I've said for years that bowns' game has technical issues, though to be fair this season he has been outstanding much of the time. Quite side from any positioning issues and rebound control, carruth's ability to play the puck makes him a threat when opponents don't execute their line changes as they should.
Carruth
- Thread starter Kristoff
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Not really comparing apples with apples when compare the standard of leagues they were both playing in.
Look at it this way if you swapped them, would mac been able to hold his own in the leagues bowns has played in, I think yes, however would bowns have lasted in AHL, ECHL, been drafted ect, I doubt it. You can't just go on what they won when comparing when one has been playing higher standard leagues ect.
Look at it this way if you swapped them, would mac been able to hold his own in the leagues bowns has played in, I think yes, however would bowns have lasted in AHL, ECHL, been drafted ect, I doubt it. You can't just go on what they won when comparing when one has been playing higher standard leagues ect.
Surely both approaches are valid? I tend to focus on 'winners' and I would argue it is impossible to argue that Bowns is not a serial winner. Ditto I don't think it is possible to argue that Carruth isn't. That is NOT to say that Mac isn't a bad netminder, quite the reverse, he is a superb one at this level but (and it is a big but).... a winning team is never about having the best players, it's about having the best team and whilst Bowns has consistently been part of a winning team, Mac very rarely has been and when it goes wrong, it appears as though he is not part of the solution.
I know I am being the Bowns cheerleader here but.... surely that is him all over. The bigger the game, the better he gets. When games are meaningless (and no matter how much we hype up these games, we are still going to be second) he tends to come in as average, when it's a key game, he is consistently excellent.
It's easy to imagine bowns not being up for a dead rubber (from our perspective) against Coventry. After all the playoffs are rushing up, and after that he could be facing Conner beddard in the world champs. Realistically wall isn't going to get much ice time over the coming weeks and must think he's on his way out.
These final weeks will have been hard for Tyler not getting much ice time. To get into a consistent groove, goalies need a run of games, not the odd one. I feel sorry for him - he can't be properly judged on the odd game here and there.
It's a difficult role to play because most teams will need their No.1 starter in the closing weeks to help secure league positions and Playoff seedings.
Tony Verrone, the Steelers' other import goalie is only getting games now really when Greenfield has been rested.
It will be interesting to see the Club's approach to the goaltending situation next season. Will they choose a tandem 1a+1b route, or an out and out no1 with less experienced backup?
It's a difficult role to play because most teams will need their No.1 starter in the closing weeks to help secure league positions and Playoff seedings.
Tony Verrone, the Steelers' other import goalie is only getting games now really when Greenfield has been rested.
It will be interesting to see the Club's approach to the goaltending situation next season. Will they choose a tandem 1a+1b route, or an out and out no1 with less experienced backup?
I loved Carruth but I just don't buy the argument that Bowns isn't good enough to backstop us to a league title. He's posted his best stats for almost 5 years whilst being behind arguably the weakest defensive structure I've seen at the Devils in a long time. Yes he has bad games. All goalies do. Invariably when he's struggled we do concede soft one's but that's the nature of the position. When I thought this team needed tightening up at the back - a Strachan type player - we brought in Wilde. He's done well for us but I just didn't think that type of player was what we needed. I still don't. When we defensively carry some of the players we do, who don't seem particularly interested in team defence, it does leave us massively exposed. Bown's has had a good season even with all that's in front of him.
The same applies to Wall except, and this is purely a personal choice, just isn't the goalie for me. I don't like that overly aggressive style - the Fleury style - that means he's out of position and gets founds out. He's let in a few soft ones and doesn't fill me with confidence. This was evident for me from the start where him and Bowns were more of a tandem. At this level, a goalie should be ready to play regardless of ice time. If PR, has brought in a goalie that needs regular ice time to hit peak performance and doesn't play him then that's poor and setting him up to fail but I firmly believe the Devils expected Wall to be more impactful that he has been and that's what's restricted his ice time.
The same applies to Wall except, and this is purely a personal choice, just isn't the goalie for me. I don't like that overly aggressive style - the Fleury style - that means he's out of position and gets founds out. He's let in a few soft ones and doesn't fill me with confidence. This was evident for me from the start where him and Bowns were more of a tandem. At this level, a goalie should be ready to play regardless of ice time. If PR, has brought in a goalie that needs regular ice time to hit peak performance and doesn't play him then that's poor and setting him up to fail but I firmly believe the Devils expected Wall to be more impactful that he has been and that's what's restricted his ice time.
I think Bowns is a really good netminder, does he make some silly mistakes, yes but if he didn’t he wouldn’t be playing in this league and that’s a fact. Ben also has to play behind a pretty poor Defense where we conceeded
2.8 goals average per game this season, I do think he plays too much but I think that’s because our back up is pretty weak, we only finished 2nd because we scored 3.8 goals average per game, the 2nd highest in the league.
2.8 goals average per game this season, I do think he plays too much but I think that’s because our back up is pretty weak, we only finished 2nd because we scored 3.8 goals average per game, the 2nd highest in the league.
I’ll hold my hands up, at the start of the season I was firmly of the opinion that we wouldn’t win the league again with Bowns in net. I was proven wrong. He has posted some incredible stats this season, and they could have been even better if it wasn’t for a lousy defence. I do think we need to find a younger import Nettie next season who can progress into being our starter. But I appreciate that we did that this season with Booth and Wall
One question that should be asked if why 2 import goalie`s who were both drafted and have AHL ect games under there belt flopped for the devils, poor recruitment? Was life made hard for them? Because on paper both goalies would be your number one net minders. They would of played in games/leagues/NHL camps that Bowns would of dreamt to have played in.