Official Luongo Hate / Love Thread

[Island Nucklehead]

This isn't news to you, I'm sure, but those numbers ARE the reason he was a Vezina finalist. Those numbers are also virtually indistinguishable from Schneider's last season. Both Goalies recorded those numbers behind the most productive offense / stingiest defence / Pesidents Trophy Winning / record-setting, regular season Masters. And I know, I know ... Schneider played fewer games and blah, blah, blah. I don't want to re-launch that debate. I'm just passing on what has been communicated to me by the Coaches with whom I've spoken. Despite Luongo's glitzy numbers they are uniformly unimpressed.
And another point I'll mention, none of those Coaches ever reference those numbers (wins, Save %,, GAA) when they are analyzing/evaluating the state of a goalies game, good or bad. In other words, they seem to base their evaluations on something other than the "numbers" that everyone else relies on to heap praise or scorn. At the very least, I'd say that's interesting.

Yeah it is interesting... but I'm not sure I'd hire them. A lot of the talk last season was about Luongo having his style tweaked, and how it was showing dividends by the end of the season. Obviously numbers don't tell the whole story, and the team in front of him was one for the ages... but I don't know how one could be so unimpressed by a goalie that was almost certainly a top-5 guy in the world for a good portion of last season.

I guess that's fine if it's their profession to work with goalies. I'm sure most power skating coaches are uniformly unimpressed with the Sedins lack of foot speed... I guess the only thing that should matter to us fans is results, and thankfully we have a perennial Vezina contender being backed up by a guy that just might have some of that in his future. It's certainly a good problem to have.

[RespectYourEdlers]

The scenario I often see laid out is a deal involving Lu for Lecavalier.

I'd much rather have Luongo on the books than Vinnie's contract. THAT is a crippling deal.

It's not just the contract and baggage that Lecavalier brings to this type of a deal if it was indeed based around Luongo, it's the fact that Lecavalier has no place on this team. Even though Lecavalier is having a pretty good season thus far, his cap hit is still too high for any sane GM to take on.

Now, let's take a trip down Imaginary Crescent:

Sedin - Sedin - Burrows
Kesler - Lecavalier - Booth
Higgins - Hodgson - Hansen
Raymond - Lapierre - Malhotra
Weise

Definitely depth.

[Aaronp18]

Are you shittin me? James Bond? I know a James Bond too! He's a Surgeon. Is he the same guy that you know?

Cardiac.

My wife used to work in the same office as him for an orthopedic surgeon.

Sorry off topic I know, ummmm ..... ride the Schied!

[wienerdog]

I know people whose real-life given birthnames are:

Elizabeth Taylor
Steve Austin
James Bond
and
Bart Simpson

True story.

Are you shittin me? James Bond? I know a James Bond too! He's a Surgeon. Is he the same guy that you know?

Haha, no. The only surgery the JB I know does is trying to extract his own liver through recreational alcohol abuse.

His dad is also named James. His friends call his son "double O three and a half".

/epic three train pile-up derailment

[Mr.Miyagi]

It's certainly a good problem to have.

Thank you !

I couldn't have said it better myself. We've got two great goalies. Sucks to be the Canucks right now I guess?

[KeyserSoze]

With respect, this is the kind of expression people use to reference those with whom they agree. In other words, I suspect you will define only those who agree with you as being "level-headed".

That's not a very fair a bad assumption.

I can tell you that EVERY Goalie Coach I've spoken with in the last ... I dunno, 10 months ... has little positive to say about the state of Luongo's game. And that's stating it kindly.

You kind of lost me at 10 months...

Last season he was 38-15-7 with a 2.11 GAA, .928 save %, and was a vezina nominee. The positives were obvious. Things clearly were not as positive for him in key moments of the playoffs and he had another stinky October, so I'll give the goalie coaches you spoke with the benefit of the doubt and perhaps you are just exaggerating on the timeline a bit.

PS - did all those goalie coaches agree with your opinion that because Miller was out playing the puck he was fair game to be hit, eventhough the rule book as it is currently written states otherwise?

[Eddy Punch Clock]

As per 1040 Schneider gets the start tomorrow night against Nashville.

[ukcanuck]

As per 1040 Schneider gets the start tomorrow night against Nashville.

