Post-Game Talk: Game #25: Blackhawks 2, Canucks 1 - Six goals? Nah, one goal will do fine...

[Rotting Corpse*]

Our offense is so bad that we're here waiting for the goalie to win us games. We're literally saying "Hey Lu, steal us a game would ya?" Seriously. It's a terrible philosophy to rely on your last pure defensive player to give you wins.

Wouldn't it be better if we were hoping for more scoring from the team and then have the goalie come in as an afterthought?

That's not how the team is built. That's not why we signed Luongo to a lifetime contract. If that's how the team was structured (with a great offense and goaltending as an afterthought,) our Goalie would have a cap hit of 1M and we'd have more money to spend on offense. Say, if Lack were the goalie. Then things would be different. But we are a team built around the goaltender. That's how it is, so yeah, we rely pretty heavily on him.

 

[y2kcanucks]

No, but he has kept the opposition to fewer than 2 GF 7 times in 20 starts, ensuring his team at least a point if the manage a goal in those games.

Luongo has held the opposition to 2 or fewer goals per game in 15 of his 20 starts. Yet people are talking like we should have bought him out.

 

[Vankiller Whale]

No, I was more referring to how his play became so average, he was relegated to being a backup.

That's what I mean by years.

So we're talking about 20 games + 2 playoff games in 2012?

Right after having been a Vezina nominee? Yes, clearly Luongo is now established as a mediocre goaltender. And doesn't deserve the benefit of a doubt that someone like Quick(who was even worse than Luongo last season) deserves.

 

[John Bender*]

I Live In Northwestern Alberta and witnessing the implosion of the future dynasty has been a real pleasure. So I Take a Gander over there from time to time

Was just wondering if you were an Oiler troll. Your nickname is annoying, which first tipped me off.

 

[vancityluongo]

If Luongo has a trend of sketchy play that sees him giving up 2 goals a game, then sign me up for more of Luongo's sketchy play please! I'll welcome Luongo's sketchy 2 goals against per game play.

Weird, because despite the Sedins being close to a PPG in the playoffs as a trend over the past five years, that isn't enough for you because they aren't "clutch" like Toews. Well if Lu doesn't start to play more "clutch", looks like he'll be left off of Team Canada.

 

[NonBruinHatingCanuck]

It is unsurprising that you would think that.

Maybe were not in a playoff spot at the moment but I find Canuck games much more exciting to watch this year under Torts then Under AV.

I Like Torts think hes doing a good job.

 

[StringerBell]

It hasn't been good enough....because we aren't scoring.

If we're winning these games 3-2 it's plenty good enough.

Average goaltending + no offense = goaltending isn't good enough.

Chicago averages 3.6 goals a game. Holding them to 2 should be good enough for a point.

Another interesting stat. The allow 2.9 goals a game. We put one past them.

I agree with this. Average goaltending isn't good enough. Our goaltending is rarely losing us games but it's never winning us games. You need to get a few 1-0, 2-0 or 2-1 wins if you wanna make the playoffs, of which we have zero. It's nice to be kept in most games, but it's necessary to shut the door every once in a while too.

To reiterate:

Scoring = Biggest issue
Goaltending = Smaller issue, but still an issue

 

[y2kcanucks]

Weird, because despite the Sedins being close to a PPG in the playoffs as a trend over the past five years, that isn't enough for you because they aren't "clutch" like Toews. Well if Lu doesn't start to play more "clutch", looks like he'll be left off of Team Canada.

What's funny is he's still expected to start for Team Canada.

 

[NonBruinHatingCanuck]

Was just wondering if you were an Oiler troll. Your nickname is annoying, which first tipped me off.

yup I think its annoying too.. Don't know what I was thinking

 

[polarbearcub]

Luongo has held the opposition to 2 or fewer goals per game in 15 of his 20 starts. Yet people are talking like we should have bought him out.

Yet In clutch situations , he is not performing. That 2nd goal was atrocious

This was gonna be a 2-1 game and one goalie stole this game, and it wasn't luongo again. Crawford didn't let any weak goals in

 

[Bleach Clean]

Yes and no. The PP Stinks but:

1) Tonight was the 3rd time in the last 5(?) games where we were shut out even strength.

2) The PP is simply another symptom of the same problem, lack of offensive talent among our forwards.

I would be more worried about the offensive talent if the team hadn't produced at an 11th rank at ES with 42 goals.

They also trot out 3 elite forwards on their PP. To me, that screams execution issues and not personnel issues. Do they need 4 elite forwards to have even an average PP?

Something is seriously awry there.

 

[Rotting Corpse*]

So we're talking about 20 games + 2 playoff games in 2012?

Right after having been a Vezina nominee? Yes, clearly Luongo is now established as a mediocre goaltender. And doesn't deserve the benefit of a doubt that someone like Quick(who was even worse than Luongo last season) deserves.

Eh, it's not the same. Luongo was an elite-level goaltender who is now nearing his 35th birthday and appears to be declining. I don't know what to make of Quick but Luongo being mediocre at this stage of his career would not be some huge shock.

 

[y2kcanucks]

I agree with this. Average goaltending isn't good enough. Our goaltending is rarely losing us games but it's never winning us games. You need to get a few 1-0, 2-0 or 2-1 wins if you wanna make the playoffs, of which we have zero. It's nice to be kept in most games, but it's necessary to shut the door every once in a while too.

