We're at the 1/4 mark...

[carolinacanuck]

No way we make the playoffs with a PP this horrid.

We all knew things would be tougher in this division. The SoCal teams are built to eat us for breakfast.

Yup, the LA game was a flashback to the 2012 playoffs.

And I'll give Burrows a few more games, but after that he better thank the Sedins on a daily basis for padding his stats for his new contract.

 

[7thGuest]

for the first time in a few years, i have a sinking feeling we could miss the playoffs

Agree. Based on the season so far, these teams from the West will most likely make the playoff: SJ, CHI, COL, ANA, PHX, STL

(yes I think COL is for real)

So two spots among VAN, LA, MIN

We are better than MIN but our divisional rivals are way stronger. Our last Pacific road trip gave us a losing record (1-2-1). If that doesn't change in a hurry we will miss the playoff

I don't see how this team can do better than last year's version unless the young guys start to contribute. The Comets are being slaughtered, so that tells you our prospects are not ready. It will probably be another 2-3 years until our top youngsters like Bo and Hunter can step in and make a difference.

 

[Bourne Endeavor]

This team is 8th in Fenwick close. That's with getting used to the system under Torts, and suffering multiple injuries in the early going.

Say what you will about Booth, but he along with Schroeder and Hansen are all positive possession players. That number should increase when people are back healthy and playing in their roles.

By the same token, I'm not buying what I'm seeing from PHX and COL thus far. It's a long season. About this time in 2012, MIN was tops in the conference. Let's see where the teams settle.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=690428

NHL.com posted this list above citing the past six years of team starts. 2011 is quite telling. Dallas (22pts), Edmonton (20psts) and Minnesota (19psts) were first through third, yet not one of them qualified for the playoffs. We were not even a playoff team at this time, but would eventually win the President's Trophy.

People are far to quick to presume a sluggish start as seasonal doom and gloom. We have been notorious for slow starts, usually with worse goaltending because in preceding years Luongo seems to detest October. Currently, we have played the most games of any team, adjusting to an entirely new system, have had numerous personnel loses due to injuries or suspensions and our powerplay is a joke.

Of all those, my only complaint is the powerplay. Nevertheless, we are still in playoff contention despite the above. So those of you near the panic button. Slap your hand and take a step back.

 

[Karl Hungus]

The issue I have with the "October Luongo" argument is that at some point a 34/35 year old goalie that's closing in on 800 NHL games played (where he differs from some older goalies like Tim Thomas) is going to lose some athletism and start to have trouble with mobility and speed. May not be "October Luongo" so much as what Luongo is now. I think we've already begun to see that with Luongo. If you watch him head to head vs. more athletic, faster goaltenders, he looks like a slug. He has trouble getting accross the net and reacting to rebounds. Plus he lets in a softy pretty regularly.

People like to say, "well look at Broduer, playing well till he's 41!" Well Brodeur hasn't had a season with an above average save percentage in 5 seasons. And the Devils haven't so much as sniffed a cup since Brodeur left his prime. Belfour? Below average after 37 (outside of a solid playoff run in his twighlight). Curtis Joseph? Below average numbers for the last 5-7 years of his career. Although Joseph was always a pretty solid playoff performer, even late in his career. Roy? Well, he doesn't count. Luongo is no Patrick Roy. And these are the exceptions to the rule. Generally goalies don't last into old age as even replacement level starters.

Personally I have my doubts as to whether or not Luongo is even capable of providing championship caliber goaltending at this point. He's prone to softies (has been for a while, just gets blown up when it happens in the playoffs), and just does not look very agile out there. If there's a grade A chance, there's a strong possibility it's in the net. Need some of those saved going forward and into the playoffs.

The Devils have had more playoff success the last few years than most teams even though Borduer hasn't been the same goalie so I'm not sure they are the best example.

I agree that age has to be a consideration for Lu some time but I don't think we are there yet. He's not looked as quick laterally since that groin injury in Pittsburgh but he's still shown lots of excellent play since then. Unlike some goalies he's a well conditioned athlete so I'm confident we are not seeing Lu's new, lower ceiling at the moment.

I'm not saying it's a given he goes out and gets three consecutive shut outs like he used to do every November but I think we can expect to see him clean up some of those soft goals he's allowed so far. It's a great sign that he's not been on top of his game and it's flown under the radar for the most part.

