40 replies to this topic

[Mark Loch]

Goalie prospects have long been recognized as the most volatile of hockey prospects. Not only is it difficult to judge a young goalie's potential and ability, one cannot say with certainty how they will cope with the transition from the junior leagues to the pro leagues. Therefore, it is not surprising that teams are hesitant in drafting goalies in the first round. Moreover, if one looks as the elite goalies in the NHL they would find that most have been drafted in the mid to later rounds of the entry draft. Such observations lend solid weight to the case that not even the best goalie prospects are a sure fire bet to become bona fide NHL starters.

However, when one looks deeper into the uncertainty and risk associated with goalie prospects one can also make the case that the same uncertainty and risk also apply to even the most established goalies in the NHL. A prime example would be Roberto Luongo. For the past few seasons, Luongo's play had been stellar and he had established himself as an elite goaltender. For his accomplishments, Luongo was rewarded with a lucrative 12 year contract extension, which at the time seemed fair to both Luongo and the Canucks - albeit too long for some. However, Luongo's play since his contract extension has deteriorated and plagued with gross inconsistency, and it seems like the Canucks have a marginal goaltender earning $5.4 million on their payroll for the next 12 years.

The Vancouver Canucks are an elite team playing in one of the largest hockey market in the world. The expectation in Vancouver is for the Canucks to be cup contenders and for many fans anything less than that elusive Stanley Cup will be a disappointment, to say the least. If Luongo does not manage to win a cup during his 12 year tenure in the cut throat market of Vancouver, many Vancouverites will make a case against Luongo, his inconsistency, and to his contract. Indeed, if Luongo's play continues to be plagued with inconsistency one cannot help but to wonder if large long term contracts given to goalies in the post CBA era are, in fact, justified.

Edited by Mark Loch, 27 March 2010 - 09:16 PM.

[Shattenkirk's Bald Spot]

I <3 Lui! Even when he struggles. Someones got to be an unwavering fan.

[Common sense]

And if the team wins the Cup, this will be used as a landmark contract for other franchise goalies, something for GMs to use as leverage when dealing with the Rick DiPietros out there.

[smithers joe]

luongo is one of the best in the nhl....he will be fine.

[saskatooncanucksfans]

Totally agree,even to the point that looking at some games lately(Since the olympic break)Our starting goalie has been pretty much a liablility...Everyone must see past the point that he makes some great saves...But it's the goals that he's letting in ,and when those goals go in ,,,that is worrisome,the great saves are meaningless when you lose..All the olympians need some rest ,that's a must situation....

[-*.inc]

Stop bandwagonning!

AHHHHHHHHH
You will doom us to a terrible, untimely death
Goaltenders cannot be blamed; they are the most important parts of the team.
I mean, Luongo makes 7 mill; he must be good.

[Progpunk76]

Sign Raycroft again, give him more games next year. Luongo 50-55 games, Raycroft 27-32 games. Rest Luongo more next year and all will be fine.

[Kesler'sAttitude]

why does the OP have 16 posts since november 09...seems like 1 post for every bad game louongo played this season.

[rkoshack]

If Luongo plays less nucks will lose more. We've seen this team's record without Luongo and they are a .500 hockey team

[Dan Hamhuis]

Seriously? gtfo of here bandwagoneers. We don't need you here!

[highvision]

Make like the Loch Ness and swim back underwater.

[>you]

i wish i didn't use my minus 5 minutes ago cause you deserve it more than the person i gave it to. luongo has had one inconsistent year. and actually he was pretty consistent at the start of the season, something he usually isn't. he's going through a slump lately, 2 months ago his stats were on par with all of his previous seasons.

[mugpot]

These threads are even more gay than usual because he didn't play poorly tonight at all. Like at all. Like 0 Poor Play Factor Tonight. Like at all. Like 0.

Edited by mugpot, 27 March 2010 - 10:41 PM.

[Amish Rake Fighter]

Stop bumping his threads, you retards.....D'oh!

