Kukla's Korner Hockey
Entries with the tag: roberto+luongo
Video- Luongo In The Running For Save Of The Night
by Paul on 02/07/12 at 09:58 PM ET
Comments (1)
He robs Colin Wilson of the Predators with this save.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Nashville Predators, Vancouver Canucks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Roberto+Luongo,
Did Luongo Ask ‘Out’ Of Today’s Game In Boston?
by Paul on 01/07/12 at 08:46 AM ET
Comments (6)
from Joe Haggerty of CSNNE,
Maybe Roberto Luongo should stop wondering why nobody else ever wants to pump his perpetually saggy tires?
The Vancouver Canucks goaltender has once again created a firestorm of criticism by simply doing what everybody predicted “Bobby Lou” would choose in the first place: taking the easy way out.
No matter what the Vancouver coaching staff posited publicly as the reasoning behind it, Luongo opted out of the difficult challenge facing down his demons against the Bruins at TD Garden.
It’s the perfect example of “Bobby Lou just being Bobby Lou.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Roberto+Luongo,
Luongo As The Backup
by Paul on 11/27/11 at 09:16 PM ET
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from Ian MacIntyre of the Vancouver Sun,
Everything but his salary and ability make Roberto Luongo an ideal backup goalie.
Luongo loves to practise and will happily hang out on the ice until the last extra or injured player goes arm-numb from shooting. Teammates like Luongo, who already has a nickname and his own ball cap to wear behind the bench.
And if he needs any help operating the door at the bench, Alex Burrows can show him how it opens.
Luongo will need to refine the backup’s prerequisite to amiably banter with reporters, although he is still better at that than doing standup comedy at news conferences.
There are worse jobs than being a backup goaltender in the National Hockey League. Just ask Cory Schneider, who about perfected the position as a rookie last year but now is playing well enough to cause all kind of confusion.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Vancouver Canucks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Roberto+Luongo,
Not A Good Time For Luongo To Get Injured
by Paul on 11/16/11 at 11:23 AM ET
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from Jason Botchford of the Vancouver Province,
When Canucks trainer Jamie Hendricks took Roberto Luongo’s place in net for Tuesday’s practice, the sound you heard were alarm bells.
It’s not so much Roberto Luongo’s injury as it is the timing of it.
Luongo was hurt in Sunday’s game against the Islanders. By Tuesday, hysteria about it being “open season on goalies” had saturated the NHL.
Luongo was presumably hurt when he stretched across his crease to make a save on a Mark Streit shot which dented his cage. He won’t play tonight, but it’s “nothing serious,” according to head coach Alain Vigneault.
Depending on who is speculating, Luongo either suffered concussionlike symptoms or damaged cartilage in his hip-oblique area.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Vancouver Canucks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Roberto+Luongo,
Luongo Like Nowitzki?
by Paul on 10/26/11 at 11:23 AM ET
Comments (1)
from Tony Gallagher of the Vancouver Province,
As Roberto Luongo listens to the general howl around him he should look across to the NBA and the career of Dirk Nowitzki for fuel to propel him forward.
And those who look at the evidence to date and feel that Luongo just doesn’t have a championship in him had better be prepared to dine on those words if he ever does pull it off. Because that’s what Nowitzki was able to do for the Dallas Mavericks this spring, the parallels in the careers of these two athletes absolutely breathtaking.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Vancouver Canucks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Roberto+Luongo,
Afternoon Line
by Alanah McGinley on 10/21/11 at 11:58 AM ET
Comments (1)
“It isn’t that I don’t care about what the media might say or do. I do care when it becomes mean spirited and malicious.
“If that happens, we’re going to act upon it.
“I think the world of him. He’s a great goalie.”
—Mike Gillis, Canucks GM discussing some recent commentary on Roberto Luongo (via The Province)
Filed in: NHL Teams, Vancouver Canucks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: mike+gillis, roberto+luongo,
The Case for Number One in Goal
by Ian Gooding on 08/22/11 at 08:00 AM ET
Comments (2)
Determining a first overall pick in this year’s fantasy hockey drafts is anything but easy, but we probably know this much: the first overall pick won’t be a goalie. Yet a goalie is an important investment to fantasy hockey teams, since only two goalies can be responsible for four out of a team’s ten stat categories in many fantasy hockey leagues. The need for solid goaltending explains why many starting goalies can fly off the board early in fantasy hockey drafts.
Filed in: Fantasy Hockey and Gaming, thegoods13 | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Carey+Price, Cory+Schneider, fantasy+hockey, goalies, Henrik+Lundqvist, Ilya+Bryzgalov, Jose+Theodore, Martin+Brodeur, Nikolai+Khabibulin, Pekka+Rinne, Roberto+Luongo, Ryan+Miller, Sergei+Bobrovsky, Steve+Mason, Tim+Thomas, Tomas+Vokoun, Tuukka+Rask,
Which Luongo Will Show Up?
by Paul on 06/15/11 at 10:25 AM ET
Comments (5)
from Jason Botchford of the Vancouver Province,
Luongo promises to be the deciding factor of whether the Canucks can win their first ever Stanley Cup tonight. It’s not all on No. 1, but it sure will feel that way heading in.
