I really, really hope some of you read School of Block "Energy Drain" and then watched Game 6 closely last night. You want to talk about taking a lesson and applying it to real life? That was it, right there. Probably the best one of all three years of writing on here.
Exactly what I discussed regarding Luongo's energy drain over the course of the playoffs was the ultimate demise of him in Game 6.
He started out making brilliant save after brilliant save. He had tons of energy. Was moving with almost TOO much energy, as he was a little jumpy, mainly because he was forced to move laterally with speed and power. But he made the saves and matched Niemi shot for shot.
As SOON as the first goal beat him, it was over. He mentally allowed the energy drain to suck away at his soul. He was slowly starting to recover with that delay that you've seen most of the second half of the season.
As soon as the SECOND goal beat him, it was even more clear. Mentally he crumbled. He withered away second by second, as sheer energy drain took away from his mental composure and his ability to read plays and react flawlessly.
I took the time to tie Evgeni Nabokov into the article for the clear-cut reason that his STYLE ... the way he moves, the way he makes saves, the way he looks, lends him to ONE THING that Luongo's style doesn't .......... EFFICIENCY.
This does not mean that Luongo is not efficient. His butterfly style is as solid as anyone else. But he has a bigger body, more size, more weight to move around. NATURALLY, over the course of a season, over the course of a game, he is going to exert more energy.
Nabokov stands up. He absorbs more shots. He has a defense that understands the importance of letting him challenge and play high in the crease. They clear out bodies in front better than Vancouver's defense.
As a result of this, Luongo played WAY TOO MANY GAMES THIS YEAR. There was no way he was going to be able to execute with precision and mental clarity with so many games under his belt. He's a human being. He is prone to emotional and mental stress just like anyone else.
Combined with the Captaincy, the Olympics, the workload, the pressures to turn a mediocre season around in the playoffs, when he's already exhausted, was WAY TOO MUCH. Almost impossible feat to be successful in the post-season. The fact he got 12 games deep is almost a miracle in itself if you ask me.
One final stat to hammer home what is CLEARLY a series of events that led to Energy Drain when it mattered most......his save percentage by period in the playoffs:
1st Period - 92.8% or 116/125
2nd Period - 86.1% or 105/122
3rd Period - 89.7% or 96/107
He faced more shots in the first and played well because he had a high energy level and was able to get into a rhythm, more often than not, in the first two rounds.
But as soon as he was scored on, or slowly withered away, it was too much. He crumbled from there.
I don't want to spend too much time trying to explain more of what happens when a goalie faces energy drain. I tried to do that in the School of Block.
All you need to know is that mental and physical energy is tied together. When one starts to wither, the other goes with it. Either you start to get mentally tired and your body doesn't react or move as sharply and you exhibit signs of physical energy drain.
Or it's the other way. Your body gets tired and mentally your brain can't process things as sharply as when you have high energy and then mentally you start to wear down and you don't have the same killer instinct as usual.
I hope the Canucks coaching staff learned something this year. I hope they remove the C from Luongo. I hope they realize no goalie can carry a nation two times in one year and expect him to succeed. The Olympics were a mental stress that few goalies survive. The fact he played SO MANY GAMES, it was a textbook lesson on Energy Drain.
Luongo was not horrible in the playoffs. Luongo is not a bust. Luongo is not a has-been.
Luongo was simply tired.
If you repeat the entire season next year, remove the Olympics, remove the C, remove 15-20 starts ... you tell me how he would perform in the playoffs. Guarantee you he would be playing peak goaltending and redeem himself in the eyes of the fans.
I've been hard on Luongo ALL YEAR LONG because he truly did fight the puck for most of the season. Remember in October and November??? It was all about his inability to establish a presence high in the crease. That slowly dripped into December and January, but he elevated his game prior to the Olympics. Then he won Gold. Then he came back and continued to play a ton of games. Then the Energy Drain started to rear it's ugly head.
It took over and crushed him.
For Canucks fans and Luongo owners, pray they make changes next year. Pray that Cory Schneider plays at least 20-25 games next year and Raycroft is out of the picture.
Otherwise it will make my life a little easier, but a little more frustrating. Why?
Because I'll probably be teaching this same DAMN lesson again next May
interesting analysis as usual GG...he definitely looked deflated after that backbreaking 4th goal, he looked to have given up which is sad to see. Why is it you think that a guy like Marty at 38 can still play all those games and still maintain his focus? (granted he seems to be slipping a bit but he's still a helluva goalie). He's played a ton of games throughout his career and still always seemed sharp in the playoffs
Same as Nabokov ... it is a combination of his style, which is more efficient and allows him to stand up to make saves, as well as a stronger, more cohesive defense. Marty is also very good at playing through screens and bodies in front because he's been doing it forever and he has a better understanding of angle play.
Count up all of the millions of game situations that Marty has been through in his NHL career and compare it to Luongo.
Marty has just been through more, especially in the playoffs. He's been handling the workload for years and years and years.
Luongo has always played a lot of regular season games, but only the past 3-4 seasons has he had to add the pressures (mental and physical) of winning in the playoffs as well.
It's a totally different game.
At this point, there's not much Luongo can do by himself. He can workout over the summer, lose a few pounds, and be more situationally aware (in a wide scope perspective) and realize that he needs to conserve more energy in October, November and December.
But ultimately it still comes down to the organization. They pay him good $$. They need to realize that with all these unnecessary pressures, they will never maximize his abilities. Less is more. Remove the C. Remove 15 games. Reap the benefits in April next year.
Luongo in the Playoffs
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