Luongo wins the big game

[jayswin]

Gotta give credit where credit is due. Luongo has always been critisized for never winning the big game. In these Olympics, he took over for a shakey Brodeur, and won the big game, maybe the biggest in Canadian hockey history.

No, he wasn't perfect, but that doesn't matter. He made enough saves (and some big ones) to be a part of the Olympic Gold medal winning performance of a lifetime.

Luongo has silenced the critics, (well except for the usual group who will never stop bashing him) and deserves kudos for winning the big game.

[silentsim]

I thought Luongo was fundamentally solid tonight, played a great game. I don't fault him for either goal, first was a great unexpected tip, and the second was a redirection of langenbruner causing a rebound.

[Fairweather]

The OverTime was the best thing ever.

Luongo makes a big save. 30 seconds later, Iginla sets up Crosby for the game winner.


You can't write an ending better than this.

[OILFAN #81]

I am no Canuck fan by any means and hope he never wins the Cup with the Canucks.

With that said, nobody can say he hasn't won the big game now and he has proven himself to be a winner. Congrats to him and the rest of the team on the LuonGOLD!

I am so proud to be a Canadian right now. I cheered on Iginla, Luongo, Pronger, Perry and Heatley all tournament. That stops now lol.

[Fairweather]

Oh yeah, that's right. Olympic hockey is over now. I can hate again =D

[valo403]

I thought Luongo was fundamentally solid tonight, played a great game. I don't fault him for either goal, first was a great unexpected tip, and the second was a redirection of langenbruner causing a rebound.

The only criticism I have on that second goal is the shoot in he fumbled about 20 seconds before. If he catches that and hangs on the scramble doesn't happen.

That said, he made some big saves and at the end of the day was a big part of the win.

[Hemi-Cuda]

The OverTime was the best thing ever.

Luongo makes a big save. 30 seconds later, Iginla sets up Crosby for the game winner.


You can't write an ending better than this.

i was harsh on him during the game, though i don't tend to think rationally with those kinds of emotions flowing through me. but that save in OT after Neidermayer gave the puck up was huge, so i do have to give him props for finally stepping up when he was needed most

i'll still hate his guts when he goes back to wearing blue and green though

[SuperMatt18]

After Luongo made the big save of Neidermayers turnover, I knew we were going to win the game. I turned to my friends and said we will score here.

Congrats to Luongo and the rest of team Canada, just as a side note gonna be hard to hate Perry now after his tournament and since he went to go get the giant flag.

[Bob]

May Thornton will stop sucking in the playoffs now that he's got a gold medal, despite being one of the weaker players on the team.

[transplant99]

20 hockey players won the big game.

[silentsim]

May Thornton will stop sucking in the playoffs now that he's got a gold medal, despite being one of the weaker players on the team.

Although the Sharks line didn't score, I thought each of them were pretty good tonight. On the forecheck, some cycles.

None of them were bad, they just didn't score. You can play good without scoring!

[Resolute 14]

Bloody hell... there are 500 threads about the game. Luongo is not so special he deserves his own thread.

[Netskot]

I thought Miller played better than Luongo. But good on him for makes big saves.

[OILFAN #81]

I thought Miller played better than Luongo. But good on him for makes big saves.

Miller played better then every other goalie, defenseman or forward in this tournament. It reminded me of Hextall vs the Oilers. His team lost but he got MVP.

[Ren]

May Thornton will stop sucking in the playoffs now that he's got a gold medal, despite being one of the weaker players on the team.

Thornton will always suck on the big stage, it's just what he does. I honestly have no idea how a guy can be so dominant during the regular season but then become so completely invisible.

[opendoor]

I thought he was great and he did exactly what was required of him. He wasn't at his absolute best, as he looked to be fighting the puck a bit for most of the tournament, but ultimately he made the important saves. Canada didn't trail once in the entire tournament when he was in net.

I'm sure there were a couple that he'd like to have back, but I'm sure there are some plays a lot of guys would like to have happened differently. He provided a stabilizing influence in the back end, likely due to the fact that almost every player on that team normally plays with a Luongo style goalie vs. the more unpredictable Brodeur, and I think that went a long way towards the defense's improved play over the latter part of the tournament.

In the end, he provided consistency. He didn't have as good of games as guys like Lundqvist, Kiprusoff, or Halak, but he also never played as poorly as those guys did when they were at their worst and that's all Canada needed. Someone to keep them in every game and let the dominant offense take over. It turned out to be a winning combination.

[temple5]

Luongo had no chance on either goal.

He didnt win us the game, but he didnt lose it for us either. He was easily the better of him and Brodeur.

Miller outplayed him mostly because he had to. I thought Miller's play was much better the first game, but Canada's chances to score were much better as well.

[opendoor]

Luongo had no chance on either goal.

He didnt win us the game, but he didnt lose it for us either. He was easily the better of him and Brodeur.

Miller outplayed him mostly because he had to. I thought Miller's play was much better the first game, but Canada's chances to score were much better as well.

The 1st goal was one I'm sure he'd like to have back, but other than that I thought he was great.

[temple5]

The 1st goal was one I'm sure he'd like to have back, but other than that I thought he was great.

It was a tip in. Only luck saves that goal, not skill and I dont expect my goalie to be lucky, I expect him to stop the shots he is supposed to.

[OILFAN #81]

The 1st goal was one I'm sure he'd like to have back, but other than that I thought he was great.

Initially I was yelling at the tv pissed about the 1st goal but Kesler made a nice tip like 2 feet in front of him for it to change direction. So glad that little punk Kesler lost.

[I wanna be like Miikka]

Yep Luongo played a solid game, seemed to fumble the puck a couple times but came up with timely saves and both goals were very tough to stop. His one mistake was fumbling the shot from the point in the final minute that 10 seconds later resulted in a goal, but besides that he did what was needed to win. He also made a key stop in OT leading to the goal afterwards.

I think we can all agree that San Jose will not be contending in this years Stanley Cup Finals.

[Fairweather]

Initially I was yelling at the tv pissed about the 1st goal but Kesler made a nice tip like 2 feet in front of him for it to change direction.
Yeah, at first I was like WTF Luongo. But then the replayed showed the Kesler tip and I settled down.

[jayswin]

Bloody hell... there are 500 threads about the game. Luongo is not so special he deserves his own thread.


Okay, that's fine. Just don't read it then.

[Captain_Obvious]

Thornton will always suck on the big stage, it's just what he does. I honestly have no idea how a guy can be so dominant during the regular season but then become so completely invisible.

Thorton gift wrapped the World Cup Game Winning goal that Shane Doan scored on Kipper.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5gRN7FLmjU#t=01m53s

http://www.newton64.ca/images/TheMoreYouKnow.gif

[jayswin]

20 hockey players won the big game.


Yep, and I'm singling out one player, not because he deserves more credit than any other canadian player, but because he has always been called out for not winnig the big games, and now he did. It's a worthy thread.

[Mayer]

Yep, and I'm singling out one player, not because he deserves more credit than any other canadian player, but because he has always been called out for not winnig the big games, and now he did. It's a worthy thread.

I think it's a fantastic thread.

[GGG]

Canada didn't need to have a Goalie steal games for us. We needed solid goaltending while minimizing Bad goals.

Luongo while decidedly average throughout the tournament was exactly what Canada needed in net. Steady average goaltending.

[Methanolic]

I can't stand 7uongo.

But today, I respect 7uongo.

Tomorrow I'll Hate him.

[Vulcan]

Luongo is a top goalie, in the NHL and internationally and has been for a number of years, and I expected him to play well. I have no beef with almost any other teams players.

Sure I cheer for the Flames but I always try to keep a proper perspective and not hate the other players, some of the other teams fans can be trying though.

[AtlantaMissesItsFlames]

The entire Canadian team played better with him back there; particuarly the Dmen. He clearly had a huge outcome on the team and quietly put up a 0.93 or so Olympics. Pains me to say so but he has grown as a goalie and this will do nothing but add to his confidence.

Wonder if he and Kesler talk to each other this week!

[Muta]

I hope Vancouver revels in this and soaks it in as much as they can.

...it's the last championship they'll ever see in their building.

:D

[Reign of Fire]

Luongo made some key saves, but he also let two in that should've have been saved...in no way did he steal us this game, it was a team win....but with that said its just great to see that we won GOLD!!!

[browna]

Played fine...a few too many juicy rebounds off those humongus pads on seemingly innocent shots.

[CaptainCrunch]

Great

Awesome

But the Olympics are done now

Loungo sucks.

[simonsays]

Lou was strong, a semi-weak goal against and then some great saves. Nothing I can say will take away what he accomplished tonight along with his teammates.

GOLD.

[Huntingwhale]

Luongo played a great game. l, along with millions of others, were rooting for him. He finally won that 'big game' all the homers on this board said he would never win. He FINALLY shut you up.

Now the Olympics are over, and it's back to regular NHL season. And back to hating him!

