But, but, but we've been dealing with the lows for so long. Can't we just enjoy this?
We finally have a developing franchise player who plays the premium position in hockey who gives us something to be excited about. Plus, we have to talk about something since we have to wait forever for the next game.
im excited as hell about JT also, don't get me wrong ha...just trying to stay even keeled
im excited as hell about JT also, don't get me wrong ha...just trying to stay even keeled
I try to stay even keeled also, but he really has been impressive so far. Not only is he playing the way we thought he would, but he showing things now that we didn't expect.
I think it's because I'm already in withdrawal with 2 days remaining for my next fix.
Two 30 goal scorers and a healthy Mark Streit with Hamonic and Rolston on the point? He has the players needed to get 80-100 points, AND THE COACHING. What's needed is solid play up and down the lineup. But yes, he can hit 100. Not gonna happen but he'll be around there this year or next.
With Moulson and PAP as wings he will never hit 100. Every player, good or bad, has their highs and lows, and when he has his lows the other two will follow, as opposed to having a real 1st line wing who can lift him out of his funk when he falls off by picking their game up. To date I have seen zero evidence that either Matt or PAP can do that.
With Moulson and PAP as wings he will never hit 100. Every player, good or bad, has their highs and lows, and when he has his lows the other two will follow, as opposed to having a real 1st line wing who can lift him out of his funk when he falls off by picking their game up. To date I have seen zero evidence that either Matt or PAP can do that.
Pap gets 25 goals, Moulson 35, JT gets 40.....now if the line gets 100 goals, and JT also can, technically assist on Streit or Rolston or Hamonic's goals should he pass there....100 isn't unreasonable.
Now this assumes the team does well and the line does well Can it? JT looks soooo much better, Moulson gets his goals from good positioning and JT's feeds. PAP works hard and creates offense. Now all that's needed is a high scoring point on the powerplay......or can Moulson and Papa not score 60 goals between them to make it easy?
I'm talking a good year BTW. It would be very possible IMHO.
What can you say, really? The team is his. We go as he goes. If he goes all superstar on the NHL this year, the Islanders go along for the ride, and we have some other pretty talented hockey players.
If Garth ever upgrades Parenteau(who has been ridiculous so far, well done kid) than this team starts contending without question.
With Moulson and PAP as wings he will never hit 100. Every player, good or bad, has their highs and lows, and when he has his lows the other two will follow, as opposed to having a real 1st line wing who can lift him out of his funk when he falls off by picking their game up. To date I have seen zero evidence that either Matt or PAP can do that.
This is assanine. Who are you to say what a player as Tavares can and cannot do? Tavares absolutely has the talent to be one of the best players in the world. Period. Will he do it? That's another question. The real question is if Tavares can maintain a STEADY performance over the duration. We do not need 4 point nights, just steady, good hockey.
This is assanine. Who are you to say what a player as Tavares can and cannot do? Tavares absolutely has the talent to be one of the best players in the world. Period. Will he do it? That's another question. The real question is if Tavares can maintain a STEADY performance over the duration. We do not need 4 point nights, just steady, good hockey.
And he will do it. This is his year.
I'm not sure if he'll get 100 this year, but he can definitely get 90. I projected him at the beginning of the season with stats of 43G 51A 94 pts. I do agree with your post before, Parenteau has surprisingly been fantastic this season.
Tavares tends to get his points regardless of his linemates, even when he was split with Moulson he was scoring plenty. He's like Crosby in that sense. Crosby has arguably had some of the worst wingers (minus Hossa and Kunitz) during his career and he still manages 110+ points. Obviously Tavares isn't Crosby, but I'm never going to be worried about JT getting his points.
Good thing Garth has already drafted his future wingers in any combination of Okposo, Niederreiter, and Kabanov
Tavares has the talent to reach 100 points. I don't think that's achievable THIS YEAR with THIS TEAM though. 100 is a lot more than 67.
