Laraque is done

[sakiqc]

It was a dream come true for all Habs fans when BGL signed with Montreal. He was what we thought as the best heavyweight fighter in league history. It sadly turned out to nightmare. Not only did he fought less but wasn't a physical presence when it was most needed. The image I'll keep is him protecting the puck along the board in the corner. Never did we see him intimidate the opposition by his presence or instigate something when the opposite team crossed the line.

Last year, Laraque fought 9 times. 6 of them were at the start of games, so basically staged fights that don't change anything. This year, 4 fights, all in the 1st period.

He fought only 1 time in Montreal this year. It was December 7 against' PHI Riley Cote less than 3 minutes into the game.

http://www.hockeyfights.com/players/110/fightcard/reg2010

Some says that Laraque is slow.. I always thought he was one of the Oilers fastest skaters and won competitions. As he slowed down that much? Is it because, like he says, that playing only 3 minutes a game hurt your legs???! Anyways I don't get him, sadly. I blame this on his vegetarian diet. Eat steak my friend.

[Fanpuck33]

Not only did he fought less

As has already been stated:

Pre-Montreal: One fight every 6 games.

With Montreal: One fight every 4.5 games.

[Colin]

As has already been stated:

Pre-Montreal: One fight every 6 games.

With Montreal: One fight every 4.5 games.

Can you add: with Montreal, injured seemingly every second game at the very, very least. So in fact, that means that, while he fought in one in every one of HIS 4.5 games, it was more like one in 15 with the Habs.

I'm too lazy to look up the real numbers. Exaggerating to make my very good point.

Laraque in Montreal = Epic Fail.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

Gainey was very clear that, apart from 'team spirit' and 'distractions,' the issue with Laraque was impact. He wasn't affecting the outcome of games or team performance in any discernable way. This from the man who dressed him with the top line against Boston, too.

To me this is a nothing story. Laraque seemed like a good idea. Didn't work. Move on.

[Peter Puck]

I also suspect that GL was grumbling in the dressing room or otherwise sending toxic signals within the team. Gainey used the word 'distraction' in the press conference, and he also said this move would improve the 'focus' and 'spirit' of the team; and I think the most plausible reason for this action is that the coach/GM felt they couldn't just let Laraque sit there, probably because he was becoming a problem. However, this is inference on my part. But I believe that Gainey is taking a zero-tolerance policy to ANY of the kinds of shenanigans associated with last season's bunch.

I think C.C. is bang on here.

The method the team is using here speaks volumes about why they are doing it. If they just thought Laraque was ineffective they would probably have made him a healthy scratch for the rest of the season. This would have allowed them the option of putting him into games against teams with heavyweights if they wanted to.

Instead they tell him they will pay him for the rest of the season but he won't be with the team. To me this says that Gainey and Martin view him as a problem in the dressing room.

[ForumGhost]

Compare him to a guys like Ott, Lucic or Neil. Not only can they fight, but actually use their physicality, speed and attitude to affect the outcome of the game. That is the next generation of enforcers in the NHL. Big heavyweights like Laraque are going extinct.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

Compare him to a guys like Ott, Lucic or Neil. Not only can they fight, but actually use their physicality, speed and attitude to affect the outcome of the game. That is the next generation of enforcers in the NHL. Big heavyweights like Laraque are going extinct.

That's another thing. Laraque accused Martin of not valuing toughness, but I seem to recall Neil taking a pretty regular shift on Martin's Senators. Big Georges doesn't have a leg to stand on. He was mediocre on the ice and presumably toxic in the room. See ya.

[hab29RETIRED]

I know I've been harsh and dismissive of Laraque, but man... this seems like a total dick move on the organization's part in dispatching of him. He has a right to be angry if this is how it went about.

Give me a break. You don't perform in the real world your ass gets canned. You don't get sent home with your salary in tact and then get bought out.

Laraque was yet another lousy signing to begin with and I for one am glad to see him go, my only complaint is that he wasn't bought out last year.

Who in their friggin mind would give that kind of money AND a No movement clause to a goon????

[hab29RETIRED]

I don't think it was the number of fights, it was he wouldn't fight when he needed to, or wouldn't stand up for his team mates when needed.

You can't have Pouliot fighting people. Laraque should have taken a number, went after that person. Regardless of the instigator, Martin and BG said as much.

D'Agi for Cote straight up.

