Season Wrap Up – Missing Since April 21st: Roberto Luongo
I’ve defended Luongo all season. There are people that are saying that I’m completely out of line for what you’re about to read, there are people saying that were it not for Luongo, we would never have gotten where we were. There are people that say it was the defences fault and that he is not to blame.
When the regular season is done, it’s gone. What happens in the regular season means nothing. It’s over. Don’t believe me? Look at the San Jose Sharks. Slam dunk case. ln an elimination game, all stats go out the window. Nothing matters but the final score. It doesnt matter how Luongo played to get to where we were, all that mattered was how he played in Game 6.
I’ve seen the tears before. We saw the tears from him when he cost us the elimination Game 6 against the Ducks, we saw the tears when we missed the post season and he blamed himself last year, and again we see the tears this year when he blames himself for letting in 7 goals. Count it – 7 goals. What gives me the right to come down on him? The fact that he spited Canucks fans by strongly implying he wouldn’t resign with us when his contract was up because we weren’t a contender.
“I think we have a team with a chance to win the Cup. At the end of the day, the only thing that’s going to enter my mind for the [contract] decision is winning. That’s why I play. I’ve played 10 years in this league and haven’t had much success. I think I’m deserving of having a chance to win the Cup, and hopefully that comes with Vancouver.”
The fact that when the game that mattered most came around, he was no where to be seen. When everything is on the line, you need your best players to be your best players. There’s no doubt that everyone came to play last night, except Luongo. He was fantastic in the first 5, maybe 10 minutes. After that it’s like Cloutier was back in net. The Canucks upped their shot totals, they had their powerplay click, their penalty kill was alright, and on a night where they managed to fix most of the problems they’d been having all series, the one part of their game which was usually their cornerstone, collapsed.
At the end of the day I’m not in Luongo’s head. I don’t know what was going on, and why he came up with the performance he did. He was inconsistent all series, and certainly didn’t live up to the billing he earned in the first round and the second half of the regular season. The man who’s supposed to be our captain, the man who’s supposed to be our leader and come through in the clutch picked a horrible time to have his worst game of the entire 82 game regular season and their 10 game post season. Dont give me the “He’s human, he makes mistakes and has bad games too excuse.” Nobody makes those mistakes with their backs against the wall.
Did he have a chance on the first goal? Nope, Ohlund made a completely bonehead play.
Can you blame a goalie for allowing three power play goals?
He didn’t have his best game, but he’s still the greatest goalie on the planet.
He will learn from last night. When he wins the Stanley Cup, he will think back to last night, and how he felt.
You supported him all year. Don’t desert him now.
Did he have a chance on the first goal? Nope, Ohlund made a completely bonehead play.
Can you blame a goalie for allowing three power play goals?
He didn’t have his best game, but he’s still the greatest goalie on the planet.
He will learn from last night. When he wins the Stanley Cup, he will think back to last night, and how he felt.
You supported him all year. Don’t desert him now.
There’s no doubt he choked. He knows it we know it. Its ok to be bitter but who would be a replacement for him? There still isn’t a goalie out there I’d rather have today. Take a look at the best of the bunch – brodeur (past prime n will never leave nj), nabokov (choked harder than luongo), thomas (sealed for the B’s and until he has several yrs of top tier playing, I wouldn’t put him in the same cat just yet), Backstrom (he just resigned) and u got a bunch of up and comers in fleury, mason, rinne, price, hiller, and that guy that plays for the caps. There is 0 chance we can upgrade in goal
There’s no doubt he choked. He knows it we know it. Its ok to be bitter but who would be a replacement for him? There still isn’t a goalie out there I’d rather have today. Take a look at the best of the bunch – brodeur (past prime n will never leave nj), nabokov (choked harder than luongo), thomas (sealed for the B’s and until he has several yrs of top tier playing, I wouldn’t put him in the same cat just yet), Backstrom (he just resigned) and u got a bunch of up and comers in fleury, mason, rinne, price, hiller, and that guy that plays for the caps. There is 0 chance we can upgrade in goal
I completely agree with what you’re saying. He needs to take responsibility for this, especially when he makes it sound like the team is bringing his standards of play down (not a contender?)..
I still love Lou. I want him around for a long time. But he needs to be more clutch. And our team needs to play with more heart.
I can’t really type anymore. I’m still so sad. Haven’t been able to sleep, my heart feels like it is broken.