[united]

Wait, people actually thought the first goal was straight in, and needed the replay to figure out it was tipped? HAHA.

Luongo was average again, imo.

[Johnny Canuck]

Wait, people actually thought the first goal was straight in, and needed the replay to figure out it was tipped? HAHA.

Luongo was average again, imo.

A .944 save percentage on one of the biggest stages in the world is hardly average.

Now, if he let in four goals on 7 shots, you'd have a case ;)

That said, It was a total team effort, (most great victories are)

Classy post by the OP. I think Luongo proved he can win the big game when need be, and no one can take that from him.

Its been an interesting ride cheering alongside Flames fans this tourney. I guess tomorrow that changes again. G'luck guys, its been swell

[Infamous1]

He went 5-0 with 4 of them being elimination games. Not bad.

[Blaster86]

You know, I am not a big fan of the "Looooou!" chant. I think it is silly, I think it is already overused because it is done even on routine saves. But I think my highlight of these Olympics has to be Calgarypuck "Lou"ing.

On a forum filled with nothing but hatred for Luongo, a forum that normally wants to see him fail suddenly gets behind him and does what is single handedly the most annoying cheer, and they know it, because they love Canada. It was just huge for me.

[Fairweather]

We saw how you were true and proud Canadians :yay:

[Jetsfan]

Congratulations Roberto...

,,,I will resume hating you in 65 minutes!

[Azure]

He wasn't that great, but he was good. And he made saves when Canada needed them, and despite him fighting the puck a lot, the fact that he made those saves accounts for more than any bad goal he ever let in.

[pylon]

Its absolutely clear to me that Luongo did absolutely nothing to help us win the Gold. It was up to Iginla to do all of the work in the corner to set up that 87 guy and single handedly win the Gold Medal for Canada. I also have reliable sources that tell me Jarome also coached the team, selected the roster, and drew up all of the plays. The entire coaching and management staff was there so Jarome wouldn't have to take all the credit. The only reason he put Luongo in, was because of a bet from from Patrick Kane that team Canada couldn't win with him in net.

[Fairweather]

Did you forget green text?

[pylon]

Did you forget green text?

Didn't think it actually required it.

However questioning if I forgot green text, requires green text.

[MelBridgeman]

who?

[TheContact]

You know, I am not a big fan of the "Looooou!" chant. I think it is silly, I think it is already overused because it is done even on routine saves. But I think my highlight of these Olympics has to be Calgarypuck "Lou"ing.

On a forum filled with nothing but hatred for Luongo, a forum that normally wants to see him fail suddenly gets behind him and does what is single handedly the most annoying cheer, and they know it, because they love Canada. It was just huge for me.

http://leamonde.net/tmpdl/hans_lou.jpg

[d_phaneuf]

this could be in the Kesler thread but I will put it here

After the second intermission, in a broadcast interview, Canucks teammate and U.S. forward Ryan Kesler noted Luongo was fighting the puck and predicted the Americans would get an equalizer by pouring shots on goal. Told of the American bench's assessment of his weakness, Luongo said: "I'm wearing gold around my neck, I don't really care."

[zamler]

After the game, the look of relief on Luongo's face was unbelievable, he really looked like a guy that had a crushing weight taken off his shoulders. And for the first time I actually felt happy for him.

[zamler]

http://leamonde.net/tmpdl/hans_lou.jpg
Quite possibly the best pic, ever.

[chalms04]

Luongo said: "I'm wearing gold around my neck, I don't really care."
Reminds me of Patrick Roy's "I can't hear him because I've got my two Stanley Cup rings plugging up my ears."

[Vulcan]

After the game, the look of relief on Luongo's face was unbelievable, he really looked like a guy that had a crushing weight taken off his shoulders. And for the first time I actually felt happy for him.

He and the whole team had a crushing weight on their backs, the whole tournament. The USA had mostly nothing to lose. The States will mostly forget about it in a week while if we had lost, it would hang over us for four years.

The whole team handled it well but I bet the pressure made the game much closer than it should have been, so kudos to Luongo who handled it fairly well and the whole team Canada hockey team and the rest of our athletes, who also had to break the homeless drought. This wasn't like an established winter power with athletes who expected to win as a matter of course. This was ground breaking.

[MelBridgeman]

You know, I am not a big fan of the "Looooou!" chant. I think it is silly, I think it is already overused because it is done even on routine saves. But I think my highlight of these Olympics has to be Calgarypuck "Lou"ing.

On a forum filled with nothing but hatred for Luongo, a forum that normally wants to see him fail suddenly gets behind him and does what is single handedly the most annoying cheer, and they know it, because they love Canada. It was just huge for me.


They were chanting looooou in the bars and on 17th Ave too..

[jayswin]

this could be in the Kesler thread but I will put it here

After the second intermission, in a broadcast interview, Canucks teammate and U.S. forward Ryan Kesler noted Luongo was fighting the puck and predicted the Americans would get an equalizer by pouring shots on goal. Told of the American bench's assessment of his weakness, Luongo said: "I'm wearing gold around my neck, I don't really care."


That is just awesome! :w00t:

[Shin Pad]

Luongo played well, and I was cheering for him during the Olympics (as I was for everyone on team Canada). Now that it is over, I can get back to hating him and the rest of the non-Flames Canadian players:D

By the way - I hate Kesler even more now than before the Olympics - I didn't think that was possible :mad:

[jar_e]

He went 5-0 with 4 of them being elimination games. Not bad.

This stat needs to be quoted. Say what you want about Luongo but he was a critical part of the team for the final games and the numbers back that up. Goalies will always be criticized and could always be better but the number one spot was Brodeur's spot to lose and he did it quite easily. Luongo stepped up and filled in perfectly.

[Kidder]

Credit to Luongo for stepping up and becoming a full team player too. There was a sequence in (I think) the 2nd period where there was a scramble in front and an American player took a few heavy whacks at the frozen puck, connecting with Luongo on one.

Typically we'd see Luongo sprawl backwards with the I'm shot routine, but he didn't even react except to shove the guy away.

I got fully behind Luongo as the tournament wore on and I'm actually thrilled for the guy right now. Of course once the season resumes I will be cursing his name and taunting him relentlessly until tears stream down his greasy face.

I love Canada!

[Itse]

I thought Luongo was okay, but not better. However, no big mistakes was all it took, and with the amount of pressure he had, that's nothing to sneeze at.

Just look at how the usually zen-like Kipper crumbled against the US. (Also to be fair, I don't think Luongo had it half as bad, as he knew he had the better team in front of him and only needed a no screw-ups performace, while in comparison Kipper was basicly asked to win the gold for Finland by himself.)

The pressures of international hockey can be overwhelming, as Finland has proven over and over and over and over and over, and over... ...and again.

[Tsawwassen]

Gotta give credit where credit is due. Luongo has always been critisized for never winning the big game. In these Olympics, he took over for a shakey Brodeur, and won the big game, maybe the biggest in Canadian hockey history.

No, he wasn't perfect, but that doesn't matter. He made enough saves (and some big ones) to be a part of the Olympic Gold medal winning performance of a lifetime.

Luongo has silenced the critics, (well except for the usual group who will never stop bashing him) and deserves kudos for winning the big game. Luongo will still be criticized until he wins the Stanley Cup and doubtful he will. The guy is tagged for blowing it in game 6 against the Bhawks last May amongst other things. Fleury should have taken over for Brodeur because he has a Stanley Cup ring. Remember that Luongo is the enemy before, during, and after this all star olympic tournament. The 1972 game 8 was the biggest game in Canada's history plus the 2002 gold. Hopefully, Luongo and the Canucks go on a slump to finish their second part of their road trip. They are not a shoe in to make the playoffs.

[Tsawwassen]

The pressures of international hockey can be overwhelming, as Finland has proven over and over and over and over and over, and over... ...and again.
The pressures of NHL hockey are also overwhelming as Vancouver has proven over and over and over and over and over, and over... ...and again.

[old-fart]

Luongo was adequate. He certainly didn't "win the big game", but he didn't lose it either. He let in his share of bad goals (I'd argue the first one he let in against the Slovaks was worse than any goal Brodeur let in) and he was fighting the puck a lot (and that fighting of the puck directly led to the US tying the game up in the last 24.4 seconds).

Having said that, he made enough saves for Canada to get gold. Now go back to your diving, sucking ways for the Nucks.

[HOOT]

20 hockey players won the big game.

Not only that but it took an extra 7 minutes because Luongo let in a weak little tip in. Glad he found a way to make some stops but nothing I saw makes me think 'he won the game' for this team.

[PyramidsofMars]

Canucks fans gave Iginla an appropriate round of applause, and we should do the same for Luongo.

[WCE]

http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/hockey/story/2010/02/28/spo-canada-luongo.html


Win should silence critics: Yzerman


Babcock suspected that Luongo might want another crack at the Kesler goal, which snuck behind him off a deflected shot.
"The one where Kesler got the tip, he might have liked to squeeze it," Babcock said.

