NHL Playoffs

[Flubber]

His stats are very good and getting better.

The second part of this statement is demonstrably true since meltdowns/poorer statistical performances in round 1 games 4 and 5 are a major drag on his stats.

As for "very good', I can probably accept that as well although he still has some amazingly bad miscues and more of them than most goalies in the playoffs.

What I have not seen is the type of amazing or exceptional goaltending, either statistically or subjectively that screams that Luongo is an all time great. If he gets to the finals or wins a cup, he knock on his playoff resume will be eliminated and his stock will rise but overall I think to be an all time great you should be someone that is viewed as the best goalie overall at some point and preferably, dominate for a period of time.

Luongo? even you acknowledged that the first goal he gave up was Luongo's blatant mistake. This was erased and he got the win but the goaltending story on the night was how Vancouver essentially overcame adversity when Luongo put them in a hole and Niemi kept SJ in a game where they were being completely outclassed. In that game I can credit Luongo for being very good the rest of the game and he did get the win . .. . But being viewed as being outplayed is not the hallmark of the super-elite

I believe that journalits have essentially concluded so far that Crawford outplayed Luongo, Rinne outplayed Luongo and that in game one Niemi outplayed Luongo.

Luongo does enough to win on a very good team but to be considered great you often need more

[Ben Kenobi]

I believe that journalits have essentially concluded so far that Crawford outplayed Luongo, Rinne outplayed Luongo and that in game one Niemi outplayed Luongo.

They've had the lowest goals against. Surely Luongo is a part of that, no? If Crawford indeed outplayed Luongo (which I'd agree with), and Rinne out played him (which I disagree with) and Neimi outplayed him, maybe the media is missing something here.

The Canucks have had the lowest offensive output of any of the remaining playoff teams. I don't see any articles talking about how the Canucks need to step up. Despite the drop in offensive output, the Canucks are still in the third round. Give Bobby Lou some credit.

[Flubber]

Despite the drop in offensive output, the Canucks are still in the third round. Give Bobby Lou some credit.

Some credit -- no problem-- I have been moderately complimentary to Luongo throughout. Some credit though is very different than saying "all time great"

Even one great year where you are THE dominant goalie is not enough-- You need to combine reasonable longevity with being consistently good and at come points being simply awesome

[Ben Kenobi]

Flubber, he's the 5th youngest goaltender to hit 300 wins.

That to me speaks 'all-time' great. Sure, he's still in the negatives, but after next year that should end. He'll be the only goalie ever to reach 300 losses before 300 wins and still end up on the plus side.

Edit, I have him at 286-311 by the old reckoning. So he's -25 still.

He's -21 after his first two seasons, so he's almost cleaned up all the way back to the beginning of his third NHL season. So he'd have to go 35-18 next season and then he'd just need to go 16-8 to start the next season. So another season and a half should put him over the top.

[-Jrabbit]

So another season and a half should put him over the top.

...to be a .500 goalie?

Isn't that more like all-time mediocre?

[Ben Kenobi]

After playing for the panthers for so long?

Anyways, you'll have a quiet game thread without me. Gonna go watch the game at a bar.

[Asher]

I go out to buy a house and look what happens.

Antt7 N7em7!

[Ben Kenobi]

Good news - Canucks destroyed the Sharks.

Bad news - Time trailed went up again.

[Ben Kenobi]

So far it's the BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!

[Asher]

Good news - Canucks destroyed the Sharks.

Bad news - Time trailed went up again.

And Luo's save% went down, I think.

[Ben Kenobi]

Dunno, it may have, the Sharks were totally outclassed tonight.

That Bieksa goal will be on coaches corner.

[Ben Kenobi]

Versus putting on Globetrotter's music for the Sedin replays is just pure awesome. I'm starting to like Versus.

[Flubber]

And Luo's save% went down, I think.

It did

I missed most of the game since I was out golfing butfrom the highlights it looks like Luongo allowed 3 goals that were all "good goals" and there didn't appear to be any softies in the Niemi 7 either-- they all seemed to be passess to wide open guys in the slot.

[Flubber]

Ben

I was wondering if you are now enraged that this last game the referees spoiled the game by calling 8 minors on San Jose to 2 for Vancouver (I have eliminated coincidentals from the count) so a +6 for the game . I assume you are now killing yourself twice.

Please do not try to misconstrue this in ANY WAY WHATSOEVER as me beefing about the calls or the refereeing. On the contracry from what I saw , San Jose lost their cool and deserved their penalties-- heck one of the minors probably should have been a major. So I have no beef whatsoever with the discrepancy just as I had no beef with the discrepancy when Vancouver had more penalties. What you never seemed to understand is that I never care about the absolute number of penalties a team gets-- thats irrelevant. What is relevant is whether a given call is correct or fair according to how the game is being called. The fact that Vancouver got three PPGs is also irrelevant. If San Jose takes stupid penalties, which they did, its their responsibility to kill them off. They failed.

My question though is this. The absolute number of penalties always seemed to bother you, when it happened to go against the Canucks. Does it bother you now?

(Flubber leans back and wonders how Ben will find a way to say that Canuck haters are complaining about penalties

[Flubber]

...to be a .500 goalie?

Isn't that more like all-time mediocre?

Thats my problem with Ben's argument. Hanging around a long time doesn't make you great in my book. Excelling makes you great. A less than .500 record makes it a tough sell now and even when that gets corrected (which it will as long as he remains healthy) his overall winning percentage will not be great. That is a function of the team no doubt but you simply cannot credit the goalie with the wins and praise him for it and ignore losses as being a team thing