A prize goaltender struggling with consistency is the worst nightmare for hockey fans. Just as the Chicago Blackhawks.
Roberto Luongo had appeared to get under control after a horrible return from the Olympic break, but 13 allowed goals in four games -- with three losses -- had the Vancouver Canucks looking for options on how to bring the goaltender out of his funk. Turns out, all he needed was a game off. At least that’s what he says, per Ben Kuzma of The Province:
“I’ve been in the league 10 years and I’ve been through this before. The solution is not to take a week off. I’ve had two days and that’s more than enough for me. I’ve always worked through things and I’m a hard-working guy and I want to play. I don’t want to sit on the bench and watch games -- one is enough for me.”
You’d have thought that resting Luongo for two games, both against relatively beatable opponents, would have been a smart choice considering the workload he’s been under this season. But hey, AV wanted to have his ‘best lineup on the ice’ against the Oilers, which didn’t really work out as planned. Hindsight, and all that.