He didn't blame them IMO. That comment got misunderstood by a lot of people. When he said "that is just something that has to happen there, the D has to block the puck", he was saying it as a follow up to a comment where he said he was slightly screened. I.e. "he screened me, but he has to screen me there, it's the right play by him".....
It's still an excuse, being laid on the D. He's still saying "that guy did his job, but unfortunately him doing his job stopped me from doing my job correctly. Not my fault, just bad luck."
It's still an excuse, being laid on the D. He's still saying "that guy did his job, but unfortunately him doing his job stopped me from doing my job correctly. Not my fault, just bad luck."
Absolutely right, but it's not blaming his team mates for the goal. Not being accountable is bad enough, but he didn't put the goal on his D-man's shoulders.
Absolutely right, but it's not blaming his team mates for the goal. Not being accountable is bad enough, but he didn't put the goal on his D-man's shoulders.
Ehhh, he sort of is though. I mean, he's essentially saying that he couldn't get it right because the d-man screened him. Even if he goes on to say that's what the d-man has to do there, he's still displacing the blame to his teammate.
It's not as much of an outright dumping-on as some are suggesting, but it's still improper in that situation.
Absolutely right, but it's not blaming his team mates for the goal. Not being accountable is bad enough, but he didn't put the goal on his D-man's shoulders.
I would have rather him just be accountable or keep quiet.
I would have rather him just be accountable or keep quiet.
The guy just destroyed any chance at an NHL career for the second time. He's got a reporter in his face asking questions. Not only are you going to be highly emotional, you are going to be incredibly pissed off.
The guy just destroyed any chance at an NHL career for the second time. He's got a reporter in his face asking questions. Not only are you going to be highly emotional, you are going to be incredibly pissed off.
No he didn't. He made those comments after game five.
After having slept on this and initially feeling bad..I kind of don't anymore. It's not like he's some 13 year old kid that ran away from home to get attention. There is no excuse for going AWOL as an adult if this report is valid. This is not the mark of a professional athlete..this is the mark of a child in an overgrown adult body. I mean he lies about his back like a child and he runs away from adversity like an adolescent. I guess you can say he's still growing up! GAME OVER LEIGHTON! Go talk to Dr Phil on national Tv if you want more attention....
Ehhh, he sort of is though. I mean, he's essentially saying that he couldn't get it right because the d-man screened him. Even if he goes on to say that's what the d-man has to do there, he's still displacing the blame to his teammate.
It's not as much of an outright dumping-on as some are suggesting, but it's still improper in that situation.
I do feel bad for him because he must have felt horrible on so many levels. Plus, he's got a wife and 2 kids at home who live in Ontario and who he barely sees because he's in Adirondack and now Philly, so maybe like Bob, the problem is he hasn't really got a support system. That said, I don't want him near the team right now, he can practice with the Black Aces and that's that, they don't need to deal with the distraction.
Mystery still remains...if true it has a bearing on Leighton's career and should. He almost had a bearing on the team in game 6 for choking. Again it's an issue of mental fortitude something he doesn't seem to have since botching the finals...
Quote:
During the third period of last night's game, I received a text message that there was a rumor swirling that Michael Leighton had gone AWOL after Game 6 and that was why Johan Backlund was moved up to number three in the goaltending rotation last night.
At the time, I thought it sounded too crazy to be true, although it did seem pretty odd that Leighton was demoted below Backlund after being elevated above Bobrovsky in Games 3-6 and starting the last game in Buffalo. Even though Leighton's play in Game 6 was all shades of hideous, he had played adequately in relief of Boucher the previous game. If Laviolette thought enough of Leighton to start him in an elimination game, it didn't compute that the goalie would not even have been an emergency option.
Even so, Leighton doesn't have the reputation as someone who would do something like disappearing from the team for a full day after a game, no matter how disappointed he was. So I was inclined not to believe it.
The Delaware County Times' Anthony SanFilippo investigated the rumor. Both Paul Holmgren and Peter Luukko have vehemently denied the rumor. Although Homer (like all GMs) sometimes fudges the details of injury reports, he is usually very direct and honest.
If Leighton had been disciplined by the team, it would more like Holmgren to say, "There was an internal matter that we dealt with, and it's over and done, so I have nothing further to say" than to flatly deny anything happened. Luukko would likely also have stood behind a similar statement where nothing is denied yet no details are revealed, either.
To be honest, I'm still not sure what to make of the whole thing. But as long as Boucher and Bobrovsky are the viable goaltending options for the club over the remainder of the postseason, this situation has no real bearing on the team either which way.
