[das_hips]

As much as I hope Hasek can bring this great city the cup, I doubt it will happen. Hasek, in my opinion will get hurt, and also won't bring as much dedication to Ottawa as he did to Detroit after his post-retirement (and we all know where that dedication took him). As soon as Melnyk steps in we're seeing faces like Bondra, DeVries and Hasek. I don't like the way this team is heading now... Bonk had a bad year and 'apparently' had to go for monetary purposes, but all of a sudden we're trading Lalime (who, for those who criticize, was runner-up for Vezina the year before last)... It sounds like Melnyk's promise to deliver the Cup is going to turn into a New York sized fiasco... This team was built on scouting, development and coaching... I think its pretty nieve to ship in a new starting goaltender, a new coach with a completely different style and discard the Ottawa Senators longest active player in Bonk and expect a cup. I see Ottawa winning it in 2006, without Hasek. Oh, and if Hasek gets hurt, Prusek definitely has the ability... I still find it difficult to accept the criticsm towards Martin for his inability to develop a strong offensive team (which he has) and then kick him out the door on the premise that it was goaltending that lost the series... If Ottawa wins the cup I'll chicken dance through the byward market, but in spite, I wouldn't mind a Florida-St. Louis Stanley Cup Final...

[tigerthelion]

The reason Ottawa hasn't won the cup yet is because of team toughness. They go out and get Chara and Ray and have Neil coming up and get in a few line brawls and think they are proving they are tough. What's the saying? A real badass doesn't go around saying how badass he is? Ottawa tried to prove how tough they were, all the while proving that they weren't tough. Lalime had a bad game 7 this past season, but Ottawa just doesn't have the grit. Look at Ottawa and look at Calgary this year? Who has the most skill? Ottawa! Who almost won the cup with ONE STAR (Iginla) and a hot goalie (Kipper)? I'm a Canucks fan and I know Vancouver can't win with Cloutier but they can't win unless they get tougher either. You need a good amount of North Americans to win in the playoffs. The Alfredsons, Hossas, Havlats, Bondras of the world won't get it done.

[Stephen Dame]

You need a good amount of North Americans to win in the playoffs. The Alfredsons, Hossas, Havlats, Bondras of the world won't get it done.

Some valid points, but I don't buy that for a second: It's a simplification in my opinion. Toughness doesn't have a thing to do with where you were born. I think the International tourney's have proven that.

"Grit" is such a subjective term. Does it mean having goons like Toronto and Vancouver, or heart and the ability to come through in the clutch such as Calgary showed this year?

It seems that any team becomes "gritty" after they've won. I'd suggest talent breeds wins, and the media then breeds "grit."

[hipfan39]

Hasek is my idol!!!!

I am wishing him the best in Ottawa!

[MikeS]

To all you Leaf fans: I'm surprised you're even able to mock other teams, I mean c'mon: glass houses BIG TIME!

"38 long years: never kissed the cup."

It would seem to me that you Leaf fans have a lot of pent up angst and bitterness... I wonder why?

Over the past 12 years, The Sens, The Leafs, The Florida Panthers and even The Winnipeg Jets have the same record in the playoffs: No cups.

It doesn't matter if you take her to the dance, it's can you get her home? And right now, the answer is a resounding "NO." Take it down a bit Leaf fans, you haven't earned anything yet.

Here we go again... :roll: :lol:

Putting the petty Leafs/Sens hating aside, this whole deal could be moot if the owners and players don't wake up and get a CBA hammered out (as could the deals the Leafs signed with Roberts, Niewy and Belfour)...For $2M, sure it's worth the risk - but it will likely be a full year between NHL starts for Hasek when the season finally gets under way (his last game for Detroit was December 8th last year), so folks in Ottawa shouldn't expect miracles right off the bat...

That said, I consider a 40-year old Hasek (if truly healthy) and Spezza (who'll actually get to play now) a significant improvement over Lalime and Bonk...

M.

[tragicallymike]

i wouldnt be worried about his groin, id be worrying about his head. the guy is a freakin nut job and you never know whats he's gonna do (see sabres playoff runs where haskek tweaks out). Plus he's a drunk and he chokes reporters(see google: hasek, jim Kelley)

[Drez7]

I have skated with a few Sabres at the Pepsi Center and there are always some good Dom jokes floating around the room. The guy really is quite whacked out. All in good fun, but I can vouch for the fact that Dom is out there. He doesn't even like to sign stuff for players families. I mean, what are they gonna do, put it on eBay. He might bring you the cup, but I think it's a much safer bet that he'll bring some DUI's, and some interesting stories to the local newspaper. If you ever see him in town drinking what looks like water in a clear plastic cup, ask him for a sip, it will knock ya back on your ass. He was great here in Buffalo, and I really think that he's got some game left. He is a competitor who will try to play til he drops. It's a bold move yes, but Muckler must see something to be willing to take that big of a gamble. Only time will tell...

[tigerthelion]

You need a good amount of North Americans to win in the playoffs. The Alfredsons, Hossas, Havlats, Bondras of the world won't get it done.

Some valid points, but I don't buy that for a second: It's a simplification in my opinion. Toughness doesn't have a thing to do with where you were born. I think the International tourney's have proven that.

"Grit" is such a subjective term. Does it mean having goons like Toronto and Vancouver, or heart and the ability to come through in the clutch such as Calgary showed this year?

It seems that any team becomes "gritty" after they've won. I'd suggest talent breeds wins, and the media then breeds "grit."

