Canucks & Beyond
Entries with the tag: roberto+luongo
Sundin Commits to Getting on a Plane
by Alanah McGinley on 01/05/09 at 04:48 PM ET
Comments (0)
From Brad Ziemer at the Vancouver Sun:
Mats Sundin will travel to Edmonton with the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday, but won’t decide until after Wednesday morning’s game-day skate whether he will play that night against the Oilers.
Sundin participated in his first full practice with the Canucks late this morning and will work out with the team again Tuesday before travelling with the Canucks later in the day to the Alberta capital.
Another step closer to actually playing hockey game this season *knock on wood*.
And in goalie-related news, C. Sanford is ready for bench/net duty, J. LaBraBra is holding up nicely, and C. Schneider has been sent back down to Manitoba. (Although despite all this fairly good news, R. Luongo’s photo has been spotted on milk cartons throughout the lower mainland with the message: “Have You Seen This Goalie? Please call 1-888-HURRYTHEHELLUP”).
If all that news isn’t exciting enough, take a tour of the Canucks locker room, lounge and equipment area. Video below:
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: cory+schneider, curtis+sanford, jason+labarbera, mats+sundin, roberto+luongo,
Canucks Trade for Jason LaBarbera
by Alanah McGinley on 12/30/08 at 10:57 PM ET
Comments (9)
KK Hockey posted this earlier but I’m noting it here as well—from Canucks.com:
Vancouver Canucks General Manager Mike Gillis announced today that the Canucks have acquired goaltender Jason LaBarbera from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a 7th round draft pick in the 2009 Entry Draft.
While this provides the more experienced backup for Curtis Sanford that many expected, it also inevitably hints at more concerns about Roberto Luongo’s recovery timetable.
(Incidentally—and I’m not going to back this up with actual ‘facts’ any time soon—but it seems like Vancouver has made a disproportionate number of trades with California teams over recent years. Not that I have a point here. Just saying.)
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: curtis+sanford, jason+labarbera, roberto+luongo,
Dancing with the Canucks Stars!
by Alanah McGinley on 12/23/08 at 01:20 PM ET
Comments (9)
What happens when you get a couple superstar Vancouver Canucks hockey players—Sundin & Luongo—alone in a room with me, a bunch of fancy Christmas lights, and a boatload of Jägermeister? Well… DISCO of course!
What can I say? Them boys like to party…
P.S. If you can’t see/use the player above, you can view the movie here. Merry Christmas, all. 
Filed in: dumb stuff, vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: mats+sundin, merry+christmas, roberto+luongo,
The Roberto Sundin Summary
by Alanah McGinley on 12/13/08 at 12:25 PM ET
Comments (3)
After a three-day holiday—both for the Canucks and for me, apparently, as I’ve been pretty much ignoring my favorite team around here for most of the week—the team is back in action tonight against the Edmonton Oilers.
But before that, let’s round up the Canucks news this week. Which is pretty easy—there’s only two topics anyone is talking about.
- Roberto Luongo -- Luongo’s agent denied saying back in November that his own personal-puck-stopping-retirement-plan was going to be out 4-5 weeks. But now that Luongo is no longer traveling with the team and said to be “sore” (code-speak for “Oh, #$%!” in Vancouver) that original estimate is looking more believable three weeks into his injury. That was, believable until last night when Alex Burrows seemed to let it ‘slip’ on TV that Luongo might be out another 4-6 weeks? (depending how you want to interpret his remarks). So bottom line: it’s the perfect time to buy a jersey with Schneider-Sanford’s name on it. (Update: Luongo out “indefinitely” - more below).
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: cory+schneider, curtis+sanford, mats+sundin, roberto+luongo,
I’m Not Feeling the “Zen”
by Alanah McGinley on 12/02/08 at 02:32 PM ET
Comments (9)
Since most of the Vancouver media and blogosphere is no doubt talking about how much the Canucks suck today, I’ve decided to leave the topic alone. Instead, I’m focused on something of more immediate importance: a new Canucks Blackberry theme gone awry.
Here’s a screenshot from the new “Zen Theme” for your Blackberry Bold.
Not bad, but then the problems begin…
Filed in: dumb stuff | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: blackberry, roberto+luongo,
Luongo Skating
by Alanah McGinley on 12/01/08 at 03:20 PM ET
Comments (0)
From CBC:
Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo no doubt raised a few eyebrows when he took the ice late in Monday’s game day skate at Columbus.
Sidelined week to week with a strained left groin, he skated with full gear and took a few laps around the Nationwide Arena playing surface, did a few twists and turns, but didn’t face any shots.