After having slept on this and initially feeling bad..I kind of don't anymore. It's not like he's some 13 year old kid that ran away from home to get attention. There is no excuse for going AWOL as an adult if this report is valid. This is not the mark of a professional athlete..this is the mark of a child in an overgrown adult body. I mean he lies about his back like a child and he runs away from adversity like an adolescent. I guess you can say he's still growing up! GAME OVER LEIGHTON! Go talk to Dr Phil on national Tv if you want more attention....
Imagine for a moment that you are doing your job and your boss comes in and tells you that he desperately needs you to fill in to do this very important job that can make or break the company. You know in the back of your mind that this is your last shot to shine and that if you fail that you will never work for this company or in this industry again. Fast forward to your opportunity to do the job, you put forth your worst effort in your professional career and you know that you have blown potentially the rest of your career that you have worked so hard at since you were a kid.
Tell me how much sleep you'd get that night in a hotel room without your family and what frame of mind would you be in the next day to face your co-workers that you just let down? Would you be able to show up the next day? Not ever being in this situation I cannot honestly say that I could or couldn't.
The hatred for Leighton on a professional level is well known. But people taking this to a personal level is really distateful IMO.
Imagine for a moment that you are doing your job and your boss comes in and tells you that he desperately needs you to fill in to do this very important job that can make or break the company. You know in the back of your mind that this is your last shot to shine and that if you fail that you will never work for this company or in this industry again. Fast forward to your opportunity to do the job, you put forth your worst effort in your professional career and you know that you have blown potentially the rest of your career that you have worked so hard at since you were a kid.
Tell me how much sleep you'd get that night in a hotel room without your family and what frame of mind would you be in the next day to face your co-workers that you just let down?
The hatred for Leighton on a professional level is well known. But people taking this to a personal level is really distateful IMO.
LOL..the dude is a millionaire. Stop comparing him to the common man who has to deal with a lot of crap in life..especially these days.
Tell me how much sleep you'd get that night in a hotel room without your family and what frame of mind would you be in the next day to face your co-workers that you just let down? Would you be able to show up the next day? Not ever being in this situation I cannot honestly say that I could or couldn't.
Game 6 of the Finals > Game 6 of the first round. I'd say he let the team down more last year and he was still able to keep his head up. I don't want to see the guy suffer, but the one report I read said he no showed at practice the next day. That's pretty low, imo.
Game 6 of the Finals > Game 6 of the first round. I'd say he let the team down more last year and he was still able to keep his head up. I don't want to see the guy suffer, but the one report I read said he no showed at practice the next day. That's pretty low, imo.
Exactly..shows lack of character. He's being paid handsomely in a job he loves which 1% of people actually experience yet he can't even live up to a responsibility to himself, his teammates and management who actually have been trying to prop him up and have rewarded him despite his constant shortcomings. We are supposed to feel sorry for this? A millionaire who can't handle a bit of adversity???..seriously I'd love to see this guy react in the cut throat real world of lowering wages, underemployment, high unemployment and trying to scrape by. Yeah when I see somebody who is in a position of privilege and squanders it like a spoiled brat I do take it personal.
Exactly..shows lack of character. He's being paid handsomely in a job he loves which 1% of people actually experience yet he can't even live up to a responsibility to himself, his teammates and management who actually have been trying to prop him up and have rewarded him despite his constant shortcomings.
I would think that despite everything, the team would still rather have him as the #3 than Backlund. It says a lot to me about his character that we would just not show up, if it's true. I don't believe anything that Holmgren says anymore, so who knows.
I always seem to be the one defending Leighton so I might as well chime in. I'm not really defending him here, but he has shown throughout his career (not just in Philly) that he is a true character guy. Never complained about going to the AHL this year. Everyone in ADK said he was a great influence down there and had a great attitude etc. That doesn't excuse not showing up and disappearing, but I would wait until more comes out to start bashing the guy's character.
I always seem to be the one defending Leighton so I might as well chime in. I'm not really defending him here, but he has shown throughout his career (not just in Philly) that he is a true character guy. Never complained about going to the AHL this year. Everyone in ADK said he was a great influence down there and had a great attitude etc. That doesn't excuse not showing up and disappearing, but I would wait until more comes out to start bashing the guy's character.
You're right, the one thing that seems to be consistently said about him is that he is a good teammate. That's why I find this so odd. If it comes out that something different happened, then I will gladly rescind what I said.
You're right, the one thing that seems to be consistently said about him is that he is a good teammate. That's why I find this so odd. If it comes out that something different happened, then I will gladly rescind what I said.
We shall see if it's hearsay..I will rescind as well but if true being AWOL is inexcusable.
We shall see if it's hearsay..I will rescind as well but if true being AWOL is inexcusable.
I agree. I would think that if his absense was excused, Holmgren or Lavy would have jumped all over the rumors and squashed them right away. I know Holmgren said they weren't true, but he didn't really give an explanation.