Exactly. I shuddered when I saw him fighting. Here's our hottest player. Just coming off a wrist injury. First thing that came to my mind was Oh shit, this is going to be the Komisarik fiasco all over again. The kid handled himself well, but we can't afford to have him fight. What the hell is the friendly giant Gill for???? yeah he has been pretty effective on the PK, but he is a pylon 5 and 5, can't shoot, can;t pass and you can't even call him th 6;7" friendly giant, more like the pussy giant, bcoz, i think i've see him lay about 3 bodychecks all season. To bad you can't put Gorges heart in his body.

[hab29RETIRED]

Message should be pretty clear by now: "You wont listen to the coach? Buh-bye!"

I think with Martin's brilliant puck possession plan, we may eventually see our top guys totally tune him out, if they haven't already done so.

[Fanpuck33]

Laraque in Montreal = Epic Fail.

For sure. He and management were clearly never on the same page. The deal clearly was not discussed enough before it was signed. Had I known then what the team expected of him, it wouldn't have taken me so long to decide it was a bad move. I thought they just wanted a heavyweight, I didn't think they wanted a Chris Neil or Dan Carcillo type.

[hab29RETIRED]

As has already been stated:

Pre-Montreal: One fight every 6 games.

With Montreal: One fight every 4.5 games.

who cares about the # of fights, he wasn't there when the team needed him and for the situations where you want your resident goon retaliating from other taking liberties with your better players.

[Fanpuck33]

who cares about the # of fights, he wasn't there when the team needed him and for the situations where you want your resident goon retaliating from other taking liberties with your better players.

I feel like a broken record. People bring up the fact he didn't fight, I prove otherwise. Then people respond that he didn't serve a goon rule and I point out that he has never been a retaliatory player and it was dumb for the team to expect him to suddenly be that type of player. Then we're back where we started with people claiming he never fought in Montreal and so on.

I'll say it one more time: unless Georges lied to the team and said that he would become a retaliatory goon who would jump anyone whenever the coach asked, then he failure in Montreal is solely management's fault.

[Habsy]

I think with Martin's brilliant puck possession plan, we may eventually see our top guys totally tune him out, if they haven't already done so.

C'mon now hab29!!! I want to see you give Bob and Jacques some credit, as getting rid of BGL corrects a mistake!!

[BTH]

I feel like a broken record. People bring up the fact he didn't fight, I prove otherwise. Then people respond that he didn't serve a goon rule and I point out that he has never been a retaliatory player and it was dumb for the team to expect him to suddenly be that type of player. Then we're back where we started with people claiming he never fought in Montreal and so on.

I'll say it one more time: unless Georges lied to the team and said that he would become a retaliatory goon who would jump anyone whenever the coach asked, then he failure in Montreal is solely management's fault.

It's management's fault for giving him that contract, not that he sucked. He didn't just refuse to play the role he was expected to play, he failed to play any role at all or have any impact at all. Then he would complain when he wasn't getting icetime. So in a nutshell, he hurts our cap situation, takes up a roster spot, does more harm than good in the dressing room, and does nothing on the ice. The only case for keeping him is because of class and respect. Has Laraque shown the Habs that class and respect?

[hab29RETIRED]

C'mon now hab29!!! I want to see you give Bob and Jacques some credit, as getting rid of BGL corrects a mistake!!

sorry, after this week, where they blew game against a depleted rangers lineup, then sitting numb during the thumping they took after blowing a 2-0 lead against the rangers, and having my stomach turn when they go down 2-0 against the powerhouse Blues.

What am i supposed to give them credit for? Bring back the Houle induced ulcer in my gut???

It's management's fault for giving him that contract, not that he sucked. He didn't just refuse to play the role he was expected to play, he failed to play any role at all or have any impact at all. Then he would complain when he wasn't getting icetime. So in a nutshell, he hurts our cap situation, takes up a roster spot, does more harm than good in the dressing room, and does nothing on the ice. The only case for keeping him is because of class and respect. Has Laraque shown the Habs that class and respect?

AGREED. I blame mgmt for signing a no-dimensional staged fighter to a ridicilous contract in a salary cap era. But I also blame laraque for showing more effort at his press conferences then he ever did on the ice.

Edited January 22, 2010 by hab29RETIRED

[sakiqc]

I feel like a broken record. People bring up the fact he didn't fight, I prove otherwise. Then people respond that he didn't serve a goon rule and I point out that he has never been a retaliatory player and it was dumb for the team to expect him to suddenly be that type of player. Then we're back where we started with people claiming he never fought in Montreal and so on.

I'll say it one more time: unless Georges lied to the team and said that he would become a retaliatory goon who would jump anyone whenever the coach asked, then he failure in Montreal is solely management's fault.

