Re: NHL 2010-2011 Season
Posted: 2010-11-03 11:41pm
Those were great ones but I was referring to the 2003 sweep in the first round.
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I missed it last night but it was on every replay on TV this morning up here in Canada...and all day long.Darth Fanboy wrote:Speaking of the previously mentioned $100 million man, did anyone catch the highlights of last night's Sabres/Devils shootout?
It's not that I don't like Kovalchuk, I actually think he is quite good but my frustration is with the NJ Devils. Granted I am biased against them because of the 2003 finals but the contract ploy they did to land Kovalchuk was pretty skeezy, I don't like this front loaded contracts that these older players can't reasonably hope to finish. Pronger's deal in Philadelphia is the same thing but not for nearly as much cash unless i'm mistaken.Drone wrote:Why exactly is there such joy about this? He's a great player that's been on shitty teams for a long time. He played for a rival so I'm not exactly a fan of his, but it seems like a lot of people flat out hate him all of the sudden and it doesn't make a lot of sense.
I don't think it's fair to argue that he phoned in the playoffs. He scored 6 points, at least three of which were scored while playing as a defenseman, and was pretty much NJ's only offensive weapon in their losing series. It's not his fault the rest of the team wasn't even competitive, or those points might have been the difference in the series. In the World Championships, he was the single reason why the Russians were playing for the championship (he scored 2-10-12 points to lead all players for the tournament for scoring, including a crucial three points against Canada, and was +8).aerius wrote:I wouldn't call him a great player, a very skilled player but not a great player. Great players don't phone it home during the playoffs, great players can be counted on to play with more intensity and get shit done when it counts, great players will get physical and battle it out down low when the game's on the line, especially in the playoffs. Kovalchuk doesn't do any of that, he's too much of a prima donna. He's rarely around when you need a tying goal, a go ahead goal, or a rallying goal to get the team back in the game from 2 goals down. Just look at last year's playoffs, he got a bunch of points but how many of them came when the team needed them?
All his points came in 2 games, one was a blowout for the Devils and I think their opponents won the other game, but I'd have to dig up the scores to be sure. For the rest of the series he was invisible and they were all pretty close games which could have gone to NJ if Kovalchuk had done something spectacular even if he didn't score. But he didn't, and they lost.Master of Ossus wrote:I don't think it's fair to argue that he phoned in the playoffs. He scored 6 points, at least three of which were scored while playing as a defenseman, and was pretty much NJ's only offensive weapon in their losing series. It's not his fault the rest of the team wasn't even competitive, or those points might have been the difference in the series. In the World Championships, he was the single reason why the Russians were playing for the championship (he scored 2-10-12 points to lead all players for the tournament for scoring, including a crucial three points against Canada, and was +8).
I can't figure that one out either, it's gotta be one of the dumbest signings of all time.The biggest problem I see with him is that he just doesn't fit into the New Jersey Devils--the team that's paying him with dump trucks full of Benjamins. I have no idea how NJ's front office looked at him and decided that he was the guy to build their franchise around, given that he's noticeably terribly at playing defense and the Devils have always prided themselves on being a tight-checking team that shuts opponents down in the neutral zone, blocks shots, steals pucks, and keeps opposing skaters away from dangerous areas. It was especially bizarre last year in the playoffs when they didn't have room for him on the top line and had to play him at defenseman just to get him on the ice on their power play unit.
Sakic had Forsberg, who was better. Yzerman had Federov, who was better, maybe not a better leader, but a better player, and at least as good in the clutch. Both of the players you named were also on excellent TEAMS, something that Kovalchuk hasn't seen. Plus you're trying to compare a top 10 player right now, to top 50ish all time players, that's a litttle unfair to him isn't it? He doesn't really fit on the Devils, the contract was stupid, but how can you blame him for signing what was put in front of him?aerius wrote:When you look at the great players such as Sakic, Yzerman, Doug Gilmour and so forth, what they all have in common is the ability to step it up and carry their teams through the playoffs. You can count on them to deliver the tying goal late in the 3rd to send the game to OT, then setup or score the OT winner, look at how many OT game winners Sakic has. Seriously, if my team was down a goal in the 3rd I'd rather put Tie Domi on the ice than Kovalchuk, at least Domi will play his ass off and fuck up a few opposing players with hard hits to rally the team and change the momentum of the game.