There can be little debate on who should start. Luongo’s home numbers — 1.70 GAA, .943 save percentage — are absurdly good and entirely inexplicable when compared to his road woes. Just take his Stanley Cup final for a comparison. At home he has a .979 save percentage. In Boston it’s .773. He’s allowed two goals in three games in Vancouver and 15 in Boston.
Home ice is why Luongo has to be the starter.
The only debate here is how long you keep him in if things aren’t going his way. If he’s drowning early, Vigneault can’t let him take down the entire team again. Could it mean pulling him in the first couple of minutes if a Land Cruiser or two drives through his five-hole? It has to be considered.
Luongo may be unlike anything we’ve seen in hockey before. Not sure there has ever been a player who can be so good one night, and so wretched the next.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Roberto+Luongo,
Evening Line
by Paul on 06/12/11 at 07:54 PM ET
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In this business we all make mistakes. We all get off on tangents at times, and sometimes just to have fun. But this one isn’t doing the Canucks goalie any favours and it’s just plain wrong.
-Tony Gallagher of the Vancouver Province on the media who have written about the comments Roberto Luongo made regarding Tim Thomas. More on this…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Roberto+Luongo, Tim+Thomas,
Video- If The Bruins Have A Bulletin Board
by Paul on 06/10/11 at 11:41 PM ET
Comments (10)
Watch as Roberto Luongo discusses the goaltending style of Tim Thomas and then Kevin Weekes of the NHL Network gives his two cents worth.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Roberto+Luongo, Tim+Thomas,
Will Luongo Bounce Back In Game 5?
by Paul on 06/09/11 at 09:31 AM ET
Comments (23)
Luongo faces the media after last night’s loss and anyone know who the media member is who asked the last question on the video?
added 10:36am, If you don’t have the time to watch the full video or want to try to answer my question, watch the video below…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Vancouver Canucks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Roberto+Luongo,
How’s Luongo Doing?
by Paul on 06/07/11 at 05:20 PM ET
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from Pierre LeBrun of ESPN,
Have the Bruins gone all Blackhawks on Roberto Luongo or was Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals just a blip on an otherwise terrific run by the Vancouver Canucks star goaltender?
And by going all Blackhawks on him, we mean getting inside his head for a few games.
For what it’s worth, Luongo’s demeanor Tuesday suggested a calm and confident person, not the same cat we saw the last few years during his struggles with Chicago.
“Obviously, it was disappointing last night,” Luongo told ESPN.com Tuesday after having spoken to a horde of media for close to a half hour. “We’re all upset with ourselves. But right now, I’m in the Stanley Cup finals. I’ve been waiting for this my whole life. I’m not going to shrug my shoulders and put my head down. It’s time to go to work here. Pick yourself back up, dust yourself up and go back at it. We have a chance to win the game tomorrow and go home up 3-1.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Roberto+Luongo,
Sealing Luongo’s Legacy in Vancouver
by Alanah McGinley on 05/22/11 at 06:12 PM ET
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From Joe Yerdon at MSNBC:
Now in Vancouver, he’s earning loads of accolades including a Vezina finalist spot this year in helping the Canucks to the Presidents’ Trophy. In the playoffs, however, Luongo’s had his fair share of issues, most of which are Chicago-related. While Luongo was able to help Team Canada win a gold medal in the 2010 Olympics in front of the home town fans in Vancouver, the Stanley Cup eludes him. Should he help the Canucks win that this year, his legacy in Vancouver would be sealed for good.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Vancouver Canucks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: roberto+luongo,
Dealing With Luongo
by Paul on 04/25/11 at 12:14 PM ET
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from Elliotte Friedman of CBC,
As Roberto Luongo was pulled in Game 5 of Vancouver’s unbelievably-tied series with Chicago, I sent an email to four different NHL GMs asking how the process would work in their organizations for selecting a Game 6 starter.
Three replied. (When I start carving a GM for no good reason, you’ll know who the fourth was.) Their answers were borderline identical.
All said the final decision belongs to the coach. One wrote, “I would raise the subject if I felt it necessary or appropriate…However, I would never tell him he HAD to make a change.”
As for what they’d expect their coach to do in a similar circumstance, the typical answer was, as one replied, “Always go with your top dog unless you lose total confidence in him.”
That’s where we are with Alain Vigneault. Sunday’s stunner—inserting Cory Schneider for Roberto Luongo—indicates exactly that: he’s lost confidence in his ex-captain. From Vigneault proclaiming Luongo the starter three days beforehand to witnessing what other coaches did with their own beleaguered goalies, well, it’s wilder than Randy Carlyle asking both his guys to leave the morning skate at the same time in the 2006 Western Conference final.
continued plus 30 Thoughts…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Vancouver Canucks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Roberto+Luongo,
Luongo Playing Too Many Games
by Paul on 12/09/10 at 08:38 AM ET
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from Ed Willes of the Vancouver Province,
Heading into this season, Alain Vigneault and Mike Gillis both spoke enthusiastically about a plan that would ease the workload on Luongo.