But Team Canada executive director Steve Yzerman said Sunday's win should finally quiet Luongo's critics.

"It's amazing, all players until you actually win, you're all questioned," said Yzerman, captain of the Detroit Red Wings for more than a decade before he won his first Stanley Cup.

"I went through it for a brief period, Wayne [Gretzky] went through it very briefly, Mario [Lemieux] went through it very briefly — all these guys until you win you have to deal with that.

"I think this will answer some of that question for him, he was in net for a gold-medal winning team and played admirably."

[WCE]

Luongo was adequate. He certainly didn't "win the big game", but he didn't lose it either. He let in his share of bad goals (I'd argue the first one he let in against the Slovaks was worse than any goal Brodeur let in) and he was fighting the puck a lot (and that fighting of the puck directly led to the US tying the game up in the last 24.4 seconds).

Having said that, he made enough saves for Canada to get gold. Now go back to your diving, sucking ways for the Nucks.

I think the Brodeur goal against the Americans where he played baseball and went for the two pad stack was the worst. Not only did his bad play cause the scoring chance, he also let in a softie on the shot.

I think the goal Luongo let in against the Slovaks was the 2nd worst goal of the tournament for Canada though, no doubt there.

Re: Inability to glove the puck.

Apparently the IIHF required some of the goalies to switch from their NHL trappers for the tournament (que the oversized equipment lines). I wonder if that was the cause for the bobbles?

From watching Luongo play the last 4 years on a nightly basis my major critique of his play is that when the puck is behind the goal line he is often slow to react to the jam play. The other major flaw is below average puck handling.

He has never had a problem gloving pucks, I actually would say that is one of the stronger aspects of his game.

Just food for thought I would actually like an explanation on that topic because it was a glaring issue despite the golden outcome of the game.

[North East Goon]

Thank - you Roberto Luongo, he was thrust into a pressure cooker and came out standing tall with the gold!

[Textcritic]

Canucks fans gave Iginla an appropriate round of applause, and we should do the same for Luongo.
It would seem sensible to agree with you, except that there is a world of difference between Roberto Luongo and Jarome Iginla, at least in terms of how they are perceived in public. I am ecstatic that Canada won a gold medal, and I thought that Luongo played a good game. Was he a difference maker? Perhaps, but not in the same storybook sense as Toews or Crosby or Iginla. Regardless of the outcome; regardless of whether or not Luongo has a gold medal around his neck; regardless of how he played he still strikes me as truculant and arrogant. He has taken a step towards silencing his critics, but in the process there lingers a palpable suspicion that has not subsided, as evinced by the defensive posture assumed by media outlets and observers; hell, the very presence of this thread betrays an apologetic tone.

[old-fart]

I think the Brodeur goal against the Americans where he played baseball and went for the two pad stack was the worst. Not only did his bad play cause the scoring chance, he also let in a softie on the shot.

I think the goal Luongo let in against the Slovaks was the 2nd worst goal of the tournament for Canada though, no doubt there.

Re: Inability to glove the puck.

Apparently the IIHF required some of the goalies to switch from their NHL trappers for the tournament (que the oversized equipment lines). I wonder if that was the cause for the bobbles?

From watching Luongo play the last 4 years on a nightly basis my major critique of his play is that when the puck is behind the goal line he is often slow to react to the jam play. The other major flaw is below average puck handling.

He has never had a problem gloving pucks, I actually would say that is one of the stronger aspects of his game.

Just food for thought I would actually like an explanation on that topic because it was a glaring issue despite the golden outcome of the game.

I agree that Brodeur goal was bad. The baseball swing was a bad decision, but the actual goal, while bad, wasn't as bad as Luongo's complete crapfest that was Slovakia's first goal. If Slovakia had come back to tie and then win that game, Luongo would go down as a much larger goat than Brodeur.

Interesting that Luongo also tried a baseball swing in the Germany game - the difference was that he missed the puck and it went behind the net instead of back infront to an opponent.

I stand by my original statement: Luongo was adequate. He wasn't stellar and he wasn't crappy. He was ok. He certainly didn't "win the big game", but he didn't lose it either.

Congrats Canada.

My biggest disappointment is that ######bags like Kesler and Kane get a medal at all (and yes, I include Perry in that group, but he's Canadian so he gets a bit of a pass so the rest of the team can have Gold).

[HOOT]

If that performance is what puts Luongo in the top tier for winning pressure games then it is a very low bar IMO.

[mykalberta]

What is with all the back seat drivers on the tip in goal.

No goalie consistently saves that goal and to blame him for it, even if he is captain greasy is being way way to critical.

Its also not his fault on the 2-2 goal, to have 2 us players behind our defence is just bad defence.

He isnt St Patrick, but we won the game and he didnt let in any greasy goals, and he didnt try to be the show stopper like Brodeur tried to be against the same US team.

[old-fart]

What is with all the back seat drivers on the tip in goal.

No goalie consistently saves that goal and to blame him for it, even if he is captain greasy is being way way to critical.

Its also not his fault on the 2-2 goal, to have 2 us players behind our defence is just bad defence.

I agree on the Kesler tip goal, although if he was playing agressively, he likely cuts down the angle enough that there is nowhere for the tip to go. Still, not a horrible goal to give up.

The second goal though was bad handling of the puck. A few seconds before the goal (with about 40 seconds left or so) the puck is shot in right to Luongo, and he can't glove it. Then, on the actual goal, he fails to cover the rebound. That was a bad goal. Not "1st goal against Slovakia oh my god what's that smell" bad, but not exactly a great goal to give up with 24.4 seconds left either.

[MelBridgeman]

Luongo was fine, first goal was a tip, but it did go through him, so he could of stopped it. But whatever. The last goal was on a play started by one of his famous rebounds, although he was left out to dry by his defence...if he stopped that, and he had a chance too, that would of been the biggest clutch save in recent memory, but he didn't, which is fine - he was solid - that's all that was needed for this team to win. The team in front of him played a solid team game.

Just before the Crosby goal, Luongo was about to freeze the puck, but he moved it to Nieds instead...i wonder what the outcome of this game would of been if he had froze it.

Kudos to the US, good team, played a good team game, Miller was outstanding, made a mistake on the game winner, but was exceptional all tourny long

[MelBridgeman]

What is with all the back seat drivers on the tip in goal.

No goalie consistently saves that goal and to blame him for it, even if he is captain greasy is being way way to critical.

I am fine with that goal too, but it did go through him, so he had a chance to stop it. He could of stop it, but that isn't suggesting it was weak, he almost had it..it would of been a great save if he did.

[Infamous1]

If that performance is what puts Luongo in the top tier for winning pressure games then it is a very low bar IMO.

Since when is 34/36 saves in a GOLD MEDAL GAME a low bar? So many comments from Flames fans about Luongo are ridiculous. :bag:

[MelBridgeman]

Since when is 34/36 saves in a GOLD MEDAL GAME a low bar? So many comments from Flames fans about Luongo are ridiculous. :bag:

such a blanket statement, there weren't very many tough stops in that 34...that is why. Can't vlame luongo for that, the team in front of him did his job.

[WCE]

Since when is 34/36 saves in a GOLD MEDAL GAME a low bar? So many comments from Flames fans about Luongo are ridiculous. :bag:

I disagree. The majority have been in the realm of "fair" when it comes to his performance.

There are just a couple that won't give "it" up, and never will. Time for everyone to move on especially includes Canuck fans on this board.

[mykalberta]

I agree on the Kesler tip goal, although if he was playing agressively, he likely cuts down the angle enough that there is nowhere for the tip to go. Still, not a horrible goal to give up.

The second goal though was bad handling of the puck. A few seconds before the goal (with about 40 seconds left or so) the puck is shot in right to Luongo, and he can't glove it. Then, on the actual goal, he fails to cover the rebound. That was a bad goal. Not "1st goal against Slovakia oh my god what's that smell" bad, but not exactly a great goal to give up with 24.4 seconds left either.

Hard to cut down the angle IMO when there are other us players buzzing around the crease looking for a rebound.

Flat out Brodeur lost us the first game against the US. Luongo didnt win us this game, but more importantly he didnt lose us this game.

[HOOT]

Since when is 34/36 saves in a GOLD MEDAL GAME a low bar? So many comments from Flames fans about Luongo are ridiculous. :bag:

Luongo was average in that game, nothing more, nothing less. He did not win Canada the game but almost lost it for them with a few glaring errors that almost cost this Country.

Really I don't care if you think I'm saying that because I'm a Flames fan but I would say the same thing about Brouder or Fleury if they let in those two goals and fumbled the puck like that in that type of game. Miller dominated Luongo, USA just didn't get any quality chances but quickly hopped on Luongo's mistakes to tie the game.

The whole bar I was at IN VANCOUVER was mumbling and grumbling about those two goals and I even heard a few "why does he always let in those soft ones" come from the groups of people wearing LUONGO #1 jerseys. But they were probably Flames fans in disguise. :rolleyes:

[Infamous1]

I disagree. The majority have been in the realm of "fair" when it comes to his performance.