“It’s a positive step in the right direction,” Luongo told reporters afterwards. “We’ll take it from here day by day. We’re going to try and increase the workload every day.”
So that’s good news.
And speaking of good news, if you have a happy hockey memory to share we’re doing Happy Hockey Day around here. You can write something on your own blog and send us the link, or use the KK Member Blog and post it there.
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: happy+hockey+day, roberto+luongo,
The Crazy Canucks This Week
by Alanah McGinley on 11/26/08 at 01:53 AM ET
Comments (0)
A new episode of The Crazy Canucks is up and episode #69 obviously features a lot of groin talk.
Although touted as the super groin spectacular due to Luongo’s injury being the top story in Vancouver news [recently] this episode is pretty much about a team united (and happy to boot). All of the co-hosts join together to talk lines, recent wins, upcoming road trips, and to try and figure out the meaning behind the end of game hoots and hollers for Sanford.
Here are some tidbits we mentioned during the show:
- Dave’s open letter to VANOC media relations
- Alanah’s guessing game for Luongo’s injury time off
- JJ’s site is now a part of The Score Sports Federation
- Paul Kukla initiates Happy Hockey Talk Day (December 1, 2008)
- … and the tale of how John met Stanley’s Cup
TCC Epsiode #69 [46:58m]
__________________________
*photo is from John’s Flickr stream
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: curtis+sanford, media, roberto+luongo, stanley+cup, the+crazy+canucks,
Luongo’s Injury Time Off Guessing Game
by Alanah McGinley on 11/25/08 at 04:30 PM ET
Comments (13)
Last night was a great win for Canucks fans. Perhaps not I-Just-Won-the-Stanley-Cup-and-I’m-Going-To-Disneyland! great, but under the circumstances, pretty sweet.
For one thing, its nice to slow down the Wings-fan trash talk around this website for 5 minutes (*immediate snarky little emails from The Sailor notwithstanding). And for another—and on a more serious note—it calms the reactiveness of both the hockey press and fans who assume Vancouver is weaker than a newborn kitten without Roberto Luongo in the net. (Of course they’re better off with their captain, but as last night proved they’re also a pretty scrappy kitten without him.)
Still, when the Canucks revealed yesterday that Luongo is destined to be off work “week-to-week” the truth is that they didn’t reveal anything at all. What does that really mean?
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: injuries, roberto+luongo,
Report: Luongo Out 4-5 Weeks—Update: Week-to-Week
by Alanah McGinley on 11/24/08 at 02:36 PM ET
Comments (15)
According to the en français stylings of Mathias Brunet at La Presse, there’s a press conference being held by the Canucks this afternoon at 2pm PT.
Brunet states that Luongo is expected to miss 4-5 weeks due to the groin injury suffered Saturday. He quotes Luongo’s agent, Gilles Lupien, confirming this information.
More later.
Update 1:45pm PT: I’m told that the Canucks are likely not going ahead with any press conference at 2pm. (So my “more later” promise above may be on hold for awhile). Presumably they want to await the results of today’s tests before making a statement.
Update 2:14pm PT: TEAM 1040 apparently spoke with Gilles Lupien who stated that the La Press story is inaccurate.
Update 3:37pm PT: Official from the Canucks via TSN --
Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo has been listed as “week-to-week” after a meeting with team doctors determined the All-Star netminder suffered an abductor strain.
Update 6:51pm PT: Speaking at his press conference before tonight’s game, Luongo is staying pretty vague about the time his recovery is going to take. He does say the injury doesn’t feel nearly as bad as it did at first. Anyway, “week to week” is all you’re going to get out the Canucks for now.
Filed in: | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: gilles+lupien, roberto+luongo,
Top 5 Reasons the Canucks Can Survive Luongo’s Injury
by Alanah McGinley on 11/24/08 at 01:41 PM ET
Comments (7)
Darren Eliot at Sports Illustrated named the Vancouver Canucks as one of the most notable surprises of the NHL thus far this season, and he summed the team up this way:
Luongo is obviously the foundation on which the Canucks base their game—being the goaltender captain that he is—yet the team’s play goes beyond their defensive stinginess. Theirs is a hard-charging aggressive team game that is invigorating.
Very true. And that’s why Canucks fans—while understandably drinking heavily these days—need not jump off any bridges.
Here are my Top 5 Reasons the Canucks will survive Luongo’s injury:
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: roberto+luongo,
Luongo Goes Down; Canucks Nation Collectively Goes Into a Fetal Position
by Alanah McGinley on 11/22/08 at 03:04 PM ET
Comments (18)
Roberto Luongo went down in the first period of today’s midday game, and while fans everywhere freak out, reports on the Penguins television broadcast were detailed and informative: it’s a “lower body injury,” they say.
