beckham
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Posts posted by beckham
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I have never seen you write anything positive about the Habs, why do you spend your time criticizing them? What a fan you are!!!
I'm positive about the things I see as being positive moves. I was the most positive poster here after the entry draft, when most seemed worried or undecided. I put Latendresse and Price at the top of the team's prospect list as soon as they were drafted, no one else was willing to do that at the time, although some are starting to say that now. I was the first to suggest that Latendresse had a legitimate chance to start the season in Montreal, over a month before the coachs or media advanced that possibility.
At the same time, I said that Gainey would do well to wait out the free agent frenzy and look for bargains. He didn't and committed $30 million on two players who haven't shown they are worth it in the past. There is no *ing way that Kovalev is worth 10 times as much as Czerkawkski, he has most of the same strengths and weaknesses, and they are about the same age. Dandenault has never been a top 4 defenseman in the NHL but he earns more than Andrei Markov who could be an All Star. Those deals didn't make sense to me when they were made, and they don't make any more sense to me now.
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Houle got his nickname in junior hockey because he was always the smallest (but bravest) player on his team. Don't spread crap.
He made those trades because he had to cut salary. He did that and still managed to keep the team competitive. Roy was having an ego fit, that wasn't Reggies fault. He showed Patrick respect by trading him to the team of his choice and doing it quickly. If you think that Roy was such an institution in Montreal would you rather that Houle kept him sitting for a couple of months while he tried to squeeze the best possible deal out of some bottom feeding team.
Look at Philly trading Roenick PLUS a draft pick just so someone would take his salary. Thibault for a 4th round pick. Bonk for a 3rd round pick. Brisebois given a million bucks to go play somewhere else. Salary dictates a players value on the trade market as much as anything.
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You guys conveniently forget he took over a team that the previous season had the worst record in 50 years in Montreal, I think. The team of "stars" that Savard put together (putting the team on the verge of bankruptcy) missed the playoffs and started the next year 0-5. That "great" team was a shambles of overpaid, overfed egos that was sucking up Molson's money like there was no tomorrow.
Serge Savard was FIRED, by his patron M. Corey and the fat drunk with the giant turd sized cigar popping out of his face has not been considered for another hockey job since. Reggie righted the ship, cut the payroll by half, got rid of that steroid driven time bomb Roy, made some terrific bargain free agent signings like Zholtok, Petrov, Bouillon etc. and still has a better record than the second "Savardian Stupidity" to hit Montreal, "Bon Homme" Andre.
A. Savard proceeded to undo all the good work that Houle had accomplished, jacked up the payroll and drove new owner Gillett to the verge of bankruptcy with inflated contracts given to a lot of local over the hill players. A. Savard is still hanging around only because Boivin gave him fat contract when he was G.M. and they want to get something for the money.
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Is Kovalev worth 10 times as much? I like Czerkawski, he is a very talented player, and one of the nicest people in the game. The fact that he wasn't used while he was in Montreal is more a reflection on the coaching staff than on him. Both he and Kovalev are high risk players, but the fact remains that the Leafs risked only $500,000 on Mariusz versus Habs risking $18 million on Kovalev. During their regular season "careers" with the Habs, Czerkawski was actually more productive when it comes to that. Czerkawski never got to play in the playoffs in Montreal, but during the regular season he averaged a point every 3 games. Kovalev could only manage a point every 4 games despite getting twice the ice time.
[Edited on 2005/9/10 by beckham]
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I think the Leafs got Czerkawski for aroung $1 mil on a 1 year deal. Mariusz outscored Kovalev last season.
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First "Bon Homme" Andre Savard throws Gillett's American dollars away like fake snowflakes at Carnival on homeboys Audette, Juneau, Traverse, Brisebois etc. (fortunately the two biggest free agent flops in recent history, Turgeon and Lapointe turned him down), then the municipal and state governments squeeze poor George for ridiculous taxes.
[Edited on 2005/9/10 by beckham]
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...although he may still have a financial stake, since his father (now deceased I believe), was the founder and long time owner of the publication. Whatever, you can't slag Bobby Mac for his hockey smarts. He is far and away the most astute, and least biased, hockey writer out there.
As for the Habs, the boys in Vegas have them at 22-1 to win the Cup, which places them 17th among the 30 teams in the league. That is probably the best fix you can get at the moment on where they fit in the scheme of things.
Theodore is hugely overrated in my books. I used to be a fan, but he has done nothing since signing his huge contract following his Vezina season. I can't disagree on his not making the top 50, and can't see him ever regaining his status.
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Originally posted by ap79
[?tid=57
The proof is there. Let's see what the Admins think about it.
[Edited on 8-9-2005 by ap79]
Well, Patrice, if I was as gutless as you and spent all my time trying to get people banned, I'm sure I could go back and dig up all sorts of material that violates the rules of the board. Yours definitely included. But I can't be bothered, so my response remains the same....fill your boots.