There are just a couple that won't give "it" up, and never will. Time for everyone to move on especially includes Canuck fans on this board.

You should have been in the Game thread yesterday when Kesler scored. It was like everyone finally had their chance to bash him after having to keep quiet for 2 weeks. It was disgusting and I had to get out of there fast as it was ruining the game for me.

[MelBridgeman]

Hard to cut down the angle IMO when there are other us players buzzing around the crease looking for a rebound.

Flat out Brodeur lost us the first game against the US. Luongo didnt win us this game, but more importantly he didnt lose us this game.


Bah on the surface you can say that, but regardless of the pressure Canada put on the USA in that first game in the offensive zone, they were pretty wishy washy in their zone, something that improved greatly in the coming games. Brodeur did do his part, but it wasn't entirely his fault, he would of been just fine playing in yesterdays game, with the way Canada played defensively.

[The Yen Man]

Now that the Olympic love in is over, I can go back to hating everything Canucks. :)

He is back to being a LOOOUUUUU-SER in my books. ;)

[Textcritic]

In the post-game evaluations across the country and especially here in Vancouver there is a huge amount of discussion concerning whether or not Luongo has taken a step beyond the criticism of his own ability to win the "big game", and quite honestly, most opinions seem to be cautiously optimistic. The very fact that this is even being discussed pretty much sums it up for me: it is still an issue and it will remain an issue until Luongo does something significant in remarkable fashion.

Yeah, Luongo is a gold medal winner; but so are Thornton and Heatley. I suppose we could agree that they all won the "big game", but how convinced are we after the fact that these players can will their teams to victory when they need it most?

[Infamous1]

Why is it that when Luongo makes 34/36 saves it's because the shots were easy and anyone could have made those saves? Could it be that he makes saves look easy? Nah...

Forget the players, no one in the Arena had more pressure on them than the Goalie for the team that is supposed to win for their Country and he came through.

[MelBridgeman]

Why is it that when Luongo makes 34/36 saves it's because the shots were easy and anyone could have made those saves? Could it be that he makes saves look easy? Nah...

Forget the players, no one in the Arena had more pressure on them than the Goalie for the team that is supposed to win for their Country and he came through.

Cause it is true. Replace Luongo with Broduer, same thing, Canada limited high quality scoring chances, it's a fact.

Your second statement is true, and Luongo looked nervous, if bobbling the puck is a sign of nerves.

I don't think anyone has a problem with his performance, but it isn't the career defining performance for him yet. He was just another cog in a machine that was the sum of its parts, not one really stood out for Canada all tourney long....their depth won this tourney.

[RedHot25]

.their depth won this tourney.

Including the depth in goal.

[Sainters7]

Yeah, at first I was like WTF Luongo. But then the replayed showed the Kesler tip and I settled down.

Ya me too. At first I was like "Luongo Special", but then I saw the replay and it was a nice tip.

Ya he played well enough to win, that was good. I didn't think he was amazing though. Kesler even said afterwards they were talking on the bench about how Luongo was "fighting the puck" a little, so they decided to just get as many pucks as you can on him and get bodies up front. He was solid when he had to be and made some big saves at big times, but he could also be a little shaky.

[The Yen Man]

Here's my take on it. Team Canada didn't win the game because Luongo stole any games in the tournament. They won because of the whole team package. Luongo made the saves when he had to. It's kind of like Detroit really. People will continue to criticize him until he carries a team to a championship (like Brodeur and Roy).

[opendoor]

Luongo was average in that game, nothing more, nothing less. He did not win Canada the game but almost lost it for them with a few glaring errors that almost cost this Country.

Really I don't care if you think I'm saying that because I'm a Flames fan but I would say the same thing about Brouder or Fleury if they let in those two goals and fumbled the puck like that in that type of game. Miller dominated Luongo, USA just didn't get any quality chances but quickly hopped on Luongo's mistakes to tie the game.

The whole bar I was at IN VANCOUVER was mumbling and grumbling about those two goals and I even heard a few "why does he always let in those soft ones" come from the groups of people wearing LUONGO #1 jerseys. But they were probably Flames fans in disguise. :rolleyes:

Luongo wasn't dominant, but neither was Miller. He gave up a juicy rebound for the 1st goal and flubbed a pokecheck which led to him giving up the a soft goal which is likely the most important one in his career to date. He was also beaten twice in the third with shots that hit the post.

Luongo outplayed Miller in that game, plain and simple. Luongo made the saves and Miller blew it in OT. I can only imagine the crucifixion that would be going on right now if Luongo allowed the goal that Miller did.

[mykalberta]

Cause it is true. Replace Luongo with Broduer, same thing, Canada limited high quality scoring chances, it's a fact.

Your second statement is true, and Luongo looked nervous, if bobbling the puck is a sign of nerves.

I don't think anyone has a problem with his performance, but it isn't the career defining performance for him yet. He was just another cog in a machine that was the sum of its parts, not one really stood out for Canada all tourney long....their depth won this tourney.

that I dont agree with.

We lose that game in regular time if marty "i love to play the puck even if i am rusty and i love to flop on the ice like a fish out of water" plays.

For all the things i dislike about luongo, his shooter tutor style of butterfly make yourself big worked in that game. He also came up with enough key saves to win.

Brodeur is like Pronger and Neids, over the hill and have been passed on by younger more athletic players.

[TowelPower]

Someone on hf was saying thAt luongo had to change his catching glove to one that was "International standards". If that is true , it makes alot of sense because Lu wAs solid except his glove hand. It makes sense if true, because he has one of the best glove hands in the league.

[CaptainCrunch]

Someone on hf was saying thAt luongo had to change his catching glove to one that was "International standards". If that is true , it makes alot of sense because Lu wAs solid except his glove hand. It makes sense if true, because he has one of the best glove hands in the league.

I thought that was Dwayne Roloson.

[Textcritic]

Someone on hf was saying thAt luongo had to change his catching glove to one that was "International standards". If that is true , it makes alot of sense because Lu wAs solid except his glove hand. It makes sense if true, because he has one of the best glove hands in the league.

Okay, but I don't remember NHL goalies playing in the Olympic tournament experiencing the same sort of difficulty with their catching hand. For that matter, it didn't seem to be much of an issue for Luongo before yesterday.

[shermanator]

Awesome quote from Ian Mendes in his Gold Medal game blog:

1:07pm - I don't mind the "Luuuuuu" chants when Luongo makes a save, but do they need to do it when he does simple things like stop the puck behind the net or take a sip from his water bottle? Then again, this is the same fan base that chanted "Luuuuuu" every time Lui Passaglia kicked an extra point, punted from inside his own 20 or trimmed his mustache.

Link: http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2010/03/01/mendes_gold_medal_blog/

[d_phaneuf]

I thought that was Dwayne Roloson.

Nice to know Kelly Hrudey posts here;)

[HOOT]

Luongo outplayed Miller in that game, plain and simple. Luongo made the saves and Miller blew it in OT.

Miller also had to make a lot more fantastic saves then Luongo did all game. I give him props for being able to hold on and win it however he did not win the game for Canada, he was just good enough to win that day.

IMO it should have been 2-0 going into final minute of play and that's how it should have ended but one bad play on the tip and one bad play not being able to cover the puck and then to fumble it a few seconds later to allow that goal was bad. Looked very familiar to his other pressure games.

Glad he came through but I wasn't impressed where I think anything has changed where he cracks a little under pressure. Maybe he will get better as those games come.

Maybe it is just Flames hate but then I got pretty lucky to find Steamworks full of Flames fans in Vancouver because not one person was impressed with what happened in that game. Luongo was closer to losing the game for Canada than he was winning it.

[troutman]

Luongo played in the big game. That's as far as I'll go.

[Coach]

Awesome quote from Ian Mendes in his Gold Medal game blog:



Link: http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2010/03/01/mendes_gold_medal_blog/

Its true. I said this earlier, but if I was Luongo I would hate it when they did that. It kinda takes away the specialness of it when he does something awesome. Its like oh...so that save was only as good as when I caught the dump in from the red line?

[opendoor]

Miller also had to make a lot more fantastic saves then Luongo did all game. I give him props for being able to hold on and win it however he did not win the game for Canada, he was just good enough to win that day.

IMO it should have been 2-0 going into final minute of play and that's how it should have ended but one bad play on the tip and one bad play not being able to cover the puck and then to fumble it a few seconds later to allow that goal was bad. Looked very familiar to his other pressure games.

Glad he came through but I wasn't impressed where I think anything has changed where he cracks a little under pressure. Maybe he will get better as those games come.

Maybe it is just Flames hate but then I got pretty lucky to find Steamworks full of Flames fans in Vancouver because not one person was impressed with what happened in that game. Luongo was closer to losing the game for Canada than he was winning it.

