I did some looking around via google images and the flap in question so small.

They aren’t worried about his equipment. They are trying to get into his head before the game.

Turco is still upset over giving up 5 third period + one OT goal in Los Angeles last month.

Damm I hate PPV games.

Posted by Ryan from The Puddle, BC on 12/20/07 at 06:38 PM ET

I took a look at some photos of Luongo, and those “wings” are variations on what Patrick Roy was wearing, oh 10 years ago?

That indicates that either Turco is exceptionally slow on the uptake, or he’s trying to deflect attention paid to his charming habit of lifting the net off its moorings at just the right time. I mean, it really isn’t a game against the Stars unless at least one flurry at the goalmouth isn’t whistle dead because Turco sends the net 10cm up and over, right?

Posted by Laurie from SNV on 12/20/07 at 07:07 PM ET

These are NOT new and are NOT that big a deal.  Luongo, Giguere, Toskala, and about half a dozen other goalies wear pants with knee pads sewn into the thigh portion thereof.  The Hockey Shop in Surrey, BC actually sells “Luongo” Reebok pants, so you can see the knee pads for yourself. 

Initially, guys had equipment managers sew chunks of plastic from player pant thigh protection onto their goalie pants, and now manufacturers are actually adding the drop-down knee coverage at the factory.

These aren’t the big, square “thigh boards” that would seal off the ice with a 4"x8" square piece of Lexan plastic, they’re rounded-off knee guards that aren’t that dissimilar from the internal knee pads that some goalies wear.  If there’s any issue, it’s with the fact that guys like Luongo and a whole bunch of other goalies wear pants made for goalies whose waist sizes are about 10” wider than necessary.  The fact that Luongo is a huge guy at 6’3” doesn’t help, either…

Posted by George James Malik from South Lyon, MI on 12/20/07 at 08:16 PM ET

Ryan - I hate PPV too. Grrrr…

Laurie - Turco is a pretty easy target, isn’t he? Probably not the best guy to make fun of others when it comes to issues of “fair play” when I think about a few of his quirks.

George - Luongo’s size is a big factor - no pun intended. The issue of proportional sizing come into play, I suppose.  Which brings me to this…

Considering this issue more, I figure that the fuss about Luongo’s equipment is reasonable, and there are plenty of issues that deserve debate.  But Turco’s argument in that article seems to boil down to this on some level: if goalies sucked more, the NHL won’t have to make the nets larger.

But I think his argument ultimately goes nowhere, because it’s also worth mentioning that if equipment was the primary reason Luongo got the numbers he did, other teams wouldn’t be complaining about it so much as they’d be copying it.  But they’re not copying it - they’re mocking it.

So from where I’m standing, it sure doesn’t look like Turco’s aiming to make goalies in general less effective… simply just Luongo.

Posted by Alanah McGinley from British Columbia on 12/20/07 at 08:26 PM ET

Oh, hell...They’re talking about the flaps on the outside...hold up. 

Via The Goalie Store:

Kay, these are the flaps on the outside of the knee, which are designed to help you a) seal the post and b) not get whacked on the outside of the knee when you’re in your butterfly.

Especially if you’re like Luongo, and have a frickin’ wide butterfly where you actually sit on your “lap” while splaying out your legs.

Unless these things are completely rigid (and on Viagra), they’re flaps.  When he’s not hugging the post, these things are more likely to knock a puck in than anything else. 

Manny Legace narrowly avoided a suspension because his pads were 11.5” wide when he was out with an injury, and he’s all of 5’6” on his skates, but he wears the same 38” tall pads that Luongo wears.  Johan Hedberg is Manny’s size, and Hedberg wears pads that are about 32” tall and are only 10” wide because he feels he’s more maneuverable with less width.  Nobody picks on him…

Posted by George James Malik from South Lyon, MI on 12/21/07 at 08:59 AM ET

the important thing here that nobody has commented on yet is that as soon as turco and smith starting making fun of luongo, a vancouver win was automatic.
brilliant move, marty. make luongo hungry. really i’m amazed he didn’t get a shutout.

Posted by philb on 12/21/07 at 12:08 PM ET

It’s like putting mud flaps on the Michelin Man!

Not since Garth Snow and his surf boards have we seen such an egregious violation of the goalie rules. We demand Roberto Luongo be suspended the rest of the season!

Yours truly,
The Colorado Avalanche

Posted by Kicksave from Colorado on 01/02/08 at 10:38 PM ET

You know, after every Canuck win it’s Luongo this Luongo that. After the win over the Duckies the other day all you read about was how Luongo won the game for them. Yet you look at the shots, only 21 shots against. I think the rest of the Canucks are getting sold short… probably because the media is all eastern based and Luongo is an easy story because he IS an elite tender.

Posted by Ryan Lake from da puddle on 01/03/08 at 01:14 AM ET