Well, thank God for that explanation.
But the reports on Sportsnet tv were no less informative. Claiming to have the “official word from the Canucks” reporter Dan Murphy informs us that “Roberto Luongo is injured and won’t be returning to this game.” Gee, ya think?
Breaking news you needed to know.
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: injuries, roberto+luongo,
Plea to Gary Bettman
by Alanah McGinley on 11/14/08 at 07:38 PM ET
Comments (3)
Thanks to an email from J.J. at Canucks Hockey Blog, I was moved to reprint this open letter in the Vancouver Sun:
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: captaincy, gary+bettman, petition, roberto+luongo,
TSOSWDNSO
by Alanah McGinley on 11/12/08 at 03:40 PM ET
Comments (21)
Update 7:32 pm PT:The Power of Nili is obviously very strong. Luongo has broke his record and did it the hard way, his team being out-shot 3,219 to 2 in the first period thus far. (Whoever said superstitions were stupid clearly isn’t a hockey fan...)
“The Shut-Out Streak We Do Not Speak Of” continues tonight as Roberto Luongo aims to pad his 201 minutes of shutout hockey with a few milestones, such as breaking his own personal record at around the 12 minute mark of the game. (*knock on wood*)
But while the Canucks dressing room has fears about jinxing things, I’m reassured by a secret weapon: my unabashed dedication to irrational hockey superstitions.
And for that, I’m pleased to say we have Nili Power on our side.
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: hockey+superstitions, roberto+luongo,
The Canucks Write-In Campaign Ballot
by Alanah McGinley on 11/04/08 at 04:37 PM ET
Comments (6)
The All Star Ballots are up and ready—and Canucks fans will see some familiar names: Roberto Luongo, Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. All fine choices normally, though it’s a good thing voting doesn’t begin and end this week.
Meanwhile, may I be the first to suggest a write-in campaign for Kyle Wellwood?
Granted, he’s no Rory Fitzpatrick, but he fits neatly into that category of insane-long-shots that Canucks fans so love to embrace—even if CBC’s Scott Morrison had no sense of humor about it.
C’mon… a Vote for the Wood! campaign has potential.
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: all+star+game, daniel+sedin, henrik+sedin, kyle+wellwood, roberto+luongo, rory+fitzpatrick,
How to Beat Roberto Luongo
by Alanah McGinley on 10/31/08 at 03:43 PM ET
Comments (7)
Rich Hammond at Inside the Kings snags this quote off LA Kings coach Terry Murray today:
Against Luongo, you need traffic. When I was in Florida, we traded for him, and you know what you’re getting. You knew what you were getting when he was going to be 27, 28 years old. He is that. He’s one of the premier goalies in the league, and if you give those top goalies lots of free looks, then they’re going to get the job done. You have to make sure you’re getting a lot of traffic and putting a lot of pucks at the net. The percentage of pucks that go in, the number is pretty high. You’ve got to get 20 pucks to the net for one goal, or hopefully one goal.
Call me crazy, but isn’t traffic always the best way to beat any goalie? Aside from crashing straight into him, or committing some other on-ice felony, I mean.
Filed in: | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: anaheim+ducks, george+parros, roberto+luongo,
How I Met Your Canucks
by Alanah McGinley on 10/20/08 at 04:52 PM ET
Comments (2)
The American television show How I Met Your Mother seems to have a strange fascination with Vancouver Canucks hockey. It began about a year ago with this reference to Mason Raymond:
The character Robin, who is Canadian, told a story about going on a date to a Rangers game. “I got to meet Mason Raymond,” she said, to which her friends gave her blank stares. “The Canucks left wing.” Still no response. Finally, Barney (played by Neil Patrick Harris) said, “Is that the opposite of name dropping?”
But it doesn’t end there. It seems the show has moved on to other Canucks, specifically the team’s captain Roberto Luongo. Here’s a video clip:
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: how+i+met+your+mother, mason+raymond, media, roberto+luongo,
And then the news wasn’t so good…
by Alanah McGinley on 09/30/08 at 06:25 PM ET
Comments (1)
Coincidence or cosmic bad humor? Earlier today Roberto Luongo was named captain of the Vancouver Canucks, rather against the odds. Which made it a pretty good day for the celebrated goalie—except for this:
On the same day that the Vancouver Canucks named him team captain, Luongo suffered a minor groin injury during practice.
Luongo suffered the injury after colliding with forward Jannik Hansen.
Poor Louie. It’s possible that being captain of the Canucks has a curse something close to being featured on the cover of an EA Sports video game.
Luongo will be out for the next game, which is “precautionary” says TSN.
