Two questionable goaltending decisions today. The guy that made the wrong choice, ended up winning. The guy that made the right choice lost. You don't often see that.
The Vancouver Canucks didn't win tonight, but I have every reason to believe they will on Tuesday in game seven.
Full marks to Alain Vigneault for getting the right pulse on his roster by inserting Cory Schneider to start in goal tonight. While not all of the goals against in games four and five were Roberto Luongo's fault; the team in front of him had clearly lost its confidence with him between the pipes. While media pundits applauded Vigneault's balls for switching to Schneider, I have to think the decision was pretty easy. Schneider is a good goalie, who figures to be even better in the years to come. And, how can you start a guy who has given up 10 goals in the equivalent of a full game over his last 60 minutes? Don't rule out the players going to Vigneault and requesting Schneider be put in there.
Too bad for Schneider, who pulled a groin or something on the Michael Frolik shorthanded goal. To me, the call for a penalty shot was weak. Definitely should have been a two minute minor. Following the Frolik goal, I caught the Blackhawks for slashing on Henrik Sedin, an elbow to the head of Kevin Bieksa, and too many men on the ice. None went for penalties, yet Vancouver had the penalty shot call against them as well as a very lengthy second period five-on-three. So, they got no favors tonight.
Further, Chicago got two goals on screw ups by a seldom used netminder miscommunicating with his defense as well as another on a penalty shot. To me, the Hawks were not in this game tonight. Unlike the last two, where they just obliterated the Canucks. If we see a similar game on Tuesday as to what we witnessed tonight, Vancouver wins.
And, based on the Schneider injury...Luongo will start.
The other thing Vigneault has to do for game seven is reunite Burrows with the Sedins. It drives me nuts to watch players like the Sedins, the sweethearts on San Jose, David Krejci, and Marian Gaborik just float through the playoffs the way they do. While the confidence of Luongo is a big question mark, the dedication of the Swedes in big games also leaves a lot to be desired.
I think Vancouver's biggest problem is that their key players are not Stanley Cup grit guys. Sedins, Samuelsson, Ehroff, Edler, and Salo are all good players; but they are not playoff type leaders. Meanwhile, Toews, Bolland, Keith, and Seabrook are.
Which brings us to another team that was let down by its head coach today: Philadelphia Flyers. Fortunately, they live to see another day.
The decision by Peter Laviolette to start Michael Leighton smells a bit like coaching ego. At the very least, it's stupidity. You are facing elimination in the NHL playoffs and you turn to a guy that has played one game at the NHL level all season? You also play a guy that gave up the Stanley Cup winning goal from behind the crease line last year? This is also a guy that couldn't keep a job in the NHL until he caught lightning in a bottle for a stretch last season. There was just no justifiable reason to put him in there.
To me, Laviolette bailed on Sergei Bobrovsky way too early. He was good in a 1-0 loss in game one and then was bad in game two, giving up three first period goals. From there, he goes straight to the press box. Wow. Your number one netminder doesn't even get the benefit of a mulligan.
Enter Brian Boucher, who has played exactly like Brian Boucher has played for the last fifteen years or so. He gives up the odd bad goal, but otherwise plays good enough between the pipes that a team like Philly should win most nights. Was he shaky in game five? Yes. But, Boucher is like that. Any coach with a pulse on his team knows Boucher could go right back in for game six without missing a beat. It's like a closer who blows a save. You return with your guy.
Instead, Laviolette has pretty much broadcast to the world that he has no confidence in any of these three. Based on interviews and other comments made over the course of the season, the players like Boucher and want him to do well. He's their choice. And, he should be Laviolette's too. If Philly finds a way to win game seven, then Boucher has to be the guy the rest of the way whether he goes to hell in a hand basket or not.
I wonder if Bobrovsky gets elevated to back-up?
Your blog is really nice.
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