 

[Bourne Endeavor]

No way we make the playoffs with a PP this horrid.

We all knew things would be tougher in this division. The SoCal teams are built to eat us for breakfast.

Boston made the playoffs with a powerplay clicking at 16.2%, then won the bloody cup with it at 11.4%, which was skewed because of series against them. Beforehand, they were something like 3 for 40+ It was staggering how god awful their powerplay was.

 

[fancouver]

GOOD:
PK
5on5

BAD:
PP

 

[Nuckles]

GOOD:
PK
5on5

BAD:
PP

To add something to the "BAD" category: Injuries

 

[deadinthewater]

I don't care too much about the PP right now, I just hope our 5 on 5 play doesn't take a hit, because that's much more important than the PP.

Defense has me a bit worried based on the last few games, but I'm sure they'll clean it up.

 

[ohnoeszz]

I'd also like to add that our zone entry beyond the Sedins sucks. I think that is a forward talent issue.

 

[YouCantYandleThis*]

The Devils have had more playoff success the last few years than most teams even though Borduer hasn't been the same goalie so I'm not sure they are the best example.

I agree that age has to be a consideration for Lu some time but I don't think we are there yet. He's not looked as quick laterally since that groin injury in Pittsburgh but he's still shown lots of excellent play since then. Unlike some goalies he's a well conditioned athlete so I'm confident we are not seeing Lu's new, lower ceiling at the moment.

I'm not saying it's a given he goes out and gets three consecutive shut outs like he used to do every November but I think we can expect to see him clean up some of those soft goals he's allowed so far. It's a great sign that he's not been on top of his game and it's flown under the radar for the most part.

He's been fine so far this season. Posters saying otherwise are butthurt still about the loss of Cory Schneider (who by the way, has lost his job in New Jersey thanks to sub-average play and Brodeur's re-emergence).

But honestly, Luongo's had his best October for us that I can remember statistically, and we've come out of October with a fairly solid record. I really don't understand how you can immediately blame Luongo for the Canucks struggles so far this season without looking at our lack of secondary scoring, or our PowerPlay struggles, or our players adjusting to a new system.

Seems like the hate-on for Lu hasn't really gone anywhere, though.

On another note, Kassian has been steadily getting better and better.

 

[NuxFan09]

I'm fine with the goaltending. Not really impressed but not unhappy either. Luongo will likely end this season with solid numbers but I don't get the feeling he can be a game stealer anymore. You just know that if the team gives up those prime scoring chances they'll probably go in, even if it's not Luongo's fault. I also like the look of Lack. Not surprised, though, as something this organization has proven is they can spot and develop great goaltenders.

I'm really happy with the defense. They look much steadier than last year and certain individuals, namely Bieksa, have improved under Tortorella. Garrison and Edler have been more average lately but I don't think you can point to any one defenseman on this blueline and say they're playing bad and that's a very good sign.

My issue lies with the offense. First of all, you have the question of whether or not the Sedins can produce against the biggest, best teams in the West but that's another topic for another day because they're generally one of the best lines in the league and they are showing they are still PPG players at this point. Kesler has played really well with the Sedins but we still don't know if he can be an offensive force on his own line where he really should be and therein lies another issue: depth.

Kesler on the 1st line leaves Santorelli centering the 2nd line along with Higgins and Burrows on his wings. I don't care what anyone says, that is not good enough for a team that wants to contend. A lot of great teams have a big 4 on offense (Chicago: Toews/Kane/Hossa/Sharp, San Jose: Thornton/Marleau/Couture/Pavelski, Los Angeles: Kopitar/Carter/Richards/Brown) and the Canucks really only have a big 3 in Henrik, Daniel and Kesler. It's clear Burrows is a great complimentary player but he's not going to help drive the offense.

What the Canucks need is either a bonafide top 6 centre if Kesler is going to remain on the 1st line or a top 6 winger to play with Kesler if he's to return to his normal 2nd line centre position, which I think is better for the team, despite the success of the Beast Modo line. The current setup has worked through the first quarter of the season but in order to compete with the Kings, Sharks, Ducks, Blackhawks and Blues of the world the Canucks need to be able to roll the Sedin line and the Kesler line, not the Sedins and Kesler on one line and the....Santorelli line.

