Stop It And They Will Win

I wish I could sit here and tell you that the fact the Vancouver went 8-2-2 in November was because the team was a well balanced, efficient, playoff ready hockey team. But I can't. The Canucks went 5-7-0 in October for the exact same reason they are now winning.

Roberto Luongo.

When Luongo stops pucks the Canucks win, when he is average they lose. It doesn't get anymore complicated then that. Don't believe me? Well name me one other goalie, that in his last 12 games, has a GAA of 1.56 and a SV% of 0.940? There is none. There is only one goalie in the NHL today that can put up those numbers and he plays for the Canucks. Not to mention the 210 minutes and 24 seconds of shutout hockey Luongo played this month as well. As one writer this week already said, "With the way Roberto Luongo has been playing of late, it's little wonder that scoring is down again in the NHL."

Of course there has to be a token amount of offense from somewhere to still win a hockey game, and the Sedin twins and Markus Naslund are providing that on a consistent basis for the team. Frankly they are one of the most fun lines to watch in the NHL on most nights. The concern for the Canucks, in my mind, is the future. Like most Canadian teams, they haven't attracted big name Free Agents and I can't remember the last time I read about the team drafting a stud offensive player. The future of Naslund and Morrison with the hockey team is clouded at best and I don't think Peter Forsberg is the answer. Can the Canucks offense move backwards from here? If it does, I guess the real question is can Luongo be better?

Then again, this is just a damned opinion.

damned

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If you happen to be a fan of the Vancouver Canucks, drop in and give us your two cents.