In other news, Jannik Hansen will probably be hiding in his locker until the building clears.
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: injuries, jannik+hansen, roberto+luongo,
Oh Captain, My Captain
by Alanah McGinley on 09/30/08 at 02:33 PM ET
Comments (20)
How’s that for a cliché title? But the choice of a new Vancouver Canucks captain is not a cliché at all—in fact it’s one heck of a shock.
Roberto Luongo.
Now… did anyone predict that?? Not a chance.
Update 2:39pm ET: Assistant captains—Ryan Kesler, Mattias Ohlund, and Willie Mitchell. Coach Alain Vigneault also states they did advise the NHL this morning that they chose Luongo, and while there is no rule preventing a goalie from being named a captain, he won’t be permitted to have a ‘C’ on his sweater.
More updates below.
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: mattias+ohlund, roberto+luongo, ryan+kesler, willie+mitchell,
Unchecked Optimism
by Alanah McGinley on 09/22/08 at 09:54 PM ET
Comments (4)
Matthew Sekeres at the Globe & Mail is deluded optimistic about the potentially “high-scoring” Vancouver Canucks team in front of Roberto Luongo this year.
“This season, Luongo may know what [Grant] Fuhr felt like.”
Well, sure. Because obviously the 2008-09 Canucks are so similar to the 1980s Edmonton Oilers.
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: edmonton+oilers, mike+gillis, roberto+luongo,
Fighting Words
by Alanah McGinley on 08/27/08 at 01:00 PM ET
Comments (11)
In a blog post arguing the domination of the Western Conference over the East, Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News shares some nice and/or neutral comments about every team… until he’s forced to write a blurb on the Canucks:
12. Vancouver Canucks - Lack of offensive support could cause Luongo to implode
Far be it from me to say anything particularly complimentary about the Canucks lately, but I think it’s fair to assume that Roberto Luongo is already well-acquainted with the words “lack of offensive support.”
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: roberto+luongo,
Top 5 Reasons Sundin Prefers the Canucks to the Habs
by Alanah McGinley on 07/14/08 at 03:35 PM ET
Comments (10)
Mike Boone at Habs Inside/Out posted this over the weekend:
If Mats Sundin plays hockey this season it will be as a member of the Montreal Canadiens.
Why?
Because it makes sense. And Sundin is a sensible guy from Sweden, a sensible social democracy where people drive Volvos and go to Ingmar Bergman movies and learn to play smart hockey.
Spare me. Ingmar Bergman movies are the answer to the Jeopardy question, “What is the most drab and depressing thing you can think of?”
Filed in: dumb stuff, vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: jeff+cowan, mats+sundin, roberto+luongo,
Judgement Day… Draft Day… Same Thing in Vancouver
by Alanah McGinley on 06/16/08 at 10:42 PM ET
Comments (7)
An FYI from Mike Gillis: Roberto Luongo won’t be traded this Friday. (Did anyone seriously think he would be??)
Anyway, a very good article from Iain MacIntyre at the Vancouver Sun, on the goings-on preparing for Draft day:
Gillis said he has been fielding offers for the 10th over-all pick, and expects many more will arrive before the first round Friday night. The final six rounds are Saturday. Gillis holds five picks, none in the third or fourth rounds due to deals the Canucks made in 2007 and 2005.
This is Gillis’s first draft. This will be the first of many judgement days on his leadership.
Indeed. Read the whole thing here (or listen to the audio of MacIntyre’s interview with Gillis).
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: mike+gillis, nhl+entry+draft, roberto+luongo,
Luongo’s Future Waterboy: Sanford or Auld?
by Alanah McGinley on 06/09/08 at 07:44 PM ET
Comments (1)
I noticed this Canucks’ rumor buried at the back of an unrelated article in the Boston Globe a couple days ago. I saved it in hopes of finding out more but that effort went exactly nowhere. So here it is, from Bruins reporter Fluto Shinzawa:
According to a Vancouver source, the Canucks would prefer to trim goalie Roberto Luongo’s workload in 2008-09. Over 73 appearances last season, Luongo played a total of 4,232:32, sixth-most among NHL goalies. With backup Curtis Sanford heading to the open market, one candidate to become Luongo’s No. 2 man is Boston’s Alex Auld. In 2005-06, Auld played in 67 games for the Canucks, posting a 2.94 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage. Ex-GM Dave Nonis shipped Auld out to Florida in a package for Luongo…
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: alex+auld, curtis+sanford, goalies, roberto+luongo,
Canucks: The Bane of Miami
by Alanah McGinley on 05/21/08 at 12:03 PM ET
Comments (0)
The Vancouver Canucks certainly have their problems, but they sure know how to screw the Florida Panthers. Or at least Florida seems to think so… From Brian Biggane at the Palm Beach Post:
When new Vancouver GM Mike Gillis hired former Panther captain Scott Mellanby as a consultant last week, the move didn’t make many waves outside of northwest Canada. Truth be told, it marked yet another lost opportunity for the Panthers [...] With his long Panther ties and enduring loyalty to the organization, Mellanby could have been a great fit [...] Remember, this is an organization that was ranked 30th and last by The Hockey News in terms of its organizational wherewithal this past season. It’s not like it can’t use the help..
