I don't think these Non-Canadians care much about playoff hockey. What is a Stanley Cup to a guy from the Ukraine? Chances are, he'd rather be playing for the World Championship, which is played this month in Quebec City, during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. I'm always impressed by skilled players, but that skill has to be tempered with a measure of toughness & hunger that is seldom seen in players born outside of, well, to be nice/polite, let's say North America, but Canada specifically. I thought half of the Habs line-up was going to dissapear come April 1st, which they did. How many Kostitsyns can you have in your line up & expect to win when it matters? Sure, there are examples of teams that did it with a bunch of Europeans, like the Wings of the 90's, but they also had Yzerman & Shanahan. None of the Russians on The Habs equals Fedorov in his prime, nor do they have a talented Canadian player who will push a player like Kovalev to play up to his potential. Keep the current Habs lineup & add Steve Downie & Danny Briere & that's a team to watch out for.
Just because you're a Canadian doesn't mean you can't be a choke-artist. Joe Thornton is prime example. Thing is, I bet he'd play better in a Canadian city. Put him in Edmonton, and he'd have a cup. It's too easy not to win in a town that doesn't care about the game & where the weather is too good. Kudos to the dudes in T.B & Anaheim for winning.
Just because you're a Canadian doesn't mean you can't be a choke-artist. Joe Thornton is prime example. Thing is, I bet he'd play better in a Canadian city. Put him in Edmonton, and he'd have a cup. It's too easy not to win in a town that doesn't care about the game & where the weather is too good. Kudos to the dudes in T.B & Anaheim for winning.
LOLOLOLOL
dude everything you say about this is pure comedy.
please, honestly - are you just playing a role for laughs?
"Put Thornton in Edmonton and he'd have a Cup"
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
Dog, he played in Boston and was a playoff ghost. And I'm talking about seasons when we were tops in the division and had depth of talent.
Super LOL at the miracle of T.B. and Anaheim winning outside of Canada. When was the last Cup for Toronto?
Or Vancouver? Or Ottawa? Or even Montreal & Edmonton?
A Canadian team hasn't won the Cup in 15 years and counting.
I was actually kinda riding for them, just because of Roenick, who was a local kid and set Thayer Academy records along with Tony Amonte, has played his ass off for almost 2 decades and really should have won a Cup at some point. His game seven 2-goal 4-point performance in the first round actually had me feeling emotional. Unfortunately, he may be playing his last NHL game Thursday.
3 potential sweeps in this round. Lame.
When I was 15-16, Jeremy Roenick gave me 500 dollars to go pick up Big Macs for Team USA during the 90' Canada Cup. The bill was something like 150 bucks & he told me to keep the change. He was/is a very cool dude. I had my program autographed by Team USA after the CAN/USA game. Roenick, Mike Modano, Brian Leech, & Pat Lafontaine were amazing dudes. Some of the best guys I've met in the game. There was a player there named Paul Ranhiem who no one really remembers & he played for the Flames. He stood outside the team bus talking hockey for more than an hour. That was a big deal to me when I was a kid. He was dishing Lindros gossip, saying that he was on his way to the Rangers.
Dog, he played in Boston and was a playoff ghost. And I'm talking about seasons when we were tops in the division and had depth of talent.
The last good Boston teams I remember had Andy Moog in nets.
We were top seed in the East in 2001-2002 and won our division in 2003-2004. Both times we lost in the first round to Montreal (sound familiar?) - in both series Thornton was barely visible, although in 03-04 it was later disclosed that he had been playing with a serious injury. People forget those Bruins teams were "good" because we went out so early in the playoffs, which I admit means we weren't so "good" after all.
Dog, he played in Boston and was a playoff ghost. And I'm talking about seasons when we were tops in the division and had depth of talent.
The last good Boston teams I remember had Andy Moog in nets.
We were top seed in the East in 2001-2002 and won our division in 2003-2004. Both times we lost in the first round to Montreal (sound familiar?) - in both series Thornton was barely visible, although in 03-04 it was later disclosed that he had been playing with a serious injury. People forget those Bruins teams were "good" because we went out so early in the playoffs, which I admit means we weren't so "good" after all.
Do you remember the combo of Reggie Lemelin & Andy Moog? If two goalies can be "Criminally Slept On", I think it was them.
30-odd hours away until game 5. Price will start, i expect. Looks like i'll be working on saturday night, though.
I'm proud of the Red Wings. Datsyuk is the best/my fav player in the league. I said that Th??o would get lit up this round, when i had to answer to people saying the wings would choke.
Habs have issues. Too many Non-Canadian players. Streaky & soft.
The Montreal Canadiens have 11 non-North Americans on their roster.
The Philadelphia Flyers have 10.
The Gazette had an small article about how the Flyers have more Canadians on their roster. They have 14 Canadian born players, I think. I think the difference is that the role players on the Flyers are Canadian, while on the Habs they are Russian. I don't think that Finns should be considered they same as other Europeans because they play harder & have more heart. My favorite player as a youth was Esa Tikkanen. I'll ride for Suomi. I have a Suomi sweater from the 80's with the number 17 on the back. The Flyers have 4 Finns in their line-up, the Habs only 1.
No, how could it be? Philly won in Montreal last night. There would be no chant.
Added: November 02, 2007
-------------------
So, the East is set. Would have liked to see more games in the Ragers/Pens series, but what's done is done and now it's an all-Pennsylvania EC final! RAJ WE WANT CROWD VIDEOS!
