"Lou's going to be fine, he's one of the best goaltenders in the league and we have a lot of trust and faith in his ability to play well." – Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault on Roberto Luongo after the Canucks' 4-0 Game 4 loss to the Bruins.
Well, it sounds as if Canucks coach Alain Vigneault plans on staying the course and going with Roberto Luongo in net for a critical Game 5 on Friday in Vancouver.
But, coming off two straight blowout losses in Boston, should Vigneault consider making a change to backup Cory Schneider?
The numbers in the last two losses aren't pretty for Luongo. He was in net for all 12 of Boston's goals during Games 3 and 4, posting a meager .793 save percentage.
Luongo was shelled for eight goals in Game 3 and allowed four more on 20 shots in Game 4 before giving way to Schneider early in the third period.
The precedent for making a switch has also been set. Luongo was benched in favour of Schneider in Game 6 of the Canucks' first-round series against the Blackhawks.
The team had just gone through an eerily similar rough patch in Games 4 and 5 of that series, having just been outscored 12-2 in two games when Vigneault pulled the trigger on the switch.
Schneider has been fairly solid in net for the Canucks during the playoffs. In the four games he has seen action he has a 2.66 GAA with a .900 save percentage. He also stopped all nine shots he faced from the Bruins after relieving Luongo in Game 4.
The Canucks did lose the one game Schneider started in round one but it certainly wasn't all his fault. He allowed three goals on 20 shots in the game and made some big saves, but left with an injury early in the third period and the score tied at 3-3. The Canucks went on to lose 4-3 in overtime with Luongo in net.
But with the series shifting back to Vancouver, is now the time to make a change?
Luongo is the guy who got the Canucks this far. Even with the last two losses he is 14-8 in the playoffs with a 2.56 GAA and .916 save percentage.
Also consider that he looked nearly unbeatable during the first two games of the series in Vancouver. Luongo stopped 64 of the 66 shots he faced including a shutout in Game 1 as he led the Canucks to a 2-0 series lead.
Then again, that was before he gave up a dozen goals in a little more than five periods of hockey.
So, who do you think the starter should be for Vancouver in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final – Roberto Luongo or Cory Schneider? It's Your! Call.