If they’re this bothered by losing out on the Mellanby “sweepstakes” I can’t imagine they’re much over that whole Luongo thing yet.
Maybe the Panthers should have just ditched Jacques Martin and hired Dave Nonis...?
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: mike+gillis, roberto+luongo, scott+mellanby,
Canucks Golf Season Updates
by Alanah McGinley on 05/07/08 at 07:28 PM ET
Comments (9)
Just a few stories mildly related to Canuckish-type things:
- Dave Nonis is being summoned for an interview in hell
- Alex Edler made a not-so-endearing contribution to one very embarrassing Swedish team loss at the World Championships - a 10 minute game misconduct penalty
- A company called Coleman Analytics has five NHL teams (and they’re looking to add Vancouver to their list of clients) that are paying them up to $100K a year for “basic” analytics services. Honestly, I bet plenty of obsessive & mathematically-inclined hockey fans would gladly kick those numbers out for free, or maybe a bit of swag. (I know, I know. I’m over-simplifying… but at least let The Forechecker bid for the job.)
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: alain+vigneault, alex+edler, media, roberto+luongo, statistics,
This Game is Rigged
by Alanah McGinley on 04/18/08 at 02:19 PM ET
Comments (1)
Hmmm. Someone at the NHL Tournament of Logos has a perverse sense of fair-play. This week, one their polls features Roberto Luongo’s mask art versus Dan Cloutier’s. And as is the case in so many things for Clouts, the dude didn’t have a prayer.
Votes are currently sitting at 1,231 to 127 in Luongo’s favor. This screenshot from the poll should explain why…
Filed in: | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: dan+cloutier, goalie+masks, roberto+luongo,
Playoff Season When Your Team Sucks
by Alanah McGinley on 04/11/08 at 10:35 AM ET
Comments (0)
April hockey isn’t quite the same when your team finishes 21st in the league, but a positive attitude (and a wack-load of cocktails) can go a long way. At the West Ender, for example, they’re looking at the up-side of summer: trade season.
At least summer is here. It starts early if you follow the Canucks. For Vancouver hockey fans, summer is the true hockey season. In the sweet summertime, you can speculate about big moves, big trades, and big signings.
Here’s my idea: we trade Roberto Luongo to Mike Keenan and the Calgary Flames in exchange for Jarome Iginla and future considerations. Then, for the future considerations, we ask for Roberto Luongo. It’ll work. It’s Mike Keenan.
See? It’s fun. And the best part of summer hockey: no games. When you’re trying to get excited about the Canucks, the actual games can be a real buzz-kill.
And speaking of Roberto Luongo…
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: roberto+luongo, vancouver+canucks,
Vigneault Underestimated Luongo’s Mental State
by Alanah McGinley on 04/08/08 at 02:49 PM ET
Comments (4)
From Ben Kuzma at The Province:
“If I could do it over again, yeah, I would probably do things differently,” Vigneault said Monday. “That being said, we’re in a playoff push where every game is huge and I don’t know how I can’t play our best player.”
Vigneault had often repeated that his workhorse could handle the workload of appearing in 73 games. In the end, Luongo looked agitated with it all.
“Obviously, I underestimated not the physical demands of the schedule and the amount of games we play, but I underestimated his mental situation about everything that was happening in his life,” added Vigneault.
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: alain+vigneault, roberto+luongo,
Blame the Players
by Alanah McGinley on 04/04/08 at 04:20 PM ET
Comments (13)
For what it’s worth, Darren Dreger at TSN has a theory:
On a decent night, the Vancouver Canucks generate 15 scoring chances. On home-ice Thursday night the Canucks charted 24 scoring opportunities, were awarded almost 17 minutes in power play time and became a non-playoff team, partly, by not being able to score more than one goal against the Edmonton Oilers in the biggest game of the year.
There’s no question injuries factored in to Vancouver’s demise, but key players failed to deliver when this team needed them most.
Down the stretch, Roberto Luongo wasn’t good enough. Down the stretch, the Sedins were not good enough.
The list goes on.
