It's so difficult having to explain to people how Higgins is 24 in only his second post-season.
Think about it for a second, why do I have to explain this?
I don't know why people blame and bash him for putting him in a position he's not ready yet.
Bla bla bla..... It's always the same excuses with Higgins, still young, second playoff in his career and bla bla.
The fact is, he's been a non factor this year and a Rookie like Sergei Kostitsyn has outplayed him in every area possible !!
Sergei Kostitsyn has dwarfed Higgins performance and the guy never played in the playoffs so what's you're excuse this time ?! Even guys like Kostopoulos and Smolinspuke has been better than him so far.
And don't tell me that this guy has leadership skills, because he showed none with his performances and his contraversial quotes through out the year.
If Higgins is that good, how come he can't do anything playing alonside the best 2 forwards on this team ?! I'm still waiting for that 40 goals scorer of yours...
Face it, his stone hands and his lack of offensive vision are what makes him a 3rd liner, plain and simple !!
Face it, his stone hands and his lack of offensive vision are what makes him a 3rd liner, plain and simple !!
Higgins hasnt buried his chances in the playoffs...i'm not disagreeing...but that still doesnt answer the question of how many 3rd liners are there that score 27 goals?
Higgins hasnt buried his chances in the playoffs...i'm not disagreeing...but that still doesnt answer the question of how many 3rd liners are there that score 27 goals?
Because there are no other better options.
And you said playoffs only ? It's been like that all year long. Ovechkin would've probably put around 75 if you switch him with Higgins place and giving all the scoring chances Higgins had.
A normal superstar instead of Higgins would've put around 80-90 points if he had all Higgins opportunities.
Sergei Kostitsyn has dwarfed Higgins performance and the guy never played in the playoffs so what's you're excuse this time ?! Even guys like Kostopoulos and Smolinspuke has been better than him so far.
I know you are a Sergei Fanboy... but you do realize there is room for more than one winger on this team.... Sergei can't do everything himself.... We are gonna need other players in our top 6 too.
So what's your point? Isn't the fact that Kostopoulos got more points and has been more of an offensive threat revelant enough to say that Higgins is the biggest bust of these playoffs?
I love Higgins and think he will be a 30 goal scorer on a yearly basis (had 27 this year and could have had many more...so not far fetched).
Having said that..I have been dissapointed by his playoffs not because he hasn't done much on the score sheet (even though that IS dissapointing) but because he hasn't done anything really...He never hits anybody, has won few if any battles for the puck and is not bringing a whole lot to his line right now. IMO, if you're not scoring, then do something else..hit...create turnovers..cause havoc..
He's just been invisible for the most part just like his last playoffs. I still believe he will be a great player though, but he has to be more consistent.
So what's your point? Isn't the fact that Kostopoulos got more points and has been more of an offensive threat revelant enough to say that Higgins is the biggest bust of these playoffs?
Okay and what exactly does that have to do with my post? Nothing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Erika Kostitsyn
Bla bla bla..... It's always the same excuses with Higgins, still young, second playoff in his career and bla bla.
Are you saying it's not a good excuse? Do I really have to list the number of players who took time to produce in the PO? Do I really need to show you how dumb you are?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Erika Kostitsyn
The fact is, he's been a non factor this year and a Rookie like Sergei Kostitsyn has outplayed him in every area possible !!
I'd love a team of non factors who get 27 goals. And what does Kostitsyn have to do with anything, why are you bringing him up? Sergei's my favorite player, when did I ever said Higgins would or is better? Do you know that a rookie Crosby got 102 points at 18 years old. OMGz Sergei sucks
Quote:
Originally Posted by Erika Kostitsyn
Sergei Kostitsyn has dwarfed Higgins performance and the guy never played in the playoffs so what's you're excuse this time ?! Even guys like Kostopoulos and Smolinspuke has been better than him so far.
A bunch of people had better playoffs than Datsyuk for years. OMGz Datsyuk sucks
Quote:
Originally Posted by Erika Kostitsyn
And don't tell me that this guy has leadership skills, because he showed none with his performances and his contraversial quotes through out the year.
Controversial? Maybe to someone with no brain.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Erika Kostitsyn
If Higgins is that good, how come he can't do anything playing alonside the best 2 forwards on this team ?! I'm still waiting for that 40 goals scorer of yours...
Dig through my posts and find 1 instance where I said I thought he was a 40 goal scorer. How about not inventing crap and reading what's posted.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Erika Kostitsyn
Face it, his stone hands and his lack of offensive vision are what makes him a 3rd liner, plain and simple !!
Not many third liners get 50 points. If he consistently puts up 20-25 Goals and 50-55 points a season I'll be happy. He doesn't hurt the team when he's not scoring as much as, say, Ryder...he brings more to the game than just his offensive production.
Personally, I think he's a perfect two-way second line winger. Nothing wrong with that.
Higgins hasnt buried his chances in the playoffs...i'm not disagreeing...but that still doesnt answer the question of how many 3rd liners are there that score 27 goals?
Not many, but guess why? Because they play on third lines! Higgins leeched off of our PP and played top 6 for the most part.
Not many, but guess why? Because they play on third lines! Higgins leeched off of our PP and played top 6 for the most part.
What kind of a weak argument is that?
I think your argument is a lot weaker to be honest.