The plan, theoretically at least, would keep Luongo fresh for the regular season, but more importantly leave him better equipped to handle the demands of the postseason. That, at least, was the theory and, over the fullness of this season it may yet become the reality.
But 26 games into the regular season, the plan has seemingly evaporated. Twenty-six games in, Vigneault has been riding Luongo like this was 2007 and the goalie was the only chance the Canucks had of being competitive.
That, of course, is no longer the case and that seems obvious to everyone but Vigneault. Some nights, as was the case in Chicago on Friday night, the magic is still there for Luongo. But more often he looks like an average NHL goalie.
The problem is Vigneault can’t seem to get that image of the 2007 Superman-Luongo out of his head.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Vancouver Canucks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Roberto+Luongo,
JJ’s Three Cheers: 11/02/10 (and an Anti-Cheers for Danny Briere)
by Jon Jordan on 11/02/10 at 08:14 AM ET
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Our morning salute to the stars of a night ago, it’s JJ’s Three Cheers for Tuesday, November 2nd:
***Cheers to Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo, who shut out the reeling New Jersey Devils with 30 saves in the Canucks’ 3-0 win. Luongo bested Team Canada teammate Martin Brodeur, who was beaten on a penalty shot by Henrik Sedin, in fine fashion, to close the door on another loss for New Jersey. (People are realizing that the Devils are 3-9-2 and that Ilya Kovalchuk is averaging a goal every fourth game and a point every other, right? Uuuuuuuuuuugly!)
Filed in: NHL Teams, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Vancouver Canucks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Brandon+Dubinsky, Danny+Briere, Frans+Nielsen, Henrik+Sedin, Roberto+Luongo, Scott+Hartnell,
Luongo Not What He Once Was
by Paul on 10/25/10 at 02:08 AM ET
Comments (1)
via Ed Willes of the Vancouver Province,
After two starts, it’s hard to know what Cory Schneider’s impact will be on the Canucks’ goaltending situation. But this mini-drama will bear watching as the season unfolds.
For starters, it’s now clear that Roberto Luongo’s demi-god status within the organization has been downgraded to mere mortal. For the Canucks, that’s a positive development. Far too much of their story has revolved around Luongo for the past couple of years and that was unfair to the player and his teammates.
But, while the goaltending might be healthier in the short term, there’s also the matter of Luongo’s gargantuan contract to consider. The 12-year deal was struck with the presumption that Luongo, like Marty Brodeur, would still be an All-Star level goalie into his mid-and late-30s.
The problem is, Luongo turns 32 in April and, clearly, he isn’t the goalie he was four years ago. The question then becomes can he be good enough—and that’s what we’ll find out this season.
In the meantime, it seems Schneider’s greatest value to the organization is as trade bait and that’s unfortunate.
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Tags: Roberto+Luongo,
JJ’s Three Cheers: 10/21/10
by Jon Jordan on 10/21/10 at 08:33 AM ET
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Today’s three cheers for last night’s top performers in NHL action:
***Cheers to Chicago’s Marty Turco, who made 36 saves and held the fort for the ‘Hawks in the shootout for a 2-1 decision over the Vancouver Canucks. Turco only had to make one save in the breakaway tiebreaker, on Mikael Samuelsson, but Roberto Luongo stopped none at the other end and the Blackhawks earned the extra point in turn. Luongo was good during the actual game, making 31 saves of his own and earning third star honors, but what’s going on with his early season numbers? A 3.38 goals-against and an .888 save percentage isn’t exactly the Bobby Lu Canucks fans expect, nor is the 2-3-2 mark for their club. Surely, it’s only a matter of time before he (and the team) turns it around. (Right?)
Filed in: NHL Teams, Anaheim Ducks, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Los Angeles Kings, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vancouver Canucks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Andrei+Loktionov, Anze+Kopitar, Brad+Richards, Dan+Boyle, Drew+Doughty, Jeff+Skinner, Marty+Turco, Mikael+Samulesson, Rick+Nash, Roberto+Luongo, Steve+Mason,
Afternoon Line
by Paul on 10/20/10 at 11:04 AM ET
Comments (1)
He’s a bit tender emotionally and loses his confidence far too easily for a goaltender of his talents. If (Cory) Schneider pushes him, how will it affect Luongo? Will it make him better or more jumpy?
