IMyMeMine Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 I really appreciate what Mitchell says here in light of the goalie situation here in Vancouver; he calls Luongo's goaltending back in his first year with the Canucks as the best he's seen on a team he's played on...even better than Quick (his current team mate). http://www.vancouver...4301/story.html LOS ANGELES — The best goalie Willie Mitchell ever saw will be watching from the bench Sunday when the Los Angeles Kings try to eliminate the Vancouver Canucks from the Stanley Cup playoffs. Mitchell, the Kings' defenceman who spent four seasons with the Canucks, said he feels badly that his friend, Roberto Luongo, has been bounced from the Vancouver goal in favour of Cory Schneider. “It's been a tough road for him up there,” Mitchell said Friday. “A lot of things outside of the game have happened, like being the captain and then they take that away. Before Cory came in for Game 4, who were their two best players? Louie and Cory. It was surprising that they sat their best player, but Cory came in and did a tremendous job, too, so you can't fault them. But I really do feel badly for him. I'll talk about it [more] after the series but not during the series.” Mitchell's arrival in Vancouver coincided with Luongo's acquisition, and in their first season, 2006-07, the goalie won 47 times while averaging 2.29 goals-against and a .921 save percentage. This season, the Kings' Jonathan Quick had a 1.95 GAA and .929 save rate. “I've told guys in here — and this is my 12th season — that my first year in Vancouver was the best goaltending I've ever seen,” Mitchell said. “We have a guy here this year who has been outstanding, but I still think Louie's goaltending my first year in Vancouver was the best I ever saw.” BACK IN HIGH SCHOOL: Schneider may be new to National Hockey League playoffs, but he's not new to the Kings' Quick. They've played against each other since high school, when the goalies attended elite East Coast academies — Quick at Avon Old Farms near Hartford, and Schneider at Phillips Andover Academy outside Boston. Both went to college in Massachusetts, Schneider at Boston College, Quick at UMass. Schneider was a first-round pick in 2004, a year before Quick was drafted in the third round. “Growing up, he was always pretty highly regarded,” Quick said. “We played against each other in high school, college, American League and now the National League. I knew he was a great goalie back then. We had a bunch of mutual friends between guys he played with and I went to college with and vice-versa. So we got to know each other a little bit through them.” .............. Read more: http://www.vancouver...l#ixzz1scuedeLN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Aerosex Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 I completely agree with Willie. Never seen a goalie as fantastic as Luongo in the 2007 playoffs, except for maybe Tim Thomas in the Finals last season. On a team that looked like it'd finish maybe 11th overall, he was the biggest reason we got the division that season. The twins also improved on their breakout seasons, but he really was just a one-man show. I still can't believe he didn't get the Vezina and Hart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TotesMagotes Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 Man, i wish we still had Mitchell. He's a class act and he is the type of defender we sorely need right now. Maybe he will come back to Vancouver one day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spliced Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 Yup. That last playoff game against the Ducks Luongo was unbelievable. Probably one of the best games a Canucks goalie has ever played. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gragnanifan1 Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 now thats what we need Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lafayettecrossbar Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 I wasn't very interested in hockey at the time and Luongo's play that season captivated me so much and got me hooked again. I didn't focus much on hockey between the 2 lockouts but I remember watching every game in the 06-07 season with my jaw dropping at Lu's saves. He was so confident he intimidated shooters consistently. We had guys like Jeff Cowan and Josh Green on the team and Lu won 47 games. It was damn near godly. Part of me thinks that that season set the bar unreasonably high for the fans in terms of his performance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Special Ed Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 Even Willie Mitchell appreciates what Lu has done. Unlike a lot of slow CDCers. Wille>CDC Lu haters can go shovel it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rypper-37 Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 I appreciate Willie's comments. I agree completely with what he said and that Lu doesn't deserve the type of negative media that seems to shadow his every move. However, there is a paranoid side of me that suspects his comments were meant to drive a wedge between Lu and the Canucks franchise. After all, you can see the controversy that is hidden in his compliments to Lu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
py17 Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 I remember the first game he played against detroit.... we never ever beat detroit! But cause of Luongo we stole that game! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChronCanuck Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 i always liked mitchell, he was a great defender for the canucks when he played with us. freaking malkin cheapshot gave him a bad concussion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IMyMeMine Posted April 21, 2012 Author Share Posted April 21, 2012 I remember the first game he played against detroit.... we never ever beat detroit! But cause of Luongo we stole that game! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RunningWild Posted April 21, 2012 Share Posted April 21, 2012 I agree with Willie, but I think he's trying to stir the birds nest in Van and create dissension in Nucks dressing room, no doubt about it. From "Daniel should have been suspended" to suddenly, "the best goaltending performance I've ever seen". Playoffs are mental warfare - Willies starting his. This is deliberate and the timing is impeccable as the Canucks just won 1 game and are heading back to R.A. home ice. Sneaky Willie, hopefully Nucks don't listen to this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snipes2539 Posted April 21, 2012 Share Posted April 21, 2012 Like I've said many times, Luongo will be run out of this town like Naslund before him because he was blamed for many things that were clearly not his fault. Oh well this is just the way things are here in Vancouver, fans who can't appreciate what they have. We'll be having this discussion again in 3 - 5 years, only it'll be Schneider being run outta town then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Underachieving Hero of CDC Posted April 21, 2012 Share Posted April 21, 2012 Completely true. Luongo was unbelieveable in his first playoffs. But when you consider how he played that year, it really underlines how he has declined since then. He hasn't come anywhere even remotely close to his 06/07 numbers since then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Peterson Posted April 21, 2012 Share Posted April 21, 2012 The Canucks have the one of the best if not the best goal tending duo in the NHL...be happy...'CBS CARES' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canucks fan circa 1989 Posted April 21, 2012 Share Posted April 21, 2012 my 2 favorite goalies, ever.. 1st grant fuhr then louuuuuuuuu..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Underachieving Hero of CDC Posted April 21, 2012 Share Posted April 21, 2012 Like I've said many times, Luongo will be run out of this town like Naslund before him because he was blamed for many things that were clearly not his fault. Oh well this is just the way things are here in Vancouver, fans who can't appreciate what they have. We'll be having this discussion again in 3 - 5 years, only it'll be Schneider being run outta town then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanuckCup1316 Posted April 21, 2012 Share Posted April 21, 2012 True statements. But maybe he is hoping that Luomgo gets put back in this series for.....ummmmm...... no reason at all lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IMyMeMine Posted April 21, 2012 Author Share Posted April 21, 2012 Man, i wish we still had Mitchell. He's a class act and he is the type of defender we sorely need right now. Maybe he will come back to Vancouver one day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thirteen Posted April 21, 2012 Share Posted April 21, 2012 Corys style right now kinda reminds me of a mix of Luongo of 06/07 to Thomas. I think Willie is just stirring it up and he said he'll talk more about it after the series.... Obviously being a troll. Luongo played better in Game 5 vs. Boston then he did in 06/07 vs. Ducks where he could of took it to 6 if he didn't talk to the ref. He has improved over then and Cory is just evolving as a goalie. Right now Cory is playing his best hockey! Luongo knows it which is why he supports him on his journey! We all want to win and these guys are supporting each other because it's the CUP! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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