Know Your Enemy: The St. Louis Goalies
by Yankee Canuck on Apr 13, 2009 6:44 PM PDT
in NHL Playoffs
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We've seen what their defense looks like, so what about the guy they're standing in front of? It's worth asking because, if nothing else, both their guy and ours end the season as stars of the week.
Here are the goalies we wish to have several problems over the next several days (be they mental or physical, or better yet both):
St. Louis Goalie Pairings
Perhaps you're thinking "where's that Legace individual?" Good question; the Blues sent their former #1 down to Peoria in early February because he was coughing up points/games in addition to rumors he was becoming a locker room cancer.
Fun fact: did you know that the Canucks actually claimed Legace on waivers back in 1999 when the Wings had Osgood and Ken Wregget on the roster but left him unprotected for two weeks and Detroit took him back? This is back when the 'Nucks net was protected by the likes of Snow and Schwab. Yikes.
Anyway, sending Legace down meant it was Chris Mason's game and he answered the call:
Originally drafted by the Devils in 1995, Mason was the back-up in Nashville for six seasons before moving over to St. Louis. Chris "Overpaid?" Mason has been a savior for the Blues, gently leveling their listing club once Legace got sent down and he got his shot at being a legit #1. Mason has set career bests this season in terms of GAA, wins and shutouts. You can't ignore the defense in front of him either; very much a shutdown crew that will be blocking shots and removing the lanes so, with Mason behind them, it's a formidable bunch. For what it's worth, his career numbers against Vancouver: 1-4-1, 3.19 GAA, .892 save%, 0 SO.
Let's start with Bishop being the tallest goalie in the NHL at 6'7'', edging out the Rangers' Valiquette by two inches. That's pretty cool. Bishop was drafted by the Blues 85th in 2005 and played three seasons at the University of Maine and five games this year for the Peoria Rivermen. Bishop made his NHL debut in October after Legace tripped over a rug during a pregame presentation that included Sarah Plain (so, yeah, there's some karma for ya). He last started a game in December and hasn't made a relief appearance since early March. He's never played Vancouver in his young career and I guess he likes hugging trees.
By The Numbers (for convenience let's just look at Luongo VS Mason)
2008-09 Games Started
Mason - 57
Luongo - 54
2008-09 Wins
Mason - 27
Luongo - 33
2008-09 Losses
Mason - 21
Luongo - 13
2008-09 Total Goals Against
Mason - 129
Luongo - 124
2008-09 Average Shots Against Per Game
Mason - 27.09
Luongo - 28.56
2008-09 Average Shot Distance
Mason - 35.02 ft
Luongo -35.49 ft
2008-09 Goals Against Average
Mason - 2.41
Luongo - 2.34
2008-09 Save Percentage
Mason - .916
Luongo - .920
2008-09 Shutouts
Mason - 6
Luongo - 9
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Not only am I loving the Rage Against the Machine references, I’m also loving the comparative stats!
Please do NOT post the one with them all nude on stage during that protest.
by Linix129 on Apr 13, 2009 6:57 PM PDT up reply actions
deal
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Apr 13, 2009 6:59 PM PDT up reply actions
Sure glad I didn’t have tickets to that show!
They also gave a free show after doing that, which is kind of pointless since the fans still payed for the other show.
by Linix129 on Apr 13, 2009 7:01 PM PDT up reply actions
Canucks have a history of celebrating when they lose:
No seriously, I just wanted to take a second to say I have hated the Canucks since 1970.
“The first choice in the 1970 Entry Draft was determined by the spin of a giant roulette wheel. Punch Imlach, Buffalo’s general manager, won the coin flip and chose the Number 11, his favoured number. NHL president Clarence Campbell spun the wheel and announced it had stopped on the Number 1. The Vancouver Canucks executives began celebrating until Imlach took a closer look and noticed that the wheel was actually stopped on ‘11,’ not 1.’ Gilbert Perreault was quickly selected as the Buffalo Sabres’ first player and wore the Number 11 throughout his pro career. With the second choice, the Canucks settled for Dale Tallon. The Sabres built their franchise around the young Victoriaville star.”
You are a cock,
by Genetic Mutation on Apr 13, 2009 6:57 PM PDT reply actions
You’ve hated us for 39 years? That’s basically a compliment.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Apr 13, 2009 7:02 PM PDT up reply actions
Ooo ooo I got one!
ST. LOUIS (AP) – St. Louis Blues forward Mike Danton was arrested Friday in an alleged murder-for-hire scheme, the FBI said.
