ryan93 Wrote:IMO Richards is a great leader, and the future captain of that team for a long time. It is a lot of money, but they had to do everything they could to keep Richards. He is their best player plain in simple...their offensive leader, their best defensive forward, plays the point on the PP, kills penalties, takes important faceoffs, 2nd in the entire NHL in icetime (behind Rod Brind'Amour), and he's as cluth as they come. He was the best player in the Memorial Cup by a mile, TB's best player in both the 2004 & 2006 playoffs, and probably Canada's best forward at the Olympics. IMO his best days are still ahead of him, and i think you'll see him take the next step next season.
It is a lot of money though and it makes it tough when you have 3 guys making that kind of money signed long term.
And how about those Canes last night! They dominated 
Best defensive forward?
hock:
hock: He plays offense but don't get carried away. He doesn't go in the corners and doesn't play defense. He's a GREAT offensive player though. His faceoff % just broke 50% this season too.
Especially this season, he was playing in all situations for the Bolts. He plays against the other teams top line every night (if Torterella can get his way anyways), and is very solid in his own zone. He's sorta like Zetterberg in that department...i mean ZB is considered one of the best two-way players in the game and was expected to be nominated for the Selke as best defensive forward...even though a guy like Kris Draper is better in his own zone (if that makes any sense at all lol). The Hockey News picked Richards as the Bolts best defensive forward as well.
Their best two-way forward might be a better way to put it.
ryan93 Wrote:Especially this season, he was playing in all situations for the Bolts. He plays against the other teams top line every night (if Torterella can get his way anyways), and is very solid in his own zone. He's sorta like Zetterberg in that department...i mean ZB is considered one of the best two-way players in the game and was expected to be nominated for the Selke as best defensive forward...even though a guy like Kris Draper is better in his own zone (if that makes any sense at all lol). The Hockey News picked Richards as the Bolts best defensive forward as well.
Their best two-way forward might be a better way to put it.
I'll have to respectfully disagree with The Hockey News then.
they paid him wayyyy too much..they're fucked now in trying to get a decent goalie
opiated Wrote:they paid him wayyyy too much..they're fucked now in trying to get a decent goalie
I felt they paid wayyyy too much for St. (One Year Wonder) Louis and Vinny (Headcase) Lecavalier, and of the three I feel that Richards is the most deserving of the coin. It's gonna be interesting to see how they manage the rest of their payroll now.
Wild first period in Edmonton!
very wild...2nd was good too...should be a good 3rd
back to the Richards stuff, IMO he's an excellent leader, next Stevie Y, Joe Sakic if you ask me...quiet guy who leads by example..but I also think they paid too much. Don't think this would happen but could, St Louis got the first big contract for TB I think, after his all star year, then Vinny gets the bigger contract, now Brad gets an even bigger one, anyone think that could cause trouble inside the team? Money creates egos that can't work together(see team Canada in Italy)...being a fan of these players I don't think it will happen but who knows
that was a crazy 3rd...8 goals and the oil have the ducks by the throats now
habsfan19 Wrote:Money creates egos that can't work together(see team Canada in Italy)
Because Team Sweden certainly didn't have any highly paid guys named Sundin, Lidstrom or Forsberg and Team Canada didn't have any highly paid guys in '02.
The bigger issue for TB is how the hell they are going to populate the rest of their roster when they've got 3 guys taking up about 50% of their cap space.
Very entertaining game tonight in Edmonton indeed, it had a little bit of everything. Lots of fights, lots of hitting, and lots of goals. The Oilers almost let this one slip away in the 3rd, but managed to hold on. Up 3-0 now, it looks like the Oilers are heading to the final - although i still find that hard to believe. That building was rocking tonight! And how about Mike Peca!!
ryan93 Wrote:Very entertaining game tonight in Edmonton indeed, it had a little bit of everything. Lots of fights, lots of hitting, and lots of goals. The Oilers almost let this one slip away in the 3rd, but managed to hold on. Up 3-0 now, it looks like the Oilers are heading to the final - although i still find that hard to believe. That building was rocking tonight! And how about Mike Peca!!
Every time the Oilers win a game, a part of me dies inside.
GO FLAMES....in 2007!
You guys can't appreciate a game until you've been to one at Rexall....It was so loud, I couldn't hear my buddy right beside me....wild 3rd
tigerthelion Wrote:ryan93 Wrote:Especially this season, he was playing in all situations for the Bolts. He plays against the other teams top line every night (if Torterella can get his way anyways), and is very solid in his own zone. He's sorta like Zetterberg in that department...i mean ZB is considered one of the best two-way players in the game and was expected to be nominated for the Selke as best defensive forward...even though a guy like Kris Draper is better in his own zone (if that makes any sense at all lol). The Hockey News picked Richards as the Bolts best defensive forward as well.
Their best two-way forward might be a better way to put it.
I'll have to respectfully disagree with The Hockey News then.
Ever read the Hockey News? It reads like it was written for people with a grade 5 education. I can't take anything they say seriously - even if I agree with them.
tth_fan Wrote:You guys can't appreciate a game until you've been to one at Rexall....It was so loud, I couldn't hear my buddy right beside me....wild 3rd
I was in section 223 in the Molson Fan Zone....and I couldn't hear a thing!!!!
I have never witnessed anything quite like it before.
The best part of it all, was when Paul stopped singing O Canada, and let everyone else take over. fuck, such class. You will never see that in any arena, in any sport ever.
I still have chills thinking about it.
watch it here if you didn't catch it tonight.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meLpuF9UMvk
Gunn Wrote:tth_fan Wrote:You guys can't appreciate a game until you've been to one at Rexall....It was so loud, I couldn't hear my buddy right beside me....wild 3rd
I was in section 223 in the Molson Fan Zone....and I couldn't hear a thing!!!!
I have never witnessed anything quite like it before.
The best part of it all, was when Paul stopped singing O Canada, and let everyone else take over. f**k, such class. You will never see that in any arena, in any sport ever.
I still have chills thinking about it.
watch it here if you didn't catch it tonight.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meLpuF9UMvk
Yop, that O Canada was pretty surreal
hock: I was gettin chills too, almost shed a tear.....