You're taking what I say out of context and thinking anything except 100% negativity towards Luongo means you're defending him. I questioned how big of a problem there was with him. Clearly it wasn't that big of a problem, whether it's confidence or adjustments, he's made them and he's rolling now. You guys were too busy saying he was washed up physically to compete at a high level.
You're lumping me in with every poster that has said something negative about Luongo.
I only defend what I think are unfair complaints about Luongo like when people say he's washed up or that he's a horrible person or that we can't win with him or when our crowd cheers him getting injured. You don't see me caught up in the endless circular debate about the Finals for example nor did I say he was playing well earlier in the year.
This just isn't true. I didn't argue he was a horrible person, or that we can't win with him, nor do I cheer when he gets injured, yet every time I make a comment about something regarding Luongo that isn't a glowing review, you are there to defend him.
Anyone complaining about Luongo's game right now needs to shut their pie hole. He's playing extremely well and is the chief reason we're winning some of these games. Be critical when he's flopping around and letting in softies not when he's stoning the opposition.
Anyone complaining about Luongo's game right now needs to shut their pie hole. He's playing extremely well and is the chief reason we're winning some of these games. Be critical when he's flopping around and letting in softies not when he's stoning the opposition.
imho anyone that thinks because Luongo is playing well and the team is winning that he is beyond criticism should shut their pie hole. Agree to disagree.
imho anyone that thinks because Luongo is playing well and the team is winning that he is beyond criticism should shut their pie hole. Agree to disagree.
I'm not saying there isn't room for being critical of this team in certain areas, but right now Luongo isn't an area of concern.
I'm not saying there isn't room for being critical of this team in certain areas, but right now Luongo isn't an area of concern.
Right now it may not be a concern but in a tight playoff series where every goal is crucial, the difference between this team winning or losing could very well be how Luongo deals with playoff style traffic. He's made nice strides in that part of his game since Chicago was camping out in his kitchen but I think he can continue to get better in this area.
i want to make it clear that i've been very happy with luongo's game lately, he's been stellar. i'm not *****ing him out when i talk about his battle level with people in his crease, i'm making the point that it's a big reason imo why people dislike his style, especially in comparison to the linebacker that tim thomas is when under similar circumstances. it's not a value judgement, just an observation that many very vocal people get jacked up for players that play a physically aggressive style. see also: my original alexander/lynch analogy, sedins vs kesler, early ovechkin/crosby debates, etc.
i want to make it clear that i've been very happy with luongo's game lately, he's been stellar. i'm not *****ing him out when i talk about his battle level with people in his crease, i'm making the point that it's a big reason imo why people dislike his style, especially in comparison to the linebacker that tim thomas is when under similar circumstances. it's not a value judgement, just an observation that many very vocal people get jacked up for players that play a physically aggressive style. see also: my original alexander/lynch analogy, sedins vs kesler, early ovechkin/crosby debates, etc.
While I think Thomas is the better goalie - he also has the advantage of a giant like Chara in front on him.
We didn't score in game 7. You aren't going to win any hockey games when you don't score. Give it a rest.
Well, the statement you are up against goes both ways.
Sure, lots of people are willing to defend Roberto when he's playing terribly. But there sure are a lot of people that will kick him when he's down as well.
Yes, lots of people will pump his tires when he's playing well, but lots of people will point out his downfalls as well.
In both cases, it's usually the same people on the same side. There are Luongo-haters and Luongo-apologists. Luongo sure did play pretty bad in game 7, but so did the entire hockey team. You "haters" as we'll call you, completely ignore this fact and when it's brought up you will say "Yeah, yeah...but" and completely go off on a tangent mentioning something not even close to be relevant to the original issue of lack of scoring (usually ends up at the 7uongo game *shudders*)
Yeah, so there are apologists. They will vehemently defend Luongo through thick and thin, when the "haters" are calling for heads and asking for trades, firings, etc. and then we start to do well....most of them disappear. Which is where I will give credit to those still "hating" on Luongo now...at least you're still here instead of vanishing never to be seen until the next piece of adversity where surely fans will again call for heads, claiming certain players are "mentally weak" omitting the regular slides of the team in October likely. It's hard to take those people seriously TBH, the team has done the same bloody October routine since AV and Luo got here. It's something you have to live with and accept. If we were a bubble team I might feel differently.
tl;dr I'd rather be an "apologist" than a "hater".
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zanon
Unbelievably insane how much we fans analyze Luongo's game.
Some fans still regard Kirk McLean as the best goalie in franchise history, but Kirk's treatment as a player in this city was much like a god rather than what Luongo's has been, of course excluding the first year where he played on a terrible team with a great defensive system.
