Athlétique.Canadien Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 (edited) The shots against per game is just horrid.... KoZed, you rock. I use to have to do all of this myself but you have it nicely wrapped into this little analysis. Thanks. BTW: This is a "I told you so" and is not directed at KoZed but rather those who this comment applies to: I TOLD EVERYONE TO GIVE LAT'S 15 GAMES. I SAID IT WOULD BE 15 BEFORE WE TRULY GOT TO SEE WHAT HE HAD TO OFFER. WELL.....? Edited November 14, 2006 by ATHLÉTIQUE.CANADIEN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAK Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 KoZed, you rock. I use to have to do all of this myself but you have it nicely wrapped into this little analysis. Thanks. BTW: This is a "I told you so" and is not directed at KoZed but rather those who this comment applies to: I TOLD EVERYONE TO GIVE LAT'S 15 GAMES. I SAID IT WOULD BE 15 BEFORE WE TRULY GOT TO SEE WHAT HE HAD TO OFFER. WELL.....? ok einstein , what if higgins never injured is ankle ?? Lats would still be playing on the 3rd -4th line and probably still be scoreless. however, i'm glad that he's doing great but lets not get excited over 3 games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habitforming Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 ok einstein , what if higgins never injured is ankle ?? Lats would still be playing on the 3rd -4th line and probably still be scoreless. however, i'm glad that he's doing great but lets not get excited over 3 games. Not to be the devils advocate here, but maybe Higgins isn't as great as we think he is afterall? Higgins is averaging a point per game on the top line, just like Latendresse. I know Higgins PK is fantastic but maybe a fire hydrant coan score on a line with Saku and Ryder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brboo Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 Not to be the devils advocate here, but maybe Higgins isn't as great as we think he is afterall? Higgins is averaging a point per game on the top line, just like Latendresse. I know Higgins PK is fantastic but maybe a fire hydrant coan score on a line with Saku and Ryder. I think Higgins would be the first to tell you much of his sucess is directly related to playing with Saku. I mean he said so after every game the last quarter of last season. But I think he could be just as effective on another line just from the confidence he has gained over the last 40 or so games playing aside Koivu. Thats what makes Saku such a great leader and captain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
habs_in_the_blood Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 Not to be the devils advocate here, but maybe Higgins isn't as great as we think he is afterall? Higgins is averaging a point per game on the top line, just like Latendresse. I know Higgins PK is fantastic but maybe a fire hydrant coan score on a line with Saku and Ryder. if the first line is so great why isint ryder scoring everynight??? you judgement is funny...to say that higgins isint that great is just dumb...the guy was teh leading scorer and leading scorer in the league in short-handed...the guy is great...and lats as alot to do before you can compare him to higgins...first start with speed...and go on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habitforming Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 if the first line is so great why isint ryder scoring everynight??? you judgement is funny...to say that higgins isint that great is just dumb...the guy was teh leading scorer and leading scorer in the league in short-handed...the guy is great...and lats as alot to do before you can compare him to higgins...first start with speed...and go on First, I never said that he wasn't that great. I was just questioning IF he was really that good. Second I said "aside from the PK". We all know what he brings to the PK unit even without the three shorties. sheesh Lats might not have as much to add to be compared to Higgins afterall. Lats has four points in three games since making the jump, while Higgins has a point per game. As for Ryder, he has been on the score sheet as well, but he needs to shoot more to get goals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smon Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 Ryder has a pretty bad point per game average in comparison to anyone else on the line. Latendresse doing well is no slight to Higgins, so I don't understand your point Habitforming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cataclaw Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 How quickly people forget! Higgins was the offensive engine of this team until his injury. Yes Lats is doing fine now, but Higgins should and will reclaim his spot when he gets back. In the meantime, Lats gets valuable experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aebischer4life Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 How quickly people forget! Higgins was the offensive engine of this team until his injury. Yes Lats is doing fine now, but Higgins should and will reclaim his spot when he gets back. In the meantime, Lats gets valuable experience. If Ryder continues to not produce and Lats does the opposite, Ryder will get bumped down, not Lats. I think we'll see Higgins Koivu Lats Sammy Kovy Ryder Perez Bonk Johnson Kost Pleky Begin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Puck Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 Not to be the devils advocate here, but maybe Higgins isn't as great as we think he is afterall? Higgins is averaging a point per game on the top line, just like Latendresse. I know Higgins PK is fantastic but maybe a fire hydrant coan score on a line with Saku and Ryder. Scoring 4 points in 3 games is nice but it doesn't even establish Latendresse as a top 6 player on our team. Higgins scored 13 points in the his 13 games. But he also led the NHL in goals during the post Olympic period last year. The end of last year plus the beginning of this year combine for one of the top offensive records in the NHL over a half season. I have been on Higgins' bandwagon since last October or November but I am not entirely sure he can maintain this pace long term. Latendresse has put together 3 good games. This hardly establishes him as a first line player. He has been improving nicely but he hasn't proved anything yet. Latendresse is still -4 playing with good defensive teammates. 2 or 3 of his points are powerplay points. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KoZed Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 Instead of hijacking every threads with speculation about "what happens" once Higgins comes back, let's put it all here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre the Great Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 When Higgins comes back we dominate with an iron fist of rage! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bacchus Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 remember Hossa? He scored a a bunch of goals a bunch of games in a row for MTL. Where is he now. Lets not blow our wad of this Latendress fellow. He is doing well so far, lets see if he can keep it up. Higgins has been doing it well for a while now. I think he deserves some credit. As to why Rider can't score with Koivu. It is easy, Koivu can't pass to his right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Chicoutimi Cucumber Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 Higgins is the real deal. Period. However, I do worry that he may be derailed by the injury - young players sometimes blossom, then struggle when they come back after an extended layoff. It figures the best young player to emerge on our team since Koivu would go down with a major injury (kinda like Koivu, come to think of it ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbhatt Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 When Higgins comes back we dominate with an iron fist of rage! I don't know about 'iron fist of rage', but we will definitely be a much better team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
