Tim Panaccio: Would You Start Zepp?

Tim,
It's possible Hextall has an inquiry as to Emery's availability, or they may cut him loose next season and need to see if the guy is serviceable as a capable back up. At any rate, this season is toast, so why see what the guy has moving forward.

Tim Panaccio: Would You Start Zepp?
- tpanaccio

Yep on Zepp.

Emery's lateral movement is subpar, and given the Lightning's ability to move the puck East-West, Zepp is a better option.

Also, Emery has not played all that well over the past ten starts. Slap in the face or not, I'd rather see how Zepp handles himself

Tim Panaccio: Would You Start Zepp?
- tpanaccio

This is one of your better pieces Tim. I agree, Zepp away. In fact, who else can we bring up?

just think of all of the bad headlines if they win. Flyers Led by Zepp

Yep on Zepp.

Emery's lateral movement is subpar, and given the Lightning's ability to move the puck East-West, Zepp is a better option.

Also, Emery has not played all that well over the past ten starts. Slap in the face or not, I'd rather see how Zepp handles himself
- Jsaquella

I don't get it, Emery was KILLING IT earlier this season. He honestly looked like an elite goalie and then Mason came back to normal form, and ever since then Ray ray has been just bad

I don't get it, Emery was KILLING IT earlier this season. He honestly looked like an elite goalie and then Mason came back to normal form, and ever since then Ray ray has been just bad
- benjichronic

Well, I would say the team was playing better in front of him in the early season.

I don't get it, Emery was KILLING IT earlier this season. He honestly looked like an elite goalie and then Mason came back to normal form, and ever since then Ray ray has been just bad
- benjichronic

Not sure I'd say Emery looked elite, he definitely had good games and was playing better than Mason for a stretch. His first 5 starts he went 3-1-1, had 3 exceptional games ( OTL to MTL, wins over DET & LA), then had a bad game against TB.

Since that loss, he's had just 2 starts where he didn't give up at least 3 goals and only 3 where he managed a save % over .900

Tim Panaccio: Would You Start Zepp?
- tpanaccio

I kinda don't get why there's this perception out there that Ray Emery is or ever has been a good NHL goalie. Yes like just about every goalie who sticks around the league long enough he has had stetches of partial seasons here and there where he has looked great (namely, 2007 behind a dominant Senators team, 2013 behind a dominant Blackhawks team, that one time he played 10 games for Anaheim) but in every city where he has played a meaningful amount of games (OTT, CHI, and PHI) his overall stats are pretty lousy even for a backup.

It seems like if a goalie gets hot at the right time and has a high-profile run somewhere he can coast his way to a lengthy career on reputation alone. Cam Ward won a Cup in 2006, immediately got labelled "elite," and it took like half a decade before anybody in the hockey media realized that he actually isn't particularly good. Emery's played 272 NHL games and keeps getting jobs even though statistically speaking he's probably no better than a weak backup or a decent No. 3 on most NHL teams.