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: alain+vigneault, daniel+sedin, henrik+sedin, roberto+luongo,
Mailing It In
by Alanah McGinley on 03/28/08 at 03:10 PM ET
Comments (6)
With the return of Roberto Luongo for tonight’s game in Minnesota—perhaps carrying an extra load of 7+ lbs on his mind—the suicide rate in Vancouver is probably slowing up. Though not for any good reason.
After all, the man has flown some 70,000,000 miles in 36 hours, and probably hasn’t slept in the same amount of time. Add that to the lingering stains of baby spew, and I can’t help but think Curtis Sanford must be one seriously annoyed backup goalie.
Anyway, I’m suddenly starving as well as having an off-day. Since readers wish to share their opinions, here’s a sample of this week’s mail:
Filed in: playoff hockey, vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: ham+sandwiches, mailbag, roberto+luongo, vancouver+canucks,
Voting Vezina
by Alanah McGinley on 03/25/08 at 02:28 PM ET
Comments (8)
John Buccigross makes his picks, and…
Vezina Trophy (best goalkeeper)
Who votes: NHL general managers; Last season’s winner: Martin Brodeur (New Jersey)Bucci’s winner: Roberto Luongo, Vancouver Canucks. Boy, this is a tough call. Luongo and Brodeur have statistics that mirror each other. Evgeni Nabokov is showing Stanley Cup-winning, Conn Smythe-winning caliber play. But it just seems that Luongo has the most stress put upon his shoulders to go along with his great play. He has been great in regulation, overtime and the shootout. His team’s nightly efforts rely mostly on his play, probably more than any other goalie.
Seriously? A major Canucks-homer here, and even I’m picking Brodeur for this one. (Well, I would, if someone in the NHL would smarten up and give me my own team to Generally Manage.)
But that being said, Luongo should have won last year.
Filed in: nhl general, vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: richard+brodeur, roberto+luongo, vezina+trophy,
Ohlund Out, Bourdon in & Stupid Canucks Promos
by Alanah McGinley on 03/05/08 at 07:17 PM ET
Comments (7)
From the Vancouver Sun:
The NHL’s Vancouver Canucks, down another defenceman with a knee injury to veteran Mattias Ohlund, have called up blueliner Luc Bourdon from the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League.
Ohlund was hurt during Tuesday’s 2-1 loss to the host Colorado Avalanche. He went for an MRI on the knee today, and results may be available tomorrow.
Aside from that fine news, I thought I’d throw in a screenshot of a Canucks contest being run lately.
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: alain+vigneault, brendan+morrison, daniel+sedin, henrik+sedin, roberto+luongo, stupid+nhl+contests.+alain+vigneault,
Big Night in Nashville
by Alanah McGinley on 02/22/08 at 11:39 AM ET
Comments (1)
Roberto Luongo stole the game last night and NHL.com put out a video today of all the big saves. (Not to mention Mason Raymond’s goal in the first period which was a sight to behold.)
Video is below.
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: roberto+luongo, ultimate+canucks, video,
Hockey Hate
by Alanah McGinley on 02/14/08 at 02:14 PM ET
Comments (11)
Stumbling around on YouTube the other day, I think I came across The World’s Most Insecure NJ Devils Fan. A collection of 26 videos, 15 of those are fully dedicated to the topic of hating Canucks fans (sweet geezus, Vancouver… what did you DO to this guy??) and most of the rest dedicated to hating the fans of other teams.
While I can appreciate the pleasures of hockey team hatred (i.e. the Avs shall forever remain the “Evil Empire” in my mind, and the Wings aren’t far behind...) I’m not sure I’ll ever grasp the self-delusion of I’m-a-real-hockey-fan-and-you-aren’t. I mean, hell, a few of my favorite people are Avalanche and Wings fans. I worry about their mental health (obviously) but to each his own.
Regardless, I can still respect a good Photoshop effort as much as the next smartass hockey fan… and this screen capture of Roberto Luongo (created by The World’s Most Insecure NJ Devils Fan) has some potential:
Filed in: dumb stuff, obnoxious hockey blogging | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: roberto+luongo, youtube,
“HEY! Roberto!!”
by Alanah McGinley on 02/02/08 at 10:03 PM ET
Comments (2)
Something you may have wanted to screech yourself lately, Canucks fans…
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: goalies, Roberto+Luongo, vancouver+canucks,
Curing the Blues, Praying for Goaltending
by Alanah McGinley on 01/23/08 at 06:30 PM ET
Comments (2)
The St. Louis Blues are currently suffering a bad streak, which prompted a friend to comment to me this morning:
...the Blues are winless in five… well, that’s why God in her wisdom created the Vancouver Canucks.
