Stater

[rdreb]

Who do you think should start the next game?

Barnstable for me.it is time to see what he can do as a stater.

[3rebels]

Agreed! I kind of think to start the year, play both in rotation and see who steps up and claims the#1 status !

[SectionNDeserter]

Kuemper is an NHL drafted goalie, who has had one poor game so far, and one ok game. Barnstable is an AJHL goalie who played an ok period of hockey so far in relief of Kuemper. If Kuemper isn't in the AHL/ECHL next year, he will be one of our overage players. At this point, I see there being an extremely slim chance that Barnstable will be on this team next season as an overage player.

I think Wallin is going to go with Kuemper a lot during the first half of the season--barring a complete "Clarkesque" meltdown on Kuemper's part. Going with a rotation would be an ok idea if we had a 19 year old veteran goalie that is NHL drafted, and say a 17 year old hot young goalie, but nothing good could come of this for Wallin, there is just far too much pressure on him to win a lot of games in a short period of time.

[3rebels]

I like your thought pattern. I was just saying too start the year, only for about 10 games, rotate the goalies. That should give Wallin a pretty fair idea if Kemps or Barner is going to step up !!

[SectionNDeserter]

If the Rebels get off to a really bad start, and Wallin starts Kuemper in the first 15-20 games, the heat will be on the NHL drafted Kuemper. If Wallin starts Barnstable in half of those games, the heat will be on Wallin. It would definitely show that he has some confidence in him though if he did do it.

[RDRebelsfan]

next game is against the Hurricanes, so why not start Barnstable?

[Billy's Got A Gun!]

I agree with SectionNDeserter. Darcy Kuemper is the go to guy, and Wallin has to stick with his #1 man. You don't start screwing around with the plan after 2 games! Everyone with the exception of a couple of guys had a poor game against Calgary. You forget about it and move on. The Rebels have too much at stake this season to start messing around with the goaltending situation. Keumper is a proven goaltender at the WHL level, and the Rebels need to start winning games now, not a month or two months from now. Even though Lethbridge may be in a rebuilding mode this year, they need these two points. Anything less than the playoffs this season will be totally unacceptable, and would mean they could move into the Red Deer Arena next season and still not sell out.