Net-Minding Tandems Better Than Luongo & Schneider

One of this year's biggest stories has been the emergence of Cory Schneider. We've already talked about it. A couple of times. Schneider's strong play, along with Roberto Luongo's resurgence, has given Vancouver a goaltending tandem unrivaled by any other in their 40 years. It's an embarrassment of riches.

But if there's one thing PITB stands for, it's perspective (although the P still stands for "Pass"). Luongo and Schneider are good--the best net-minding tandem Vancouver's ever had. But there are many, many superior net-minding tandems. Let's take a look at some of them:

Tim Thomas & Tuukka Rask

It's hard to argue against the one-two punch of Thomas & Rask, who have both led the NHL in save percentage once over the past two seasons. In 2008, Thomas had a Vezina calibre season, and in 2009, Rask nearly won the Calder after winning the starting job away from him. This season, Thomas is back as the number one, and Boston again leads the league in goals allowed by a wide margin. Special third partner: Claude Julien's defensive system.

Mike Richter & John Vanbiesbrouck

This list is not limited to the present. Some say there's never been a greater one-two punch than Mike Richter and John Vanbiesbrouck, the hall of fame tandem that tended goal for New York Rangers in the late eighties and early nineties. Special third partner: The bottomless purse of the New York Rangers, which allowed them to put a pretty decent team in front of their goalies.

Greg Goldberg & Julie Gaffney

This list is not limited to the real. The goaltending tandem of Greg Goldberg and Julie "The Cat Gaffney" minds the net in the fictional world of the D2: The Mighty Ducks, wherein the entire Mighty Ducks team is chosen to represent the United States at the Junior Goodwill Games. Although Gaffney is clearly a superior goalie, she is A) a girl and B) a new, crudely-sketched character (along with Luis "Speedy Gonzales on skates" Mendoza and the Dwayne "Two minutes for roping" Robertson), so she gets very little face time. This is until Iceland sends Gunner Stahl over the boards in a climactic shootout, and coach Gordon Bombay plays a hunch. Special third partner: Russ Tyler, who also briefly plays goal in the film, but only as part of a knucklepuck-based trick play.

The Goal Post & The Other Goal Post

This list is not limited to living organisms. In terms of consistency, the goal posts may be the finest netminding tandem of all time. Not only do they block a lot of shots, but they're as old as the game itself. Yes, since hockey was invented, the goal posts been there in some fashion, minding the very parameters of the net. These days, there is no more important tandem, for without goal posts, it's just a loose net laying on the ice, and in the fast-paced NHL, that could be very, very dangerous. Special third partner: the crossbar, which is not unlike a goal post, except for its perpendicularity.

Mikhail Prokhorov & Jay-Z

This list is not limited to hockey. If we're talking about alternative net-minding tandems, how about the tandem that minds the NBA's New Jersey Nets: Russian entrepreneur Mikhail Prokhorov and hip hop legend Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter. This Net-minding tandem, self-described as the blueprint for greatness, may not have landed Lebron, but they're slowly return the crappy Nets to respectability. Special third partner: Brett Ratner, the Nets' third owner, who is much less awe-inspiring than a mysterious Russian billionaire and Young Hov, especially since he made Rush Hour 3.

Net Nanny & McAfee Virus Scan

This list is not limited to sports. There are nets outside of athletic competitions, such as the Internet, and from my experience, no tandem protects the world wide web like the two-headed watchdog of Net Nanny and McAfee Virus Scan. As a child who grew up with a computer in my room, these complementary software programs guarded me from an onslaught of viruses and confusing sexual images. Special third partner: my parents, who installed both programs, and never knocked.

The Bush Administration & The Patriot Act

And, as long as we're on this train, no tandem minded the Internet quite like the Bush Administration and the Patriot Act, which drastically violated your right to privacy by expanding the government's ability to monitor online communications, including full access to online networks without warrants, all in the name of national security. It's a Ted Saskin dream come true. Special third partner: Irrational fear of foreign invasion, often called Don Cherry syndrome.

The Apostle James & The Apostle John

And finally, as long as we're expanding the list to consider other types of net, consider the fishing net, perhaps best used by Biblican fishermen John and James, sons of Zebedee. These guys were expert netminders, perhaps never better than when Jesus, the Claude Julien of the Bible, introduced a solid system that really inflated their numbers: let God tell you where to fish. Special third partner: The Apostle Peter, who also fished, but never seemed to stay in the boat.

No Controversy, Just Competition For Luongo & Schneider

Before I go any further, let me be perfectly clear: there is no goaltending controversy, and there hasn't been one all season. Roberto Luongo is the starting netminder, and Cory Schneider is his backup. That's the way of life. When Luongo plays well, he's supposed to, because he's the number one, and when Schneider plays well, he's supposed to as well, because it's the backup's job to give the starting goaltender a night off without also giving one to the opponent.

