Injuries expose Canada's vulnerability in net What if this were January 2010, instead of 2009:...

Injuries expose Canada's vulnerability in net

What if this were January 2010, instead of 2009: How much angst would there be over the state of Canadian goaltending this close to the Winter Olympics?

Martin Brodeur remains injured in New Jersey. Roberto Luongo has just come back and hasn't been sharp in Vancouver. Carey Price is hurting, although he's playing in tonight's all-star game in Montreal. And after that, what?

Marc-Andre Fleury is having a terrible season in Pittsburgh. Same with Marty Turco in Dallas. Cam Ward has been up and down in Carolina.

You could argue the best Canadian goaltenders in the National Hockey League so far this season have been Manny Fernandez in Boston and rookie Steve Mason in Columbus.

Would anyone be comfortable with an Olympic team with either of them starting?

The assumption remains that Brodeur and Luongo will be the goaltenders for Team Canada, with Price, likely as the third netminder. But with the preponderance of goalie injuries -- and with butterfly goaltenders the incidents are becoming more frequent -- it's not exactly a comfortable feeling.

Not when you consider that Henrik Lundqvist may be in goal for Sweden, Miikka Kiprusoff could be manning the nets for Finland and Tim Thomas for the United States, Evgeny Nabokov for Russia and Tomas Vokoun for the Czechs -- the quality of world goaltenders is that high.

Canada needs a healthy Luongo or a healthy Brodeur to compete.

Good thing there still is a year to go to Vancouver.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Columnists/Simmons/2009/01/25/8140321-sun.html

Simmons is an idiot. While sure, he has a bit of a point that if Canada's three best goalies get injured we may have a tiny bit of a problem, isn't that more true of every other country? What a jackass.

over 3 years ago lordosis 4 comments 0 recs |

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It’s funny that it’s a big deal for Canada a year before the tournament but what about those other countries?

They mostly either don’t have the depth (Russia) or have injury-prone goalies (Finland).

Basically, if you took any countries top three goalies out the country would be up shit’s creek.

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by PPP on Jan 25, 2009 9:17 PM EST reply actions

I also enjoy that he ignores J-S Giguere, who while struggling a bit this year is still a stud goalie.

As far as the other countries go, Russia has 3 NHL starters, but if they went to the 4th they’d be using a minor leaguer. The US have 4 starters really, but how’d you feel with Craig Anderson in net? The Czechs and Sweden only have one NHL starter. Really, the only other country with any sort of depth is Finland, but how would you feel with Toskala as your starting goalie? Pretty shitty right? Suicidal? And that’s even assuming he’s 4th.

by lordosis on Jan 25, 2009 9:33 PM EST up reply actions

Ugh

Both Luongo and Brodeur have a history of health, rarely have these guys been injured.

Granted with Luongo a groin is a bit scary but I wouldn’t exactly be hitting the panic button at this point, They have the entire off-season to make sure they are healthy and Boom away we go to the new season.

I believe in Karma. That means I can do bad things to people all day long and I assume they deserve it. - Dogbert

by JohnnyG on Jan 25, 2009 11:45 PM EST reply actions

Not concerned

Go with who’s hot is what I say, I don’t think goalies like Brodeur or Luongo should get the call and play for Canada in 2010 just on their name alone… if they’re hurt or they’re rusty then don’t send them, there are ample Canadian goalies in the NHL for the country to choose from.

"God's in His heaven. All's right with the world." - Robert Browning (1812-1889)

by Winkle on Jan 26, 2009 8:28 AM EST reply actions