No Red Lights: Hockey

http://goo.gl/01824

It seems like goalies this year cannot get out of their funks (or at least get into a roll). And this year, it's not the sophomore slump, it's the traditionally consistent goalies (Miller, Brodeur and Luongo come to mind); they have not been able to maintain consistency, which has become expected of them. Don't get me wrong, there are still glimpses of their stellar play, but their slow starts has raised some doubts. For Brodeur, the obvious question is whether he'll be able to battle injuries and regain his composure. Even if he remains healthy, he still has a beaten down squad in front of him, absent of Parise as well. This will make winning games much more difficult for the aging veteran so I wouldn't count on a second-half comeback. 

Interestingly enough, Luongo's numbers are not far off from his career totals. He's had a few more flops this year than normal (4 goals on less than 20 shots) but has also pulled off some 1 GA on 30 shots. I find his biggest downside though is his inability to steal games this year. Vancouver has won games because they are a good team, not because their goalie is stealing the show and keeping them in tight contests regularly. He's playing well enough to win the games he should and sometimes imploding to let in 4 or 5 goals. The numbers aren't horrendous but as a seasoned veteran in the league, I expect more out of him. I've come to require it because we all know how dominant he can be. 

As an American, I'd like to see Miller do better. But honestly, last year was an amazing year for him. It's incredibly hard to replicate that performance especially when your team in front of you is struggling. You might be playing well, but if the team in front of your is struggling, the wins will be sparse. His goals against may improve in the second half of the season - it already is; but if you need wins in your fantasy team, he may struggle with his team in front of him. Play him when he and the Sabres are playing well, but if you have better options in your line-up, rotate him in and out.