achildr1

I'm real excited about this kid. He seems to have at least #3 type tools. Dekeyser, Smith, Sproul, Ouellett, and Backman looks very deep considering Ericsson and Kindl are progressing nicely.

Dominance, having either the best PP or PK or both, Jiri Fischer, having tough players on our team, guys that just shoot and are actually good at it (Shanny and Hull), one timers, old time hockey, fights, the feeling that both teams are beginning to seriously dislike each other, real rivalries, a time when i felt like whoever won a series was actually the better team, and a time when i felt like there wasnt so much questionable influence from Bettman/the league in suspensions, playoff series, or the draft lottery. I miss Draper's ethic, Lidstrom's dominance, Shanny/Hull's slapshot, Yzerman's whole game, and Duschene's smile. I miss the "must see TV" feeling of Wings/Avs. I miss knowing that the Wings would get someone at the trade dealine. I miss real, physical play. When everybody hit everybody and you didnt see guys getting runned because they made a clean hit.

 

 

 

That third period was everything good about playoff hockey. Nerve wracking, but exciting and full of action that didn't involve the officials.

Ericsson winner in OT. He's finally going to get a slap shot off in time and to the net.

 

Still not Big E's biggest fan but im feelin' that prediction...if we win, of course. Perry will more than likely score because thats the kind of thing that has happened the last few years.

Besides the last OT game, which i didnt get to see, I feel like we always lose in OT. Id love to say this isnt true but I have very little confidance after regulation.

All the Jimmy haters need to watch this game...where would we be without this kid?

So many of these are awesome...I can't pin down my favorite. The Nintendo Duck Hunt gif and the Three ducks gif are currently in the lead though...

In the "Report Card" topic I posted...

 

"I just reread my Hockey News yearbook from last year that listed several forwards higher than him in the top 50 players. It also said his days of being a point per game player are over. What ignorance. Datsyuk is faster and just as creative as I've ever seen him. I would have liked to see what he could have done with the whole seasons worth of games."

 

 

toby91_ca replied..."Did the Hockey News really say that?  After scoring 67 points in 70 games, surprising that they'd come out and say that his pointer per game days are over (perhaps you've paraphrased too much?)."

 

 

I had a hard time getting the pic up but here it is...

 

 

Got me to thinking though...

 

I have pretty much every THN Yearbook from 1999 to present as well as almost all the Draft Preview and Top Prospect annuals. I love THN but they biff with some regularity. I found my 2002-2003 Yearbook on the floor today (probably because my Son like to try and destroy my magazines at every opportunity). Found this little gem...

 

 

Now anyone who ever followed my posts should know Lilja was my whipping boy for a good stretch but I found this to be more optimistic than even the most staunch LGW Lilja supporters.

 

Lilly Pad on the first PP unit?!?!?! Offensive upside? Forward?!?

 

Anyway, I figured i'd make it a topic in case anyone has similiar contributions or I continue to find these (which I probably will just by chance) or i start looking for them to put in here out of boredom.

 

 

EDIT: Sorry they are sideways...if anyone can fix that, please do. Otherwise i'll have to figure it out. They were right side up when I previewed them before uploading.

Ken Daniels just said Tootoo ate raw beluga whale and Caribou this week...Toots is in beast mode. Makes sense to me...

 
Awesome.

Franzen really is only motivated from April on, isn't he? We just sit around and watch him float all year and then he becomes captain clutch, powerforward man overnight...and its like every year. So wierd.

Kesler vs Burrows????? Puke on both.

Yes. That was the only vote I left blank.

This is why keeping veterans around too long is a slippery slope. You must play the player who deserves toplay, period. Unless you want a culture of entitlement and pissed off prospects.

 
If you're listening to anything that a Leaf fan has to say regarding the playoffs, you're doing it wrong.
 
Kindly remind them that our playoff streak is old enough to drink in the United States, then drop the mic, and back away with your arms raised. 

Bahaha! Yes!

My favorite post of the year.

So...who else was positive Marleau would score there?

Oh please. You think Cory Schneider thought that way? "Damn, I'm not gonna be 'the guy' in Vancouver for a long time...". 
 
If Mrazek keeps being awesome and keeps developing he'll get his chance, and if he outplays Howard he'll be the #1. 
 
The way I see it, next year Mrazek is full-time #1 in GR. Then you have atleast 1 year, maybe 2 years as a backup to Jimmy. Best case scenario it develops into a 1A-1B system. 

Holland had to sign Jimmy, and the money is right in the ballpark of what he's worth if you look around the league. He plays a ton of games and he does it well. Sure it would be nice to have it a bit cheaper or take off a year or two, but it's not that easy. Key thing is we've locked up quality goaltending for the forseeable future, even if Mrazek would somehow, some way, turn out to be a bust. 

Maybe Cory Scnieder did think that way. Obviously Loungo is very uphappy. What if Mrazek clearly won the starting job 2 years from now? Then you have a situation where your backup is vastly overpaid and most likely, very unhappy. How do you think players like signing a 10 year deal, firming planting thier family in a city because the team commited to them, only to lose their job, house, land, schools, kids friends, blah blah blah? Loungo lost his job and not just because Scnieder has been great but because of his contract. Now Vancouver looks bad for signing him to it, for not trading him last year, for not trading him now...if I was Loungo I'd be furious. If I was Schnieder I'd think its a giant circus and Id wonder why they ever signed Loungo that long if they thought so highly of me.

So please, consider all the factors. This is not as bad as Loungo's deal but what I said makes plenty of sense and if not likely is surely possible. Goaltenders should not be signed to huge deals...and Bryzgalov, Loungo, and DiPietro can attest to that. If Mrazek does become an elite goalie in the next three years (which is entirely possible considering his continued meteoeic rise), it can create a dicey situation akin to the Curtis Joseph debacle.

To be clear.. I like the price for Jimmy. I am actually one of Howards bigger fans in a see of haters that seem to bash him constantly. He is much better than people give him credit for. But I don't like the term, mainly because of Mrazek's presence. Situations like Loungo's or Joseph's can make players not want to sign here...and since Iginlaand Bouwmeester were coming from the Flames and niether wanted to play for us...I think we ccan't afford to gamble too much. I'm not saying that any of this will happen, I'm just saying that I believe most people don't consider these truths when judging a contract.

Wow.  Can everybody just calm down a little bit about Petr Mrazek?  Mrazek is 21 years old with virtually no track record.  He doesn't factor into a Jimmy Howard signing
 
There's really group of about 10-15 goalies in today's league that make up the "top" goalies in the league. 
 
For all the stuff Holland has arguably "screwed up" or "missed" on, let it be known be known that he drafted, developed, and retained a franchise-caliber goaltender without the aid of a Top 10 pick.

Mrazek has about as much "track record" as you can judge a goalie by at his age. This kid steals games...the type of goaltender everyteam wants. Yes, he is still a prospect. That said, that doesn't mean you don't take him into account when signing Howard to a 6 year deal. What do you think Mrazek thinks about it? Do you think it doesn't weigh on him that the Wings (who called him up at an earlier age than any goaltender I remember) basically said, without saying, that Mrazek isn't going to be the guy for 6 years? What does that do to a kids mindset? Yea, if he's professional he'll get over it. But its just like sending Tatar down or burying Nyquist all year...do you think they don't know that they are better than half our forwards? Yet they ride the bus in GR. I don't know about you...but that would drive me crazy. I want to KNOW that I can win the job whenever I'm the best option.

There arent 10 top goalies in the league. A top notch goaltender is as hard to find as a franchise defenseman.

I like the Holland/Howard comment though...well said.