Higgins goal and point totals have increased every year... he's only 24... he hasn't hit his peak yet... but you are ready to throw him on the third line.... He may not be an elite first line winger.... but he is what he is... a solid two way player who can chip in points and belongs in the top 6.
And you said playoffs only ? It's been like that all year long. Ovechkin would've probably put around 75 if you switch him with Higgins place and giving all the scoring chances Higgins had.
A normal superstar instead of Higgins would've put around 80-90 points if he had all Higgins opportunities.
So ig Higgins and AK get the same numbers, AK gets them thru talent and Higgins thru gratuitous providence ? Your staemnets regarding quotes are interseting, but unsupported. Higgins brings a lot of value to the table. Playing a game that should bring from 50 -65 points, with good wheels and able to play big minutes up a goal, is a value to any oorg. If hf goes nuts anytime a kid shows promise, and calls hgim a budding star, it has nothing to do with Higgins. Listen to McGuire's characterization of Higgins, a teremendous player at both ends who has never been a big scorer, so to expect 40 is silly. Higgins own staement about 40 being a goal, didn't help him much.
Yup, he should have taken the cowards way out and avoided the media after practices like many of his teammates did. Higgins realizes that being there when the questions are asked is how the org. relates to the public, and it's a role he was aske dto fill. I think he should step back from this a tad, but that's part of learning the role.
He's a good player. He isn't a great player. If that means you need to dump on him ad naseum, it's more your issue than his and typical of fans that need a scapegoat when teams don't live up to their own foolish expectations.
taking in consideration the minutes he gets, powerplay time, best linemates, Higgins has been a non-factor this playoffs.
I don't really agree with the stone hands assesment (just yet), but at the same time he is soooooooo far from being a genuine top 2 line player.
He's in a funny position. Mtl's the most east west team in the league and Higgins plays north south, at least to be effective, he has to. When he's at his best, he's skating hard to open ice, creating seems, kind of like a soccer player opening field on a run.
I don't see how that style can mesh with Kovalev. I just don't see how it can work . You can get some short term success but not over the long haul. The younger wingers on the team favor the e/w style and are the current flavors of the month because it was a successful year doing it.
Higgins is probably ranked in the 25-35 range as a lw'er, that's easily good enough for any team's top 6. He has to adjust though, and there has to be recognition when something's wrong.
I also think he worked on a lot in th eoff season, mental approach, confidence, physical rehabilitation but didn't seem to adjust his game. Developmentally, though his numbers are around where they'll probably average, he has regressed overall.
Remeber G4 against Boston ? The 1-0 game ? He was everywhere during the last 10 minutes, won key battles in his own end. Got the puck out reatedly down the stretch, did all the things your key players have to do to win. That's Higgins at his best. I don'tr know if he was on the scoresheet that night, I think he was one of the guys in fropnt of the net when Brisebois scored, but his signature was all over the win. That's the type of game they need from him consistently. Getting goal 5 in a 6-1 win are always fun for the crowd, but I want the guy who gets the puck out with 2 minutes left.
He's in a funny position. Mtl's the most east west team in the league and Higgins plays north south, at least to be effective, he has to. When he's at his best, he's skating hard to open ice, creating seems, kind of like a soccer player opening field on a run.
I don't see how that style can mesh with Kovalev. I just don't see how it can work . You can get some short term success but not over the long haul. The younger wingers on the team favor the e/w style and are the current flavors of the month because it was a successful year doing it.
Higgins is probably ranked in the 25-35 range as a lw'er, that's easily good enough for any team's top 6. He has to adjust though, and there has to be recognition when something's wrong.
I also think he worked on a lot in th eoff season, mental approach, confidence, physical rehabilitation but didn't seem to adjust his game. Developmentally, though his numbers are around where they'll probably average, he has regressed overall.
Remeber G4 against Boston ? The 1-0 game ? He was everywhere during the last 10 minutes, won key battles in his own end. Got the puck out reatedly down the stretch, did all the things your key players have to do to win. That's Higgins at his best. I don'tr know if he was on the scoresheet that night, I think he was one of the guys in fropnt of the net when Brisebois scored, but his signature was all over the win. That's the type of game they need from him consistently. Getting goal 5 in a 6-1 win are always fun for the crowd, but I want the guy who gets the puck out with 2 minutes left.
Gainey's dfirst year, he played alongside Lemaire and Cournoyer for the most part. They didn't have a pure checking line. So what they had was a hard skating rookie who would go up and down, finsih every check, but didn't have the creativity to move the puck to his linemates or the experience to read their plays. He scored 8-10 goals, maybe 25 points. hf would've slaughtered Bowman for this stone handed plug going up and down, wasting his 2 linemates.
Higgins, imo, is a wasted asset with Kovy, he has no opportunity to speed thru the neutral zone.
I forget the thread, it was about the game 60 point, I knew something was missing in Higgins game and I couldn't define it. Mike 8 had an excellent post, criticizing Higgins play away from the puck. I appreciatred the post because it verbalized what I was seeing but wasn't defining. Oddly, Higgins game changed around that point and he finished the year strongly.
I believe that if they tinker a bit, they'll get more out of him. Put guys in position to succeed. Unless of course, they really don't want to re-unite Plekanec/Kovalev.