He was 28th in league scoring last year, tied with Matt Duchene coincidentally. Behind players like Lubomir Visnovsky, Teemu Selanne, Claude Giroux, Mike Ribeiro, Brad Richards.
Only Stamkos, Sedins, Perry and St.Louis broke 90 and they all played TOGETHER (exeption of Perry who had Getzlaf and Ryan who BOTH had more than Tavares). The top scorers also had FAR MORE points on the PP than Tavares had.
The SUPPORTING CAST has a significant influence on statistical output.
This year, Tavares is better, Streit is back and adding Rolston/Okposo makes the PP better as well. I expect his output to be higher but 100 is a lot.
Regardless of what his numbers look like, what excites me the most about Tavares is the TYPE OF player he's BECOMING (or maybe IS and we don't realize it yet). He's the guy who will get that goal in a tie game. He's the guy who LEADS the team, who WANTS THE PUCK, in a close game.
There are a lot of high scorers that are NOT that player. I had doubted that Tavares was that player when he played in Oshawa and London, until I saw him at the WJC. That's why I'm glad he was the pick, even though I felt they should have gone with Duchene. That trait of competitiveness, of desire, determination to win, to be the best transcends the scoresheet.
Scot99 used a Parise comparison and that's a PERFECT example of what I mean. Before seeing him as an Islander, I wouldn't have ever made that connection. I thought Pierre Turgeon was the best comparison, possibly Luc Robitaille or Dale Hawerchuk - obviously great players but imagine Turgeon's talent with Parise's desire...that's what I want Tavares to be for this team.
This is assanine. Who are you to say what a player as Tavares can and cannot do? Tavares absolutely has the talent to be one of the best players in the world. Period. Will he do it? That's another question. The real question is if Tavares can maintain a STEADY performance over the duration. We do not need 4 point nights, just steady, good hockey.
And he will do it. This is his year.
Your comment is ignorant, because all you do is make a statement without any supporting material. Some players are one man shows who can play with crap and still do well. Those are the OVs and Crosby's of the world. Tavares is not in that mold, though he can be as big of an impact player. His path requires some support because of his game. He is both a playmaker and a goal scorer and will likely never be confused with someone who is fast on their skates. His bread and butter is below the circles, a place where setting up plays and scoring in tight commonly requires others to keep the puck moving, providing alternate positions for defenders to concern over, and others to get passes and shots off that he can finish off. Please note also what I said - he can make 100+ - but not with Moulson and PAP as his ultimate wings. They are 2nd line material. You can get away with one of them, and most likely Moulson, but not both. He needs another real first line wing, and anyone thinking that Nino or Strome will come into the league and *instantly* be that level player are, well, fooling themselves to put it nicely. The longer Wang and Snow sit on this the longer their ultimate shame for wasting the talent this kid has. Neither Matt or PAP make room for John, and that's the one thing he thrives off of.
Book it. No 100 pts if they remain his constant companions this year. Mix in Nino and same results. he needs a real live first line wing. The Isles are currently devoid of such an animal.
It is, because his forward bretheren is killing him.
Well played.
Like I've said about 30 times this week alone... Get him a real wing and watch MORE points flow from his stick. Move one of the others down to help the next line, and maybe that amps a few of them up as well.
Your comment is ignorant, because all you do is make a statement without any supporting material. Some players are one man shows who can play with crap and still do well. Those are the OVs and Crosby's of the world. Tavares is not in that mold, though he can be as big of an impact player. His path requires some support because of his game. He is both a playmaker and a goal scorer and will likely never be confused with someone who is fast on their skates. His bread and butter is below the circles, a place where setting up plays and scoring in tight commonly requires others to keep the puck moving, providing alternate positions for defenders to concern over, and others to get passes and shots off that he can finish off. Please note also what I said - he can make 100+ - but not with Moulson and PAP as his ultimate wings. They are 2nd line material. You can get away with one of them, and most likely Moulson, but not both. He needs another real first line wing, and anyone thinking that Nino or Strome will come into the league and *instantly* be that level player are, well, fooling themselves to put it nicely. The longer Wang and Snow sit on this the longer their ultimate shame for wasting the talent this kid has. Neither Matt or PAP make room for John, and that's the one thing he thrives off of.