Hopefully San Jose can extend the series tonight, the playoffs are going by too fast!
PCMR, thanks for the Celtics shout-out and sorry for taunting you after the loss, the Habs bring it out of me. Congrats on a great turnaround this season, you guys were not even picked to make the playoffs by most, and ended up taking the top seed. Get that goalie situation sorted out and you'll be right back up there again next year. Well, you'll be the fourth seed, just behind the Bruins in the Northeast
So, the East is set. Would have liked to see more games in the Ragers/Pens series, but what's done is done and now it's an all-Pennsylvania EC final! RAJ WE WANT CROWD VIDEOS!
I'm Frickin' geek'd. Dramatic OT victory for the Pens.
My co-worker has season tickets for the Flyers... So I will be there for Game 4. Hopefully the Pens sweep!
Comments
HAZ, what's with the Cherryisms?
I'll take my injured, russian Markov over any of the "canadian" d-men playing right now.
There are plenty of euro players who are playoff warriors.
There are plenty of Canadians who are postseason softies.
Note the aforementioned Saku Koivu.
Note the aforementioned Joe Thornton.
All that HNIC has gone to your head.
LOLOLOLOL
dude everything you say about this is pure comedy.
please, honestly - are you just playing a role for laughs?
"Put Thornton in Edmonton and he'd have a Cup"
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
Dog, he played in Boston and was a playoff ghost.
And I'm talking about seasons when we were tops in
the division and had depth of talent.
Super LOL at the miracle of T.B. and Anaheim winning
outside of Canada. When was the last Cup for Toronto?
Or Vancouver? Or Ottawa? Or even Montreal & Edmonton?
A Canadian team hasn't won the Cup in 15 years and counting.
When I was 15-16, Jeremy Roenick gave me 500 dollars to go pick up Big Macs for Team USA during the 90' Canada Cup. The bill was something like 150 bucks & he told me to keep the change. He was/is a very cool dude. I had my program autographed by Team USA after the CAN/USA game. Roenick, Mike Modano, Brian Leech, & Pat Lafontaine were amazing dudes. Some of the best guys I've met in the game. There was a player there named Paul Ranhiem who no one really remembers & he played for the Flames. He stood outside the team bus talking hockey for more than an hour. That was a big deal to me when I was a kid. He was dishing Lindros gossip, saying that he was on his way to the Rangers.
That was all economics. Things are going to change with the new CBA.
The last good Boston teams I remember had Andy Moog in nets.
We were top seed in the East in 2001-2002 and won our division in
2003-2004. Both times we lost in the first round to Montreal (sound
familiar?) - in both series Thornton was barely visible, although in
03-04 it was later disclosed that he had been playing with a serious
injury. People forget those Bruins teams were "good" because we went
out so early in the playoffs, which I admit means we weren't so "good"
after all.
Do you remember the combo of Reggie Lemelin & Andy Moog? If two goalies can be "Criminally Slept On", I think it was them.
Of course. Those teams were awesome. If not for an unstoppable
Oilers juggernaut, we could have skated the Cup on Boston ice
in the late 80's.
The Montreal Canadiens have 11 non-North Americans on their roster.
The Philadelphia Flyers have 10.
Are you going to start mispronouncing all non-WASP names and call Quebecois "Frenchies". Collar?
I'm proud of the Red Wings. Datsyuk is the best/my fav player in the league.
I said that Th??o would get lit up this round, when i had to answer to people saying the wings would choke.
I owned an Andy Moog poster.
I am Qu??b??cois, but anglo. Born here in MTL.
The Gazette had an small article about how the Flyers have more Canadians on their roster. They have 14 Canadian born players, I think. I think the difference is that the role players on the Flyers are Canadian, while on the Habs they are Russian. I don't think that Finns should be considered they same as other Europeans because they play harder & have more heart. My favorite player as a youth was Esa Tikkanen. I'll ride for Suomi. I have a Suomi sweater from the 80's with the number 17 on the back. The Flyers have 4 Finns in their line-up, the Habs only 1.
Anything that extends series so I can watch more playoff games
is cool with me.
Role players?
B??gin, Smolinski, Lapierre and Nonstopoulos = North American
a few polls/missed chances/bad goals yaddiyaddiyadda its done
alright moving on and congrats to the celtics i hope garnett makes it to the finals
was that taken from last night?
No, how could it be?
Philly won in Montreal last night. There would be no chant.
-------------------
So, the East is set. Would have liked to see more games in
the Ragers/Pens series, but what's done is done and now it's
an all-Pennsylvania EC final! RAJ WE WANT CROWD VIDEOS!
Hopefully San Jose can extend the series tonight, the playoffs
are going by too fast!
PCMR, thanks for the Celtics shout-out and sorry for taunting you
after the loss, the Habs bring it out of me. Congrats on a great
turnaround this season, you guys were not even picked to make the
playoffs by most, and ended up taking the top seed. Get that goalie
situation sorted out and you'll be right back up there again next year.
Well, you'll be the fourth seed, just behind the Bruins in the Northeast
I'm Frickin' geek'd. Dramatic OT victory for the Pens.
My co-worker has season tickets for the Flyers... So I will be there for Game 4. Hopefully the Pens sweep!
That would be
I thought they might of been hard on themselves,,,
and RAJ, funk that that sweep bullsh*t...
It should be a great series. They don't seem to like each other. Go Flyers!
Young talented team gets outted by a grittier team. No big surprise, i guess.
At least the future is bright for this team...
Pitt/Detroit is gonna be nice!