-Steve Simmons at The Simmons Sports Zone.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Vancouver Canucks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Roberto+Luongo,
JJ’s Three Cheers: 10/16/10
by Jon Jordan on 10/16/10 at 01:16 PM ET
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Today’s three cheers (a little late because, you know, a dad’s gotta take his two-year-old to Sesame Street Live every now and again) for the NHL’s top performers from a night ago:
***Cheers to Toronto’s Phil Kessel, whose overtime tally toppled the Rangers in New York, improving the Leafs’ stellar start to a perfect 4-0-0. The OT winner was Kessel’s second of the game and fourth of the season and the former Bruin also added an assist earlier in the contest. Clarke MacArthur also scored for Toronto - the impressive fifth goal of the year for the Buffalo/Atlanta castoff
Filed in: NHL Teams, Anaheim Ducks, Atlanta Thrashers, Buffalo Sabres, Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Anthony+Stewart, Clarke+MacArthur, Dustin+Brown, Phil+Kessel, Roberto+Luongo,
JJ’s Three Cheers: 10/12/10
by Jon Jordan on 10/12/10 at 09:19 AM ET
Comments (4)
Today’s three cheers, saluting those who deserve as much for their performances yesterday:
***Cheers to Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo, whose 41 saves thwarted the efforts of his former club, the Florida Panthers en route to the first win of the season for the Canucks. Luongo’s .973 save percentage through his club’s first two games is hardly anything to scoff at and his quick start is a great sign for a Canucks team with extremely high hopes for the season. As for Florida, 42 shots on goal are great but three goals through two games won’t get the job done and that sort of paltry offensive production could be exactly what keeps the Panthers from succeeding this season. Tomas Vokoun can only keep opponents at bay to a certain extent.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Vancouver Canucks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Blake+Comeau, Darroll+Powe, James+Wisniewski, Jeff+Carter, John+Tavares, Josh+Bailey, Kyle+Okposo, Mark+Streit, Roberto+Luongo, Tomas+Vokoun,
Luongo Seems To Be The Story
by Paul on 09/25/10 at 06:39 AM ET
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from Pierre LeBrun of ESPN,
Luongo’s detractors will tell you he wasn’t very good in back-to-back second-round losses to the Chicago Blackhawks in successive springs. His backers will tell you he was in net when Team Canada won perhaps the most pressure-packed hockey game in the modern era this past February at the 2010 Olympics in this very city.
Somewhere in between probably lies the truth: a great goalie with gold medals at both the men’s World Championship and the Olympics, but no NHL championship.
In a season in which the Canucks are being hyped up as serious Stanley Cup contenders, Luongo will be a popular topic all year.
“I know there’s a lot of doubters out there, but I don’t need to prove it,” Luongo told ESPN.com. “I’ve done it my whole career. I’ve been successful at every level. I don’t think there’s a bigger stage in the world than last February. Unfortunately, it hasn’t happened in the NHL yet, but we’ve got a great window of opportunity here with these guys and we’ve got a few years here to make something great happen.”
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Tags: Roberto+Luongo,
Luongo Unveils His New Style
by Paul on 09/23/10 at 09:59 AM ET
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from Jason Botchford of The White Towel,
On Wednesday, Luongo unveiled the first of the tweaks to his game initiated since working with new goalie coach Rollie Melanson. And it was not insignificant. For years, Luongo has thrived by being out and in front of his crease to both challenge and intimidate.
Melanson, whose star student is Jaroslav Halak, wants to see Luongo deeper in his crease; to play in the blue specifically during half-court play.
It would allow Luongo a better chance to position himself for back door plays and second chances without having to lunge as often as he did during last season’s playoffs. Meticulous about routine, Luongo has opened himself up to the idea.
“The adjustments have to make sense to me for me to do it and they do,” Luongo said.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Vancouver Canucks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Roberto+Luongo,
Luongo No Longer The Captain Of The Canucks
by Paul on 09/13/10 at 12:02 PM ET
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via TC Carling tweet,
Roberto Luongo has decided to relinquish his captaincy - new leadership group will be announced prior to the start of the regular season
added 1:09pm,
Vancouver, B.C. – Vancouver Canucks President & General Manager Mike Gillis announced today that goaltender Roberto Luongo has decided he will relinquish his role as team captain. Luongo’s leadership remains important to the club’s continued success and he will continue to support teammates with his work ethic, discipline and desire to win.
“Roberto has been an excellent captain for our team the past two seasons,” said Mike Gillis. “We respect and support his decision to relinquish the captaincy and are confident that he will continue to help lead our team through his tremendous character and work ethic both on and off of the ice.”
“I am honoured to have served as captain of the Vancouver Canucks for the past two seasons,” said Roberto Luongo. “Being captain in a Canadian city for a team with such passionate fans is a privilege and an experience I will always take pride in. I will continue to be a leader on this team and support my teammates the same way I always have while focusing on our ultimate goal.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Vancouver Canucks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Roberto+Luongo,
Keep The ‘C’ Roberto
by Paul on 08/29/10 at 08:10 AM ET
Comments (4)
from Tony Gallagher of the Vancouver Province,
He’s said he likes being captain. If he doesn’t now, what has changed? And if nothing has changed, then is he not being pressured by the media or the club to give up his ‘C’? A ready-made excuse for a poor year.