To reiterate:

Scoring = Biggest issue
Goaltending = Smaller issue, but still an issue

I don't see how you can put those in there. Luongo wins games when we have a 2 or more in the Canucks column. Saying we need to get a few 1-0 wins? Sure. But as I mentioned earlier, Price, Rask, Lundqvist, and Schneider haven't won games this season where their offense has scored fewer than 2 goals in a game, so they're on par with Luongo on that. Are their fanbases complaining that goaltending hasn't been good enough too?

 

[Upoil]

What does Roberto Luongo have in common with Tuukka Rask, Carey Price, Henrik Lundqvist, Cory Schneider this season?

Answer: None of them have a single win in a game where their teams have scored fewer than 2 goals.

What people are expecting Luongo to do, is more than these other goalies are being asked to do.

Conversely. What do San Jose, Anaheim, and LA not have in common with the Nucks? (Also note that they are all teams in our division)

Answer: Wins in games where they only score one goal.

Cherry picking stats is fun!

 

[arsmaster*]

3 toughest scoring chances on Crawford in this clip were by Sestito, Weise and Richardson.

Something wrong with that. That's why I don't put much weight in save% or the scoring chance comparison.

Chicago had better chances tonight. Canucks 2011 finals themselves into a high shot total.

 

[y2kcanucks]

Conversely. What do San Jose, Anaheim, and LA not have in common with the Nucks? (Also note that they are all teams in our division)

Answer: Wins in games where they only score one goal.

Cherry picking stats is fun!

They're also better teams than Vancouver. I chose to compare Luongo to the elite goalies in the NHL, but I guess that's not good enough now is it?

 

[Rotting Corpse*]

I would be more worried about the offensive talent if the team hadn't produced at an 11th rank at ES with 42 goals.

They also trot out 3 elite forwards on their PP. To me, that screams execution issues and not personnel issues. Do they need 4 elite forwards to have even an average PP?

Something is seriously awry there.

We had a pretty lousy powerplay last year too, and our top scoring PP forward was Raymond. When you change the coaching staff and it doesn't fix the PP....

 

[y2kcanucks]

Apparently it's worrisome to have a goalie who holds teams to 2 goals in a game (including the top ranked offense in the league...) yet an offense that can't score against playoff teams isn't worrisome because we had the 11th ranked ES offense during a time when we played mostly non-playoff teams. WOW.

 

[NonBruinHatingCanuck]

3 toughest scoring chances on Crawford in this clip were by Sestito, Weise and Richardson.

Something wrong with that. That's why I don't put much weight in save% or the scoring chance comparison.

Chicago had better chances tonight. Canucks 2011 finals themselves into a high shot total.

You gotta include Daniels as a scoring chance... How Often do you see him miss that? And there was

quite a few tips in front of the net. Kesler had a great wrist shot near the end, I thought it hit the post but

the announcers never mentioned it so It probably just missed the net


I really don't like how were ripping our team apart these guys battled hard the wins will come!

 

[Vankiller Whale]

Eh, it's not the same. Luongo was an elite-level goaltender who is now nearing his 35th birthday and appears to be declining. I don't know what to make of Quick but Luongo being mediocre at this stage of his career would not be some huge shock.

Once again, "declining" isn't something you an determine based on numbers over the sample size of the perceived decline.

Luongo was easily our MVP for the first half of last season. Do you think that 1 or two blowouts that brought his sv% down to earth indicate that age suddenly caught up with him?

Or this season, where his start is even better than his start in 2010-2011, is that enough to determine he's "declined" due to age?

 

[deadinthewater]

Watching the highlights, and so many ******* fans on the puck.

 

[arsmaster*]

Yet In clutch situations , he is not performing. That 2nd goal was atrocious

This was gonna be a 2-1 game and one goalie stole this game, and it wasn't luongo again. Crawford didn't let any weak goals in

Saveable sure? atrocious? Not for me. One of many odd mans against. Good shot.

One I hoped he'd save. The hyperbole and the piling on is annoying.

I'm going to bed.

 

[Upoil]

Apparently it's worrisome to have a goalie who holds teams to 2 goals in a game (including the top ranked offense in the league...) yet an offense that can't score against playoff teams isn't worrisome because we had the 11th ranked ES offense during a time when we played mostly non-playoff teams. WOW.

Please quote ANYBODY that has said this.

 

[Virtanen2Horvat]

What does Roberto Luongo have in common with Tuukka Rask, Carey Price, Henrik Lundqvist, Cory Schneider this season?

Answer: None of them have a single win in a game where their teams have scored fewer than 2 goals.

What people are expecting Luongo to do, is more than these other goalies are being asked to do.

nvm misread.

 

[y2kcanucks]

You gotta include Daniels as a scoring chance... How Often do you see him miss that? And there was

quite a few tips in front of the net. Kesler had a great wrist shot near the end, I thought it hit the post but

the announcers never mentioned it so It probably just missed the net


I really don't like how were ripping our team apart these guys battled hard the wins will come!

Quite often lately. Luongo lets in a softy and all the talk is about how Luongo played poorly by holding the top ranked offense in the league to 2 goals this game, yet barely a peep about our highest paid player missing a beautiful chance to tie up the game.