Because there is, and we can. Kinda like with Hossa, where he managed to end up on the losing side of the Cup finals in back to back years. It's just funny.Drone wrote:Why exactly is there such joy about this?
Pronger's deal is a 35+ contract, so his cap hit remains even if he retires, unlike Kovalchuk or Savard or Hossa or Luongo. The other thing with Savard or Pronger is that they may have value at a lower level at that point - they'll be old, but their skillsets don't rely on speed, and they're two-way players. Kovalchuk is a speedy shooter with beer league defense. Once he ages, he'll probably be useless. I can understand having a year or two of "veteran leadership" pay for a guy that might actually provide that, but Kovie doesn't fit the profile for that.Darth Fanboy wrote:It's not that I don't like Kovalchuk, I actually think he is quite good but my frustration is with the NJ Devils. Granted I am biased against them because of the 2003 finals but the contract ploy they did to land Kovalchuk was pretty skeezy, I don't like this front loaded contracts that these older players can't reasonably hope to finish. Pronger's deal in Philadelphia is the same thing but not for nearly as much cash unless i'm mistaken.
Even when Edmonton picked Pronger up he was at about the peak of his career, that was five years ago. The man has played for three different teams, and helped lead each of them to the finals in his first year with that team. People wonder why there's a premium on big defensemen who can play physically, let alone fulfill a leadership role. People's dislike for him in multiple markets can't diminish that.The Dark wrote:Pronger's deal is a 35+ contract, so his cap hit remains even if he retires, unlike Kovalchuk or Savard or Hossa or Luongo. The other thing with Savard or Pronger is that they may have value at a lower level at that point - they'll be old, but their skillsets don't rely on speed, and they're two-way players. Kovalchuk is a speedy shooter with beer league defense. Once he ages, he'll probably be useless. I can understand having a year or two of "veteran leadership" pay for a guy that might actually provide that, but Kovie doesn't fit the profile for that.
That said, it's a loophole that needs to be addressed in the next CBA.
As a Flyers fan, my perspective on him is that he's the guy you loathe when you play against him, and love when he's on your side. One thing that will help him is that his skating stride is damn efficient - he's not the fastest guy on the ice, but I don't know if there's anyone that wastes less energy, he's just that smooth on his skates. Add in his good positioning (usually) and ability to see plays developing, and he's among the top defensemen. If he'd just take a few less stupid penalties, he'd probably be my favorite current Flyer (Giroux's #1, Bob's #2 for me).Darth Fanboy wrote:Even when Edmonton picked Pronger up he was at about the peak of his career, that was five years ago. The man has played for three different teams, and helped lead each of them to the finals in his first year with that team. People wonder why there's a premium on big defensemen who can play physically, let alone fulfill a leadership role. People's dislike for him in multiple markets can't diminish that.The Dark wrote:Pronger's deal is a 35+ contract, so his cap hit remains even if he retires, unlike Kovalchuk or Savard or Hossa or Luongo. The other thing with Savard or Pronger is that they may have value at a lower level at that point - they'll be old, but their skillsets don't rely on speed, and they're two-way players. Kovalchuk is a speedy shooter with beer league defense. Once he ages, he'll probably be useless. I can understand having a year or two of "veteran leadership" pay for a guy that might actually provide that, but Kovie doesn't fit the profile for that.
That said, it's a loophole that needs to be addressed in the next CBA.
Who's bitching about it, outside of Florida?Darth Fanboy wrote:The bitching over his goal is completely unwarranted.
1) He scored, get over the sour grapes
2) He scored, shouldn't have let him score
3) The supposed "hotdogging" was hardly that, creative spin moves usually get applauded, oh and he SCORED.
Darth Fanboy wrote:Addendum:
Also, I'm laughing to myelf over Ovechkin losing his cool during that ass whooping the Rangers handed the Capitals. I didn't see the hip check he landed in real time so I won't comment on if it was away from the play but that fight he ended up in was really funny. He came up from behind Dubinsky (typical Ovie fashion because he doesn't like fair fights) and after taking a couple of swings he ends up not finishing nearly as strong as he started. Kind of like how the Caps are in the playoffs.
I'm hoping he continues to show every goalie up with that shit. That made me want to watch a game for the first time this season!Darth Fanboy wrote:During coverage of the Habs/Leafs game Friday night the CBC guys (was watching their feed via NHL Network in the US) seemed to be of the majority opinion (one guy disagreed) that Linus should expect to get his ass whooped if he kept up that kind of showboating.