Ain’t that the truth. The Canucks are so very generous at making teams on a skid feel better about themselves. Just ask the LA Kings.
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: alain+vigneault, roberto+luongo, st+louis+blues, vancouver+canucks,
Blame Luongo?
by Alanah McGinley on 01/22/08 at 05:29 PM ET
Comments (5)
Appearing under the headline “Here’s a new one - Blame Luongo?”, Jim Morrison from the CP via the Toronto Star:
Goaltender Roberto Luongo must play better if the Vancouver Canucks hope to end their recent slide, coach Alain Vigneault said Tuesday.
“When we were on a winning run we were getting a little bit more timely saves,” Vigneault said after the team’s practise. “Roberto, and when we use Curtis (Sanford, the Canuck backup), it’s been a little more challenging that way, for what ever reason.
“I know Roberto really wants to get on the same roll he was on prior to this. He would probably be the first one to tell you that since probably the Islanders game, the goaltender he has faced . . . has probably had a slight edge there.”
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: roberto+luongo,
Personal vs Professional Life
by Alanah McGinley on 01/15/08 at 01:00 PM ET
Comments (16)
Apparently there are people still annoyed that Roberto Luongo turned down the All Star Game invite, with Jason Botchford at The Province going so far as to remark he’s heard “rumblings” around the league that Louie’s decision will cost him votes at Vezina time. (You just gotta love Vancouver call-in sports radio shows for idiots that like to “rumble”...).
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: asg, roberto+luongo,
Musical Chairs for Roster Spots: From Victoria to Manitoba to Vancouver
by Alanah McGinley on 01/11/08 at 03:25 PM ET
Comments (5)
Vancouver recalled Nathan McIver from Manitoba this past Tuesday, concerned with a possible injury to Alex Edler. Edler ended up able to play (scoring the GWG in a shootout that night, no less) and so McIver was shipped right back to the Moose on Wednesday.
Today, McIver has been recalled yet again… and Jason Jaffray has been sent back to the Moose.
Filed in: manitoba moose, vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: jason+jaffray, kris+beech, manitoba+moose, nathan+mciver, roberto+luongo, salmon+kings,
Luongo Says “No” to All Star Game
by Alanah McGinley on 01/09/08 at 03:40 PM ET
Comments (6)
Update 9:15am PT, January 10th: Henrik Sedin makes the All Star team. Nifty.
From TSN,
With travel demands and his wife expecting a baby, the Vancouver Canucks have allowed netminder Roberto Luongo to skip the NHL All-Star Game on Jan. 26 and miss the team’s first game back after the break.
Luongo’s wife Gina is expecting their first child later in the spring and the couple plans to spend their time off at their offseason home in Fort Lauderdale.
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: all+star+game, daniel+sedin, henrik+sedin, roberto+luongo,
Canucks, Rangers, Blondes & Fights
by Alanah McGinley on 01/04/08 at 05:22 AM ET
Comments (1)
According to the AP, the Vancouver Canucks’ win against the New York Rangers, despite a less-than-brilliant showing by the team, didn’t require much more than the obvious: Roberto Luongo picking up his 6th shutout. And apparently the Rangers didn’t much disagree:
Gomez said the Rangers didn’t create enough traffic in front of Luongo.
“He’s too good. Anything he sees, he’s going to stop. Everyone in the world knows that. We just didn’t get enough guys in his face.”
But was it simply Luongo who saved the day? Or was it Ryan Kesler? Or how about Pamela Anderson and that blowhole??? Hmmm…
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: aaron+miller, pamela+anderson+new+york+rangers, roberto+luongo, ryan+kesler, vancouver+canucks,
The Equipment Debate
by Alanah McGinley on 12/20/07 at 05:43 PM ET
Comments (8)
Is the Goalie of the Year a cheater or an innovator? Grant Kerr at the Globe & Mail:
The Dallas stars are in a flap over a small portion of the goaltending equipment used by Roberto Luongo of the Vancouver Canucks.
At issue are two small flaps that extend from the leg pads used by the 6-foot-3 Luongo. The flaps extend outside the allowable 11-inch width of each leg pad near the knee.
Dallas netminders Marty Turco and Mike Smith brought the issue into focus Thursday when they wore exaggerated cardboard flaps on their pads during the morning skate before the evening NHL game, with #1 written on each flap.
Luongo wears jersey No. 1 for the Canucks and has five shutouts this season, along with a goals against average of 2.04 and save percentage of .928.
