Quote:
Originally Posted by zunie75
I get that Broduer didnt play well. Thats clear, he would be the first to admit it. But how do you pull him if your Babcock? You would be pulling the greatest goalie of all time.
So im sure they figured he would regain his usual brilliant play. Sadly it did not happen. Now mabye Luongo wouldnt have let in the particular goals that Marty did, but whos to say he wouldnt have let in different ones? Afterall what has Luongo done in his career to suggest that he is a better goalie than Broduer or Fleury? Which big games has "Lou" won?
I honestly think that Marc Andre Fleury would be a more efficent answer than Luongo. Fleury has played in big games with meaning and has come out a champion. Luongo has not. A shut out against Norway is hardly the telling factor of goaltending ability.
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Luongo has proven to be one of the most consistent and reliable goaltenders over the last decade and has continued that this year. Brodeur was that, but he's had problems this year and Fleury has been pretty awful.
This whole "big game" theory is a bunch of hogwash. This is a short tournament and you need the guy who is playing best right now and that is clearly Luongo. Had Lundqvist and Nittymaki won "big games" before 2006? No, but they were fighting it out for the gold medal. In fact, how many goalies in the tournament have met your standard?
Other than Fleury, not one cup finalist since the lockout is in the tournament. I guess someone better tell the US that Miller's not clutch enough; Russia better get rid of Nabokov and Bryzgalov, they've never won the big games; Henrik Lundqvist, sorry hasn't been clutch enough; Vokoun hasn't either.
Also, just to put Fleury's clutch goaltending in perspective, here are the playoff stats of the last several cup winners in the year they won the cup:
Roy: GAA: 1.70, SV% .934
Hasek: GAA: 1.86, SV%: .920
Brodeur: GAA: 1.65, SV%: .934
Khabibulin: GAA: 1.71, SV%: .933
Ward: GAA: 2.14, SV%: .920
Giguere: GAA: 1.97, SV%: .922
Osgood: GAA: 1.55, SV%: .930
Fleury: GAA: 2.61, SV%: .908
Hmmm, one of those isn't like the others.