Danton, 23, was arrested at the airport in San Jose, Calif., after the Blues were knocked out of the NHL playoffs in a loss to the San Jose Sharks on Thursday.
According to a criminal complaint filed in federal court in Illinois, Danton told a female friend that a hitman from Canada was coming to kill him and asked the woman if she knew someone who would kill the person for $10,000.
The woman, identified as Katie Wolfmeyer, passed his call to another man, described in the complaint as a “co-operating witness.”
The FBI witness and Danton spoke again on Thursday, and Danton allegedly hatched a plot where the witness could kill the “hitman” at Danton’s apartment and make it look like two burglars had broken in, one being killed and the other making off with $3,000 Danton had in a safe.
The complaint alleges that Danton actually was trying to kill a male acquaintance after an argument Tuesday in which the two fought over Danton’s “promiscuity and use of alcohol.” The complaint said Danton feared the acquaintance, who is not named, would talk to St. Louis Blues management and ruin Danton’s career.
I don’t know what’s in the water they drink in St. Lou. It’s probably other people’s poo.
by Sean Zandberg on Apr 13, 2009 8:08 PM PDT up reply actions
There's more
"When my dad was playing in Winnipeg in ‘72-I was about 8 years old-he took me to my first outdoor rink in the winter. My feet were so cold, and then it gets even more excruciating once they start to thaw. It was the most excruciating pain I’ve ever had." – Brett Hull
I hope you guys didn’t retire this wimp’s number..
by Sean Zandberg on Apr 13, 2009 8:11 PM PDT up reply actions
OK one more Hull quote
"You think you are invincible, and then all of a sudden you think you are useless. It’s the worst feeling I’ve had in my life."
That seems to be the motto of Blues fans right now. They are just following their old hero like blind sheep.
by Sean Zandberg on Apr 13, 2009 8:13 PM PDT up reply actions
Thug for Thug
Monday’s game started with Moore dropping the gloves with Matt Cooke in the first, and Bertuzzi was chasing Moore around the ice midway through the third.
Bertuzzi, Naslund’s linemate and close friend, punched Moore in the head from behind while skating at center ice. The 245-pound Canucks winger then jumped on Moore’s back and drove him face first into the ice, knocking him unconscious.
“Obviously, I think we all feel bad about someone getting hurt,” Naslund said. “Todd feels awful about it and is very sorry. I know it might not mean much right now. As weird as it seems, I don’t think that was Todd’s intentions. He obviously gave him a sucker punch but he feels really awful about it right now.”
Trainers from both teams rushed to Moore’s side while players from both teams squared off for more fights. Moore was motionless on the ice with a puddle of blood pouring onto the ice around him.
“It was disgusting,” Avalanche defenseman Derek Morris said. “I haven’t seen anything like that in my seven years of playing hockey. This was premeditated; this was the worst thing I’ve seen.”
After a 10-minute delay, during which Colorado coach Tony Granato tried to get at the Canucks bench and screamed at Vancouver coach Marc Crawford, Moore was strapped onto a stretcher and wheeled off.
Fan of: Cards, Blues, Yellow Jackets, Rams, Wolverines, and Blazers.
by ColinMacLeod on Apr 14, 2009 1:05 PM PDT up reply actions
Since 1970...
I wonder how sad your life is with all this “hatred”… LOL!
We are all Canucks.
by Chinese Canuck on Apr 13, 2009 8:44 PM PDT up reply actions
Okay but our Swedes
beat yours in a beauty contest any day of the week.
Taking out the Canucks, One game at a time.
Chris Mason
his career numbers against Vancouver: 1-4-1, 3.19 GAA, .892 save%, 0 SO.
I would rather face him than the other Mason, comes to think about it.
We are all Canucks.
I’m a little more weary of their forwards than their backend…the kids in St Louis can approach this series one of two ways. Nothing to lose and just play balls out (which they are perfectly capable of)…or grab the stick a little tighter and feel the pent up pressure of a city which has been out of the playoffs for a few years.
As for Mason…stick Sundin or Bernier or Pyatt (if he’s back) in front of him and bounce pucks off their ankles all night long.
Another thing to consider about those numbers . . .
I don’t know when Luongo’s bad stretch was, but I’ll assume it was early on . . . and if that’s the case, that pretty much mirrors Mason.
“Masonry”, as we’re wont to call him over at SLGT, had an emergency appendectomy shortly before Legace’s infamous Palin Carpet Trip and came back just in time to take over for him . . . and struggled for a couple months after that (especially, oddly enough, AT HOME!).