So anything less than a shutout on 36 shots is unacceptable? Give me a break. I'm not going to sit here and try and argue that he stole the game or something, but he was not outplayed by Miller yesterday. If Luongo "cracked" then what do you say about Miller's two bad goals (at least bad if you're using the standard most seem to be applying to Luongo) and his 2 or 3 misses which were saved by the goalposts in the most important game of his life?


It's pretty amazing how everyone loves to shift the goalposts. Several months ago, Luongo wasn't even going to make the team, with Fleury and Ward making it in favor. Then once he made the team he'd be the 3rd string goalie because Fleury was more clutch, or if he was the backup it'd just be to pander to the fans. Then once he was cemented as the backup he'd get his token game, but there's no way he'd supplant Brodeur. Then when he came in, everyone was predicting he'd choke against Russia and Canada wouldn't even medal. Now that he won the gold medal by winning 4 elimination games in 6 days people try and find ways to undermine the accomplishment. Yet Miller, who had the benefit of playing Switzerland twice, Norway, and a Finland team that gave up about 2 minutes into the game is heralded.

Yes Luongo had a great team in front of him, but how many goalies win any kind of championships without great teams in front of them? There's a reason that only 2 teams in the last 20 years have won the Stanley Cup without having top 10 scoring in the league.

[6FeetDeep]

There will always be Luongo haters who will never be satisfied. I'm not a big fan of the guy as he is a Canuck, but the guy won the big game. It dosent really matter how he did it but he did. Do people say that Fleury didnt deserve the Stanley Cup because he had the worste stats of any cup winning goalie in the last 20 years, but noone seems to care because he won the big game. People will nitpick all the time with this guy, espicially on a Flames message board, but at the end of the day the guy with by far the most pressure on him won the game.

[jayswin]

It's pretty amazing how everyone loves to shift the goalposts. Several months ago, Luongo wasn't even going to make the team, with Fleury and Ward making it in favor. Then once he made the team he'd be the 3rd string goalie because Fleury was more clutch, or if he was the backup it'd just be to pander to the fans. Then once he was cemented as the backup he'd get his token game, but there's no way he'd supplant Brodeur. Then when he came in, everyone was predicting he'd choke against Russia and Canada wouldn't even medal. Now that he won the gold medal by winning 4 elimination games in 6 days people try and find ways to undermine the accomplishment. Yet Miller, who had the benefit of playing Switzerland twice, Norway, and a Finland team that gave up about 2 minutes into the game is heralded.

Yes Luongo had a great team in front of him, but how many goalies win any kind of championships without great teams in front of them? There's a reason that only 2 teams in the last 20 years have won the Stanley Cup without having top 10 scoring in the league.


I wouldn't worry about it too much. It's a Flames board, so of course you're going to get lots of comments suggesting he isn't good, no matter what he does. That's just how it goes. I'm sure on CDC there's posters saying Iggy sucks and held Crosby down the whole tournament.

[Textcritic]

...at the end of the day the guy with by far the most pressure on him won the game.
Yes. And that guy's name is Sidney Crosby.

[MelBridgeman]

He makes the save on the Parise goal, things would be different, a save like that would of made him legendary, but instead the legend will be Iginla to Crosby, GOLD

[Textcritic]

I wouldn't worry about it too much. It's a Flames board, so of course you're going to get lots of comments suggesting he isn't good, no matter what he does. That's just how it goes.
Except that I haven't seen a single poster in this thread suggest that Luongo is not a good goaltender. The general consensus has been that he played a good game; good enough to win. I think the real argument here concerns what the win means for Luongo's career, his reputation and his future. I am not alone in thinking that Luongo's gold medal on its own does not suddenly catapult him into the realm of clutch goaltenders. There are still a lot of questions concerning his performance.

I'm sure on CDC there's posters saying Iggy sucks and held Crosby down the whole tournament.
Bullocks. And here is a great example of what I am getting at: Iginla's performance is by and large being recognized for what it was; a great hockey performance at a critical moment in the game, while on the other hand, there are still fans and media pundits that are suspicious of Luongo's big-game abilities.

[HOOT]

So anything less than a shutout on 36 shots is unacceptable? Give me a break. I'm not going to sit here and try and argue that he stole the game or something, but he was not outplayed by Miller yesterday. If Luongo "cracked" then what do you say about Miller's two bad goals (at least bad if you're using the standard most seem to be applying to Luongo) and his 2 or 3 misses which were saved by the goalposts in the most important game of his life?

Nothing because I would be so upset that Luongo let in two weak goals that it didn't need to come down to OT. But like Mel said who cares no one will remember Luongo in 10 years people will remember Iginla to Crosby, GOLD!

[opendoor]

Nothing because I would be so upset that Luongo let in two weak goals that it didn't need to come down to OT. But like Mel said who cares no one will remember Luongo in 10 years people will remember Iginla to Crosby, GOLD!

I hate to break it to you, but most non Flames fans aren't going to remember Iginla's play either. How many people talk about Esposito's pass to Henderson (or even know it was Esposito who made the pass)? That is Crosby's goal and in the eyes of most Canadians, that's who'll be remembered.

I guess you also agree that Miller cracked, though to be fair, neither he or Luongo came close to Kiprusoff's, Halak's, or Lundqvist's choke jobs in the tournament.

[Gerry]

Nothing because I would be so upset that Luongo let in two weak goals that it didn't need to come down to OT. But like Mel said who cares no one will remember Luongo in 10 years people will remember Iginla to Crosby, GOLD!

Except that by most standards, he did not let in 2 weak goals. He did not save on 2 good chances and did save on other good chances. Allowing a tip in from in close and another on a scramble are not two weak goals.

The reality is that in 10 years most hockey fans will remember Crosby. That's it.

[opendoor]

The reality is that in 10 years most hockey fans will remember Crosby. That's it.

Agreed. I think Luongo put it quite well after the Germany game:

"We're here to play for our country. There's no individualism here. We're all working for the same goal here: to win the gold medal. In the future, 20 years down the road, nobody's going to remember who played in goal. But they'll remember that we won.

[Daradon]

Yup, credit where credit is due. He made some big saves and won the big game. I'm glad he was in goal for us. It was his time.

Now hopefully this isn't the start of something in Vancouver. He can plateau here and now... ;)

[Erick Estrada]

I hate to break it to you, but most non Flames fans aren't going to remember Iginla's play either. How many people talk about Esposito's pass to Henderson (or even know it was Esposito who made the pass)? That is Crosby's goal and in the eyes of most Canadians, that's who'll be remembered.

That's fine with us as we aren't trumpeting that Iginla won Canada the gold medal. The title of this thread bothers me a bit. I guarantee that team Canada wins the game no matter which of the three goaltenders they had in net. It just happened to be Luongo but IMO he was pretty shaky and the team won despite the better goaltender being at the other end.

[jayswin]

That's fine with us as we aren't trumpeting that Iginla won Canada the gold medal. The title of this thread bothers me a bit. I guarantee that team Canada wins the game no matter which of the three goaltenders they had in net. It just happened to be Luongo but IMO he was pretty shaky and the team won despite the better goaltender being at the other end.


Perhaps my title was misinterpreted a bit. I didn't mean Luongo was the reason Canada won the game, I just meant that he has always been labeled as a choker and a guy who couldn't win the big games, and he was the goaltender in a big game (one of the biggest in history) and the team won.

[Textcritic]

Perhaps my title was misinterpreted a bit. I didn't mean Luongo was the reason Canada won the game, I just meant that he has always been labeled as a choker and a guy who couldn't win the big games, and he was the goaltender in a big game (one of the biggest in history) and the team won.
I'm on the same page with Estrada on this one: Should we create individual threads dedicated to Thornton, Heatley, et. al. for finally winning the "big game"?

The title of the thread is a little pretentious; if he had performed a goaltending clinic in the process of securing the victory, then by all means it warrants its own mention. But under the present circumstances it comes across as an apologetic for a player of whom there are still legitimate questions.

[opendoor]

That's fine with us as we aren't trumpeting that Iginla won Canada the gold medal. The title of this thread bothers me a bit. I guarantee that team Canada wins the game no matter which of the three goaltenders they had in net. It just happened to be Luongo but IMO he was pretty shaky and the team won despite the better goaltender being at the other end.


Too bad the "better goaltender" blew a routine save and lost the game for his team. He also let two shots get by him in the 3rd which rang off the post.

Not that I disagree that Luongo wasn't a massive factor in the win. He did his job, played very well, and helped Canada win the game, but he wasn't a game breaker. At the same time he also didn't get the luxury of being invisible for most of the game like some of his teammates did.

I also think it's disingenuous to suggest that any of the 3 goalies could have easily won that game. In the month or two leading up to the Olympics Luongo was playing far better than either Brodeur or Fleury. If those guys couldn't get wins for their regular teams why are people so sure they'd do the same for Canada? Besides Brodeur already had his chance against the Americans and he blew it. Might he have played better this time? Maybe, but Team Canada's brain trust seemed to believe that Luongo gave them a better chance to win and they were proven correct.

