Oh, look who it is. I voted Girardi, but please get out. We don't need to hear again just how bad you think EJ is.
Oh please calm down i've only ever said that he was a 2nd pairing defenseman. He certainly isn't the player some of you guys make him out to be. For a guy who was a 1st overall pick it's pretty rare to see such a "bargin" contract, perhaps that's because he's actually being paid for what he is. Johnson has tremendous potential but his career has been one of ups and downs and has been substantially overhyped relative to his accomplishments. It's not as if i've ever failed to substantiate my argument, hence i'm not trolling. It's not as if i have a track record of hate against the Avalanche. It's not even as if i'm making an argument nobody else has made before. Perhaps it's just my honest to god opinion, now tell me what is wrong with me offering that.
Nothing to see here folks, just the typical EJ bashers coming out for their weekly analysis regarding the bust that is Erik Johnson. As everyone knows, he is overhyped by Avs fans because we've had a string of terrible defenders ever since Rob Blake left and Adam Foote became washed up. We wouldn't know a first pairing defender if they came and bit us on the rear.
Erik is definitely one of the slower skating defenders in the league, the only thing going for him is his size and reach, which allows him to intimidate other forwards into coughing the puck up just by glaring at them occasionally, no skill goes into his ability to finish top 15 in the league in takeaways whatsoever.
When he's not giving the puck away twice as much as Jeff the Superstar Petry he's shooting at a 2.6%, good for barely top 200 in the league. His inferior shot demonstrating just why he is so poor offensively. Assists won't come easy to this rugged defensive defender because he tends to stay behind the play a lot, rarely if ever skating the puck up himself and leading the charge. Perhaps if his team didn't steal all the assists and score so many goals he would have so many more points.
As we all know, EJ signed for a salary indicative of his role on the team. 2nd pairing defenders don't get paid much, so we had to make sure EJ knew his place on the team going forward.
If only the Avs didn't give up the better defender in the trade, we could at least have one top pairing defender right now.
You do know that Girardi scored more than him last year right? Nevermind the terrific production he had in the playoffs. Maybe do just a little bit of research. Even just simply points wouldn't do it justice. For Johnson to be better than Girardi he would have to have substantially more points. Johnson was given a very offensive role (lots of PP time and middling/sheltered minutes at evens), Girardi was used as a shutdown defenseman (low PP minutes toughest matchups possible). When you think of their role and production it really makes it hilarious for anybody to even suggest at the current moment they are anywhere close.
Yeah but you forget, the Rangers aren't allowed to have 2-way defensemen according to HF.
McDonagh and Girardi are both black holes offensively who can't skate, can't shoot, can't pass, and have no hands. Matter of fact they can barely hold a stick. They are so unskilled in fact that they may be considered imbeciles by the dictionary definition. Hockey skills? They don't even have motor skills.
All these guys know how to do is smash forwards with their powerful fists and eat raw meat. Tortorella has to keep a shock color on them at all times to prevent them from eating Ryan Callahan. There's still room for development though. Rumor has it we're trying to teach McDonagh how to speak. And Girardi has made great strides in potty training.
But even if they end up being monkeys their whole careers, they're still great shutdown D-men who are black holes offensively. Which is what they are now, just ask HFBoards.
Yeah but you forget, the Rangers aren't allowed to have 2-way defensemen according to HF.
McDonagh and Girardi are both black holes offensively who can't skate, can't shoot, can't pass, and have no hands. Matter of fact they can barely hold a stick. They are so unskilled in fact that they may be considered imbeciles by the dictionary definition. Hockey skills? They don't even have motor skills.
All these guys know how to do is smash forwards with their powerful fists and eat raw meat. Tortorella has to keep a shock color on them at all times to prevent them from eating Ryan Callahan. There's still room for development though. Rumor has it we're trying to teach McDonagh how to speak. And Girardi has made great strides in potty training.
But even if they end up being monkeys their whole careers, they're still great shutdown D-men who are black holes offensively. Which is what they are now, just ask HFBoards.
Wahh, no one likes us.
You're right, people are so consumed with the Rangers that they intentionally vote against their better judgement just because.
Not that there's a modicum of truth to that, but if there was, it wouldn't be down to anything other than the incessant pimping fans of New York teams are prone to. It's not your fault.
If you think you need to prove anything to a guy who thinks EJ is a sad excuse of a hockey player then Even you, despite you thinking EJ is not that good, cannot believe Johnson is a sad excuse of a hockey player.
I may be killed by my fellow Rangers fans but I think Girardi is one of our most overrated players. Good player but he has yet to have a full season where he didn't have a monumental drop off at some point. Last year was his best by far but as always he significantly leveled off towards the end. McDonagh and Staal are much better players IMO.