He had 12 fights in 1 year and a half with the Habs while he had 13 in his last year with the Pens. Most of those 12 fights were staged fights. It sures gives us the impression he never fought. The fights/game ratio might be the same but the thing is, he didn't brought what the fans and the management expected from him. When do we remember him changing the momentum of a game with a fight? Or changing the momentum of a game with his physical presence? He's a BIG guy.. doesn't have to fight all the time. He can hit! Where's the point of having such a big body if it's only to be used to protect the puck along the board the longest you can?

Ryan White has twice more hits than Laraque in half the Games.

[hab29RETIRED]

He had 12 fights in 1 year and a half with the Habs while he had 13 in his last year with the Pens. Most of those 12 fights were staged fights. It sures gives us the impression he never fought. The fights/game ratio might be the same but the thing is, he didn't brought what the fans and the management expected from him. When do we remember him changing the momentum of a game with a fight? Or changing the momentum of a game with his physical presence? He's a BIG guy.. doesn't have to fight all the time. He can hit! Where's the point of having such a big body if it's only to be used to protect the puck along the board the longest you can?

Ryan White has twice more hits than Laraque in half the Games.

+1

That is one of my complaints about Gainey's signings in general.

either we have little guys that are wound up like the energizer bunny and do play physical - which may be a reason why they either get injured or get worn down. Or we have big guys like Laraque and Gill who don't use their size or weight to throw hits. THese two may as well be 5'5" 150lbs when it comes to physical play. Yes Gill does use his 'tremendous wing span" sprawling around the ice on the PK and is effective doing that, but I think that is one of his few options - bcoz, he isn't going to physically move anyone out of the crease, nor can he skate, so he may as well by lying around on the ice.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

I haven't analyzed footage in depth or anything, but it seems to me that Gill does a pretty decent job of clearing out the crease.

Anyway, this is the best comment I've come across on this Laraque business from one of the better Habs-related blogs in the biz:

http://dailyhab-it.blogspot.com/2010/01/ga...h-cost-him.html

Nice read.

[Toronthab]

The key here is that Laraque was signed to be an enforcer and he at times was unwilling to do his job. His job is to go out and intimidate the other team. If that means he has to jump another guy and take a possible instigator and suspension/fine than so be it.

He was being paid 1.5 million to be an enforcer and all he was doing to fighting in prearranged bouts with the other teams big man. Bottom line, he never was willing to do the job he was hired to do.

Exactly right. I don't like the goon aspect of hockey, but he was definitely not fulfilling this role, and we need a more useful butt on the roster. It's about Hockey. Mr G offered him tine off to visit Haiti which was declined. Good move necessitated by the trade clause.

No other teams expressed any interest either. Tough, good move uncle Bob.

[Toronthab]

Excellent article indeed ChicC. I see I was wrong about clearing a roster spot. The argument makes excellent sense. George's peronal preoccupations and disinterest generally was poisoning the team. No doubt unintentionally, but there it is. We need involved players on the bench was the message. Good luck to George with his Haiti efforts; a frankly nobler enterprise.

[Dalhabs]

Thats another Million for Pleks and Price to share. Now for all the rest of the millions needed.

[Prime Minister Koivu]

Thanks for the link to that article.

Here is a quote from it that sums it all up for me:

When you know the other team's enforcer will do nothing unless you agree to fight him, it essentially nullifies the intimidation factor of having Laraque in uniform. We saw a perfect example of that in New York, where the Rangers came out for the second period with every intention of roughing up the Canadiens knowing full well they likely would not face any retribution from Laraque.

[Chris]

Exactly, anyone watch the Ranger / Flyer game last night, thoat's exactly what i'm talking about. The Flyers went right after Gaborik physically. Got him to actually fight, he got dropped and was a non factor the rest of the night. The Rangers took a bunch of fighting majors and lost those fights, took dumb penalties and gave the Flyers plenty of PP. They were taken off there game immediately by the physical play and intimidation.

Habsretired, How can you say the top guys will tune Martin out, in case you haven't been watching the top guys are the ONLY ones who produce on a nightly basis. It's the 3rd and 4th liners not doing anything.

Why pick on Gill, he isn't that bad, he is a bottom pair guy paid to clear the net which he does, paid to pk which he does. He will fight occaisionally but that's not his game.

You are aware that the 2nd D pair are #1 and 2 in turnovers, right?

[BlueKross]

I wonder when Martin parlays this team into a lottery pick, will Habs fans realize that his strategy doesn't work.

I wonder when Martin parlays this team into a lottery pick, will Habs fans realize that his strategy doesn't work.