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The Habs haven't had a serious goal scorer since Lafleur, really.
I like Koivu. He's a good leader and a good captain. But the team does need an offensive shakeup.
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so with the oil losing to the leafs yesterday, and trading bergeron today, i guess they have decided to be sellers this year?
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I agree with lizard on alot of his points, a shake up is neccesary. But, I dont think you can argue with Koivu as a leader. He may not be a star but he wears the "C" not because he is supposed to be the best player on the team but because he is the leader. I think alot of teams get caught up in the thinking that their captain should be their best player. Does anyone think Forsberg should have been captain in Philly? Forsberg is hearltess and in my opinion a terrible leader. When you play on a shitty team if you're the captain you shouldnt be whining and crying for a trade all the time. Same with Jagr, there's no way he should be the captain of the Rangers, Shanny is twice the leader that Jagr is. Anyways, all I'm saying is Koivu is a tremendous leader, but I will agree with Lizard that he's not a first line caliber centre in the NHL.
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no, but nobody was saying he was, and i'm not sure he's ever been...so why all of a sudden try to blame this on him...it doesn't make sense...at all...I'm as frustrated as anyone...but I doubt anyone in the world has put as much time/effort and heart and soul into "le bleu blanc et rouge" as Saku has since he's been on the scene...
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In case anyone got the wrong idea, I think Koivu is a great captain and a great leader..what I am saying is that his time as the leader of this team should be over soon, unless they get better players to play around him, he will have to be replaced, and I cant see a situation of him taking less money to be a 2nd line centre. TDC mentioned Briere and Lecavalier, two perfect examples of what Im talking about, those are the kinds of players we need, and to create an atmosphere of winning and being one of the top teams year after year. Other players will follow, I just dont get why those kinds of players are never sought after or choose not to go there? If you look at teams around the league at there best players they make ours look second rate. I see teams with sometimes 4 or 5 real good players or superstars, and we really have none. The way Koivu, Kovalev and Samsonov play I wouldnt call any of them superstars or really good for that matter, Souray gets lots of points but he's not very good defensively.
And this really isnt just a today problem, you have to go back very far to find the last real superstar on this team who really lit up the league or put fear into defenders. Or when we had a norris type defencemen. Really the best player to play for this team since they won the cup in 93 is Patrick Roy. And we've had good players over the years, but Im talking about that one special player who makes everyone else great, who scores consistently and makes people want to watch, we dont have that and we havent for a long time, not since Roy left.
Im just tired of it is all and even if they dont win the Cup I just want something or someone to cheer about, or to want to see play all the time. I find myself watching other teams play more than ever, just so I can see the best players play, its fun to watch. Just like I remember watching Roy all those years stop shot after shot, win games and awards, he dominated and I loved it, it was fun and exciting to watch. Now year after year I see other teams win, all these great players get drafted, superstars signing, teams making great trades every team but Montreal, year after year..its getting harder to watch anymore.
Imagine a world before the "beginning was the word.”
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tigerthelion Wrote:I don't get it. What defines a great leader? How can you say that Koivu is a great leader? I mean, where's the proof? What are some examples of his leadership? I'm not saying he's a bad leader but I'm not saying he's a good one either. How does Koivu lead? He doesn't lead by example on the ice because he can't score. He doesn't seem to motivate his teammates since they look like they are indifferent in their play on the ice.
Its kind of hard to quantify what your asking, sure he hasnt led them to a cup, but he has taken them into the playoffs and there's no doubt he has had a positive influence on his teammates. I mean the things he's battled through show great courage and determination, how could a young player on the team not be influenced by his actions, or inspired someone else to play harder and be like him. As for his presence in the dressing room and in practices who knows, I guess you'd have to be part of the team to really understand what kind of leader he really is. But he definitely deserved the C and lived up to it, his play has been real good at times over the years, but injuries have set him back and he hasnt been consistent year after year, not what his salary would demand anyway.
In a way you are right Tiger, his play this year has been terrible, and probably has affected the rest of the team, the point Im making is that it might be time for him to be displaced or play a different role on the team. If they were to sign someone like Briere and pay him 6 million dollars I would expect him to be the first line centre and best player on the team. A situation I cant see him staying in, and all the more reason to lose him imo. If they keep him around then they need to put better players around him or were just going to keep going downhill. But I think the better choice would be to trade him and sign a better player. But thats just one part of the problem it probably wouldnt solve anything right now.
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somebody pinch me...
oh wait, it's Columbus, and the game isn't done yet :lol:
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The Darkest Canuck Wrote:somebody pinch me...
oh wait, it's Columbus, and the game isn't done yet :lol:
Up 3-0 into the third, now its 3-2....if they let this one slip they might as well start making tee times.
:roll:
The young goalie Halak has looked pretty good though.
Imagine a world before the "beginning was the word.”
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Maybe saying Forsberg is heartless is a little harsh, but I dont think he should have been captain in Philly, there were reports earlier this year that he appeared to not be trying very hard. I concede that he's a tremendous player but I don't think that makes him worthy of being a captain.
As for Shanahan being twice the leader Jagr is, I dont think its hard for anyone to be a better leader than Jagr. He's known as a selfish player and also is known for not trying at times. When Jagr was in Washington he was terrible, when Shanny was in Hartford he scored 125 points in one season. Although Shanahan was unhappy in Hartford, like Jagr was in Washington, at least Shanahan still tried. My original point was that the best players arent always the best leaders. In alot of cases they are (Joe Sakic, Nik Lidstrom etc..), but it shouldn't be a criteria for being a captain.