To quote Ferraro last night: "Good to see Vancouver fans jeering the other team's goalie for a change."
Right now it may not be a concern but in a tight playoff series where every goal is crucial, the difference between this team winning or losing could very well be how Luongo deals with playoff style traffic. He's made nice strides in that part of his game since Chicago was camping out in his kitchen but I think he can continue to get better in this area.
All players can get better in certain areas. If its not a concern right now, people shouldn't be ragging on him. I'm a firm believer that Cory Schneider is a better goalie than Luongo, but I'm not going to hack on Luongo when he's playing as well as he is. Save the criticisms for when they are warranted.
I'm not going to be happy with Luongo until he puts up a GAA of below 1 while at the same time scores 50 goals and wins the art ross.
It usually is when some people start posting negative things about Luongo, a mob would tell them to stop.
You wonder why people won't stop posting even when this is happening.
It is really just people like you who comes along and causes this. Whenever a discussion is almost settled, a post like this comes along without any real content whose only purpose is to piss off people and to instigate a response.
Yet you wonder why people become so disrespectful for one another in posts regarding Luongo.
It usually is when some people start posting negative things about Luongo, a mob would tell them to stop.
You wonder why people won't stop posting even when this is happening.
It is really just people like you who comes along and causes this. Whenever a discussion is almost settled, a post like this comes along without any real content whose only purpose is to piss off people and to instigate a response.
Yet you wonder why people become so disrespectful for one another in posts regarding Luongo.
If he can't put up 50 goals and win the art ross then trade him NOW!!!
You lurk in this forum waiting for someone to criticize Luongo so you can refute it. The quote you just gave has the guy saying he used the technique too much earlier in the year, yet when I said earlier in the year the same thing (he was on his belly too much) you vigorously denied any problem Luongo might be having. If you have every admitted to Luongo being less than perfect, I missed it.
No the real problem is that everyone is basing their arguments on one ridiculously simplified aspect of goaltending like 'he should challenge more' or 'why is he always on his belly'.
It's understandable because you hear from a lot of the announcers on TV who have no idea about goaltending - guys like Healy and Pang are goalies from a whole different era.
Then you guys are just arguing in circles based on assumptions you've made about the position. You've missed a lot of underlying problems about Luongo's early play, just like lots of us miss lots of underlying problems with the team as a whole because we focus on just Bieksa or something like that.
So because you're always arguing on a very surface level, neither point can ever really be dismissed and it just goes on forever.
I think anyone who is interested in the position should be following @KevinIsInGoal on twitter. The guy knows what he's talking about and has given me clarification numerous times on things I'm wondering about with Luongo's approach. He writes for NHL.com now, if I'm not mistaken.
For me, Luongo this year has done three major things:
1.) Identified that he needs to work on his glove hand. He used to be known in his FLA days as having maybe the best glove hand in the NHL, but he had become more of a blocking goaltender. I've always thought he is an excellent positional goaltender with very good instincts and reflexes, but under Ian Clarke he really seemed to lessen this part of his game.
This year he and Melanson worked to "activate" Luongo's glove hand by having him hold it 2-4 inches off his pad, rather than rest it there. If you watch him closely you can see him doing this when he sets himself for a faceoff: it looks reminiscient of Patrick Roy. I think we're seeing this pay dividends in a huge way as Luongo right now looks almost unbeatable on his glove side (to go with his usually excellent blocker work).
2.) His battle level is better. I think he did some work on his mental/psychological approach this summer. In previous seasons a bad goal or two would really derail an entire night for Luongo moreso than a lot of other goaltenders, but this season he seems to "reset" his game more quickly. The Montreal game was a good example of this, but there have been others. Usually getting out of a period seems to be enough for him to refocus. In the playoffs where momentum can be everything, this might make a huge difference.
3.) both Luongo and Schneider recognized that they were being beat to the corners because Melanson wanted them to play deep all of the time. After some discussion Melanson has allowed both guys to make an in-season adjustment and start to aggressively challenge shooters who have open lanes with no backdoor plays. This is, for me, the most important change, and what I've seen from Luongo lately looks like the perfect marriage of new and old: safe/deep play around the net with his good blocking skills, and aggressive/instinctual play when he's 1 on 1 with a shooter.
I'm obviously bullish on Luongo, but I really do think that he is humble enough that he is constantly learning and trying to be better, which is all you can ask of a superstar. I expect him to have a stellar rest of the season and playoffs, and I'm praying to dark pagan gods that we stay healthy in the spring.
