I tend to agree. I think they have to come to terms with the fact that Luongo's $64 million was a mistake, suck it up and move on, and just do what they have to do to win. Ironically the outfit took in $33 million in gate receipts Wed. night, which puts the $64 million in different perspective. :smile:
Yes that long contract was a mistake. After I listened to the news conference today, I felt pretty good
about next year, as it is clear that they are keeping schneider, and want him to get better and have
'more' playing time, and they want to help luongo improve so that he is capable of becoming a champion.
Showed me that they have a good healthy view of their goaltending, and gillis made it very clear how
much he likes schneider, and wants him around.
The team that played in the final series was 'not' the team that finished the regular season, and even
that team was minus malhotra. They gradually, throughout the 3rd and 4th series lost player after player,
not that they were all out of the lineup, but a good example is kesler, he went from being a strong
power forward who was the engine that ran second line to a player who had ordinary skills, and just
worked hard, because his hip was injured and hampered his ability, because when he
was healthy that second line was excellent, and will be again when kesler and
friends are in top shape.
These aren't excuses, just facts, and when they read out all of the injuries today, (ten of them), it
was very clear the team was crippled, and gillis said as much.
They did the best they could under the circumstances, and it is all just part of the playoffs, and
also is a good reason why no one can really figure out who will ever win, because these things happen
to players on many different teams, changing their ability to perform at their best.
Luongo was not injured, but in my opinion, he felt the pressure of the playoffs, and I think that is
why he floundered away from home rink, he can learn to be tougher next time, having
gone through it this season,
And, yes kreskin, next year the goalies will become a little more equal, (probably not alltogether),
and schneider will be given more respect, more playing time, and make his mark on this team.
It is allready exciting.
Yes, I heard bieksa say on team 1040 today, he will play for less to stay in vancouver, thats where
he wants to be, to continue building a winner.
But I still feel irritated remembering that chiago could have won that first series
in overtime, and no one would have accepted the team just getting back to the
drawing board, (as they will do now), and making the team better for next year,
the rath of the fans and media would have driven people out of town, and they
would have had to do a rebuild, when it wouldn't have been necessary, just because
people would have been having tantrums because they didn't have things their way.
A very very fine line, between sharp not scoring that goal, or scoring that goal.
I will never understand that mentality.
p.s. the salary cap is going up to about 60 million, which will give gillis's
capologist more room to calculate salaries, and perhaps now they can keep both
bieksa and erhoff.
