I'm sorry but I just find this absolutely hilarious
If Tim Thomas couldn't stop the puck he'd be the worst goalie in the league.
That is a big IF eh? Not too many guys can score 30 goals even with a linemate as talented as JT.
There are much bigger problems on the roster than a guy like Moulson (three 30 goal seasons in a row). That is a fact.
Comparing a skater to a goalie is not a good comparison. Let's put it this way. If John Tavares was a 15 goal scorer instead of a 30 goal scorer, he's still be one of the top 20 players in the league because of his strong defense, faceoff ability & supreme, damn near Gretzky like playmaking ability.
If Moulson was a 15 goal scorer, what other aspect of his game would you look at and say he's still helping the team win. To kind of prove this point look at the Player of the Game poll standings throughout the year. http://hfboards.hockeysfuture.com/sh....php?t=1045541 For a 34? goal scorer, it's pretty amazing that he's won our Player of the Game polls the same # of times as Pandolfo, DiPietro, Ullstrom, Ness, Staois, Eaton, Poulin & Nilsson. 1 damn game have us fans thought that he was the best Islander on the ice.
He plays hockey the way I play basketball. Pass the ball as soon as I get it cause I don't want to be blamed for making a bad play.
I'm not saying past Lady Byng winners have played this way. I'm saying Moulson plays scared.
The award simply shouldn't go to 6'2" 200 pound players who make bad plays because they're not willing to play strong defense.
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While I appreciate Moulson's goal scoring,I have to agree that Moulson is one of the softest 30 goal scorers in the league.He kind of reminds me of Czerkawski that way.
Chow had more skill and was better able to create his own scoring chances.
a player getting alot of penalty minutes is not necessarily a good thing. getting majors for protecting teammates is definitely a positive. getting penalties for holding, hooking, tripping, etc... usually hurts your team.
I think people *****ing about Moulsons lack of grit is more of a testament to the fact that Garth has failed at bringing any toughness onto the roster more so than it being a knock against Moulson. Moulson was signed strictly to score goals and he does a damn good job at that, I have zero complaints with him. You want toughness on the Tavares line? Sign a winger who plays a gritty style, don't hop on a player who does what he's been brought in to do. Bring in Milan Lucic or Nathan Horton esque player.
imo moulson should take stupid penalties to make sure he never gets this award!! god forbid this team gets some positive press once in a while!! then what would we have to complain about!!
he doesn't take the hard route to the puck? he's in front of the net every time in the offensive zone. i would love to see isles junkie try to deflect a 90mph slapshot or take dozens of crosschecks to the back each shift
imo moulson should take stupid penalties to make sure he never gets this award!!
he doesn't take the hard route to the puck? he's in front of the net every time in the offensive zone. i would love to see isles junkie try to deflect a 90mph slapshot or take dozens of crosschecks to the back each shift
I'm talking about throwing checks,not taking stupid penalties.
That is about as relavent as saying because you or I share the same ability to breathe puts us in the same class as Bossy. All it means is he is a nice guy on the ice to the point he won't protect himself or his team mates. Nomination is also not the same as winning. I look through the list of winners and not one is as unidimensional as Moulson.
I wasn't aware the NHL was now giving out awards for breathing.
His role is not to protect Tavares. Never has been.
I think people *****ing about Moulsons lack of grit is more of a testament to the fact that Garth has failed at bringing any toughness onto the roster more so than it being a knock against Moulson. Moulson was signed strictly to score goals and he does a damn good job at that, I have zero complaints with him. You want toughness on the Tavares line? Sign a winger who plays a gritty style, don't hop on a player who does what he's been brought in to do. Bring in Milan Lucic or Nathan Horton esque player.
This is part of it, but let's say that Moulson has scored 34 goals in 34 separate games. That pretty much means that in the other 45 or however many games they've played so far, he hasn't done anything to help the team. Sure he gets some assists, but a lot of those are on rebounds. It isn't like he's holding onto the puck & making a great play setting someone up for a goal.
This is part of it, but let's say that Moulson has scored 34 goals in 34 separate games. That pretty much means that in the other 45 or however many games they've played so far, he hasn't done anything to help the team. Sure he gets some assists, but a lot of those are on rebounds. It isn't like he's holding onto the puck & making a great play setting someone up for a goal.
He's the most 1 dimensional player in the league.