Anyway, I'm kind of rambling about the offense issue but the TL;DR version is: the Canucks need another bonafide top 6 forward to help with the offense. This will also help other issues, like the PP. Other guys will then play in their rightful positions where they can better play within their means and the team will function so much better overall.

Quick note on special teams: Very polarizing aspect of this team. The PK has been great, the PP has been awful. I don't think you can get more polarizing than the best PK in the league and the 3rd last PP in the league. As I said, though, picking up another top 6 forward will greatly help the PP I think. Imagine grabbing someone like Lecavalier or Voracek from Philly and putting them AND Kesler on the 2nd unit and putting someone like Kassian on the 1st unit, knowing the Sedins will hopefully figure out their PP woes soon, regardless of who's with them on that unit. Talk about two dangerous units.

 

[fancouver]

To add something to the "BAD" category: Injuries

Well every team has injuries, but in terms of game play, puck possession and results..PP is absolutely brutal. Can't believe 2011 seems so far away.

 

[Reign Nateo]

He's been fine so far this season. Posters saying otherwise are butthurt still about the loss of Cory Schneider (who by the way, has lost his job in New Jersey thanks to sub-average play and Brodeur's re-emergence).

But honestly, Luongo's had his best October for us that I can remember statistically, and we've come out of October with a fairly solid record. I really don't understand how you can immediately blame Luongo for the Canucks struggles so far this season without looking at our lack of secondary scoring, or our PowerPlay struggles, or our players adjusting to a new system.

Seems like the hate-on for Lu hasn't really gone anywhere, though.

On another note, Kassian has been steadily getting better and better.

This has nothing to do with Cory Schneider. He's a New Jersey Devil now and the focus should be on Luongo.

I'm a bit preterbed by the complacency regarding Luongo around here. Seems like people let their affection for him as a person cloud their perception of him as a player. His GSAA (goals saved above average) has been horrible since 2011-12, that means he has saved well below an average NHL goalie 5 on 5 in the last 2 seasons.

- He currently stands 26th in save % in the league. Coencidentaly where the Canucks rank in 5 on 5 save %. I don't think it's fair to cut it off at 10 GP as most of the goalies above him that are close to 10 games anyway and it's early.

- He ranks 26th in GAA as well. Same critera as above. Even if you take out some guys ahead of him due to a GP cut-off, he's still near the bottom.

We're talking about a guy that's numbers are in the bottom part of the league, and without the Canucks' sharp PK would be even worse. We're talking about a guy with a awful playoff reputation and likely a declining skill set.

And this is "fine" by your standards?

And no, I don't want to take out fluke goals or bad coaching choices or any of the other Luongo excuses. I want championship level goaltending. And sooner rather than later. Because it could be too late before we know it. It's tough to make the playoffs and impossible to win the Cup with goaltending that ranks at the bottom of the league.

Blah blah October yada yada. It's November 13th. 1/4 of the way through the season. His November numbers aren't anything special yet either. Looks like more of the same from him that we've seen over the last 2+ seasons to me, and that's just not good enough.

I'm not critical of Luongo because I like Cory Schneider and thought that was a brutal way to handle the situation. I'm critical of Luongo because I'm a fan of the Vancouver Canucks, not Luongo or anyone else, and want to win a Stanley Cup.

He needs to be much better if we're competing for anything in the near future, and that's the bottom line.

 

[Tanevian*]

Serious? He just came off probably his best October since becoming a Canuck.

Which isn't saying much.

 

[Tanevian*]

He's been fine so far this season. Posters saying otherwise are butthurt still about the loss of Cory Schneider (who by the way, has lost his job in New Jersey thanks to sub-average play and Brodeur's re-emergence).

"Been fine", as nice as it sounds, isn't what teams planning on winning anything need.

He has routinely been the second best goalie in too many games this year. This has nothing to do with Schneider, I suggest YOU get over that kind of thinking.

 

[NuxFan09]

This has nothing to do with Cory Schneider. He's a New Jersey Devil now and the focus should be on Luongo.

I'm a bit preterbed by the complacency regarding Luongo around here. Seems like people let their affection for him as a person cloud their perception of him as a player. His GSAA (goals saved above average) has been horrible since 2011-12, that means he has saved well below an average NHL goalie 5 on 5 in the last 2 seasons.