I do find it pretty funny that in the past on here I've suggested that several cup winning goaltenders weren't absolutely crucial to their team's success and won their cups more based on decent play and having a fantastic team in front of them. That line of thinking didn't seem to hold much water with everyone on here but I guess everyone's changing their opinion now that they can't slag Luongo looking at it that way. All I heard about was how clutch Fleury was, despite him putting up god awful numbers in the playoffs in his cup winning year and little credence was given to the team he had in front of him. Methinks we won't be hearing much about Fleury anymore from Luongo's detractors.

[Johnny Canuck]

Nothing because I would be so upset that Luongo let in two weak goals that it didn't need to come down to OT. But like Mel said who cares no one will remember Luongo in 10 years people will remember Iginla to Crosby, GOLD!

In 10 years no one save flame fans are going to remember Iginla passing the puck to Crosby.

The highlight of that game will forever be Crosby scoring in overtime and the celebration that ensued. Not a pass from Iginla, or a save by Luongo.

[SkunkyJosh]

Am I the only one who says that the ref helped the Canada to score in overtime? Sure, they are part of the game but this was horrible to see.

[kirant]

Here's my take on it. Team Canada didn't win the game because Luongo stole any games in the tournament. They won because of the whole team package. Luongo made the saves when he had to. It's kind of like Detroit really. People will continue to criticize him until he carries a team to a championship (like Brodeur and Roy).
This. Luongo did what he was asked to do. He never stepped up his game, he never carried the team on its back (Though you could make a case of the Slovakia game). He was the second starter of the Olympic team. He never pulled a Miller or a Hiller (or whoever the Lavian goaltender was).

He's going to get questioned until he's forced to take the team HIMSELF through a round.

[opendoor]

He's going to get questioned until he's forced to take the team HIMSELF through a round.

He already did it in 06-07. Vancouver got shut out 3 times yet they still won the series.

[Daradon]

Am I the only one who says that the ref helped the Canada to score in overtime? Sure, they are part of the game but this was horrible to see.

Hmmm, I was actually looking at it the opposite way. Going in it looked like he broke up the play more than he helped it.

Regardless of whether it changed the play enough to cause the goal, refs and linesmen are considered part of the rink and one has to expect them to get in the way sometimes.

[sa226]

Am I the only one who says that the ref helped the Canada to score in overtime? Sure, they are part of the game but this was horrible to see.


I do see what you are saying, on the play Crosby was carrying it back to the point where I assume he intended to pass it, the puck got caught in the refs skate, so Crosby was forced to stab at it with one hand to get it down low to Iginla and the rest is history.

It can be argued that had the puck not got caught in the refs skate Crosby wouldn't have passed it to Iginla and Crosby wouldn't have gotten a step on Rafalski and received the pass in the open

It can also be argued that he would have turned and passed it to Iggy regardless.

Impossible to prove either way.

If in fact the ref aided in the goal, in my opinion it in no way cheapens the goal.

The fact of the matter is Crosby beat Rafalski cleanly off the wall, Iginla won a puck battle and made a great pass, and Crosby made a great shot for the goal. End of story.

[HOOT]

In 10 years no one save flame fans are going to remember Iginla passing the puck to Crosby.

The highlight of that game will forever be Crosby scoring in overtime and the celebration that ensued. Not a pass from Iginla, or a save by Luongo.

You're only saying that because you are a Canucks fan.

[Johnny Canuck]

You're only saying that because you are a Canucks fan.

Nah, It's you letting your bias towards The Flames blind you.

This game will be remembered for Sidney Crosby's overtime goal. It was the perfect storybook ending, and because of that, in ten-twenty years time Crosby scoring the "golden goal" on Canadian soil will be the moment that resonates with Canadians. Not a pass from Iginla.

The only time I can think of a "pass' being remembered was back in 87, when it was Gretzky to Lemieux, and that was more remembered because of the players involved, and it being seen as a "passing of the torch" rather than the pass itself. Besides, lets be honest a Gretzky & Lemieux combination is much more iconic and therefore more memorable to Canadians as a whole than an Iginla & Crosby pairing. Unless of course you are a Flames fan.

[Daradon]

^^^ You are right, but I'd say it's closer than you think.

If you were to name the two most important Canadian forwards in the league right now, it'd be Crosby and Iginla. There may be others with more points or brighter futures than Iggy, but he's about as Captain Canuck as it comes. Plus he's had important roles in both gold medal wins.

He's not Gretzky or Lemieux or Crosby, but he's up there with Sakic, Yzerman, etc. for importance to this country.

It will be the goal that is remembered most for sure. And with it, Crosby. But for big time fans, or big Canadian fans alive during this time, I'm sure they'll be able to recite the whole shift, much like the play that got Henderson his goal.

[Gerry]

That's fine with us as we aren't trumpeting that Iginla won Canada the gold medal.

Agreed. But there was quite an emphasis on "Iginla to Crosby" as being what would be remembered in an earlier post.
The title of this thread bothers me a bit.I agree that it is misleading if you take it to read that he stole the game, which of course he didn't. But goal keepers are rated by wins and losses, unlike the skaters are, because they play the entire game, among other factors. So, in that sense, he got the win.

I guarantee that team Canada wins the game no matter which of the three goaltenders they had in net. You can't do that, and it's not fair. He was in net, and he was there for a reason. He got the win and neither Fluery or Brodeur can claim it. It's Luongo's win.

It just happened to be Luongo but IMO he was pretty shaky and the team won despite the better goaltender being at the other end.I agree that he was shaky. But he wasn't too shaky to stop what he had to stop. Those were good scoring chances that got by him. And he had some very good stops as well.

Saying that the better goaltender was at the other end is also not fair. Do you mean better in your opinion, as a goaltender, or better in that game? Because he was clearly the better of the two on the day. He won. And Miller did not stand on his head keeping the Yanks in it. Chances were pretty even, IMO.

[Mad Mel]

Luongo played under the most pressure that any goaltender has ever played under. Here's how he played:

SV%: .926
GAA: 1.76
Medal: Gold

Haters can hate, but the result speaks loudly enough to drown out their insignificant little voices.

[Kesler17]

Yep he definiteky did what was asked of him. Way to make us proud!!! Great two weeks here in Vancouver.

[HOOT]

Nah, It's you letting your bias towards The Flames blind you.


Just like Canuck fans think Luongo was lights out in the Gold medal game and won the game for Canada.

[henriksedin33]

Very classy posts in this thread, for the most part. Even if HOOT doesn't realize that no goalie in the world saves either of those goals. Seriously, a tip from 10 feet out, that one of the largest and best positional goalies in the world doesn't save, isn't going to be stopped by any smaller or less positionally sound keeper. A rebound off a screened and deflected shot that goes to a guy standing all alone in front....you can say he shouldn't have given up the rebound, but I'm pretty sure he didn't even see the shot through traffic, so again, I don't think any goalie saves the 2nd shot, maybe not even the first in many cases.


Yeah, Luongo is a gold medal winner; but so are Thornton and Heatley. I suppose we could agree that they all won the "big game", but how convinced are we after the fact that these players can will their teams to victory when they need it most?

Many people here have been pretty adamant that Fleury (and Ward even!) have "won the big game", when they both arguably played lesser roles in their teams' cup victories, and under SIGNIFICANTLY less pressure (did anyone in Carolina even know what was going on?). Look at Fleury's playoff numbers when they won, vs Luongo's elimination game Olympic numbers.

[henriksedin33]

Just like Canuck fans think Luongo was lights out in the Gold medal game and won the game for Canada.

34/36 is nothing to sneeze at, but I don't see anybody saying he won the game for Canada. He was a significant part of it, as any winning goalie usually is, but he didn't have to (nor should he have needed to) steal the game for Canada (being a MUCH better team on paper and on the ice).

[d_phaneuf]

gonna be no hiding in the room who the rest of the team was cheering for

0oZXwD3iTWM

[HOOT]

34/36 is nothing to sneeze at, but I don't see anybody saying he won the game for Canada. He was a significant part of it, as any winning goalie usually is, but he didn't have to (nor should he have needed to) steal the game for Canada (being a MUCH better team on paper and on the ice).

Exactly he was average and that's all they needed him to be.

[Gerry]

In the post-game evaluations across the country and especially here in Vancouver there is a huge amount of discussion concerning whether or not Luongo has taken a step beyond the criticism of his own ability to win the "big game", and quite honestly, most opinions seem to be cautiously optimistic. The very fact that this is even being discussed pretty much sums it up for me: it is still an issue and it will remain an issue until Luongo does something significant in remarkable fashion.

Yeah, Luongo is a gold medal winner; but so are Thornton and Heatley. I suppose we could agree that they all won the "big game", but how convinced are we after the fact that these players can will their teams to victory when they need it most?