Wouldn’t it be better if Luongo had a huge motivation to carry with him every time he woke up this season? Would it be better to have a world and Olympic champion goalie motivated to ram this captaincy controversy right up the media’s backside by winning a Cup or at least performing brilliantly while wea ring a ‘C’?
Wouldn’t trying to become the first goaltender captain in NHL history ever to win a Cup be a nice little extra goal to shoot for? Isn’t that preferable to him standing in front of the cameras and saying, “It was my decision and my decision alone to give up the captaincy.”
Nobody believes that. Why start the season with a farce nobody is buying?
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Tags: Roberto+Luongo,
Will Luongo Retain The Captaincy In Vancouver?
by Paul on 08/24/10 at 09:19 PM ET
Comments (3)
from Matthew Sekeres of the Globe and Mail,
Canucks general manager Mike Gillis denied an Internet report Tuesday that claimed goaltender Roberto Luongo had been stripped of the C and that centre Henrik Sedin, the NHL’s most valuable player, would take over as captain. Gillis said he had yet to meet with Luongo about the matter, but expects an audience in Vancouver next month, when the goaltender arrives prior to training camp.
After losing to the Chicago Blackhawks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs for a second consecutive season last spring, Luongo said he would review his captaincy, particularly its media demands.
Gillis said the organization wanted Luongo to determine whether the captaincy had become a distraction. He added that the team made lots of changes this summer, and wanted to give the goaltender ample opportunity to digest a revamped roster.
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Tags: Roberto+Luongo,
Looking At Luongo’s Contract
by Paul on 08/10/10 at 05:35 PM ET
Comments (1)
from Matthew Sekeres of the Globe and Mail,
The immediate reaction is arbitrator Richard Bloch dropped a potential mess on the Vancouver Canucks’ doorstep Monday with his explosive ruling that goaltender Roberto Luongo’s contract could be retroactively voided.
Canucks general manager Mike Gillis is not commenting on the decision at the NHL’s request, but you have to wonder whether he smiled wryly when Bloch tossed out Ilya Kovalchuk’s record-breaking deal with the New Jersey Devils. That 17-year, $102-million (all currencies U.S.) deal is similar to Luongo’s 12-year, $64 million contract, and the latter remains under league investigation “with at least the possibility of a subsequent withdrawal of the registration,” Bloch wrote.
The league would have to move quickly to revoke Luongo’s deal – the regular season starts on Oct. 7 – but in that unlikely event, hitting the re-start button could benefit the Canucks in the long-term, particularly if Luongo’s play continues to slip.
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Tags: Roberto+Luongo,
Does Vancouver Need A Different Luongo?
by Paul on 05/24/10 at 10:55 AM ET
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from Elliotte Friedman of CBC, .
..But Roloson and Osgood are living proof that you can re-invent yourself. The good news for Canucks fans is that Luongo has a better base to start with and that he will not be affected much by the new goaltender equipment rules for next season.
In my 30 Thoughts from two weeks ago, I posted critiques from other players about his inability to handle traffic and habit of lunging instead of pushing off. Obviously, those are problems he’s going to have to solve. Another I’ve heard is that his long, gangly body creates big rebounds.
Both Luongo and the organization must do an exhaustive examination into his technique, which is already occurring, I think.
more plus 30 Thoughts from Elliotte…
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Tags: Roberto+Luongo,
Calling Out Goalies
by Paul on 05/18/10 at 08:11 PM ET
Comments (7)
from Stan Fishchler at the Hockey Journal,
* Roberto Luongo’s dismal playoff performance against Chicago – for the second spring in a row he choked against the Blackhawks – underlines a few points:
1. He is the most overrated — and overpaid—goalie in hockey;
2. Vancouver will never win a Stanley Cup with Luongo in goal; and
3. The sooner dear Roberto gives up the captaincy, the better off it will be for the entire team….
* Now Boston must deal virtually useless Tim Thomas, who’s overpaid and over-the-hill and a dubious Number One anywhere.
As the Bruins went down in the last moments of Game 6 in Philly, the cameras caught Thomas smiling on the bench, talking to Tuukka Rask, who’d just been pulled. We wonder what was so funny at that point in time.
more hockey notes…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Roberto+Luongo, Tim+Thomas,
Part Of The Problem In Vancouver
by Paul on 05/16/10 at 07:24 AM ET
Comments (7)
from Larry Brooks of the NY Post,
Roberto Luongo, as much along for the ride behind good teams as Chris Osgood most of his career behind powerhouse clubs in Detroit—and please, is there a more ridiculous concept than Osgood as a Hall of Fame goaltender?—has allowed five goals or more in five of the 12 conference semifinal games against Chicago over the last two years, so it’s fair to ask whether the captain is as much a part of the problem in Vancouver as he is part of the solution in Vancouver.