Seems reasonable to go with Cory until he loses a game, which might be a while the way the team is playing. The next three are totally winnable but the game in Montreal will be their 4th in a week and the first of a road trip so it might be here that Luongo gets back in, plus its his home town and that might figure into the coach's decision making. After that its crystal ball time

Thu, 1 Dec 2011 Predators Canucks

Sun, 4 Dec 2011 Flames Canucks

Tue, 6 Dec 2011 Avalanche Canucks

Thu, 8 Dec 2011 Canucks Canadiens

Sat, 10 Dec 2011 Canucks Senators

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 Canucks Blue Jackets

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 Canucks Hurricanes

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 Canucks Maple Leafs

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 Wild Canucks

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 Red Wings Canucks

[mathonwy]

I honestly think that this situation would be fixed if AV publicly said that Luo goes in after Ginger loses a game right now instead of WHEN Ginger loses. That way, nobody is second guessing AV saying stuff like Ginger's on a short leash.. blah blah blah.

Nobody can begrudge AV for going with the hot hand right now..

[Topper]

I don't think Ginger needs to lose for a change to be made, a bad goal, a mediocre play, hell I wouldn't have been surprised to see the change vs the Preds.

They have been quite clear that they are riding the hot hand and that Lou is still the No. 1. they even got the talking heads on board during last nights telecast.

A good commentary from Burnside/LeBrun

http://espn.go.com/blog/nhl/post/_/id/12614/daily-debate-best-net-option-for-canucks

[ukcanuck]

I don't think Ginger needs to lose for a change to be made, a bad goal, a mediocre play, hell I wouldn't have been surprised to see the change vs the Preds.

They have been quite clear that they are riding the hot hand and that Lou is still the No. 1. they even got the talking heads on board during last nights telecast.

A good commentary from Burnside/LeBrun

http://espn.go.com/blog/nhl/post/_/id/12614/daily-debate-best-net-option-for-canucks

It seems to me having a leash that short wouldn't be fair to the guy, its pressure enough to have to win to stay between the pipes. If they are going to ride the hot goalie they may as well give him every chance to succeed and not undermine his confidence.

[dbr]

I think you're overestimating the importance of a start to Schneider's confidence - especially when we're talking about losing a start to "our number one goaltender" who is coming back from an injury.

Schneider's got to sit at least one game eventually, and there's no guarantee that when he does he's going to go back to playing once every five to six games.

[Potatoe1]

Tweets from Botch

Seems to think Lu is just putting up a front here.

organization was as frustrated with luongo's inconsistency as anyone else during the playoffs
by Jason Botchford 1:39 PM

It's nov. 30, and luongo is at his wit's end. It's pretty huge risk to being doing this to him to showcase schneider
by Jason Botchford edited by Jason Botchford 1:40 PM

They don't have to baby luongo, and they're not, I'm just telling you, he's cracking
by Jason Botchford 1:41 PM

I'm pretty sure they'll go with 2 goalies, yes. Like i said, there was a lot of frustration up top with how things went last spring
by Jason Botchford 1:42 PM

To be honest Lu and AV didn't do themselves any favors today. Both got frustrated with questions about the goaltening situation and they just gave the local guys what they were after.

They would have been far better off repeating what they were saying the past few days, even if it is annoying.

[wienerdog]

To be honest Lu and AV didn't do themselves any favors today. Both got frustrated with questions about the goaltening situation and they just gave the local guys what they were after.

They would have been far better off repeating what they were saying the past few days, even if it is annoying.

Botchford always seems to be bloody well stirring the pot, but yeah - both AV and Lu made definite signs of an issue.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/ - watch "crowded crease" in the video player section halfway down on the right.

AV finally admits it's a 1A / 1B thing, and Lu gets a bit snippy w the media. Says he understands the appetite for the story, but that he's getting tired of it and he's a team guy.

Truth be told, Lu handled it well, but he looks likes it wearing him down a bit. Just as I'd expect it would.

[ukcanuck]

Tweets from Botch

Seems to think Lu is just putting up a front here.

organization was as frustrated with luongo's inconsistency as anyone else during the playoffs
by Jason Botchford 1:39 PM

It's nov. 30, and luongo is at his wit's end. It's pretty huge risk to being doing this to him to showcase schneider
by Jason Botchford edited by Jason Botchford 1:40 PM

They don't have to baby luongo, and they're not, I'm just telling you, he's cracking
by Jason Botchford 1:41 PM

I'm pretty sure they'll go with 2 goalies, yes. Like i said, there was a lot of frustration up top with how things went last spring
by Jason Botchford 1:42 PM

To be honest Lu and AV didn't do themselves any favors today. Both got frustrated with questions about the goaltening situation and they just gave the local guys what they were after.

They would have been far better off repeating what they were saying the past few days, even if it is annoying.

I wasnt impressed with Botchford last spring, I thing he will say whatever he has to get himself ahead, I got the distinct impression he was trying to curry favour with the center of the universe as a career move. he's the last guy I would trust to just report the news...