[mig]

mugpot, on 27 March 2010 - 10:40 PM, said:

These threads are even more gay than usual because he didn't play poorly tonight at all. Like at all. Like 0 Poor Play Factor Tonight. Like at all. Like 0.

0 poor play, 0 great play. People are expecting too much.

[mugpot]

mig, on 27 March 2010 - 10:46 PM, said:

0 poor play, 0 great play. People are expecting too much.

Yea I agree, I mean I kind of wanted to get mad at him for not stopping the break-away but I mean in the first and 2nd Canucks weren't getting anything done at all. After taking a step back and looking at the game as a whole I realize that this game really wasn't his fault. He didn't steal the game but he definitely gave the team a chance to win I would almost argue he did more. Could have been a bigger lead for San Jose than it was.

Edited by mugpot, 27 March 2010 - 10:48 PM.

[Amish Rake Fighter]

Goaltending wasn't an issue in this game

[canucks.bradley]

i didnt read what the OP wrote...but..

CBC talked about the "olympic hangover" and how everyone on the Canadian roster except for niedermayer and someone else were minus players since returning.

luongo will battle through it.

[Legendary]

Mark Loch, on 27 March 2010 - 07:48 PM, said:

Goalie prospects have long been recognized as the most volatile of hockey prospects. Not only is it difficult to judge a young goalie's potential and ability, one cannot say with certainty how they will cope with the transition from the junior leagues to the pro leagues. Therefore, it is not surprising that teams are hesitant in drafting goalies in the first round. Moreover, if one looks as the elite goalies in the NHL they would find that most have been drafted in the mid to later rounds of the entry draft. Such observations lend solid weight to the case that not even the best goalie prospects are a sure fire bet to become bona fide NHL starters.

However, when one looks deeper into the uncertainty and risk associated with goalie prospects one can also make the case that the same uncertainty and risk also apply to even the most established goalies in the NHL. A prime example would be Roberto Luongo. For the past few seasons, Luongo's play had been stellar and he had established himself as an elite goaltender. For his accomplishments, Luongo was rewarded with a lucrative 12 year contract extension, which at the time seemed fair to both Luongo and the Canucks - albeit too long for some. However, Luongo's play since his contract extension has deteriorated and plagued with gross inconsistency, and it seems like the Canucks have a marginal goaltender earning $5.4 million on their payroll for the next 12 years.

The Vancouver Canucks are an elite team playing in one of the largest hockey market in the world. The expectation in Vancouver is for the Canucks to be cup contenders and for many fans anything less than that elusive Stanley Cup will be a disappointment, to say the least. If Luongo does not manage to win a cup during his 12 year tenure in the cut throat market of Vancouver, many Vancouverites will make a case against Luongo, his inconsistency, and to his contract. Indeed, if Luongo's play continues to be plagued with inconsistency one cannot help but to wonder if large long term contracts given to goalies in the post CBA era are, in fact, justified.

Although most of what you said is true, a team doesn't revolve around one player. It's a team game and you can't expect him to steal the show every night.

Also, I'm not sure what your first paragraph has to do with anything related to Luongo. You're right, the fans of Vancouver won't settle for anything less than a cup, but to blame every loss on Luongo is ridiculous. Any one person who watches hockey or a lot of hockey can tell that most of these goals are results of bad defense by the Vancouver Canucks. People on here can blame Luongo for being being great against breakaways, and I too admit that he goes down a lot easier these days - but why is there a breakaway at all in the first place? This is the defense's fault. A forward skates from the outside and cuts in front of the net for a goal - This is a result of bad defense, not bad goaltending.

Luongo will let in the occasional weak one, because like he said, he is human. But to blame every goal on him like half of what CDC does is pretty ridiculous. A defense job is to play defense, not stand still like a pylon. Luongo wants the cup more than anyone in our team and works extremely hard at what he does. I remember the look on his face when he won the gold medal, a sigh of relief that he finally won something. It was great to see that his hard work finally paid off. To think he would slack the next 12 years because he signed a big contract, I would think is highly unlikely.

[terrible.dee]

None of this really matters.

All that matters is what he can do in the playoffs this year.

End of story.