It’s a little late for GM Mike Gillis to be asking that question, however, given that Luongo has 11 years to go on the contract he signed last summer.
Garth Snow wants to know if Gillis has considered buying out Luongo.
more hockey talk from Brooks…
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Tags: Roberto+Luongo,
Should Luongo Keep The ‘C’?
by Paul on 05/13/10 at 07:31 PM ET
Comments (1)
from Tony Gallagher of the Vancouver Province,
Luongo was named captain of the Canucks for all the right reasons. He is the leader of this team and it was certainly a good decision at the time. He led again this year, although perhaps not in the direction most were hoping for. And he led in that less desirable direction for lots of different reasons, not the least of which was the defence in front of him and the ridiculous workload which is finally being seen for the detriment it is.
Alain Vigneault said after Game 4 that Louie was the second-best goalie on the ice and he was, which isn’t surprising because it was coming from the second-best coach in the series.
That coach might also have pointed out that Henrik Sedin was the second-best top centre, the entire top six was second-best top six and the back end was the second-best defensive unit in the series as well. But even the coaches have a fixation on Luongo, yet they wonder why the fans and the media are the same way.
For starters, what’s the alternative? If Luongo isn’t captain, who is? And what happens if and when the ‘C’ were removed from Luongo’s name; what would change?
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Tags: Roberto+Luongo,
Goalie For Sale
by Paul on 05/12/10 at 10:30 AM ET
Comments (14)
Thanks to the Vancouver Province for the pointer.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Vancouver Canucks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Roberto+Luongo,
Does Roberto Luongo Need To Take More Responsibility?
by Paul on 05/12/10 at 08:20 AM ET
Comments (8)
Kelly Hrudey of HNIC says Luongo should be saying “I need to be better” instead of talking in general terms.
Watch the Luongo post-game interview or scroll to the 6:50 mark and watch Kelly’s reaction to the interview.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Vancouver Canucks, NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting, CBC HNIC | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Kelly+Hrudey, Roberto+Luongo,
Not Your Next Great Goaltender
by Paul on 05/09/10 at 07:54 AM ET
Comments (1)
from Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun,
I used to be a Roberto Luongo guy.
At the Prospects’ Game in 1997 at Maple Leaf Gardens, I sat with Mike Milbury who turned to me during the game and said: “I love this kid, I’m going to take him.” And there was nothing to disagree about.
When he played for the Florida Panthers, I used to argue that if Luongo wasn’t the best goaltender in the National Hockey League, he was certainly top three. Twice, I’ve picked him as a pre-season most valuable player.
That was before Vancouver, before his strange captaincy, before Olympic gold. Can’t say I’m a Luongo guy anymore. I’ve seen too many flaws. I’ve seen too many nights he was supposed to great and wasn’t. I’ve seen too many playoff series like this one, where he doesn’t rise to the occasion.
This is not the next Patrick Roy or Martin Brodeur. The statute of limitations has run out on that happening. You can’t allow 11 goals against in two home playoff games and expect to win anything, let alone be anything.
continue for more hockey talk….
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Tags: Roberto+Luongo,
Luongo Could Be The Playoff Story
by Paul on 04/26/10 at 07:35 AM ET
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from Damien Cox of the Toronto Star,
Last week, I worried that there might be no Canadian teams left in the playoffs by the middle of this week (hyper-sensitive Canucks fans, of course, took that as a prediction they would lose even though I picked their team to win the series before it began. Sigh.). Well, the Canucks are certainly more than alive, and probably will be the favourite in the new round regardless of their opponent, and the Montreal Canadiens still have a shot, while down 3-2, against the Eastern Conference champion Washington Capitals.
They were that impressive in the final two games against the Kings, one a romp, one a tight contest in which they had to fight from behind and win by scoring late.
For a few years, the Luongo worship in Vancouver as been a bit silly, really, given his lack of production when it mattered. GM Mike Gillis’ decision to make him captain just added to the cult of personality.
But with all that behind him, and without having a particularly good season, wouldn’t it be a compelling story if this became the spring in which Luongo finally delivered on all that promise in the NHL post-season.
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Save Of The Night
by Paul on 04/25/10 at 09:48 PM ET
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Roberto Luongo robs Ryan Smyth.
Watch a different angle below…
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Tags: Roberto+Luongo, Ryan+Smyth,
Additional Pressure On Captain Luongo
by Paul on 04/20/10 at 10:45 PM ET
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from CBC,
Don Cherry says Roberto Luongo should give up the captaincy of the Vancouver Canucks.
“Next year he should ask not to be the captain,” the Hockey Night in Canada commentator said in his Tuesday night edition of Coach’s Corner on CBC-TV.
Cherry did not blame the Canucks’ goalie for the team’s 5-3 loss Monday night in Los Angeles, which put his team at a 2-1 disadvantage with the Kings in the best-of-seven round in the NHL playoffs.
“I’m not saying that’s [his] fault,” said Cherry.