I completely agree with what you’re saying. He needs to take responsibility for this, especially when he makes it sound like the team is bringing his standards of play down (not a contender?)..
I still love Lou. I want him around for a long time. But he needs to be more clutch. And our team needs to play with more heart.
I can’t really type anymore. I’m still so sad. Haven’t been able to sleep, my heart feels like it is broken.
I think this will be a pivotal moment for him. He is at the peak of his game- and still he could not close the deal. I don’t think he’ll ever be as good as he was this winter.I watched San Jose play in Anaheim in April and realized that they are a team built for the regular season– but not the playoffs. Lui, I hate to say it, may be the same. He hasn’t won anything before… at this point in time in Brodeurs career and in Roys- they were always contending or winning. Lui is consistently choking when the season is on the line. It was not a 7 million dollar effort- we could have gotten a better effort and result from any one of a half dozen 3-4 million $ goalies and spent the rest on a solid 2nd lineman. I love lui. I love the Canucks. My heart says lets try to keep the core together and do a run next year– my head says trade lui to a contender in the East for some young guns, put schneider in net, let the sedin sisters go and lets rebuild and go deep for 5-7 years…
I think this will be a pivotal moment for him. He is at the peak of his game- and still he could not close the deal. I don’t think he’ll ever be as good as he was this winter.I watched San Jose play in Anaheim in April and realized that they are a team built for the regular season– but not the playoffs. Lui, I hate to say it, may be the same. He hasn’t won anything before… at this point in time in Brodeurs career and in Roys- they were always contending or winning. Lui is consistently choking when the season is on the line. It was not a 7 million dollar effort- we could have gotten a better effort and result from any one of a half dozen 3-4 million $ goalies and spent the rest on a solid 2nd lineman. I love lui. I love the Canucks. My heart says lets try to keep the core together and do a run next year– my head says trade lui to a contender in the East for some young guns, put schneider in net, let the sedin sisters go and lets rebuild and go deep for 5-7 years…
I agree to an extent. I think all of Kane’s goals were stoppable by Luongo’s standards. He looked good on the Havlat breakaway, but once the Hawks started getting in his kitchen, he lost his edge.
Bottom line is that he is supposed to be the Franchise player. The difference maker…the ace in the Canucks back pocket. The question that looms now is “Is Luongo a playoff/big game goalie?”. He still has some time to answer this question, but right now the answer is not looking good.
Lou cannot take all the blame and one game does not a series make.
With regard to the series, everyone is saying that we lost to a better team. I’m not buying it. We lost to a faster team that were well coached, playing loose and gained confidence as the series went on.
Had the Nucks coaching staff adhered to the system that won them game 3 in imposing fashion, I think the series would have turned out differently. That game saw our defense making short, crisp passes to get out of their own zone and aggressive pressure between center ice and their own blue line, resulting in numerous turnovers on the Hawks long passes. Our PK was very aggressive as well and the two man forecheck was paying dividends. I thought the Canucks had them figured out at that point and that it wasn’t unrealistic to anticipate a win in 5 games.
Fast forward to game 4 and a one goal lead. Vigneault totally changes the team’s mindset and forces them to play the trap. The aggressiveness and forecheck are collectively thrown out the window and a Province holds its collective breath whilst waiting for that one inevitable mistake. Queue Willie Mitchell.
I think Vigneualt cost the Canucks this series by failing to recognize and stick with a system that worked. Attack! Retreat! Well, kind of attack, but retreat at the same time! Retack! What?
I agree to an extent. I think all of Kane’s goals were stoppable by Luongo’s standards. He looked good on the Havlat breakaway, but once the Hawks started getting in his kitchen, he lost his edge.
Bottom line is that he is supposed to be the Franchise player. The difference maker…the ace in the Canucks back pocket. The question that looms now is “Is Luongo a playoff/big game goalie?”. He still has some time to answer this question, but right now the answer is not looking good.
Lou cannot take all the blame and one game does not a series make.
With regard to the series, everyone is saying that we lost to a better team. I’m not buying it. We lost to a faster team that were well coached, playing loose and gained confidence as the series went on.
Had the Nucks coaching staff adhered to the system that won them game 3 in imposing fashion, I think the series would have turned out differently. That game saw our defense making short, crisp passes to get out of their own zone and aggressive pressure between center ice and their own blue line, resulting in numerous turnovers on the Hawks long passes. Our PK was very aggressive as well and the two man forecheck was paying dividends. I thought the Canucks had them figured out at that point and that it wasn’t unrealistic to anticipate a win in 5 games.