- He currently stands 26th in save % in the league. Coencidentaly where the Canucks rank in 5 on 5 save %. I don't think it's fair to cut it off at 10 GP as most of the goalies above him that are close to 10 games anyway and it's early.

- He ranks 26th in GAA as well. Same critera as above. Even if you take out some guys ahead of him due to a GP cut-off, he's still near the bottom.

We're talking about a guy that's numbers are in the bottom part of the league, and without the Canucks' sharp PK would be even worse. We're talking about a guy with a awful playoff reputation and likely a declining skill set.

And this is "fine" by your standards?

And no, I don't want to take out fluke goals or bad coaching choices or any of the other Luongo excuses. I want championship level goaltending. And sooner rather than later. Because it could be too late before we know it. It's tough to make the playoffs and impossible to win the Cup with goaltending that ranks at the bottom of the league.

Blah blah October yada yada. It's November 13th. His November numbers aren't anything special yet either. Looks like more of the same from him that we've seen over the last 2+ seasons to me, and that's just not good enough.

I'm not critical of Luongo because I like Cory Schneider and thought that was a brutal way to handle the situation. I'm critical of Luongo because I'm a fan of the Vancouver Canucks, not Luongo and want to win a Stanley Cup.

He needs to be much better if we're competing for anything in the near future, and that's the bottom line.

It's quite eye opening that Luongo ranks 26th in the NHL in GAA with a healthy looking 2.41 GAA. It means the standards are getting higher for goalies. We can't necessarily look at a number like that and say "Oh, he's doing great".

Luongo hasn't been bad at all, but he hasn't been great. If we want to think he's still an elite goaltender in this league we have to judge him against the rest of the elite goaltenders and he doesn't quite match up. Look at guys like Ben Bishop and Steve Mason. They're not playing behind the best defenses by any means, yet they're sporting GAA's of 2.02 and 2.15 respectively while both have a .930 Save%.

Again, this isn't to say Luongo has been BAD. Just the standard has been raised apparently and there are many of his peers who are doing better than him.

 

[YouCantYandleThis*]

This has nothing to do with Cory Schneider. He's a New Jersey Devil now and the focus should be on Luongo.

I'm a bit preterbed by the complacency regarding Luongo around here. Seems like people let their affection for him as a person cloud their perception of him as a player. His GSAA (goals saved above average) has been horrible since 2011-12, that means he has saved well below an average NHL goalie 5 on 5 in the last 2 seasons.

- He currently stands 26th in save % in the league. Coencidentaly where the Canucks rank in 5 on 5 save %. I don't think it's fair to cut it off at 10 GP as most of the goalies above him that are close to 10 games anyway and it's early.

- He ranks 26th in GAA as well. Same critera as above. Even if you take out some guys ahead of him due to a GP cut-off, he's still near the bottom.

We're talking about a guy that's numbers are in the bottom part of the league, and without the Canucks' sharp PK would be even worse. We're talking about a guy with a awful playoff reputation and likely a declining skill set.

And this is "fine" by your standards?

And no, I don't want to take out fluke goals or bad coaching choices or any of the other Luongo excuses. I want championship level goaltending. And sooner rather than later. Because it could be too late before we know it. It's tough to make the playoffs and impossible to win the Cup with goaltending that ranks at the bottom of the league.

Blah blah October yada yada. It's November 13th. His November numbers aren't anything special yet either. Looks like more of the same from him that we've seen over the last 2+ seasons to me, and that's just not good enough.

I'm not critical of Luongo because I like Cory Schneider and thought that was a brutal way to handle the situation. I'm critical of Luongo because I'm a fan of the Vancouver Canucks, not Luongo and want to win a Stanley Cup.

He needs to be much better if we're competing for anything in the near future, and that's the bottom line.

You want a goaltender that doesn't exist anymore. This isn't 06/07 Luongo, and the fact that you expect 'domination' is ridiculous. There are very few goalies that 'dominate' the league. We need Luongo to give us a chance to win the games where the offense decides it's not going to show up, which have been much too often lately. And yes, I do think he will get better as the season goes on, as he has done for us nearly his entire career.

Your love for Cory affects your opinion in this quite a lot. That's the difference here. I didn't hate Cory Schneider, I thought he was awesome for us. I just wasn't suicidal when the trade happened, because if everything falls into place with the coach, the line-up, and some of the younguns, this team has a GREAT chance to win the cup in the next couple of years, even with your burden of a goaltender in net.