But he said it could have had a demoralizing effect on the team to see Luongo taken out of the game after letting in four goals.
continued and a link to watch Coach’s Corner is available there too….
added 9:10am on 4/21/10, You can now watch the video below…
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Tags: Roberto+Luongo,
Luongo Has To Be Better
by Paul on 04/20/10 at 12:22 PM ET
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from Adam Proteau of The Hockey News,
To be fair, Luongo hasn’t been uniformly horrendous in this series. And the team in front of him hasn’t helped him atone for his mistakes the way the Canadian Olympic team did at the 2010 Winter Games.
But let’s face reality for a second: Luongo is arguably the biggest reason the Canucks’ penalty killing has been so abysmal – 41.7 percent efficiency, by far the worst of any current playoff team – against the Kings.
Moreover, the 31-year-old has been thoroughly outplayed by 24-year-old Kings goalie (and playoff rookie) Jonathan Quick in the series and richly deserved to get pulled by Canucks coach Alain Vigneault after surrendering the fourth goal to L.A. on Monday (on just 16 shots against him).
It doesn’t matter what your excuse is – when you’re promoted as ‘The Guy’ and compensated accordingly, you shouldn’t be easily forgiven or excused for having the third-worst save percentage (.880, ahead of only Jose Theodore and Brian Elliott) of all goalies who’ve played in this post-season.
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Tags: Roberto+Luongo,
Luongo Still Trying To Find His Game
by Paul on 04/17/10 at 09:29 AM ET
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from Gary Mason of the Globe and Mail,
Against L.A.Luongo failed to control rebounds that once upon a time he easily corralled. The Kings’ second goal, by Fredrik Modin, is one he should have had. But the strangest moment of the evening occurred when Anze Kopitar broke in on Luongo with Canucks defenceman Alex Edler hot on his tail. Kopitar tried several times to get a shot away but was thwarted by the trailing defenceman. At the end of the play, Luongo was 18 feet out of his net, on his knees, completely vulnerable….
I realize it may seem harsh to be dissecting Luongo’s game given that the Canucks won and that he played a pivotal, if split-second, role in allowing that to happen. But Luongo isn’t just any player on the ice. He is supposed to be a franchise player, the player who will need to be stellar if there is any hope of the Canucks going far in these playoffs. But he hasn’t been that for a while now and he certainly wasn’t that in the opener and, well, I guess we’ll see what happens from here on in.
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Tags: Roberto+Luongo,
Save Of The Night
by Paul on 04/16/10 at 06:02 AM ET
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via Dave Lozo of NHL.com,
“After I made the first save on Smitty, the puck jumped up and hit their guy in the leg, and as it was coming back on goal, I knew I got a piece of it,” said Luongo, who made 25 saves. “But I felt I didn’t get the whole thing. So as I looked back, it was coming right on the line there, so I was able to react and swipe it out of there.
“It’s just a reaction. You’re so focused on the game that it just comes natural to react that way and not to panic.”
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Tags: Roberto+Luongo,
Afternoon Line
by Paul on 04/02/10 at 03:23 PM ET
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Vancouver may not need Luongo to be amazing in the postseason, but they need him to be good. Heck, at this point they will take average if it lasts a month.
—Jason Botchford of the Vancouver Province where you can read more on Luongo.
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Tags: Roberto+Luongo,
Luongo Needs To Be On His Game
by Paul on 03/30/10 at 09:10 AM ET
Comments (2)
from Scott Burnside of ESPN,
Things sometimes look worse than they are because the urgency to win simply isn’t there. It’s human nature. Of course, if you’re Chicago, and you’re talking goaltending, well, that’s a problem that isn’t necessarily overstated regardless of how meaningless the games are at this stage of the season.
Which brings us to Vancouver netminder Roberto Luongo, who took a rare home game off this week after looking shaky in a loss to Edmonton and talked to reporters about how he needs to be more consistent and how mentally and physically draining the past few months have been. Fair enough.
But these past few days have to make Vancouver fans more than a little nervous. Even though Luongo did manage to come on and help lead Canada to an Olympic gold medal in Vancouver last month, there remains a niggling doubt about the mental toughness of the Canucks’ franchise netminder.
The Canucks are as good a team as there is in the Western Conference when Luongo is on. Would it surprise anyone if they marched to a conference final or beyond? No. But as good as the Canucks might be, unless Luongo’s head is in the right space, they aren’t good enough to beat a team like Detroit or Nashville, one of whom they’ll likely draw in the first round, or frankly anyone else.
more plus other NHL topics…
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Tags: Roberto+Luongo,
Evening Line
by Paul on 03/25/10 at 10:41 PM ET
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“I’m just in the spotlight every day so you notice it more. But, really, I am just frustrated with myself, because I want to be at the top of my game.”
-Roberto Luongo of the Vancouver Canucks. More from Luongo by Jason Botchford of the Vancouver Province.
