I finally got to see Canada live, and man, Phaneuf is brutal. Why does he keep getting drafted in the ATD? His hockey sense approaches zero.
OTOH I was impressed by Nash, Neal, Tavares and Skinner. Bernier in goal was also great.
And I don't get how a player with 1 goal and 6 PIM (all of those really bad penalties) can win player of the game award.
First team all-star, bro. It says a lot... unfortunately.
I doubt he deserved it. I didn't see a lot of him that year but I find it hard to believe he had better hockey sense and defensive awareness then, than he does now.
As he is right now, He's around where Bryan McCabe has been for most of his career - a physical, heart and soul defenseman with a big bomb from the point and defensive limitations, who has the stamina to be an OK #1 on a decent team/pretender or a #2 on a very good team, but won't challenge for the Norris.
Marleau was the Sharks top penalty killing forward. Marleau scored the game winner in Game 7 tonight.
Marleau scored the game winner in Game 3 OT.
The media loves Thornton and is quick to criticize Marleau but to hell with his critics! When Roenick on Versus called him out after game 5 and basically put the weight of the team's lack of success for ending Detroit on his shoulders I was royally peeved. YES, he is streaky with scoring but he is also CLUTCH. When a big goal is most needed he comes through time and again.
Marleau is an all-time great. His soft hands around the crease, his clutch play, his penalty killing and turnovers and breakaways. May he be an ATD regular from here on as a great utility forward in a Bottom-6 role (and could handle 2nd pp duty in an all-time context).
Henrik has one goal in 13 games (an empty netter at that) and an atrocious +/-, awful faceoff percentage and some highlight gaffs (looking for a pass when on a breakaway, easily knocked off the puck, to name just two I recall). Certainly last year's Hart trophy winner should be criticized openly in the media miles ahead of Marleau.
Henrik is the reason Vancouver couldn't close out the Preds earlier (if you follow your own logic).
Henrik has one goal in 13 games (an empty netter at that) and an atrocious +/-, awful faceoff percentage and some highlight gaffs (looking for a pass when on a breakaway, easily knocked off the puck, to name just two I recall). Certainly last year's Hart trophy winner should be criticized openly in the media miles ahead of Marleau.
Henrik is the reason Vancouver couldn't close out the Preds earlier (if you follow your own logic).
I don't think that anyone is trying to make the case that the Sedins are anything other than mediocre in the playoffs so far, either.
Henrik has one goal in 13 games (an empty netter at that) and an atrocious +/-, awful faceoff percentage and some highlight gaffs (looking for a pass when on a breakaway, easily knocked off the puck, to name just two I recall). Certainly last year's Hart trophy winner should be criticized openly in the media miles ahead of Marleau.
Henrik is the reason Vancouver couldn't close out the Preds earlier (if you follow your own logic).
You wouldn't catch me defending the Sedins, either. I haven't watched the Sharks, but the Sedins are a very large reason why the Preds and Hawks didn't get swept. Not ONLY are the Sedins not scoring as much as their team needs them to, but they have been on the ice for a worrisome amount of even strength goals against.
Well, the two biggest "choke" teams in the league made it to the WCF, despite their stars doing their best to live up to the choking reputation. And with Boston in the East, there's a good chance of one of these teams shedding a bad rap.
If Tampa ends up winning with St Louis playing well, I think he becomes a first ballot HHOF lock, even without having to pad his regular season numbers for longer.
Well, the two biggest "choke" teams in the league made it to the WCF, despite their stars doing their best to live up to the choking reputation. And with Boston in the East, there's a good chance of one of these teams shedding a bad rap.
If Tampa ends up winning with St Louis playing well, I think he becomes a first ballot HHOF lock, even without having to pad his regular season numbers for longer.
Yeah, it gives you an idea of just how deep SJ and Vancouver are that they were able to make it with big pieces of their lineup not really contributing like they should.
With Boston missing Bergeron, and the roll Tampa is on, that one is going to be interesting.
Well, the two biggest "choke" teams in the league made it to the WCF, despite their stars doing their best to live up to the choking reputation. And with Boston in the East, there's a good chance of one of these teams shedding a bad rap.
If Tampa ends up winning with St Louis playing well, I think he becomes a first ballot HHOF lock, even without having to pad his regular season numbers for longer.
Other then the Sedins and Marleau, I don't see that.
Thornton, Kesler, Boyle, Luongo have all been superb. Heatley has been alright.
Marleau was the Sharks top penalty killing forward. Marleau scored the game winner in Game 7 tonight.
Marleau scored the game winner in Game 3 OT.
The media loves Thornton and is quick to criticize Marleau but to hell with his critics! When Roenick on Versus called him out after game 5 and basically put the weight of the team's lack of success for ending Detroit on his shoulders I was royally peeved. YES, he is streaky with scoring but he is also CLUTCH. When a big goal is most needed he comes through time and again.
Marleau is an all-time great. His soft hands around the crease, his clutch play, his penalty killing and turnovers and breakaways. May he be an ATD regular from here on as a great utility forward in a Bottom-6 role (and could handle 2nd pp duty in an all-time context).
Did you actually watch the game? It looks to me like you just checked the box scores.
To take a line from Nick Kypreos, Patrick Marleau is as soft as baby poo. He constantly got stripped of the puck, floated around aimlessly for most of the game, and never won any battles. One lucky tap-in goal doesn't change that. He did make 1 good hit early and 1 good defensive play late, but his overall game was pathatic.
His clucth play... in 13 play-off games 6s or 7s, he has 2 points!
Why? If they're not calling the dive, you would be irresponsible, as a player, to not take every advantage you can.
I know this is a quaint concept in today's world where everyone is out to climb over each other and do anything they can get away with to get whatever they can get... but I'll tell you why:
Other then the Sedins and Marleau, I don't see that.
Thornton, Kesler, Boyle, Luongo have all been superb. Heatley has been alright.
Luongo was terrible in games 4-7 of te first round, I thought. Better since. I guess overall, he and Thornton have been better than they usually are in the playoffs... Heh
I was referring to the second round only for Luongo.
Re: Thornton. No, he's been playing fantastic. Babcock and McLellan are both power on power coaches. He's been facing Datsyuk and/or Zetterberg all series, dealing with them, while still putting up a point per game. He's also the reason Setoguchi has been scoring so much.
Thornton's been the third best player of the playoffs so far, after Datsyuk and Kesler.
I don't think it would have been possible for anyone not in the big four all-time to "take over" that series. You got two non-sheltering coaches, tons of defensive forwards, and two teams focused on exploiting their depth. It just wasn't played that way.