But Luongo is a gold medal winning goal keeper, and there is the difference. Only that position is totally laid bare for 60 or more minutes. Every move is there to see and be criticized. If a skater, whether forward or defenseman has an indifferent shift, a mistake is not as important or glaring as if the keeper makes it.

Brodeur wore the goathorns for the loss against the US in the first game. I'm sure that a good look at the game record could find errors by the other 5 Canadians on the ice at the same time and people could say "well if he had done that, then the save, or lack of it, by Broduer would not have been necessary". But he's the goalie. He owns the loss. Just like Fluery has his wins in the Stanley Cup.

Whether another keeper could have done the same or better is immaterial. Luongo played the game. He won. That's all that matters. I'll agree that he has not stolen anything, and that is the benchmark for the greats like Roy and Brodeur, so Luongo is not there, at least not yet. But he did what he had to and he deserves credit for that.

[Gerry]

Exactly he was average and that's all they needed him to be.

That's a crock of crap, and you know it.

I could just as easily say that the whole team was "average" on the day. The big Crosby line was "average" for most of the "big" games against Russia, Slovakia, and the USA. Crosby himself just ended up "averaging" out with his big goal. If he had not scored that OT winner, what would his legacy have been in these games?

But, Crosby did what he had to, as did Iginla, and also Luongo. And so did the rest of the guys on the team. They ALL won GOLD. Nothing average about that, is there?

[burning_acid1]

He did a great job for Team Canada this year. No doubt about it.

[WCE]

gonna be no hiding in the room who the rest of the team was cheering for

0oZXwD3iTWM

LOL Salo must have been cheering for the Americans...you can hear a distinct "Suck it Sami!" near the end there.

[Kesler17]

LOL Salo must have been cheering for the Americans...you can hear a distinct "Suck it Sami!" near the end there.
It was for Samuellson, Sami Salo was still in Vancouver.

[Kaine]

From one extreme to another and all the trolls are out in force. Never ends.

Plan the parade route Vancouver, an elite goalie managed a win (something most good goaltenders provide from time to time). It's the Canucks posters that make it hard to cheer for or appreciate Luo's contribution, not the man himself. Guy did good (I won't say great as I don't believe goaltending dictated the outcome of this game) but it's getting harder and harder to say that with all the "he was lights out lulz" post.

[Johnny Canuck]

From one extreme to another and all the trolls are out in force. Never ends.

Plan the parade route Vancouver, an elite goalie managed a win (something most good goaltenders provide from time to time). It's the Canucks posters that make it hard to cheer for or appreciate Luo's contribution, not the man himself. Guy did good (I won't say great as I don't believe goaltending dictated the outcome of this game) but it's getting harder and harder to say that with all the "he was lights out lulz" post.

You do realize that both sides have their share of trolls, yea? Its the Flames posters (well the trolls, there are some genuinely great flame fan posters on this board, and i'm here because I enjoy conversing with them) that make it hard to cheer for guys like Iginla, Kiprusoff et al.

Luongo had a decent game, he by no means stole the game, and he by no means lost the game. However In the most pressure filled game in recent memory, he bent but didn't break. I think that, speaks volumes.

[Blaster86]

Anyone else find it funny that Finland did better with Antero Nittymaki?[/Troll trolling trolls]

[Mayer]

From one extreme to another and all the trolls are out in force. Never ends.

Plan the parade route Vancouver, an elite goalie managed a win (something most good goaltenders provide from time to time). It's the Canucks posters that make it hard to cheer for or appreciate Luo's contribution, not the man himself. Guy did good (I won't say great as I don't believe goaltending dictated the outcome of this game) but it's getting harder and harder to say that with all the "he was lights out lulz" post.

What posts are these? I must be reading a different thread.

[Kaine]

You do realize that both sides have their share of trolls, yea? Its the Flames posters (well the trolls, there are some genuinely great flame fan posters on this board, and i'm here because I enjoy conversing with them) that make it hard to cheer for guys like Iginla, Kiprusoff et al.

Luongo had a decent game, he by no means stole the game, and he by no means lost the game. However In the most pressure filled game in recent memory, he bent but didn't break. I think that, speaks volumes.

You are on a Flames message board, trolls or not they will garner far more support than your side will here. I think he had a good game, nothing beyond that as he didn't need to have a great game nor did he provide one. Speculation is the best anyone can do now.

I also suspect that most if not all teams that have played in a Stanley Cup final will argue about this so called "most pressure filled" game you speak of. It's up there, most is a stretch tho.

What posts are these? I must be reading a different thread.

Perhaps a poor choice of words on my part, the fact that criticism about him having a good game but hardly great is being contested by every Canuck poster around followed by every bored Flames poster responding in turn is a testament to the trolling that this thread has fallen into. I'm willing to admit he got the job done and did it well, but when I see posters arguing that "no goalie would have possibly stopped any of those" it makes it hard to want to give the guy any props.

[Johnny Canuck]

You are on a Flames message board, trolls or not they will garner far more support than your side will here. I think he had a good game, nothing beyond that as he didn't need to have a great game nor did he provide one. Speculation is the best anyone can do now.

I also suspect that most if not all teams that have played in a Stanley Cup final will argue about this so called "most pressure filled" game you speak of. It's up there, most is a stretch tho.

In terms of importance/viewership This was easily one of the biggest pressure filled games of all time. 80 percent of Canadians watched,(most watched of all time) as well as 27.6 million americans. (most views a hockey game in America has seen in 30 years)

Instead of just the hopes of a fanbase, these players were playing for the hope of a nation. If we had lost, there would have likely been another summit, and every player would have been picked apart and scrutinized. I'm not saying it was the most pressure filled game of all time (I think that applies to game 8 of the 72 summit series) but If that last game is not an example of an extremely high pressure game, I'm not sure what is. *Shrugs*

[Kaine]

In terms of importance/viewership This was easily one of the biggest pressure filled games of all time. 80 percent of Canadians watched,(most watched of all time) as well as 27.6 million americans. (most views a hockey game in America has seen in 30 years)

Instead of just the hopes of a fanbase, these players were playing for the hope of a nation. If we had lost, there would have likely been another summit, and every player would have been picked apart and scrutinized. If that's not pressure, I'm not sure what is. *Shrugs*

The pressure the fans felt or projected to the players is irrelevant. What the players actually feel/felt is what matters and again I suspect every team to play in a SCF would have something to say.

Leafs have several times the fanbase the Flames do, doubt anyone would argue that they would have more pressure to win than any other team getting to a fina... Nah couldn't finish that with a strait face... Leafs in a final? :D

Anyways you get the idea. Nobody said it wasn't high pressure, but "most" as you said may be a stretch.

[jayswin]

From one extreme to another and all the trolls are out in force. Never ends.

Plan the parade route Vancouver, an elite goalie managed a win (something most good goaltenders provide from time to time). It's the Canucks posters that make it hard to cheer for or appreciate Luo's contribution, not the man himself. Guy did good (I won't say great as I don't believe goaltending dictated the outcome of this game) but it's getting harder and harder to say that with all the "he was lights out lulz" post.


Especially that damn Canuck's troll who started this thread. ;)

[Kaine]

Especially that damn Canuck's troll who started this thread. ;)

Yeh what a terrible poster that one is! :D

:beer:

[Tsawwassen]

Just like Fluery has his wins in the Stanley Cup.
That is the reason Fleury should have taken over for Brodeur, Fleury has a ring and Luongo does not. Fleury has shown he can win the big game and make crucial saves in the final minute of a deciding game to preserve a win and not have it go into OT. Game 7 of a SC final proves that.

[Gerry]

That is the reason Fleury should have taken over for Brodeur, Fleury has a ring and Luongo does not. Fleury has shown he can win the big game and make crucial saves in the final minute of a deciding game to preserve a win and not have it go into OT. Game 7 of a SC final proves that.

Ah. I see. The bar is reset. Now you have to win the big game in regulation as a goalkeeper. OT is not good enough. Thanks for clearing that up.

[Flashpoint]

Honestly, I thought he was fighting the puck all game. Lots of rebounds. That sort of plays into the reputation he has for not being able to handle pressure. Some would even argue that Canada won in spite of Luongo (although I wouldn't). I think Luongo is a great goaltender, but most fans will acknowledge he had some problems in that game.

But he won. So at the end of the day - he did enough, and the team did enough to make it happen. Right before the OT goal Niedermeyer gave it away and Luongo stopped it. That was a huge save. So good enough. He's a winner, and he won at least one big game in his career.

You can't take it away from him.

[Infamous1]

That is the reason Fleury should have taken over for Brodeur, Fleury has a ring and Luongo does not. Fleury has shown he can win the big game and make crucial saves in the final minute of a deciding game to preserve a win and not have it go into OT. Game 7 of a SC final proves that.

How come your posts are always in a different font? Also, how come all your posts are to make everyone believe that Luongo sucks?