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The Bad Goals Continue For Luongo
by Paul on 03/24/10 at 07:22 AM ET
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from Jim Jamieson of the Vancouver Province, T
heir best player and the guy they need to be consistently in the zone in the post-season had a meltdown here against the NHL’s worst team and admits he is searching for answers to his on-again, off-again play.
Franchise goalie Roberto Luongo allowed three goals of varying degrees of questionability in the Oilers’ first 10 shots as Edmonton took a 3-2 win on Tuesday.
“I made some good saves, but unfortunately all three of those goals I should have had,” said an emotional Luongo following a game where there was speculation he may be pulled for the eighth time this season.
“I’ve got to find the consistency in my game. Before, I might have a bad game every 10 or 12 games, now it’s every two or three games I’m getting one where I’m not at my best. I’ve got to get that consistency level back and game in and game out I have that swagger that you have to have.”
more on the loss to Edmonton…
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Tags: Roberto+Luongo,
Is Luongo Special?
by Paul on 03/18/10 at 11:47 AM ET
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from Ed Willes of the Vancouver Province,
It has become an article of faith around the Canucks that Luongo is the team’s best player, its most indispensable player and its unquestioned leader. Since about the time he was named captain two years ago, in fact, a cult of Lui has taken root within the locker room and it seems to question the goalie is to question something inviolate within the Canucks.
Why is this?
The Canucks are the only team in the league which treats their goalie in such an exalted manner. Others — Marty Brodeur, Ryan Miller, Miikka Kiprusoff — are just as important to their teams. Others have recorded comparable or superior numbers. But the Canucks are the only team who chose to make their goalie the captain.
Luongo, moreover, is the only goalie of the post-expansion era to be so named, and that’s interesting because he’s never won a Vezina or taken his team past the second round of the playoffs. So why has this aura developed around him?
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Tags: Roberto+Luongo,
Luongo Blames Canucks Offensive Style For His Lackluster Play
by Paul on 03/17/10 at 07:41 PM ET
Comments (3)
from Brad Ziemer of the Vancouver Sun,
When he got yanked after the second period of Tuesday night’s game against the New York Islanders, it marked the seventh time this season—and fourth time in his last 13 starts—that Luongo has been pulled from a game….
On Wednesday, Luongo blamed it on what he said is a more offensive style of play being employed by the Canucks this season.
“We are playing a different brand of hockey this year and it’s been more offensive,” said Luongo, who only got the hook twice last season. “We are not as conservative as we used to be.”
Vigneault took issue with that and said it is his team’s propensity for surrendering early leads to its opponents that is the real culprit.
“I think maybe what has happened, especially during this (recent) road trip, when you give up early goals you have to press, you have to try and make the ground up,” he said.
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Tags: Roberto+Luongo,
Unlike Luongo
by Paul on 03/07/10 at 01:26 PM ET
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from Jason Botchford of the Vancouver Province,
• Luongo is 3-4, with a 3.70 GAA and an .883 save percentage.
• Andrew Raycroft is 3-1, with a 2.20 GAA and a .915 save percentage.
• Luongo asked to have the night off in Ottawa, citing mental fatigue.
• Luongo has been hooked three times in his past eight games. It only happened twice all of last season.
There’s enough here to at least hint the Winter Games may have been a distraction. The last time Luongo was hooked three times in eight games was the end of the 2007-08 season when the Canucks won only one of their final eight. Months later, Luongo acknowledged he was distracted down the stretch, a key issue being his wife Gina’s “delicate pregnancy.”
Luongo dismissed the notion Saturday.
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Tags: Roberto+Luongo,
The Battle Of The Goalies
by Paul on 02/28/10 at 09:06 AM ET
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from Damien Cox of the Toronto Star,
This time, with a strange noon local time start, it’s between two talented NHL netminders, American puckstopper Ryan Miller and Canada’s Roberto Luongo, still seeking to define their careers.
Neither has won a Cup or a Vezina. Luongo has a world championship and was part of the 2004 World Cup goaltending tandem that won gold. Miller, a one-time Hobey Baker Trophy winner, has played in three world championships but has yet to medal.
Miller has 20 NHL playoff victories, Luongo 11. They are goalies looking for a date with destiny.
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Tags: Roberto+Luongo, Ryan+Miller, Team+Canada, Team+USA,
Evening Line
by Paul on 02/22/10 at 08:31 PM ET
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“Real excited. I think it’s going to be fun to play in front of the fans again. I had a great experience in my first game against Norway. The support was unbelievable so obviously the stage is bigger. Tomorrow night I’m assuming it’s going to be a little louder.”
-Roberto Luongo of Team Canada after being told he will be starting in goal tomorrow. More from Craig Custance of The Sporting News,
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Tags: Roberto+Luongo, Team+Canada,
Save Of the Night- Luongo Or Kiprusoff?
by Paul on 02/10/10 at 08:56 AM ET
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First Luongo and the Kiprusoff save can be viewed below.
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Tags: Mikka+Kiprusoff, Roberto+Luongo,