Pretty much ever since February, though, he’s been goaltending like a mutated squirrel on “The Clear”.
If you’d rather face him than Evil Mason (Steve), then go right ahead. But Masonry has been on quite a roll as of late. He may be about the only goaltender in the league (nevermind the playoffs) that could match Loo save-for-save right now.
Oh, and he has an awesome playoff beard already going.
"The world is getting to be such a dangerous place, a man is lucky to get out of it alive." -- W.C. Fields
True.
But he wasn’t playing back then how he’s playing now.
It’s craziness how he’s turned this thing around for himself.
"The world is getting to be such a dangerous place, a man is lucky to get out of it alive." -- W.C. Fields
There’s no point in denying Mason’s abilities, Canucks fans. He’s good. He’s very good.
But GZ does bring up a good point in the sense that it is possible that Mason COULD get flustered if we light him up.
We’ll see.
by Sean Zandberg on Apr 14, 2009 9:52 AM PDT up reply actions
It'll be interesting indeed.
Then again, when he was struggling early on, he didn’t seem to be showing signs of breaking into hives or anything.
It’ll just be very interesting to see which Mason(ry) shows up – the Preds Playoffs Mason or the Hotter Than Dog Shit On A Summer Day Lately Mason.
"The world is getting to be such a dangerous place, a man is lucky to get out of it alive." -- W.C. Fields
FEAR THE BEARD
After 5 No-Dozes I feel great.. only except that i can hear my ears.. and I believe that toenails are the funniest thing I have ever seen.
Come Root on the blues at
www.stlouisgametime.com
oh, come on, that's barely anything!!!!
you know how those rotten flamers like chanting "f*ck the canucks" because it rhymes?
well, it just so happens that "f*ck the flames" uses alliteration, for which more superior intellect is required compared to rhyme.
f*ck the flames, and GO CANUCKS GO!
After 5 No-Dozes I feel great.. only except that i can hear my ears.. and I believe that toenails are the funniest thing I have ever seen.
Come Root on the blues at
www.stlouisgametime.com
by MSUBluenoter on Apr 13, 2009 11:50 PM PDT up reply actions
He’s bald right? If so that is a pretty psychotic look for a goalie.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Apr 14, 2009 3:36 AM PDT up reply actions
Yes he is.
He currently looks like Stone Cold Steve Austin after a two-month exile to the Badlands. It’s crazy how scary he looks right now.
"The world is getting to be such a dangerous place, a man is lucky to get out of it alive." -- W.C. Fields
Mason will not be a factor in this series. Wasnt all year VS the Nucks, and won’t be now. He isnt the answer for a real # 1, and it will become painfully clear to the Blues fans in a few days…
In our house, that’s what we call a “Jinx”.
St. Louis Game TIme
by Marcus E Pettersson on Apr 14, 2009 4:24 PM PDT up reply actions
Heh.
On the poll posted here a few days ago, did you vote for the Blue Jackets or the Blues?
/tee hee hee
"The world is getting to be such a dangerous place, a man is lucky to get out of it alive." -- W.C. Fields
I’m not sure what poll? But I would rather play the Blues than the Jackets. Been sayin it for 2 months, and its still my opinion. Its not cause the Blues are bad, its more cause Vancouver is better than most people realize.
Last year left a bitter taste in the teams mouth, and unfortunately your blues are victim #1 in the recovery process.
I think the poll was . . .
here.
I guess polling closed before you were able to cast.
"The world is getting to be such a dangerous place, a man is lucky to get out of it alive." -- W.C. Fields
The PRESSURE is on the Canucks to blow out the blues, what happens when they loose game 1? Fans will freak out, Luongo will start thinking, Lines will be torn apart, ahhh… what a great time to be a Canuck! Us Underdog Blues are just glad to be here!!! No pressure!
Well that is generally the case with this series, yes. The Canucks have higher expectations from the fans and media. And that is a pro for the blues indeed.
by Sean Zandberg on Apr 14, 2009 11:59 AM PDT up reply actions
I don’t think the pressure is on to blow you out. This isn’t a 1 Vs 8 scenario. If Vancouver wins a 7 games series by one goal a game, I think that’s almost expected at this point.
And don’t worry about Luongo, he’ll be just fine. Worry about your own guys who have never sniffed the playoffs before and what they’ll be thinking when Lui keeps stoning them.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Apr 14, 2009 1:30 PM PDT up reply actions
That’s the part I’m looking forward to!
by Sean Zandberg on Apr 14, 2009 2:13 PM PDT up reply actions
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