[Understand]

Progpunk76, on 27 March 2010 - 09:13 PM, said:

Sign Raycroft again, give him more games next year. Luongo 50-55 games, Raycroft 27-32 games. Rest Luongo more next year and all will be fine.

But Luongo needs to shut his mouth and stop saying "the more he plays, the better he plays" type of garbage. It is becuase AV won't have the guts to sit a 10 million goalie often unless Luongo says he needs more rest.

[SidneyRaymond]

Like Alain Vigneault said...

"If Roberto Luongo is our biggest problem, then we're in pretty good shape."

After all, everyone is a human being, and that includes Luongo. Just wait for the playoffs where Luongo will shine!

[DeNiro]

SidneyRaymond, on 28 March 2010 - 12:19 AM, said:

Like Alain Vigneault said...

"If Roberto Luongo is our biggest problem, then we're in pretty good shape."

After all, everyone is a human being, and that includes Luongo. Just wait for the playoffs where Luongo will shine!

I totally agree with that quote. If our team has gotten where it has with Luongo just being average in most games, imagine what this team can accomplish if he finds his true form again.

IMO he started to turn the corner tonight. Sure he let in 3 goals in the second period, but they were all just unlucky plays that happen to cost us. I mean, the first one deflects off O'Brien's stick, the second one is a bad turnover that lead to a breakaway, and the third one was a lucky rebound play.

The Sharks got the bounces tonight and we didn't. Those type of games are going to happen. The team played hard right till the end though, which is all I ever ask of them.

[Luongo]

SidneyRaymond, on 28 March 2010 - 12:19 AM, said:

Like Alain Vigneault said...

"If Roberto Luongo is our biggest problem, then we're in pretty good shape."

After all, everyone is a human being, and that includes Luongo. Just wait for the playoffs where Luongo will shine!

You don't automatically flip a switch and go into playoff mode once the playoffs start. Luongo must play well down the stretch to build up that momentum to play with swagger and confidence.

I'm not waiting until the playoffs, things must start to happen now. He wasn't the problem tonight, nor was he part of the solution. That is a problem within itself.

[Spankenstyne]

Luongo will be fine. Look at his body of work here vs a stretch of this season, which is the aberration from the norm?
He's been an elite goaltender since coming to Vancouver, he's going through a stretch where he's having some issues keeping focus for a whole 60 mins in regular season games but has shown flashes of brilliance. I think the Olympic experience was more mentally draining than expected. Hopefully it'll mean more focus in the playoff games which mean so much more. If this goes on into the playoffs then we have some cause for concern, until then I'll be guardedly optimistic and expect more of a return to form.

[Metalcore1487]

hey OP please just go away. k thanks

[Zanon]

Luongo, on 28 March 2010 - 12:29 AM, said:

You don't automatically flip a switch and go into playoff mode once the playoffs start. Luongo must play well down the stretch to build up that momentum to play with swagger and confidence.

Chris Osgood did last year.

[2 Sedins 1 cup]

dont feed the troll.

[Sinistril]

>you, on 27 March 2010 - 10:40 PM, said:

i wish i didn't use my minus 5 minutes ago cause you deserve it more than the person i gave it to. luongo has had one inconsistent year. and actually he was pretty consistent at the start of the season, something he usually isn't. he's going through a slump lately, 2 months ago his stats were on par with all of his previous seasons.

One inconsistent year? Forgetting a couple seasons ago when he pretty much single handedly cost us a playoff spot? Forgot some of his brain farts last year including in the playoffs? He wasn't even consistent at the start of the year, I don't know which goalie you were watching. Maybe consistently mediocre....

He can be really good, but he can be really really bad and far too often.

[snucks]

The Canucks have for years depended too much on one goalie. I believe the D is the biggest problem. Game after game we watch Luongo run over in his crease. He does not have D that protect him like other teams do for their goalie. All they do is try to stick check opposing forwards. So I don't think he is secure and if they run him once he looses confidense and focus. Even Mitchell who was having one of his better years, was incapable of protecting his goalie. Poor Luongo and his millions, he has no D, but wants to play and hates to sit on the bench.