Your hate-filled rants against Luongo were old a year ago, and nothing's changed. Especially when there are other, more glaring problems with the current team. Also, I'm pretty sure he's played FOUR games in November, against 4 pretty darn good sides. 2-1-1 is hardly a vulgar score-line against 4 good teams.

 

[Reign Nateo]

I'm fine with the goaltending. Not really impressed but not unhappy either. Luongo will likely end this season with solid numbers but I don't get the feeling he can be a game stealer anymore. You just know that if the team gives up those prime scoring chances they'll probably go in, even if it's not Luongo's fault. I also like the look of Lack. Not surprised, though, as something this organization has proven is they can spot and develop great goaltenders.

I'm really happy with the defense. They look much steadier than last year and certain individuals, namely Bieksa, have improved under Tortorella. Garrison and Edler have been more average lately but I don't think you can point to any one defenseman on this blueline and say they're playing bad and that's a very good sign.

My issue lies with the offense. First of all, you have the question of whether or not the Sedins can produce against the biggest, best teams in the West but that's another topic for another day because they're generally one of the best lines in the league and they are showing they are still PPG players at this point. Kesler has played really well with the Sedins but we still don't know if he can be an offensive force on his own line where he really should be and therein lies another issue: depth.

Kesler on the 1st line leaves Santorelli centering the 2nd line along with Higgins and Burrows on his wings. I don't care what anyone says, that is not good enough for a team that wants to contend. A lot of great teams have a big 4 on offense (Chicago: Toews/Kane/Hossa/Sharp, San Jose: Thornton/Marleau/Couture/Pavelski, Los Angeles: Kopitar/Carter/Richards/Brown) and the Canucks really only have a big 3 in Henrik, Daniel and Kesler. It's clear Burrows is a great complimentary player but he's not going to help drive the offense.

What the Canucks need is either a bonafide top 6 centre if Kesler is going to remain on the 1st line or a top 6 winger to play with Kesler if he's to return to his normal 2nd line centre position, which I think is better for the team, despite the success of the Beast Modo line. The current setup has worked through the first quarter of the season but in order to compete with the Kings, Sharks, Ducks, Blackhawks and Blues of the world the Canucks need to be able to roll the Sedin line and the Kesler line, not the Sedins and Kesler on one line and the....Santorelli line.

Anyway, I'm kind of rambling about the offense issue but the TL;DR version is: the Canucks need another bonafide top 6 forward to help with the offense. This will also help other issues, like the PP. Other guys will then play in their rightful positions where they can better play within their means and the team will function so much better overall.

Quick note on special teams: Very polarizing aspect of this team. The PK has been great, the PP has been awful. I don't think you can get more polarizing than the best PK in the league and the 3rd last PP in the league. As I said, though, picking up another top 6 forward will greatly help the PP I think. Imagine grabbing someone like Lecavalier or Voracek from Philly and putting them AND Kesler on the 2nd unit and putting someone like Kassian on the 1st unit, knowing the Sedins will hopefully figure out their PP woes soon, regardless of who's with them on that unit. Talk about two dangerous units.

Well said overall. Agree with most of this.

 

[YouCantYandleThis*]

It's quite eye opening that Luongo ranks 26th in the NHL in GAA with a healthy looking 2.41 GAA. It means the standards are getting higher for goalies. We can't necessarily look at a number like that and say "Oh, he's doing great".

Luongo hasn't been bad at all, but he hasn't been great. If we want to think he's still an elite goaltender in this league we have to judge him against the rest of the elite goaltenders and he doesn't quite match up. Look at guys like Ben Bishop and Steve Mason. They're not playing behind the best defenses by any means, yet they're sporting GAA's of 2.02 and 2.15 respectively while both have a .930 Save%.

Again, this isn't to say Luongo has been BAD. Just the standard has been raised apparently and there are many of his peers who are doing better than him.

Do you think Jonothan Quick is an average goalie? Because his numbers aren't as impressive as Luongo's despite Lu's "slow start." So, what does that make Quick then?

The great goalies separate themselves as the season goes on, with consistency. That's what makes them great.

 

[Bourne Endeavor]

This has nothing to do with Cory Schneider. He's a New Jersey Devil now and the focus should be on Luongo.

