Pretty much all of the "ifs" we had with this team going into the season have worked out....and unfortunately we are still a bubble playoff team due to the strong start of essentially all Western teams in inter-conference play. Santorelli and Richardson have answered the bell and given the team center depth, Stanton has been great, Bieksa and Edler have been great for the most part and seemed to have found steady partners for themselves. Even in the games we've lost in regulation, its only really the LA game where you're really thinking that the team didn't show. Other than that, there were at least some positives out of every loss...and a good chunk of them you'd think the team probably deserved a better fate.
I actually think Luongo has been pretty good...I don't know what some of you guys are seeing. Maybe he's not a vezina contender anymore, but I think his rebound control is as good as ever even if he isn't as athletic as some of the younger top goalies in the league. Athleticism, lateral movement and skating were never really his strengths anyways, its mostly been his positioning, size and reflexes that have been his strengths.
Problem is to me is still the powerplay...and I think we really need a true PP QB defenseman. We have 2 shooters in Edler and Garrison, but not really puck distributors back there. Despite how well the 6 D have played this season, we probably need a change there if we want to improve the powerplay.
All in all, I think you have to be encouraged by the start. The team looks like its responding to the coach and the system, and a lot of the question marks are being answered. However, I still think there are some holes on this team and its probably not a contender without a major move. Competitive? Absolutely....but not really a team positioned to do damage in the playoffs.