If you think you need to prove anything to a guy who thinks EJ is a sad excuse of a hockey player then Even you, despite you thinking EJ is not that good, cannot believe Johnson is a sad excuse of a hockey player.
I don't, i just think that two wrong (arguments) don't make a right.
I think my position on Johnson, as much as people like to hyperbolize it (cough*Lonewolf*cough) and pretend i hate him, is pretty clear. I think he's a young defenseman finding his way, especially defensively. He has a chance to have a Roman Hamrlik type career, that's very good IMO. However as of now he's still only a 2nd pairing guy most nights, and from what he's shown will probably never be a true #1. I really don't see how that's so unreasonable.
At some point in time you have to, you know, actually show signs of ever living up to that potential.
Because EJ's only problem has been consistency, when he's been healthy and playing well for the Acs he's been awesome, spectacular defensively n a real force pushing the puck in transition. If he played like that consistently he'd be the easy choice over girardi, but since he isn't yet playing well consistently that's why potential gets brought up, namely his potential to become consistent.
You're right, people are so consumed with the Rangers that they intentionally vote against their better judgement just because.
Not that there's a modicum of truth to that, but if there was, it wouldn't be down to anything other than the incessant pimping fans of New York teams are prone to. It's not your fault.
You just don't understand, there's certain stereotypes teams fall into and anything they do different from that isn't recognized.
You're a Devils fan, maybe if I brought up the "trap" you'd understand.
I don't, i just think that two wrong (arguments) don't make a right.
There is really no other argument other than a facepalm to what MandyAlwaysKnows said. If we believe what he said, then a huge portion of players in the NHL are also sad excuses of hockey players, despite them being some of the best players in the world.
Yeah but you forget, the Rangers aren't allowed to have 2-way defensemen according to HF.
McDonagh and Girardi are both black holes offensively who can't skate, can't shoot, can't pass, and have no hands. Matter of fact they can barely hold a stick. They are so unskilled in fact that they may be considered imbeciles by the dictionary definition. Hockey skills? They don't even have motor skills.
All these guys know how to do is smash forwards with their powerful fists and eat raw meat. Tortorella has to keep a shock color on them at all times to prevent them from eating Ryan Callahan. There's still room for development though. Rumor has it we're trying to teach McDonagh how to speak. And Girardi has made great strides in potty training.
But even if they end up being monkeys their whole careers, they're still great shutdown D-men who are black holes offensively. Which is what they are now, just ask HFBoards.
Does a Straw man live in a Straw house? I see less straw on my friends horse farm really.
Del Zotto is far and away the most gifted offensive Dman on the Rangers.
Torts wants to collapse the net and play his big block shot defenders all night and hope they and Lundqvist (who is awesome) hold the fort and they score on the counter.
Let's face reality here though Girardi isn't logging the huge minutes as the next coming of Bobby Orr either here.
Heck I would hate to imagine waht Torts would do to Orr's game.
Guy (Girardi) is averaging what 28 points a year over last 5 years from back end?
At some point you have a really big sample size and need to call it quits on the offensive skill here and move on to other realities.
I don't, i just think that two wrong (arguments) don't make a right.
I think my position on Johnson, as much as people like to hyperbolize it (cough*Lonewolf*cough) and pretend i hate him, is pretty clear. I think he's a young defenseman finding his way, especially defensively. He has a chance to have a Roman Hamrlik type career, that's very good IMO. However as of now he's still only a 2nd pairing guy most nights, and from what he's shown will probably never be a true #1. I really don't see how that's so unreasonable.
So by 2nd pairing there would be at least 60 Dmen better than him in the NHL right now?
That's what you are implying here and there are some really bad teams out there and not all of them have 2 guys better than EJ.
MDZ is the most one dimensional Defensemen in the NHL. He's terrible defensively. He just looks ok since the Rangers decide to go with the 6 goalie defensive system. EJ>MDZ AINEC. Del Zotto is awful.
MDZ is the most one dimensional Defensemen in the NHL. He's terrible defensively. He just looks ok since the Rangers decide to go with the 6 goalie defensive system. EJ>MDZ AINEC. Del Zotto is awful.
Del Zotto is not awful defensively. Far from it.
He makes the occasional gaffes that every offensive D-man that has ever played the game makes. It comes with the territory.
He greatly improved his positioning last year and his physical game is incredible.
EJ is far and away the better player here if you incorporate defense into this. EJ is one of the best young two-way defensemen in the league. Del Zotto is shaky defensively and can't hit twine for jack ****. Evident who is better.
Even you, despite you thinking EJ is not that good, cannot believe Johnson is a sad excuse of a hockey player.