Fast forward to game 4 and a one goal lead. Vigneault totally changes the team’s mindset and forces them to play the trap. The aggressiveness and forecheck are collectively thrown out the window and a Province holds its collective breath whilst waiting for that one inevitable mistake. Queue Willie Mitchell.
I think Vigneualt cost the Canucks this series by failing to recognize and stick with a system that worked. Attack! Retreat! Well, kind of attack, but retreat at the same time! Retack! What?
Well Richard, you’re certainly entitled to your opinions but let me address a few points if I may.
First of all Luongo spited no one. He was asked if he would re-sign in Vancouver and if the captaincy had any bearing on it. HE gave an honest answer instead of the usual cliches we usually hear. He didn’t say he wouldn’t he said he wanted to play for a contender. But as is typical in this market everything gets blown out of proportion by the fans and the media.
Last night the Canucks for some reason chose to run and gun with the Hawks, and they lost. If it weren’t for Luongo holding them in it, the game would have been over in the first 10 minutes.
Was he stellar? No, and no one is more upset about it than he is. Sorry, they just aren’t. But on every single goal there is a chain of events…a mistake by a defensemen, a dumb penalty, a turnover. There is plenty of blame to go around. You win as a tyeam and you lose as a team.
What am I hearing today? I’m hearing a lot of support for the Vancouver is a goalie graveyard theory.
When all the people that yell loooooooooo after every routine stop are changing their chants to boooos, it’s pretty funny.
So let’s chase another goaltender out of town. Hell Cory Schnieder sure looked ready on his stint up here.
I’ll leave you with a response to your own quote: “No body makes those mistakes with their backs against the wall.” Yes, yes they do…ask Marty Brodeur how his season ended up.
Well Richard, you’re certainly entitled to your opinions but let me address a few points if I may.
First of all Luongo spited no one. He was asked if he would re-sign in Vancouver and if the captaincy had any bearing on it. HE gave an honest answer instead of the usual cliches we usually hear. He didn’t say he wouldn’t he said he wanted to play for a contender. But as is typical in this market everything gets blown out of proportion by the fans and the media.
Last night the Canucks for some reason chose to run and gun with the Hawks, and they lost. If it weren’t for Luongo holding them in it, the game would have been over in the first 10 minutes.
Was he stellar? No, and no one is more upset about it than he is. Sorry, they just aren’t. But on every single goal there is a chain of events…a mistake by a defensemen, a dumb penalty, a turnover. There is plenty of blame to go around. You win as a tyeam and you lose as a team.
What am I hearing today? I’m hearing a lot of support for the Vancouver is a goalie graveyard theory.
When all the people that yell loooooooooo after every routine stop are changing their chants to boooos, it’s pretty funny.
So let’s chase another goaltender out of town. Hell Cory Schnieder sure looked ready on his stint up here.
I’ll leave you with a response to your own quote: “No body makes those mistakes with their backs against the wall.” Yes, yes they do…ask Marty Brodeur how his season ended up.
The Sedin sisters? Did you even watch the game last night? Comments like that are enough to make me want the Canucks to never win the Stanley Cup. Since the advent of the Internet, gray areas have all but disappeared. Teams are either great or terrible. Players are seldom evaluated by talent. If they succeed, it’s because they “had more heart”. If they lose, it’s because they’re “chokers who lacked the will to win”.
The Sedin sisters? Did you even watch the game last night? Comments like that are enough to make me want the Canucks to never win the Stanley Cup. Since the advent of the Internet, gray areas have all but disappeared. Teams are either great or terrible. Players are seldom evaluated by talent. If they succeed, it’s because they “had more heart”. If they lose, it’s because they’re “chokers who lacked the will to win”.
I said it at the start of this season and I will say it again. Luongo should be traded this summer. Trade him before we lose him to free agency. We have Schneider and Labarbara to share the load in net. If we hang onto Luongo for another season, what do we get? Nothing, some team will offer him huge bucks and he is gone, for nothing.
Trade him and we can get…say Islanders first round pick??? Who knows.
Another example? Ohlund. Don’t get me wrong, Ohlund is one of my favorite D men of all time. However, if he was traded last summer we would have something to show for it. Same with Naslund…list goes on.
Look at how Wally Buono manages the BC Lions, whom also seem to be contenders. I have heard Buono say in interviews that he trades players when they are 2/3 of the way through their career. Why? because they are higher cost, you will still get a good return for a trade and perhaps most of all the player’s production will have already peaked.
