NHL

[Volourn]

"This is one of the stupidest things I've read. You know that this statement is false."

 

Best way to judge a player's importance to a team is how much they play him. By benching him, the Caps are stating that they better with him off the ice.

 

 

"It worked for Mark Messier.

 

Even Moose credits it for being a decision that made him the player he became. Messier wasn't just benched though, he was dumped to the minors."

 

Good for him. He's just playing the PC game. Mess became the player he became because he's damn talented just like Ovechkin is. Benching him is not going to make him better, or worse.

 

 

"By your reasoning Volo the Caps should also let Ovechkin pick his linemates and decide what shifts he wants to play."

 

Why not? The best players usually do.

 

Just tonight, Jagr told the Rangers to give him more ice time. Guess what? He wans't punished... in fact, they agreed to his request because the Rangers know he's their best player and treat him as such.

 

Since Alanshu brought up Mess, let's take a trip down memory lane... to 1993...

 

Mess pretty much single handedly got Roger Nielsen fired as Rangers head coach... in 1994... they go on, and win the Cup... Coincidence? I think not.

 

Bottom line is that teams that actually want to win treat their best players as their best players.

 

This is why (inspite of tonight's dissapointment) the Rangers are assured a play-off spot while the Capitals who just two years did everything they could to sabatoge Jagr's career utterly suck.

 

Coincidence? I think not.

Edited March 23, 2006 by Volourn

[alanschu]

Best way to judge a player's importance to a team is how much they play him. By benching him, the Caps are stating that they better with him off the ice.

 

Nope. Clearly you have zero understanding of sports psychology. Thanks for coming.

 

Good for him. He's just playing the PC game. Mess became the player he became because he's damn talented just like Ovechkin is. Benching him is not going to make him better, or worse.

 

Nope. It let him know that just because he had made it to the big leagues, it was no longer a free ride and he still had to bust his ass just to stay in the lineup. Both of which are exceptionally common among young athletes.

 

 

Gretzky was benched for the second period of a game back in his WHA days. He was fired up and scored 3 goals in the third.

 

To say that a benching means that they don't think the player is good is just incorrect.

Edited March 23, 2006 by alanschu

[mkreku]

The Leafs are being butt****ed by Montreal right now. They might as well leave Tellqvist alone out there and go to the Blue Oyster bar for a night of fun.

[Deraldin]

The Leafs are being butt****ed by Montreal right now. They might as well leave Tellqvist alone out there and go to the Blue Oyster bar for a night of fun.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

4-0 at the start of the second. Koivu snapped his 19 game or so goal-less streak. Two goals in 12 seconds and another 2 on the powerplay.

[Hurlshort]

What's happening to Edmonton? I was counting on them to leave Vancouver vulnerable, so SJ could overtake them. Bah! LA is outside looking in right now.

[alanschu]

At least we showed up to the recent game.

[Kor Qel Droma]

...and didn't take as many penalties.

 

Actually watching Vancouver score last night during the shootout made me feel pretty sorry for Roloson. He didn't really have a chance on any of those goals.

 

But if Fernando Pisani was a board member here I'd give him +50 T.O.M.B.S. points for snatching us a point, at least.

 

And your Sharks didn't do so **** hot against the Wings last night either, Hurly. "

[Hurlshort]

The Sharks decided to rest against the Wings so they could win the next 3 road games.

[Kor Qel Droma]

Not bloody likely. The Sharks are three shades of useless on the road at 12-17-4. And didn't the Oilers at least earn a point against the Wings? And, um, score a goal?

[alanschu]

Oooo. *grabs popcorn*

 

 

I missed most of the game (my friend took me to see a movie for my birthday....Hills Have Eyes.....he's lucky he's still my friend ), but it sounded like Peca had a monster of a game.

 

He absolutely annihilated Kesler on one play.

[Kor Qel Droma]

I'm just ribbing Hurlshot. I'd hate for this thread to degenerate into a Vologic discussion.

 

Actually Peca sunk a beauty on Auld in the shootout. It wasn't as nice as Naslunds' game tying goal, but it was close.