Players can have good games without scoring though
imo moulson should take stupid penalties to make sure he never gets this award!! god forbid this team gets some positive press once in a while!! then what would we have to complain about!!
he doesn't take the hard route to the puck? he's in front of the net every time in the offensive zone. i would love to see isles junkie try to deflect a 90mph slapshot or take dozens of crosschecks to the back each shift
Hi, this is 2012, not 1992. Hell it's not even 2002. The game has changed and he isn't taking a beating infront of the net. Not to the extent that you're talking about.
You pay attention next time there's a loose puck & both he & the opposing player are going for it. Especially if it's along the boards. I pretty much guarantee that Moulson will lose the battle because he takes the wrong angle. He either takes the wrong angle so he won't be able to get to the puck & be hit, or he'll take the wrong angle to defend and so he won't be able to make a puck loosening hit.
As for comparing a 5'9" 30 year old HFBoards mod who can't stop on ice skates to a professional hockey player, what's the point. Yes I fully admit it, Matt Moulson is 1 trillion billion cagillion times the hockey player I will ever be.
Players can have good games without scoring though
Of course they can. But Moulson doesn't. That's my point. If he doesn't score a goal, he doesn't do anything to help the team win.
What does he do? He is physically incapable of carrying the puck through the neutral zone. He can't accept a pass anyway, so he's really a non factor in the transition game. He isn't good along the boards in the offensive zone because he doesn't want to hit or take hits. He doesn't play any type of defense.
like I said, for a 34? goal scorer, he's been named the player of the game in our post game polls once this season. There's a reason that Matt Martin has been named one of our best players 5 times this year despite having 50 less points then Moulson does. Martin does something positive EVERY game. Moulson doesn't. You can't have a player on your 1st line who doesn't do anything in over half the games he plays.
It never ceases to amaze me how our fans can turn a positive into a negative.
Matt Moulson goes right in front of the net and sits there until the puck finds him. You're ****ing out of your mind if you think that doesn't take balls.
He's pretty much average or slightly above average in every aspect of the game except for these:
1.) He reacts extremely well to what is happening. With the puck or without it. He reads the play and finds openings. With the puck on his stick and a moment to read the goalie, he does so with amazing consistency. He literally will go forehand to backhand, get the puck into the net and fall over in the process. It is absolutely amazing what he does with with little time in front of the net.
2.) You guys think he takes poor routes to the puck? That's the reason why he's a plus player. He takes great routes to the puck and reacts well defensively. He reads plays well. He makes up for his lacking in other areas by being a smarter player.
3.) He's willing to go right to the front of the net to get scoring opportunities. He knows that he is the worst puck carrier on his line. He doesn't attempt to hold the puck for long. There's a reason why there are so many give-and-go plays between him and Tavares. He plays within himself and he plays off of his linemates.
Yes, he ends up on his ass a lot. Yes, I wish he was stronger and could deliver a better hit. He does attempt to hit, he's just really not that good at it. However, he cycles well enough and in games where he has an extra step it is very noticeable. Him and John Tavares work well together because of how quickly they react to each other.
He is not a soft player. He is not a proactive physical player. He is definitely tough in some aspects of the game. He plays a smart, simple and refined game.
The problem with our top line is that nobody who can reasonably protect our best player is on it and they are often matched up against the biggest, baddest defense pairing on the opposing team. Often, once our top line gains the offensive zone, they're limited against bigger and more mobile teams. The problem with our top line is that when they get bogged down in the defensive end, John Tavares is the best player at retrieving the puck and again they are not effective against bigger and more mobile teams.
If we had a bigger and tougher defense, it could make up for some of the difference in our own end. If JT's RW was someone who could get his back, it would make a difference. PAP means well and also finishes checks, but he isn't going to be an intimidating physical force. He'll be a nuisance and an agitator more than anything - which is even worse when it comes time to back it up.
If we completely changed the lines, it would make a difference. For now, I personally wouldn't **** on Matt Moulson for being a smart, unassuming goal producer. If he didn't go to the front of the net, a lot of the arguments here would hold much more water.
He's leading our team in ****ing goals and they aren't meaningless. He's tied for 9th in the league in goals scored and is 27th in points while being a plus player on the worst 5-on-5 hockey club in the entire league.
Yes, Matt Moulson is imperfect, but part of the perception of his imperfection is amplified by the makeup of his line and the team.
You don't win the Byng without having a high level of skill. You need skill players. Our problem is that we have have too many of them with subpar physical attributes and players who either don't initiate enough or initiate and are ineffective. Put a bigger body that can skate on JT's right side and it would make a big difference. If you get a power forward on the left side, then you drop Moulson down to 2nd line against more physical clubs.