Schneider and Luongo have both been solid this season, as evidenced by the Canucks' conference-leading goals allowed. Despite both goalies playing well, however, Cory Schneider is the only one exceeding expectations. Luongo is supposed to be good. In the past, he's been so good it's only underlined how questionable his backup is. This year, the Canucks have collected points in every game the backup has started, and, each time that Schneider blows away the low expectations of precedent, someone, somewhere, brings up the potential for a goaltending controversy.

It's not going to happen. But there is another "C" word that I think might be settling into the heads of the two goaltenders: competition.

Luongo is an athlete who thrives on being the best. He wants to hear it and he wants to believe it. And while it doesn't bother him when Cory Schneider plays well, I guarantee you it annoys the Hell out of him when people suggest Frecklesnoot, not Bobby Lou, is the best goaltender in Vancouver. Luongo's icetime isn't what's threatened; it's the perception that he deserves it. You could see evidence of this in Jason Botchford's recap of last night's victory over the Avalanche:

Roberto Luongo was defiant, and only half kidding, when he turned to a reporter after being the difference in Sunday's 2-1 win and said: "Is that a good enough response?"

He was referencing a specific pregame question about having a tough act to follow after Cory Schneider's 44-save effort Friday. But he could have been addressing all of his critics. It was some "how do you like me now?" attitude, and you know what? He's earned it, and so have the Canucks.

In Luongo's four years in the city, he's never had competition. With no trust in previous backups, the Canucks have played Luongo to exhaustion.

But this year is different. When his son was born in Florida, the only one who felt he needed to hurry back to the team was Luongo. And, as much as Luongo might have been run ragged trying to meet the needs of a team that desperately needed him in the past, I'm sure the realization that was no longer the case was a bit of a culture shock for him. Good.

Stop fretting about controversy, and start getting excited about competition. Luongo knows that fans and media are talking, and while there's really no risk of being supplanted as the number one goalie in the Canucks dressing room, he does run the risk of being supplanted in the minds of onlookers. Luongo celebrated his gold medal as validation he was a winner; he wears the number 1 because he believes that he is. For a goalie that believes he's the best, this competition won't fly.

It may well drive him to higher heights. We saw it last night. Here's hoping we see it more often.

I'm Loving the New Goalie Coach

Before the acquisition of the new goaltending coach, there were many nights where Luongo was clearly not standing on his head. This incriminating photo is just one of many taken where if you look closely, you can see Luongo standing upright. Is that the team on his back? No, it isn't.

I've got to hand it to Mike Gillis. He knew just what to do here. Tonight, Luongo looked just like his former immortal self. Had I forgotten he could play like this? Maybe a little.

Tonight's game reminded me so much of 2006-07, right down to the 2-1 shootout loss. Luongo was amazing, traffic buzzing all around him and the puck somehow staying out. At one point in the first period I'm pretty sure he teleported. Fair play to Mike Gillis, acquiring the one guy who could really light a fire under Luongo:

Keith Ballard.

Keith Ballard is the premier defenseman/goaltending coach in the league today. After he was traded to Florida during the 2008 offseason, he motivated Thomas Vokoun to step it up. The Florida goaltender's save percentage jumped from an already impressive .919 to a crazy-good .926, followed up by another .925 season.

How did he do it? Two things. First of all, Keith Ballard leads by example, playing hard every night and showing he's willing to sacrifice his body to play. But if that subtle message isn't enough, Ballard is willing to show goaltenders his displeasure if they slip up. In the oft-played clip of Ballard "accidentally" hitting Vokoun with the stick, what people often fail to notice is that Vokoun screwed up. After making the initial save, Vokoun seemingly lost interest in the puck, leaving it beside him and staring off in the distance before Kovalchuk jammed the puck home. Vokoun lost focus, drifting off into fantasy land, and Ballard decided it took the hard, uncompromising reality of his hockey stick to remind his goaltender to get it together.

Ballard did the same thing tonight. After all the amazing saves Luongo made tonight, it's almost hard to remember that he started the period out a little flat. He looked slow on a shot or two, and then Jack Johnson hit the post. Luck was keeping the puck out of that net, not Luongo. Still, the score was 0-0. Last season, we would wait for a soft goal before we lost patience with Luongo.

Not Keith Ballard. He sent a strong message right away, crashing Luongo's crease and knocking the goal off its moorings. "Accidents happen," Ballard was saying. "You better be sharper out there."

Luongo responded with an amazing night. If the Canucks could have generated some more offense early, rather than one too many penalties, Bobby Lu could have posted his first shutout of the season, but as it stands, he still stood tall. Most games, if you only score one goal you don't expect to win. This time, we almost did. And who do we have to thank?

Keith Ballard. Thanks for keeping our goalie on his toes.