why I think he's played out of this world since his return because he was given another chance and I do believe he wants to definitely take advantage of it.
The same with the Islander series; people thought the Islanders had the goaltending advantage; they did 2 years ago as well and we knocked them out both times. So, what was the advantage?
Yes, he (Shesterkin) did beat us 1-0 and 2-1 but both those games could've gone either way and the 1-0 loss was on a deflection off our skate.
He's definitely a beatable goaltender. He's not Henrik Lundqvist. I would also say he's not Brodeur but we've owned Brodeur in the playoffs.
Andersen is 9-6-3 vs the Rangers with a 2.80 GAA and .904 save percentage. A lot of that was when he was the Leafs.
A larger sample size but the difference is not otherworldly.
Good goaltending starts with good defense. If you don't have good/great defense goaltending would falter so it's really a team has to have good defense in front of the goalie.
Example is Petr Mrazek. He was really good here and he's not doing too well in Chicago thanks to the defense in front of him.
This is just my opinion on this goalie thing.
Regardless, I'm glad that Carolina is now getting the respect they deserve (betting odds consider them favorites).
Carolina now has to prove it on the ice and their stars need to shine (looking at you Guentzel) in this round.
Sorry for the long post. Had a lot on my mind.
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