Now we've hit a wall - A look at Roberto Luongo
by Matthew Dirt on Apr 30, 2009 12:48 PM CDT
27 comments
Quick - name the Canucks back up
Ok.. It's Jason LaBarbera.. and guess what else? Both he and Luongo are listed as 6'3".. what the hell guys?
That's not what we're going to talk about here though.
The biggest match up is the battle between the pipes - Khabby vs. Luongo. We've seen the teams are close with the forwards and the D-Men. And honestly they're not that far apart in either department.
The Canucks biggest strength is Luongo - he's a monster in the net.
How he wasn't nominated for the Vezina Trophy I don't really get... Backstrom is overrated...
I shouldn't have to tell you that Luongo is pretty capable of winning this series on his own. He can steal just about any game he wants if he's on. If the Hawks want to win they'll have to find a way to beat this man. Not an easy task.. You can try to rattle him but he doesn't wilt under pressure. And he doesn't like it when pesky reporters ask him silly questions either..
In the series against the Blues Lou put up insane numbers. A .962 SV% and 1.15 GAA with 1 shut out. And it's not like he's a stranger to great post-season play either. In '06-'07 he had a 1.77 GAA and a .941 SV%.. still.. even with those numbers.. the Nucks lost.
The Sedins scare because they're insane - Luongo scares me because he's insanely good.
Lucky for us, Khabby is showing he's no slouch:
Khabby's numbers aren't nearly as impressive this postseason - .914 and 2.52 - but there's still reason to hope. When Khabby was good in the first round, he was very good, when he was bad he was pretty bad, when he was great he was unbeatable.
Just check out these SV%'s
| Game 1 | .920 |
| Game 2 | .938 |
| Game 3 | .857 |
| Game 4 | .808 |
| Game 5 | .950 |
| Game 6 | .977 |
The first two road games were rough - but there were rough on all the Hawks, not just Khabby. If Khabby can step up and play like he did in the last two games though, it could be the best goalie match up in the playoffs so far.
Here's something else to be concerned about though - as good as Khabby has been career wise against the Flames, he's been that bad against the Canucks.
WARNING: Don't read this if you don't want me to bum out your high... but career wise - he's 6-16 with 1 tie and 2 OTLs against the Canucks with a 3.39 GAA and a .887 SV%... yikes. They're one team that just seems to have his number.
So that really needs to change. Or we might see Huet get in a few games.
And just for fun - Huet is 2-2 with one tie against the Nucks with a 2.55GAA and .911SV%.
These two teams are incredibly close on paper but this is the key match up. The Hawks need Khabby to step up his game and keep the Hawks in this because you simply can't hope for Luongo to play poorly.
Advantage: Nucks
0 recs |
27 comments
|
Email
Print
Comments
Product of his system. Basically puts up the same numbers as every other goalie (Fernandez, Roloson, Harding) that has gone through the pipes there.
Mirtle had a couple of good posts about it.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
I’m a bit surprised that so many “experts” are picking the Hawks to win. Just heard Melrose on WMVP picking the Hawks in 7 and over at Puck Prospectus they have the Hawks in 7 as well.
sabr view
http://puckprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=108
I think all of this makes me even more nervous…
I’m surprised someone put Melrose and Expert together.. even if it was in quotes
by Matthew Dirt on Apr 30, 2009 2:40 PM CDT up reply actions
“expert” in quotes are pretty standard fare for referring to ESPN “analysts”. Also see pretty much anyone on Baseball Tonight.
by Crease Monkey on Apr 30, 2009 2:50 PM CDT up reply actions
because those same pundits
all picked Calgary in 5 or 6
by runningquicklynowhere on Apr 30, 2009 2:40 PM CDT up reply actions
mainly because Loungo is the best goalie in the world…and home ice advantage…I know a lot of people don’t put much stock into it but it certainly comes into play in Game 7s and they’re predicting the series to go 7.
by Crease Monkey on Apr 30, 2009 2:53 PM CDT up reply actions
Good point. It’s important that the Hawks split these first two (oh hell, or win them both) and steal that home ice advantage. I think it will be a long series, but if the Hawks are going to get it done, I think the series has to end in Game 6 at the UC. Game 7 on the road is not an ideal situation.
not to mention
the 1.63 career GAA in 15 playoff games. I know it didn’t help the Nucks two years ago but they have a more balanced offense these days and the D is a bit deeper/experienced now.
by Crease Monkey on Apr 30, 2009 3:52 PM CDT up reply actions
One important variable in goalie performance
The quality of the defense you put in front of a goalie is as telling about a goalie’s effectiveness as anything else, and probably best explains a GAA.
Vancouver has a disciplined defensive corps. The Hawks on the other hand have brilliance that is as fleeting as their tougher moments can be. When one analyzes the Calgary series, it was not weak goaltending that accounted for Khabi’s bad games as much as it was swiss cheese defense at critical times. But the bright side is that people like Walker and Barker have stepped it up a notch since those first two road games, and Keith and Seabrook have just become insanely good at the right time.
Goalies shine when they put the icing on the cake by making a few spectacular/timely saves. Any goalie, even Luongo, would have difficulty keeping 40+ shots all out of the net every night.
What I find (and I could be wrong) is that Khabi gives back as he is given. And If he knows that his defense is playing well in front of him, that is when I see him elevate his game to the level he is capable of.
What I notice in Luongo is that it is when his defense fails him that you actually have time to get him moving post to post and sneak one past him. It is not too often that the Vancouver D offers chances like that. But the scoring talent of the Hawks has proven to be skilled enough to thread needles at critical times.
This series is shaping up to be an exciting match up between two teams with some common talents. As I have stated before, home ice is KEY, and for red to rise they will need to win at least one in the Great White North to stay motivated and focused.
by Return of the Roar on Apr 30, 2009 2:09 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
As 'they' say
the series hasn’t really turned until the first road win. Hawks need to get a win up in Vancouver, due to the assininity (mj will tell you, its a word) that gave them home ice despite an inferior record.
When it gets back to the UC, we will ensure the hawks hold court.
Got more soul than a sock with a hole.
Jeez guys. I'm kidding around.
The Nucks Misconduct guys thought we were a little strange when we celebrated the Hawks first round victory by getting into a discussion about beer. Way till they see we prepare for the next round by arguing over grammar.
Got more soul than a sock with a hole.
you already did that
check out the comments a few stories ago, after you beat calgary. i said hi, and you guys discussed the grammatical correctness of “more superior” in my signature.
GO CANUCKS GO!
I may not be an English teacher,
but you just combined my two biggest pet peeves. Big credit goes out to my 7th grade teacher. I think I was the only person in my high school who knew how to diagram a sentence.
You and I are gonna live forever
by Original Six on Apr 30, 2009 3:28 PM CDT up reply actions
GAA is a team stat
In my opinion. Though not perfect as it still does not account for shot quality, SV% is a better pure goaltender statistic.
Not that it really matters from our perspective, though, as Luongo put up insane numbers in both categories in the first round. That speaks to both great goaltending and solid defense.
Hawks are going to need to capitalize on what little opportunities present themselves. Special teams is going to be large.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Second City Hockey
Related FanShots on Second City Hockey
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Latest Puck Daddy - NHL from Yahoo! Sports
- Trending Topics: Odd arbitration decisions; more NHLers Tweeting
- Ovechkin wins fifth Kharlamov Trophy, talks Talbot
- Puck Headlines: Witt hits waivers; Kovalchuk grievance details set
- Jersey Fouls: Sharks get creatively awful; hockey movie pass/fail
- White, Flames agree to one-year deal; Bruins sign Wheeler
Certain photos copyright © 2010 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