I'm a bit preterbed by the complacency regarding Luongo around here. Seems like people let their affection for him as a person cloud their perception of him as a player. His GSAA (goals saved above average) has been horrible since 2011-12, that means he has saved well below an average NHL goalie 5 on 5 in the last 2 seasons.

- He currently stands 26th in save % in the league. Coencidentaly where the Canucks rank in 5 on 5 save %. I don't think it's fair to cut it off at 10 GP as most of the goalies above him that are close to 10 games anyway and it's early.

- He ranks 26th in GAA as well. Same critera as above. Even if you take out some guys ahead of him due to a GP cut-off, he's still near the bottom.

We're talking about a guy that's numbers are in the bottom part of the league, and without the Canucks' sharp PK would be even worse. We're talking about a guy with a awful playoff reputation and likely a declining skill set.

And this is "fine" by your standards?

And no, I don't want to take out fluke goals or bad coaching choices or any of the other Luongo excuses. I want championship level goaltending. And sooner rather than later. Because it could be too late before we know it. It's tough to make the playoffs and impossible to win the Cup with goaltending that ranks at the bottom of the league.

Blah blah October yada yada. It's November 13th. 1/4 of the way through the season. His November numbers aren't anything special yet either. Looks like more of the same from him that we've seen over the last 2+ seasons to me, and that's just not good enough.

I'm not critical of Luongo because I like Cory Schneider and thought that was a brutal way to handle the situation. I'm critical of Luongo because I'm a fan of the Vancouver Canucks, not Luongo or anyone else, and want to win a Stanley Cup.

He needs to be much better if we're competing for anything in the near future, and that's the bottom line.

People are more forgiving now because we are well aware of Luongo's tendencies. He is notorious for terrible Octobers, to the extent TSN even specifically mentions it, often citing "Don't worry yet Canuck fans." In years past, he has recovered with a strong subsequent performance - last year being the notable exception due to the controversy. Quick and Lundqvist have been garbage most of the season thus far. Should we doubt their skill based on a slow month?

 

[bsjezz]

love this team so far. bad luck with injuries to depth guys and two of the hardest roadtrips of the year and we're still on track for around a hundred points. the defense is better than i've ever seen it. yeah, we need to win a few in the immediate future to wash the bad taste of LA out, but i have no doubt these guys will dominate for stretches up until the playoffs. it's a great team right now.

 

[NuxFan09]

Do you think Jonothan Quick is an average goalie? Because his numbers aren't as impressive as Luongo's despite Lu's "slow start." So, what does that make Quick then?

The great goalies separate themselves as the season goes on, with consistency. That's what makes them great.

I knew someone would bring up Jonathan Quick. Quick is still an elite goalie but he absolutely has to be better as well. I hold him to the same standard.

I agree with your comment about the elite goalies separate themselves from the pack as the season progress. Lundqvist is in the process of doing that right now and you just know he'll be one of the best goaltenders stats wise by the end of the season. My sentiment is I just don't believe Luongo will do that. He won't end the season with bad numbers but I don't believe he'll end the season as one of the top goaltenders in the league either.

 

[Reign Nateo]

You want a goaltender that doesn't exist anymore. This isn't 06/07 Luongo, and the fact that you expect 'domination' is ridiculous. There are very few goalies that 'dominate' the league. We need Luongo to give us a chance to win the games where the offense decides it's not going to show up, which have been much too often lately. And yes, I do think he will get better as the season goes on, as he has done for us nearly his entire career.

Your love for Cory affects your opinion in this quite a lot. That's the difference here. I didn't hate Cory Schneider, I thought he was awesome for us. I just wasn't suicidal when the trade happened, because if everything falls into place with the coach, the line-up, and some of the younguns, this team has a GREAT chance to win the cup in the next couple of years, even with your burden of a goaltender in net.

Your hate-filled rants against Luongo were old a year ago, and nothing's changed. Especially when there are other, more glaring problems with the current team. Also, I'm pretty sure he's played FOUR games in November, against 4 pretty darn good sides.

By 'domination' I meant win a game here or there himself for us himself. Kind of like Quick did the other night. Shut the door early and get a goal, the other team will fold. Or straight steal a game like Fredrik Andersen did against us. That rarely happens with Luongo anymore. But several goalies around the league are doing it from what I've seen so it exists. Show flashes of domination, I would have thought that was obvious...