habs_in_the_blood Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 (edited) I don't know about 'iron fist of rage', but we will definitely be a much better team. we will be a better team in the next couple of weeks with Dandy and Bouillon back Edited November 15, 2006 by habs_in_the_blood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KoZed Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 Higgins - Koivu - Latendresse Samsonov - Kovalev - Ryder Perezhogin - Bonk - Johnson Begin - Plekanec - Kostitsyn Downey as an extra, Murray to waivers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
habs_in_the_blood Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 Higgins - Koivu - Latendresse Samsonov - Kovalev - Ryder Perezhogin - Bonk - Johnson Begin - Plekanec - Kostitsyn Downey as an extra, Murray to waivers. i like where you are going...but i dont think ryder would fit with the russians....from what i saw yesterday...Kostitsyn pretty well fitte on that line...dont be surprised if the kid gets a couple tomorow night...hes got mad speed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KoZed Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 i like where you are going...but i dont think ryder would fit with the russians....from what i saw yesterday...Kostitsyn pretty well fitte on that line...dont be surprised if the kid gets a couple tomorow night...hes got mad speed! I'm actually hoping that Kosty clicks with Sammy and Kovy, and that Lats keeps playing as well as he did in the past 3 games. Why? Because that would make Ryder a trade bait. Package him with a D (Rivet?) for an upgraded D who can man the PP point and log 20+ mins... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dark_faerie87 Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 i like where you are going...but i dont think ryder would fit with the russians....from what i saw yesterday...Kostitsyn pretty well fitte on that line...dont be surprised if the kid gets a couple tomorow night...hes got mad speed! If that's the case, I can't imagine having Ryder on the 4th line. I wonder if he would be traded/packaged for a centre or a defenseman? I'm actually hoping that Kosty clicks with Sammy and Kovy, and that Lats keeps playing as well as he did in the past 3 games. Why? Because that would make Ryder a trade bait. Package him with a D (Rivet?) for an upgraded D who can man the PP point and log 20+ mins... Heh, you read my mind exactly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 I love that Lats is scoring and all, but where is the loyalty? Ryder is by no means scoreless this year, and after 3 decent games by Lats you're already wanting to dump Ryder? All Ryder did last year was lead our team... shame on him Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easy Ryder Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 Yeah and trade Ryder because he did not score in the last few games ??? Our only legitimate 40 goal scorer. This year he is a more comlpete package, he is working hard in corners, he is not losing puck at the blue line, he hits a lot more creating space for Koivu and Higgins Latendrese to dump goals. That way he is less predictable. Eventually he will get in a scoring drift. Look at the games, he is now playing PK sometimes. So when Higgins is back somebody else will be inhjured. So we will need him badly. As bad as we need Ryder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mont Royale Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 I love that Lats is scoring and all, but where is the loyalty? Ryder is by no means scoreless this year, and after 3 decent games by Lats you're already wanting to dump Ryder? All Ryder did last year was lead our team... shame on him Indeed. Memories are short. How about we keep Ryder, and Lats, and Kosty and Higgins... and end up with more than one line that can consistently score? Dare to dream!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habitforming Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 I love that Lats is scoring and all, but where is the loyalty? Ryder is by no means scoreless this year, and after 3 decent games by Lats you're already wanting to dump Ryder? All Ryder did last year was lead our team... shame on him I'm not. I agree with you completely. Ryder deserves more loyalty but most fans feel that with his lengthy contract negotiations of the past few seasons that he has slighted the organization in some way, or doesn't want to be here, but that is not the case at all. I think that putting Lats on the top line was a foolish rookie mistake by the coach ( no I don't take that back now that Lats has a few points) and the position should have gone to Kosty. If he gets the chance he can really light it up, but in a worst case scenario, at least Kostitsyn is defensively responsible. Truth be told, I love Higgins and the energy he brings to the team. I had a rant about Higgins because aside from Koivu he is God and I knew it would fire up a quiet forum...so mission accomplished Latendresse is ok, but he is a few years away from the player he will be for the rest of his career and I feel is getting an unwarranted push through the system. Yes, he was the best player at the last 2 training camps, but what has he done since he stayed? Not enough to remain here. Every other team has very good young talent but if they don't run with it they are gone (eg. Nashville's Radulov, 2 goals in 3 games and still sent down). Latendresse doesn't deserve to be here; Kostitsyn has paid his dues as well as gained a defensive side that makes him dependable. I don't get it? Here's a question. If Latendresse was to turn 20 this month, would he then be eligible to be sent to Hamilton? (I realize it is a moot point with Guy having a May b-day, but I'm curious) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umpalumpa55 Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 Koivu does seem to make anyone he plays with better, but maybe ryder just needs a change in scenario to give him a jump start. Maybe put him on a line with ppl who play at a slower pace, and put zhogs back with koivu and see if they can reunite the chemistry they had start of last season. Higgins is still on the shelf in this line up: Lats Koivu Perezhogin Kosty Kovalev Samsonov Ryder Bonk Johnson Plekanec Begin Murray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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