Here we go again and all it took was 5 games into the season before a few headlines made me near livid. All it took was 5 games before the Vancouver sports media began their “we have a goalie controversy” frenzy. Markstrom vs. Nilsson.

Listen, there’s no denying that Anders Nilsson was brilliant against Ottawa or that Jacob Markstrom struggled in the previous two games despite playing brilliantly in his first two starts. Does it make sense to start Nilsson against Boston? Probably but that doesn’t mean that Markstrom’s season is over or that he won’t get a chance to redeem himself or that Nilsson will have a tough game or two down the road.

It’s no secret that from the start of the season that both goalies were going to split the net and that they’d compete for playing time. Does that mean that from the start we’ve had a goalie controversy? No. Does it mean we have two competitive players that given the chance will push each other to up their game? Yes.

It’s been 5 games. FIVE, not 82, so how’s about we wait before we drag these names through the mud? Wouldn’t be something if we instead of creating drama like what happened with Luongo and Schneider, we did pit the goalies against one another but actually supported BOTH of them?

Remember what happened with Luongo and Schneider? How suddenly the city turned it’s back on their franchise goalie and rather than support him during the tough times, they begged for Schneider to be given the net. Suddenly you were either Luongo supporter or a Schneider supporter. The worst part was that even if Luongo had a good game during that time, he was never given the benefit of the doubt despite his history with the team, any error in his play was berated while the praises kept piling up for Schneider. I’m not saying that Schneider didn’t deserve the praise in that moment, but Luongo did not deserve the treatment he received during that time.

That was then, and it blew up over two seasons. This is now and we are already talking about a goalie controversy FIVE games into the season! So, please media, fans, and “experts”, how’s about we leave that goalie controversy talk on the back burner and perhaps drop it completely? Let’s not go back to the way that we made it unbearable for Luongo or the way we thrust Schneider into the spot light. Let’s turn a page and actually support BOTH goalies. Tough games will happen but that doesn’t mean you stop supporting them, you stand by them through thick and thin. It shouldn’t matter which one is the net, we should support both them from puck drop to final buzzer because they are both Canucks. It would be a different approach, but a refreshing one to see.

As always, until next time, nuck said.

Sarah E.L.