[Infamous1]

Luongo is probably the most positionally sound goalie in the game and with him being huge, he makes saves look easy. He doesn't have all these acrobat Kiprusoff type saves that would get him more accolades because he doesn't need to. Oh well I'm glad he was "average" and we won.

[MelBridgeman]

Luongo is probably the most positionally sound goalie in the game and with him being huge, he makes saves look easy. He doesn't have all these acrobat Kiprusoff type saves that would get him more accolades because he doesn't need to. Oh well I'm glad he was "average" and we won.

Which style takes more skill....? I think you know which.

[Sainters7]

He already did it in 06-07. Vancouver got shut out 3 times yet they still won the series.

Ya that's back when he was LUONGO. That Luongo is the reason why I picked him as the best goalie in the world this past summer. I haven't seen that goalie this year, he just doesn't look the same as he once did. I'm not saying he's past his prime or anything, as he's still young enough. But I've definitely seen him alot more dominant than he's looked this year.

That Dallas/Vancouver series was ridiculous. I've never seen a team get so outplayed and still win a series. I watched that whole series and I'd say out of all 7 games, there were maybe two periods where Vancouver looked like the better team(one being 3rd period game 7, when the Nucks had about 100 PP's). Take Luongo off that team and that's possibly a sweep.

I was actually excited when I found out Luongo would be taking over for Brodeur. I was just a little disappointed with the results, he didn't look near as solid as I thought he would. He did end up with a gold medal though, so I'll give him credit there. He did enough to win.

[d_phaneuf]

Which style takes more skill....? I think you know which.

which style kept more pucks out of the net against the US....? I think you know which.

[Blaster86]

Championships that Miikka Kipprusoff has won while being the starting Goaltender: ...

Championships that Roberto Luongo has won while being the starting Goaltender: Olympic Gold Medal
World Championship x2

Who can't win the big game, again?

[MelBridgeman]

which style kept more pucks out of the net against the US....? I think you know which.

His lack of rebound control, which is famous, allowed the US to tie it with mere seconds to go.

The more I look at the tying goal, the more i hate it...that rebound was could cost this country the gold...Luongo almost blew it. Brutal

[silentsim]

The more I look at the tying goal, the more i hate it...that rebound was could cost this country the gold...Luongo almost blew it. Brutal

But he didn't, and made 34 (or 36?) other saves that helped us win gold.

He played a solid game.

[jayswin]

His lack of rebound control, which is famous, allowed the US to tie it with mere seconds to go.

The more I look at the tying goal, the more i hate it...that rebound was could cost this country the gold...Luongo almost blew it. Brutal


...and if you look at Fleury's performance in last year's playoffs, it was anything but stellar. In fact Pens fans were going as far as to say they won the cup in spite of his sub par goaltending.

Yet, at the end of the day, he gets the title of being a Stanley Cup winning goalie, and fans (even in the last few posts here) will forever say that he proved he can win the big game.

Those two goals were overblown imo. That first goal that got tipped right in front of the net? If that was Kipper, most Flames fans would have said "oooh that was weak", then saw the replay of the tip and went "Nevermind, it was tipped right in front, you can't fault him for that".

Then the second one, Kane turned around and shot it through a crowd, it hit Langenbrunner's skate, then hit Luongo (it seriously could have easily found it's way through just from the deflection, but Luongo kicked it out), then came out to Parise, and both Neidermyer AND Weber had left Parise all alone in front. So it was an easy goal for Parise.

[opendoor]

His lack of rebound control, which is famous, allowed the US to tie it with mere seconds to go.

The more I look at the tying goal, the more i hate it...that rebound was could cost this country the gold...Luongo almost blew it. Brutal

Yeah... it could be that Luongo let out a rebound on a deflected shot through 4 guys that was 6 inches off the ice. That or the fact that two Americans were left completely unchecked right in front of the net with 25 seconds to go while the Canadian defense were busy trying to be shot blockers.

Seriously, you look at this:

http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/5250/gmg.jpg

and see it as a goaltending issue? I guess it depends who was in net. If that was Finland with Kiprusoff in net I'm sure we'd be hearing how he was hung out to dry.

[MelBridgeman]

Those two goals were overblown imo. That first goal that got tipped right in front of the net? If that was Kipper, most Flames fans would have said "oooh that was weak", then saw the replay of the tip and went "Nevermind, it was tipped right in front, you can't fault him for that".


You're right it was tipped, but it went through him, the tip was minimal, he was in position and puck snuck between his body and his arm...so he could of saved it....he did everything right to stop that, except he let it sneak through him, so i am on the fence with that one.


Then the second one, Kane turned around and shot it through a crowd, it hit Langenbrunner's skate, then hit Luongo (it seriously could have easily found it's way through just from the deflection, but Luongo kicked it out), then came out to Parise, and both Neidermyer AND Weber had left Parise all alone in front. So it was an easy goal for Parise.

That is why i don't like it, he kicked out a rebound to the opposition when they were behind his defense, he needs to be more aware on that play.


I am not calling any of the goals weak. But i am also not going to say that he had no chance, or he didn't make his own bed.

[MelBridgeman]

Yeah... it could be that Luongo let out a rebound on a deflected shot through 4 guys that was 6 inches off the ice. That or the fact that two Americans were left completely unchecked right in front of the net with 25 seconds to go while the Canadian defense were busy trying to be shot blockers.

Seriously, you look at this:

http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/5250/gmg.jpg

and see it as a goaltending issue? I guess it depends who was in net. If that was Finland with Kiprusoff in net I'm sure we'd be hearing how he was hung out to dry.

Like i said, he kicked a rebound out to when two opposition players were behind his D...he could of been a little more aware.

[MelBridgeman]

Anyways we won! Luongo was a part of that! Let's be happy until March 14th.

[Blaster86]

I have mel on ignore, but the triple post sure looks like he's floundering for excuses!

[JustAnotherGuy]

Luongo looks weak the entire game. How do the Canuck fans not go insane watching him all the time? I had zero confidence in him as I watched the game. How many weak goals did he let in? The goaltending was definitely the weak link in Canada's games. I would say we won dispite the goaltenders.

[Mayer]

Like i said, he kicked a rebound out to when two opposition players were behind his D...he could of been a little more aware.

Have you ever played goal?

Do you realize how hard it is to direct rebounds off a deflection? Any goalie will tell you that just stopping a deflection is hard enough, let alone steering it where you want.

No possible way can you fault Luongo for that 2nd goal.

[opendoor]

Luongo looks weak the entire game. How do the Canuck fans not go insane watching him all the time? I had zero confidence in him as I watched the game. How many weak goals did he let in? The goaltending was definitely the weak link in Canada's games. I would say we won dispite the goaltenders.

By my count? One or two. Which is less than any other medal contending goalie let in.

[MelBridgeman]

Have you ever played goal?

Do you realize how hard it is to direct rebounds off a deflection? Any goalie will tell you that just stopping a deflection is hard enough, let alone steering it where you want.

No possible way can you fault Luongo for that 2nd goal.

Yes, remember I know everything, so why bother?

[vicphoenix13]

Luongo looks weak the entire game. How do the Canuck fans not go insane watching him all the time? I had zero confidence in him as I watched the game. How many weak goals did he let in? The goaltending was definitely the weak link in Canada's games. I would say we won dispite the goaltenders.


If Canada won all these games 7-6 or 5-4, I would agree with your argument that they won despite the goalies. But they won the last two games 3-2 so the goaltending wasn't an issue. Loungo's stats for the tournament were 5-0, 1.67 GAA and a .927 Save Percentage. But all the haters will continue to claim that Luongo wasn't good enough.

[Tsawwassen]

Ah. I see. The bar is reset. Now you have to win the big game in regulation as a goalkeeper. OT is not good enough. Thanks for clearing that up.

I am joking about having to win in regulation being the deciding factor. The big difference is that Fleury has the ring and Luongo has squat.

[Tsawwassen]

How come your posts are always in a different font? Also, how come all your posts are to make everyone believe that Luongo sucks? I prefer the arial font instead of the verdana font. Luongo has never made it past the second round of the playoffs. Kiprusoff and Fleury have made it to the finals with Fleury winning it. Above all, Luongo is the enemy, whether he is on the all star Olympic team or on the Canucks team. A rule of thumb, any player that is not a Calgary Flame is the enemy.

[Blaster86]

I am joking about having to win in regulation being the deciding factor. The big difference is that Fleury has the ring and Luongo has a gold medal.


Fixed.

[:::.Scoot.:::]

I don't see how an Olympic Gold medal is squat, but okay...

Look, give credit where credit is due. Nobody is asking for the country to love Luongo. He didn't win the game for Canada and he didn't lose it, but he got the job done in the end.

[Tsawwassen]

The comment of squat meant that Luongo has zero Stanley Cup rings. Luongo has not made to the third round of the playoffs. Technically, Fleury has a gold medal too. The Stanley Cup is greater than a gold medal. The cup is the grand prize, the gold certainly ranks up there but not as high as the cup.