bure's triple deke Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 "I had a great six years in Vancouver... Unfortunately, I was not able to bring a Stanley Cup there. Probably my biggest regret." http://burestriplede...eer-for-lu.html Here's a likely suprising fact about Roberto Luongo. At 339 regular season wins, he stands behind only Curtis Joseph (454) and John Vanbiesbrouck (374) as the most prolific goaltender in NHL history not to win a Stanley Cup. (See the all-time wins list here.) At age 33, it stands to reason that Luongo has a legitimate shot at topping the list before he calls it a career. And by as early as next season, if he's not still mired as a backup in Vancouver, he will likely surpass the Beezer for a dubious second place ranking. Of the three hard-luck goalies, Luongo has come the closest with a Game 7 in the Finals to his credit. Vanbiesbrouck made it as far as the 1996 Finals with the Panthers, where they were swept by Colorado, while Joseph has two third round appearances (1999, 2002) to his name as a Maple Leaf. Coincidentally, Florida and Toronto represent the two most likely destinations for the Canucks' three-time Vezina nominee. Now, the Canucks may not be the sure-fire contender they were two years ago, but you have to think his best shot would have been with the Sedins and a healthy Kesler playing in front of him. I won't even begin to consider the Maple Leafs' merits as a championship team, largely in part to their complete absence of any. But Florida, which Luongo has already personally earmarked as his next destination, represents a scenario brighter than it initially seems. Having already taken the current Eastern Conference champs to a seventh game in the opening round, the Panthers are a young team that are only getting better. Nobody's going to accuse Florida's goaltending for their playoff exit (their netminders posted a combined 2.41 GAA and .920 save percentage), but as long as Jose Theodore and Scott Clemensen is your tandem in net, you're not getting confused for a Cup contender either. Consider Luongo a hefty step in the right direction. Assume the Panthers do land him. The invariable question is: Can Luongo remain an elite goalie¹ long enough for their young-and-upcoming roster to catch up to his level? If the conditions are right – and Panthers GM Dale Tallon accomplishes the same kind of rebuild that Canucks fans are all too familiar with in Chicago – there is a remote possibility Luongo could do with the Panthers what he couldn't here. And when it comes to a player as consistently successful as Luongo has been in this league, if he does end up having another sniff at the Cup, you are almost required to root for him. Not because he was once our own, but for the same reason you cheered for guys like and Dave Andreychuk when they finally got their moments. You might knock him for some of his playoff performances as a Canuck. And you might be glad his days in Vancouver are numbered. But in the grand scheme of things, Luongo doesn't deserve the Cujo fate. Not for someone with three Vezina nominations. Not for someone who practically carried the Canucks in his first three years here. And not for someone with 339 wins. -HC ¹ This is assuming you belong to the 50% of hockey fans in Vancouver that believe Luongo is, indeed, still an elite goalie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogbyte Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 If Florida wins the CUP before we do I'll cry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanucksFanMike Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 The asterix made me LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noheart Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 Not 1 elite goaltender on that list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peaches Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 Another great article by Bures Triple Deke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riffraff Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 Pointless stats really Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raiun Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 Not 1 elite goaltender on that list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jägermeister Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 Not 1 elite goaltender on that list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Heffy Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 Not 1 elite goaltender on that list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bookie Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 Not 1 elite goaltender on that list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawn antoski Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 Lu is one of the best goalies in the game today(top 7) canucks fans are the worst in the league(bottom 5) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canuck919191 Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 Not 1 elite goaltender on that list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisbanks Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 What a weird thing to say. These are the names of the best goaltenders to never win a cup. Arguably only one goalie wins the cup each year, so unless there is only ever one elite goalie in the league and whoever is that goalie wins the cup every year, there is bound to be some elite goalies who never win it. Give your head a shake if you think none of those guys are elite. Especially Lu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Murray Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 LOL, Kipper with 599 games Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuck nit Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 Great job. A CDC'er that can articulate hockey history.Bravo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuck nit Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 luongo small part of the best team in the league in the last 2 years and has never raised his game in the playoffs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOMapleLaughs Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 Didn't read all of that, but if Luongo goes back to Florida and wins a cup, doesn't that make his overall career much more theirs than ours? I like the Panthers more than many other teams he could go to. But that's because they've been lovable losers. Let's say Florida's path to a cup with Luongo has to go through Schneider and the Canucks. The hate for Luongo would be amped way up then, y'think? But if he goes to TO, he's dead to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smurf47 Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 I read an article comparing stats of Lou VS Theodore ans Clemmenson with Marchison waiting in the wings. Lou gives them 1/8 of a goal per game over the tandem. How much do you think Florida is going to pay for that tiny improvement? Not that bushel full Canuck fans are hoping for !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smurf47 Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 Lu is one of the best goalies in the game today(top 7) canucks fans are the worst in the league(bottom 5) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilovekevinbieksa Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 if florida wins the cup with him... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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