Filed in: nhl general, vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: dallas+stars, marty+turco, mike+smith, Roberto+Luongo, vancouver+canucks,
Goalie Appreciation Day
by Alanah McGinley on 12/20/07 at 12:49 PM ET
Comments (6)
“Roberto Luongo is Our 2007 Goalie of the Year!” reads the cover of Goalies’ World Magazine, and TSN reports glowing praise from the article within:
“Roberto Luongo has been the most consistent goalie throughout the calendar year,” states the magazine.
To win the award, a goalie has to excel in all three segments of 2007: the second part of the 2006-2007 regular season, the 2007 playoffs and the first part of the 2007-2008 season.
“During that stretch, Luongo played 75 games and maintained a .930 save percentage and 2.07 GAA. He had 57 hot games, 13 average and five bad ones. He also stole nine wins,” the magazine said.
Excellent. So that would be a must-have collector’s edition for Canucks fans, right? Well, that’s what I figured till I saw the cover…
Filed in: nhl general, vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: goalie+of+the+year, Roberto+Luongo, vancouver+canucks,
Gladiators
by Alanah McGinley on 12/18/07 at 03:21 PM ET
Comments (3)
The pre-game hype on the Canucks vs Devils seems to be closer to a setup for a Gladiator duel: Brodeur vs Luongo.
It will be the first meeting of the puck-stopping greats since Brodeur beat out Luongo for last season’s Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goaltender.
In the interests of joining the hype—and because Canucks fans are liable to see more Martian landings than Marty landings in their lifetime— I asked KK contributor and New Jersey Devils’ fan Steve Lepore to offer a few words on the game tonight:
Filed in: nhl general, vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: martin+brodeur, roberto+luongo,
Vancouver Lineup Shuffle & Some Trap Rap
by Alanah McGinley on 12/17/07 at 05:34 PM ET
Comments (2)
Elliott Pap at the Vancouver Sun:
Roberto Luongo declared himself “good to go” today and will be back in goal Tuesday night when the Vancouver Canucks entertain the New Jersey Devils.
Goalie callup Drew MacIntyre has been sent back down to the Manitoba Moose. And in other news, Brendan Morrison is probably gone till March.
P.S. The sequel to last year’s “Trappers Delight” was put online yesterday. The new video is “Trap it Like it’s Hot”.
Filed in: dumb stuff, vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: roberto+luongo, snoop+dogg, trap+it+like+it's+hot, vancouver+canucks,
Everybody Loves Raymond
by Alanah McGinley on 12/12/07 at 04:15 AM ET
Comments (2)
Mason Raymond? Oh yes, indeed—he’s got a Hollywood future.
But more on that in a second…
First, a quick review of the conga line of trashed hockey players filing their way off the Vancouver Canucks and into various health care facilities this week. As Vancouver assistant GM Steve Tambellini commented yesterday, “It seems to be coming at us in bunches.”
Filed in: manitoba moose, vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: brendan+morrison, manitoba+moose, mason+raymond, roberto+luongo, vancouver+canucks,
Luongo Staying Out
by Alanah McGinley on 12/11/07 at 12:55 PM ET
Comments (4)
Earlier today, Jason Botchford at The Ice Hole reported that Roberto Luongo has been nursing a rib injury, forcing him to sit out Monday night in Los Angeles. Now the CP is reporting that the Canucks have also called up goaltender Drew MacIntrye from the AHL’s Manitoba Moose.
Luongo told reporters later he has been nursing a bruised rib all week after being injured Dec. 2 at Minnesota.
“It just got worse over the last two days, and I’ve been in pain all day,” he said. “I was trying to see how I felt in warmups, but it wasn’t good enough for me to go. It’s not broken, but it hurts when I breathe and it hurts when I move. It’s tough to do your job under those circumstances. It’s day-to-day right now. Hopefully it’s just a few days. It’s almost got to heal on its own.”
Additionally, Mason Raymond and Jason Jaffray were also called up from the Moose.
Filed in: manitoba moose, vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: goalies, injuries, manitoba+moose, Roberto+Luongo, vancouver+canucks,
Art on Ice
by Alanah McGinley on 12/05/07 at 04:04 PM ET
Comments (17)
updated: two more masks added below by request
This week, the NHL packaged a collection of goalie mask photos with blurbs behind a mask belonging to at least one goalie on every team.
Below are the two featured masks from Vancouver. Roberto Luongo’s is obviously familiar to most Canucks fans, but I’d never noticed the details of Curtis Sanford’s mask before. So I put those up, plus Peter Budaj’s of Colorado, as well, for the “inside joke"…
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: colorado+avalanche, curtis+sanford, masks, peter+budaj, roberto+luongo, Roberto+Luongo, vancouver+canucks,
Breaking News You Already Knew
by Alanah McGinley on 11/08/07 at 01:56 PM ET
Comments