You have no idea how annoyed I am that we don't alter out lines slightly against clubs that physically outmatch us. It's only been on very rare occasions that we've made changes in game. Altering our lineup heading into a game to better deal with our opponent might have happened twice this season at most.
Only Islander fans complain about a consistent 30 goal scorer and claim getting nominated for Lady Byng is a bad thing, only Islander fans.
LOL and I am usually one of the positive ones about the team.
Moulson is an excellent goal scorer and asset to this team. He was a great find. Noone is arguing that. However, he is not a highly skilled winger and his success is definitely made possible by JT. JT is the most important asset on this team, I hope that is not debatable.
All year long people on here have commented how noone stands up on this team, especially for our one bonafide star who gets hammered nightly. So I thought it a validation of these comments rather than something to jump up and down when I heard the his 6'1" 210 LB wing is up for the award that epitomizes the most gentlemanly player (most often a finesse highly skilled player in the Gretzky/St Louis/Turgeon mold) but also generally means the player is not a physical type. Bossy won this award 3 times mid to late in his career, but he had Trottier and Gillies with him, so we didnt need a large amount of toughness from him. Bossy was a special player, and underrated defensively.
My hope is that Jt has a long productive hall of fame career, but after watching every game this year, I worry if this is possible unless we get protection for him. OK so maybe Moulson is not intended for that and he will remain nearly one dimensional. BUT SOMEONE needs to stand up to other teams in the future. Can we afford to put another large body on the other side of JT rather than a skilled passer or playmaker? Or do we just keep down this same path. Personally, I would rather Moulson show a little toughness whether it be on the boards, the corners or in defense of the teams bread and butter... leave the Lady Byng to the little skilled guys.
If Moulson wins this award it is not getting us any closer to being a playoff threat. I agree that you don't take dumb penalties but this is indicative of so much more than that. JT winning the scoring, or Frans the Selke would be a great prideful thing for this franchise in the future.. JT, Strome or Grabner winning the Lady Byng would be nice recognition. But for me, if I am the coach, I don't want my 6'1" 210 one dimensional scorer being a powderpuff.
Comparing a skater to a goalie is not a good comparison. Let's put it this way. If John Tavares was a 15 goal scorer instead of a 30 goal scorer, he's still be one of the top 20 players in the league because of his strong defense, faceoff ability & supreme, damn near Gretzky like playmaking ability.
If Moulson was a 15 goal scorer, what other aspect of his game would you look at and say he's still helping the team win. To kind of prove this point look at the Player of the Game poll standings throughout the year. http://hfboards.hockeysfuture.com/sh....php?t=1045541 For a 34? goal scorer, it's pretty amazing that he's won our Player of the Game polls the same # of times as Pandolfo, DiPietro, Ullstrom, Ness, Staois, Eaton, Poulin & Nilsson. 1 damn game have us fans thought that he was the best Islander on the ice.
He plays hockey the way I play basketball. Pass the ball as soon as I get it cause I don't want to be blamed for making a bad play.
He's a garbage goal scorer. A player that everyone wants to have on a team. Doesn't make things look pretty but gets it done. Anyone complaining about moulson is crazy
I've never been a fan of the whole Lady Byng award. These guys are hockey players, not debutantes. Maybe I'm old school, but if I was playing in the NHL and won this award... I'd kind of be ashamed by it.
If Moulson wins it, I'll be happy for him and all. In the back of my mind though, being rewarded for playing like a wuss all season isn't something I'd be proud of.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sickofit
Winning any award that puts you in the company of Mike Bossy is not a bad thing.
according to Wikipedia:
Quote:
Lady Byng Trophy, is presented each year to the National Hockey League "player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability"
Nothing about whether or not a player stands up for another player or not, or is a "wuss", like some have mentioned.
Like sickofit mentioned, it puts him in the same league as Islanders HOF Mike Bossy and also some guy named Pierre Turgeon.
I am all for it and would be happy as all hell if Matt won it this season. We need to worry about getting a stay at home dman this off season, and maybe or not, retaining PAP Smear. Maybe getting a 2nd new dman in a trade (using our 1st round draft pick) or talking about selling out Barclays in the Fall. Not Moulson. His winning this or being a wuss is not a problem right now.