I think toughness does have something to do with where you were born. Of course there are exceptions (Niemenen, Oliwa, Ruutu, etc) but in general North Americans seem to have the style to win in the playoffs. If you only knew how much I defend Europeans to all my Leaf following friends after watching an episode of Coach's Corner! I have nothing against Europeans and there are plenty of North Americans who don't play a rough style! Heck I was friends growing up with the Conn Smythe and Lady Byng winner for this year! He is one of the most finesse players in the NHL.

So, I guess Tampa proved this year that you don't need to have much team toughness but in general I think it really helps. It almost won Calgary a cup. In closing, I guess team toughness, some luck, a star player, and a hot goalie are the ingredients to win a cup.

[LoftyPines]

To all you Leaf fans: I'm surprised you're even able to mock other teams, I mean c'mon: glass houses BIG TIME!

"38 long years: never kissed the cup."

It would seem to me that you Leaf fans have a lot of pent up angst and bitterness... I wonder why?

Over the past 12 years, The Sens, The Leafs, The Florida Panthers and even The Winnipeg Jets have the same record in the playoffs: No cups.

It doesn't matter if you take her to the dance, it's can you get her home? And right now, the answer is a resounding "NO." Take it down a bit Leaf fans, you haven't earned anything yet.

Thank You! Thank You! For the love of god, Thank You!

That is the best thing I have read on here for a long time!

The "Leaf Nation" is much ado about nothing (nothing: see Ty Domi)

[MikeS]

The "Leaf Nation" is much ado about nothing (nothing: see Ty Domi)

At least spell his name right...:roll:

Anyway, I had hoped this wouldn't regress to the usual "Leafs suck and so do their fans" thread, but seeing as it has, I offer up the following rebuttal, taken from the Leafs newsgroup a while back (and no, I didn't write it...), which to me pretty much sums up this "debate" from a Leafs fan's point of view:

The funny thing is - that the Leafs haven't won a cup in so long is a much
bigger deal to people who aren't Leaf fans than those who are.

Do you even understand why people follow pro-sports or have such a deep
allegiance to a particular team - especially with the Leafs? Of course you
don't - you're probably an Ottawa Senators fan or a Columbus Blue Jackets fan or
some other franchise with no history or lineage.

In Toronto, the Leafs aren't just a team they represent something greater than
just that - something that transcends whoever happens to own the team, or who
the coach is or who is on the first line. Leaf fans remember watching Hockey
Night in Canada with their brothers on cold winter Saturday nights. Or the
first time they watched a game and had a beer with their Dad. Or the time they
went to their first Leaf game (Leafs/Detroit, boxing day 1986) or listening to
their uncles talking about Ron Ellis or Borje Salming or Darryl Sittler. Or the
time Gretzky high-sticked Gilmour when the Leafs could've gone to the Cup final
against Montreal etc. etc. etc. etc.

The definition of supporting the Leafs and being a Leaf fan is not about how
many times they won the cup or when they last won the cup. If the Leafs win the
Cup, would this town go ape shit? Of course it would. Do Leaf fans want their
team to win the Cup? Of course they do.

But if they don't win the Cup, would the the fan base go down the toilet or
would the team face financial hardships? Of course not. Why? Because we don't
define our team support by when they've last won the cup but by what they mean
to us as individuals. Hockey is life in Canada. To most Leaf fans, they aren't
just a team, they represent something greater than that, something more personal
and familiar than just a collection of players on a roster. They represent a
link to their past, to their memories and to their families. It's a link that
will continue on to future generations.

Until whatever team it is that you support can provide you with something more
that transcends the game, you'll never truly understand...

...

Like I said, every story has two sides...that's the other one... :wink:

M.

[farmerdan]

well done mike!

[Hairbird]

That's great Mike, thanks.

[Stephen Dame]

I have skated with a few Sabres at the Pepsi Center and there are always some good Dom jokes floating around the room. The guy really is quite whacked out. All in good fun, but I can vouch for the fact that Dom is out there. He doesn't even like to sign stuff for players families. I mean, what are they gonna do, put it on eBay. He might bring you the cup, but I think it's a much safer bet that he'll bring some DUI's, and some interesting stories to the local newspaper. If you ever see him in town drinking what looks like water in a clear plastic cup, ask him for a sip, it will knock ya back on your ass. He was great here in Buffalo, and I really think that he's got some game left. He is a competitor who will try to play til he drops. It's a bold move yes, but Muckler must see something to be willing to take that big of a gamble. Only time will tell...

Wow, had no idea the guy was such a loose cannon. Should be good for us muck rakers...

[Drez7]

Wow, had no idea the guy was such a loose cannon. Should be good for us muck rakers...

You guys should love him. I can still remember the time he got bumped by Kariya in the corner. He flops like the world was going to end, gets up, chases Kariya up the ice and throws his blocker at him...it was priceless. He gets fired up very easily but when he is in the zone, he is still the best in the world.

[BuffaloHipFan]

Hasek is a washed up crying bee-acch! 39 years old, how many groin injuries? How many games did he play last year. When the sabres traded him to detroit he was still whinning. He didn't want detroit to give up any extra players in the trade because "he needed them to win the cup". So Buffalo gets screwed again. F-U HASEK. SOMEONE KICK HIM IN THE GROIN!!!!!!!! Rumor is that Ted Nolan is blacklisted because he nailed Hasek's wife.