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Originally Posted by tinyzombies
I don't agree. I think Koivu would have contributed far more than Pleks did in the playoffs.
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I don't think so. 30-year old Koivu could have, I'm sure, but he's no longer capable of taking on the tough minutes and the defensive faceoffs with the same aplomb he used to. It sucks, but Saku is 34 and life hasn't been kind to him.
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Originally Posted by tinyzombies
I don't want to nitpick, but you have to get rid of guys that don't perform in the crunch imo.
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"Performing in the crunch" is a silly notion. People think guys are chokers until they do well and the only real difference is luck. Datsyuk was once considered a big-time playoff underachiever. What changed? He didn't change. He just won.
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Originally Posted by tinyzombies
I would roll the dice and pay top dollar for Kovalchuk. That was his first exposure to real hockey. He didn't respond well, but Jersey's blueline doesn't move the puck well, ours does (finally, after all these years).
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That was his second playoffs actually; the first time he got there, his team got swept. Of course, you're the one that thinks "performing in the crunch" is something that matters.
The team that gives Kovalchuk 10 million bucks will regret it. He's a great goal-scorer, but he's one-dimensional. I don't think he's the solution to the Habs' woes. They need guys who can drive possession at 5-on-5, not finishers. Kovalchuk is one of the best finishers on Earth, but he's useless unless the puck is in the offensive zone and the Habs are very bad at getting and keeping the puck there.
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Originally Posted by tinyzombies
Drafting big doesn't mean drafting poorly. I still don't understand the reasoning for letting Getzlaf go. He has size, can skate, has great hands, is mean, was the big righthanded centerman Gainey was always looking for... so???
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He had attitude and work ethic problems. Seriously. The media would have driven him out of town three years ago. That's assuming he could have developped in the black hole that is Montreal. The team has had coaching problems for the last few years.
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Originally Posted by tinyzombies
You can't win Cups without size. Period. And you need fire and grit. It's a worn argument, so I won't bore you.
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As an argument, it's worn, stereotypical, and not very good.
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Originally Posted by tinyzombies
Both sides have some merit, but it's no coincidence that teams loaded with Canadians win, Detroit and Pittsburgh aside.
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Yeah, let's just ignore the last two Cup winners in this argument...
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Originally Posted by tinyzombies
I'm not talking about superstars here, superstars and superstars. I'm talking about elbow grease.
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The reason Stanley Cup winners have always been loaded with Canadian grinders is that until recently
every team was loaded with Canadian grinders. Europeans who weren't stars just didn't cross over. It's got nothing to do with some mythical quality Canadians have (and by the way, visor-wearing French Canadians wusses don't count).