Nothing about whether or not a player stands up for another player or not, or is a "wuss", like some have mentioned.
Like sickofit mentioned, it puts him in the same league as Islanders HOF Mike Bossy and also some guy named Pierre Turgeon.
I am all for it and would be happy as all hell if Matt won it this season. We need to worry about getting a stay at home dman this off season, and maybe or not, retaining PAP Smear. Maybe getting a 2nd new dman in a trade (using our 1st round draft pick) or talking about selling out Barclays in the Fall. Not Moulson. His winning this or being a wuss is not a problem right now.
No it doesn't put him in the class of Turgeon or Bossy, he is a good hockey player but not in their class. I coach kids in baseball and football, they give out a sportsmanship award each year, it is nice to have but doesn't contribute a bit to winning.
The inference is that the perceived softness on this team as a team is a huge problem. So to have one of our few players who has some size and who plays on a line with our star is a problem for the future success of this team. To me this is not a recognition of a success but rather a validation of a big problem on this team. Having a Lady Byng winner next to JT is not going to lead us closer to the promised land. I would rather he show a bit of scrappiness and have 40-50 pms a year, many of the additional of the coincidental variety, taking off an opponent with him and sending a message that you can't kick sand in our face.
Comparing a skater to a goalie is not a good comparison. Let's put it this way. If John Tavares was a 15 goal scorer instead of a 30 goal scorer, he's still be one of the top 20 players in the league because of his strong defense, faceoff ability & supreme, damn near Gretzky like playmaking ability.
If Moulson was a 15 goal scorer, what other aspect of his game would you look at and say he's still helping the team win. To kind of prove this point look at the Player of the Game poll standings throughout the year. http://hfboards.hockeysfuture.com/sh....php?t=1045541 For a 34? goal scorer, it's pretty amazing that he's won our Player of the Game polls the same # of times as Pandolfo, DiPietro, Ullstrom, Ness, Staois, Eaton, Poulin & Nilsson. 1 damn game have us fans thought that he was the best Islander on the ice.
He plays hockey the way I play basketball. Pass the ball as soon as I get it cause I don't want to be blamed for making a bad play.
Just because he isn't well rounded, doesn't mean he isn't an asset to the team. No one is claiming him to be the next Stamkos, bc he definitely has holes in his game.
Matt Moulson has contributed statistically on 34.5% of the teams goals this season!! but yeah, he is a bum... Sorry man, I know you post here a lot but your argument just doesn't work for me.
Moulson may be one-dimensional but it is one dimension that this team severely lacks .... PUTTING THE PUCK PAST THE OPPOSING GOALIE AND INTO THE NET!!!
He's definitely an asset to the team. I want him on this teams 2nd line for the next 7 years. I just don't want to count on him as a 1st line winger because he doesn't do what is needed on this teams 1st line. Neither he nor PAP are going to protect Tavares, but MM makes no one around him better, PAP does, which is why I say keep PAP on the 1st line & move Moulson.
The club needs a 1st line winger who can score like Moulson & protect tavares & be an option to pass the puck to in the other 2 zones.
Then they'll need a RW on the 2nd line to protect ideally Strome & Moulson.
The amount of Moulson hate is astonishing, the guy has increased his production every year. He is a great linemate for JT, all they need now is a Hartnell type Powerfoward/Grinder/Agitator type player on the right side. Okposo was supposed to be that guy but we all know how that has worked out...
1.) He reacts extremely well to what is happening. With the puck or without it. He reads the play and finds openings. With the puck on his stick and a moment to read the goalie, he does so with amazing consistency. He literally will go forehand to backhand, get the puck into the net and fall over in the process. It is absolutely amazing what he does with with little time in front of the net.
2.) You guys think he takes poor routes to the puck? That's the reason why he's a plus player. He takes great routes to the puck and reacts well defensively. He reads plays well. He makes up for his lacking in other areas by being a smarter player.
3.) He's willing to go right to the front of the net to get scoring opportunities. He knows that he is the worst puck carrier on his line. He doesn't attempt to hold the puck for long. There's a reason why there are so many give-and-go plays between him and Tavares. He plays within himself and he plays off of his linemates.
I agree with this 1000%!
I'm afraid that a lot of the folks here dissing on MaMo would find themselves being heavily ignored by real, in-the-know hockey people.
There's a LOT of respect around the league for guys who understand the game, play within their abilities and make the most of their opportunities.
Matty Moulson is one of these players now, with this season being the ultimate proof of that.
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