Book it. No 100 pts if they remain his constant companions this year. Mix in Nino and same results. he needs a real live first line wing. The Isles are currently devoid of such an animal.
Pap gets 25 goals, Moulson 35, JT gets 40.....now if the line gets 100 goals, and JT also can, technically assist on Streit or Rolston or Hamonic's goals should he pass there....100 isn't unreasonable.
Now this assumes the team does well and the line does well Can it? JT looks soooo much better, Moulson gets his goals from good positioning and JT's feeds. PAP works hard and creates offense. Now all that's needed is a high scoring point on the powerplay......or can Moulson and Papa not score 60 goals between them to make it easy?
I'm talking a good year BTW. It would be very possible IMHO.
I respect where you are coming from, but my initial worry remains. When Tavares slumps, and there's no reason to think he won't yet as he has the previous two years for long periods of time, the other two go completely invisible as well. The same thing happened to Duchene last year, he started off red hot, then all the air went out of that balloon and no one on his line picked up the slack. Stamkos has fallen off at times as well, but he gets back up because of Marty stays productive despite Stamkos hitting a wall. That's critical. John does not have that luxury. I think Tavares could threaten for the Richard this year based on what I have seen if he only had one better linemate, and another defenseman besides just Mark who could feed him good passes down low from the blueline/keep the play in/etc.
It's my no. 1 & no. 2 frustrations with the owner at the moment.
Last edited by A Pointed Stick: 10-23-2011 at 10:14 PM.
Actually, just the opposite, JT just missed the cutoff to go in the 2008 draft-- thankfully for us
Yes, you're right. I knew that, I just had a brain fart for a moment. All that hoopla with rumors that he was petitioning to enter the 2008 NHL Draft. The stuff this kid went through BEFORE he entered the NHL. The most scrutinized prospect in the history of the draft. He needs some serious help out there, but he is showing the ability to carry this team on it's back offensively.
Tavares is one of my favorite players in the game and watching him has made me a closet Isles fan. To me it's within the realm of possibilities for him to be considered a elite player in a year or two. Imagine how much better would be if he some consistent first-liners to work with. Moulson is a legit top sixer, but I can't help but imagine how much better Tavares might be with someone like a Hossa or even a Ray Whitney type on his wing.
For those who have access to the NHL Network right now, JT and Mike Bossy will be interviewed in about 5 minutes or so. The promo title was called, 'Coming of Age'.
Great to see Tavares getting some cred now. He's been overlooked.
I respect where you are coming from, but my initial worry remains. When Tavares slumps, and there's no reason to think he won't yet as he has the previous two years for long periods of time, the other two go completely invisible as well. The same thing happened to Duchene last year, he started off red hot, then all the air went out of that balloon and no one on his line picked up the slack. Stamkos has fallen off at times as well, but he gets back up because of Marty stays productive despite Stamkos hitting a wall. That's critical. John does not have that luxury. I think Tavares could threaten for the Richard this year based on what I have seen if he only had one better linemate, and another defenseman besides just Mark who could feed him good passes down low from the blueline/keep the play in/etc.
It's my no. 1 & no. 2 frustrations with the owner at the moment.
One thing: when Jurcina is back and Hamonic gets his game in order, we have only Rolston left to get his head out of his arse and then we have a solid 1-4 power play point guard.
Now that leaves us the forward corps waking up, and Cappy using the best guys out there and then we have our scoring on the power play shored up.
About Moulson? He's stable.....he hits the net and plays a calmer, poised game so I have no doubt he'll hit 30G's. Parenteau works his tail off and IS reliant on the other two, so his game will translate dependent on the other two getting chances.
I think it'll balance ut this year, from the looks of it, as JT hitting 80-90 but he'll likely have a monster year when cheapskate decides to spend or allow Garf to spend.