 

And happy belated birthday Alan.

[Deraldin]

He absolutely annihilated Kesler on one play.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I saw that hit on Sportscentre. Looked like he got run over by a freight train. The Peca Express. "

[alanschu]

Thanks for the belated birthday.

 

I did see Peca's goal. Beauty in the top corner.

[Kor Qel Droma]

I've scored goals like that using Peca on NHL06. Too bad he never seems to get any breakaways...

[Hurlshort]

Not bloody likely.  The Sharks are three shades of useless on the road at 12-17-4.  And didn't the Oilers at least earn a point against the Wings?  And, um, score a goal?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

They lost most of those 17 before they got Thornton. Honestly, the Sharks had a horrible beginning schedule. I'm not saying that's why they are in the spot they are in, but it didn't help to have 7 of their first 9 games on the road. They also had 17 road games and only 9 home games in the first couple months. That's a brutal schedule. They've gone 8-7-3 on the road since they picked up Thornton.

 

The fact is, with the games in hand, they only need to go .500 to catch a few of those teams.

 

So tell your Oilers to win!

 

Happy B-Day Alan!

Edited March 25, 2006 by Hurlshot

[Deraldin]

Mwahahaha. And the Leafs are down 5-1 once again.

 

Make that 5-2 on that weird goal. 2 goals by Sundin so far.

Edited March 26, 2006 by Deraldin

[Hurlshort]

Montreal took it to them, yikes. The West is a pretty messed up situation. LA is down by a goal and currently a point out, Edmonton will be in 9th if they can't win, but they are up a goal, and Vancouver has played too many games.

[Deraldin]

Hopefully Montreal can keep up this pace for at least a couple games. Ideally I'd like to seem the in 6th place by then end of the season with hopefully Philadelphia in 3rd. Montreal at least has a chance against Philadelphia but they would likely be taken down by either Carolina or Ottawa if they had to face one of those two.

[alanschu]

Edmonton holds on to win with one of the best defensive displays I have ever seen in the third period.

 

Vancouver could hardly clear their zone.

[Kor Qel Droma]

Vancouver could hardly clear their zone.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It was really great seeing that happening to Vancouver as opposed to Edmonton. So that puts us at 6-1-1 for the season series.

 

"I'll have options at the end of the year to change things," Peca, told the Province. "It's been a very emotionally difficult year for me. But, for now, I just want to play for the guys in this room and the fans in Edmonton, and try and win a championship. If it's going to be in the role they have me in, that's the way it's got to be. I have to try to make the best of it."

"This is one of my more disappointing seasons and not just from a performance standpoint," Peca said. "There are a lot of areas that have been difficult for me and it has been very disappointing."

 

Talk about some mixed signals!!

[mkreku]

I seem to have missed this whole Peca situation. Why is he so unhappy? Anyone care to fill me in?

[Kor Qel Droma]

Keep in mind that most of the posters on this board are lunatics.

 

Me myself, I think he's not too happy with playing on the fourth line.

 

Oh and I can't resist adding this:

Edited March 26, 2006 by Kor Qel Droma

[alanschu]

I think people are blowing things out of proportion.

 

And important thing to realize with these comments is that you don't know what question was asked.

 

For all we know the Vancouver reporter asked "You were brought in to play a more offensive role. Care to comment?" "If it's going to be in the role....etc etc"

 

I think he's always been close to his extended family, and it's been quite a change for him to move out West. All I know, is that the game immediately following those statements was probably his best game as an Oiler. He was just giving himself some self-therapy.

[Kor Qel Droma]

Or it could be the Vancouver press just adding fuel to the fire in an attempt to get the Oil off of their game. But Peca did speak out about the coaching a few weeks back as well, which isn't really the wisest thing to do.

 

If he has a great playoff series ( assuming we make it to the post season), then he should stick around. If he doesn't I'll wish him well and put him in the same category as Nedved. Which will still rank him above Mike Comrie.

[alanschu]

When he "bashed" the coaching, he also bashed the veterans of the team, including himself.