Before the season, I really hoped that Gillis would not succumb to the pressure and deal Luongo and I'm glad that he did not. Luongo and Schneider are so integral to the team's success. Having two excellent starting goaltenders really takes the pressure off of the goaltenders and the defense. How many defenses can say they play 82 games in front of a #1 goaltender?
Playing the back-up has always been a huge disadvantage. Some teams might walk out with a higher winning percentage with their back up than their starter, but it's quite rare. Most of the time, teams will give up about 8-10 points over the course of the season because their back up just isn't as good as their starting goaltender. Having the 2 starting goaltenders gives us a big bonus in that sense because, in today's NHL, it's tighter than ever and 8-10 extra points is the difference between home-ice advantage and missing the playoffs.
Very impressed with that Kassian goal. He was calm with the puck, kept his head up, and made an excellent pass. He reminds me of Clowe, but without the anger/nastiness.