I don't love Cory Schneider or hate Roberto Luongo. I love the Vancouver Canucks and winning games. I was upset at the trade because I saw Luongo breaking down by bit the last few years. Losing his athletism and speed gradually yet consistantly. All the while we developed an athletic young goalie, that didn't demand so much attention, then that goalie took Luongo's starting job. Despite the contract, depsite the love affair with the fans, they went to Schneider when it mattered most. Why? He's simply a better goaltender. Then last minute we trade the young one and keep the one that's breaking down. I found that to be distressing, but not because of the names of the players, but rather what I saw from them.

I don't consider my comments to be "hate filled rants" on the contrary they're rather well reasoned normally and backed up by facts. I'm far from the only person that sees it this way. I'm happy to move on, but he's got to be better or the fears I've had for 2-3 years will come true. He's been declining and slowing for a while. He hasn't been elite in years. That's why I've been talking about it, I have nothing against Luongo. Since 1980 I have been a fan of the name on the front, not the name on the back. I like him personally to be honest.

Of course goaltending is not the only problem with this team, but it is a concern at this point and needs to be better if we plan on winning a cup. Despite how it appears from the Luongo fan club, the numbers don't lie.

Let me ask you this. I've been saying the same things about Luongo for 2-3 years. Has he proven me wrong? Nope. So far, and rather unfortunatley, he's proven me to be dead right.

 

[fancouver]

By 'domination' I meant win a game here or there himself for us himself. Kind of like Quick did the other night. Shut the door early and get a goal, the other team will fold. Or straight steal a game like Fredrik Andersen did against us. That rarely happens with Luongo anymore. But several goalies around the league are doing it from what I've seen so it exists. Show flashes of domination, I would have thought that was obvious...

I don't love Cory Schneider or hate Roberto Luongo. I love the Vancouver Canucks and winning games. I was upset at the trade because I saw Luongo breaking down by bit the last few years. Losing his athletism and speed gradually yet consistantly. All the while we developed an athletic young goalie, that didn't demand so much attention, then that goalie took Luongo's starting job. Despite the contract, depsite the love affair with the fans, they went to Schneider when it mattered most. Why? He's simply a better goaltender. Then last minute we trade the young one and keep the one that's breaking down. I found that to be distressing, but not because of the names of the players, but rather what I saw from them.

I don't consider my comments to be "hate filled rants" on the contrary they're rather well reasoned normally and backed up by facts. I'm far from the only person that sees it this way. I'm happy to move on, but he's got to be better or the fears I've had for 2-3 years will come true. He's been declining and slowing for a while. He hasn't been elite in years. That's why I've been talking about it, I have nothing against Luongo. Since 1980 I have been a fan of the name on the front, not the name on the back. I like him personally to be honest.

Of course goaltending is not the only problem with this team, but it is a concern at this point and needs to be better if we plan on winning a cup. Despite how it appears from the Luongo fan club, the numbers don't lie.

Let me ask you this. I've been saying the same things about Luongo for 2-3 years. Has he proven me wrong? Nope. So far, and rather unfortunatley, he's proven me to be dead right.

It remains to be seen if Luongo will still be a Canuck by the end of the season. The problem is Lack is not ready to play 60+ games yet.

 

[Reign Nateo]

People are more forgiving now because we are well aware of Luongo's tendencies. He is notorious for terrible Octobers, to the extent TSN even specifically mentions it, often citing "Don't worry yet Canuck fans." In years past, he has recovered with a strong subsequent performance - last year being the notable exception due to the controversy. Quick and Lundqvist have been garbage most of the season thus far. Should we doubt their skill based on a slow month?

You can doubt Quick if you like. I wouldn't. He's a Conn Smythe winner and 2012 All-Star (Luongo last appeared in 2008), at barely 27 years old. Also just out-played Luongo rather handily head-to-head. You have to use your head a bit on that one.

Lundqvist may be showing signs of decline yes, I haven't watched a lot of Ranger games this year, but he's getting to that age where he may be slowing down like Luongo. But because unlike Luongo, he hasn't been below average the last 2-3 years, he gets the benefit of the doubt from most people at this stage. He's kind of looking like Luongo did a year or two ago. Makes sense as he's 2 or 3 years younger.

Anyway, I'm not interested in a big Luongo debate. Not biggest issue, but I'd like to see more from him if he's got it left in him.