Look at the last few cup winners. Who did they have in net? Look at this years remaining teams…
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think Luongo choked, or cost them the series or hopping off the bandwagon. Not at all. Strictly a business decision. I don’t think the Canucks can resign him.
Of course, all this is easier said then done.
But at least Richard Loat had the cajones to write the above.
I said it at the start of this season and I will say it again. Luongo should be traded this summer. Trade him before we lose him to free agency. We have Schneider and Labarbara to share the load in net. If we hang onto Luongo for another season, what do we get? Nothing, some team will offer him huge bucks and he is gone, for nothing.
Trade him and we can get…say Islanders first round pick??? Who knows.
Another example? Ohlund. Don’t get me wrong, Ohlund is one of my favorite D men of all time. However, if he was traded last summer we would have something to show for it. Same with Naslund…list goes on.
Look at how Wally Buono manages the BC Lions, whom also seem to be contenders. I have heard Buono say in interviews that he trades players when they are 2/3 of the way through their career. Why? because they are higher cost, you will still get a good return for a trade and perhaps most of all the player’s production will have already peaked.
Look at the last few cup winners. Who did they have in net? Look at this years remaining teams…
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think Luongo choked, or cost them the series or hopping off the bandwagon. Not at all. Strictly a business decision. I don’t think the Canucks can resign him.
Of course, all this is easier said then done.
But at least Richard Loat had the cajones to write the above.
I agree with many things you’ve said as you know – franchise goalie doesn’t get to let in 7 goals, etc.
That being said, I can’t fault him for the comment you quoted – he is certainly entitled to play with a contender. The one that particularly bothered me was the one where he talked about maybe signing again if we had a winning team.
However… that’ll have to change now. He can’t in all good conscience leave for nothing next season after choking so badly this year. Obviously he *could*, but it would be pretty darn unsportsmanlike and selfish, I think.
I don’t really fault him for giving up the OT goal to Anaheim – he had done his best all series and it was going to happen eventually – and the hit on Hansen should have been a penalty. Ditto last year – there were many factors that contributed to the stretch collapse including the D injuries, and his wife being pregnant etc.
What comes to mind with last night is Luongo letting in the OT winner to Artem Chubarov vs Russia in the gold medal game of the 1998 WHJC. I don’t exactly remember that game, but I think he had stood on his head the whole game to get them there, so that may not be a fair comparison lol.
Him blaming himself for 2007 and 2008 was definitely him being really hard on himself, but yesterday was definitely warranted. There’s no doubt he takes them personally – I just think he choked yesterday. Maybe he had an injury or was just worn out, who knows. But I do think he gets one more year, Gillis will resign him and if he chokes again next year… then he’s trade bait.
I agree with many things you’ve said as you know – franchise goalie doesn’t get to let in 7 goals, etc.
That being said, I can’t fault him for the comment you quoted – he is certainly entitled to play with a contender. The one that particularly bothered me was the one where he talked about maybe signing again if we had a winning team.
However… that’ll have to change now. He can’t in all good conscience leave for nothing next season after choking so badly this year. Obviously he *could*, but it would be pretty darn unsportsmanlike and selfish, I think.
I don’t really fault him for giving up the OT goal to Anaheim – he had done his best all series and it was going to happen eventually – and the hit on Hansen should have been a penalty. Ditto last year – there were many factors that contributed to the stretch collapse including the D injuries, and his wife being pregnant etc.
What comes to mind with last night is Luongo letting in the OT winner to Artem Chubarov vs Russia in the gold medal game of the 1998 WHJC. I don’t exactly remember that game, but I think he had stood on his head the whole game to get them there, so that may not be a fair comparison lol.
Him blaming himself for 2007 and 2008 was definitely him being really hard on himself, but yesterday was definitely warranted. There’s no doubt he takes them personally – I just think he choked yesterday. Maybe he had an injury or was just worn out, who knows. But I do think he gets one more year, Gillis will resign him and if he chokes again next year… then he’s trade bait.
I think Luongo is great. Last night was just an ugly game as far as defenses goes.
Heck, I might have been watching the all-star game at times if I didn’t know better. At least in terms of defensive strategy.
I think Luongo is great. Last night was just an ugly game as far as defenses goes.
Heck, I might have been watching the all-star game at times if I didn’t know better. At least in terms of defensive strategy.