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I don't know where you come up with the "racist" stuff. For one thing, I don't think that French speaking Quebecers are a seperate race. They are Caucasians (more or less), just like most English speakers from B.C.
This all stemmed from someone saying that Price would be fine "once Roland Melanson was finished with him", or something like that. I expressed my skepticism about changing a kid's style (see Olivier Michaud) when he seemed to be doing well as he was. This led to someone saying that Melanson and Allaire had some magic formula to create great goalies, and the proof was in all the great French Canadian goaltenders. I pointed out all the F.C. goalies who weren't (or aren't)so great, and voila!......."le racism".....
It seems more directly "racist", (or at least ethno-centric to be exact) to MAKE the claim that F. C. or Finns make the best goaltenders than to CHALLENGE such a claim. I know there are Francophone sites where bashing the Anglos is a regular pastime. Francophones who choose to use an Anglo site have to expect that there will be some derogatory remarks.
What is the great harm? It seems to me that it happens all the time in sports and life. Between races, ethnic groups, religions, fan bases......Don't pull a Brisebois and get all self righteous over a harmless poke even though it is all right to call someone an "*hole", "mother*", "*sucker", etc., on the ice.
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He played well enough in camp to earn a contract. He played a flawless period of relief shortly after turning 18. That season he was the star of the QMJHL and won a spot on the WJC team.
All that BEFORE Roland Melanson started to coach him. Once that process began, it has been straight downhill for Michaud. His performance in the Q deteriorated, he was left off the WJC team the following season, he couldn't hold a spot in the AHL, then even lost his spot in the ECHL. Four years after such a promising start, Michaud may be out of the game, and he won't turn 22 for another week or so.
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The fact is that no team in the league has as abysmal record as Montreal does of "developing" their top draft picks. Over the past 20 years, only two players they drafted in the first round didn't underacheive, Saku Koivu, who came to Montreal after 3 seasons in the Finnish Elite League, and Andrew Cassals who had to leave the team and develop into a good NHL player elsewhere.
That is why I cringe when someone comes on here saying that Roland Melanson will "make Carey Price into a good goaltender". There is no history of Montreal coaches ever developing their top draft picks into good players. Quite the contrary. The history of the team is littered with top prospects taken in the first round who became progressively worse the longer they were in the organization.
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Considering the fact that Molson's was trying to divest themselves for years, and have still not completely succeeded, I don't know that there will be a lineup to buy it. Particularly if Gillett insists on recouping his original investment. I doubt he would try to move the team, particularly now that it has been wrested from the death grip of Ron Corey and all his Franco buddies.
A couple of years back the Canadien's section of the NHL guide showed that EVERY employee listed had a pur laine French Canadian name. Right down to the janitors, practically. What are the odds that in a multi ethnic, "bilingual", city like Montreal the best candidate for every opening in the support staff and management would happen to be pur laine Franco?
Gainey has made big steps by sweeping out a lot of the rubbish that Savard accumulated and overpaid, like Quintal, Juneau, Audette, Perreault, Brisebois, Dykhuis, Traverse, etc., etc. Thank God that Turgeon and Lapointe didn't want to play in Montreal, when Savard tried to overpay them a few years back. That would have bankrupted Gillett for sure. Also the ethnic breakdown of the support employees is starting to show some balance again.
But for anyone to suggest that the Habs are owned by the taxpayers of Quebec (not George Gillett and Molsons), and that anyone who suggests otherwise is a "facist red neck" is a bit alarming. I think that person needs to get out of his isolated little hamlet at least once before he dies.:idea:
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Actually, it does. Since Gillet bought the team with aid from the Quebec Provincial Government, ie. the shallow little gene pool stuck in rural Quebec's taxes.
You lose again, you little facist redneck coward. :-^
[Edited on 6-9-2005 by ap79]
Q govt can't even support itself with local taxes, especially from the pur laine segment of the population, never mind a hockey team. Biggest "have not" province in the dominion, historically. If George Gillett decided to move the team to Boulder or Portland, there is nothing that would prevent it except his own word.
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Nurminen's career is over. He was never more than adequate as a starter (2 seasons). Kiprusoff got into all of 38 games last season. He has less than 100 NHL games in his career. I wouldn't call him a star (or even a proven starter), and I think he is 27 or something. Toskala has been hanging around for awhile without breaking through, before him Ari Ahonen, Mikka Noronen, and a few other Finns were touted as future stars. None has come through as yet. Lehtonen, if he produces in the NHL will be the first Finnish goaltender to legitimately be called an NHL star. Since he has only played 4 NHL games at the age of 22, I wouldn't jump on that bandwagon yet, either.
As for Price saying nice things about Melanson, what do you expect? That he is going to say, "Get this fat old has been out of my face..."? I'm not saying that Melanson has nothing of value to impart, but I do worry that in order to justify his salary he is going to overcoach the young goalies since he has to make it seem that he is doing something useful. At least with Kolzig, you knew the help he was givng was coming from the heart since Ollie wasn't getting paid for it, and doesn't need the money in any event.
But I have faith in Price. He is smarter than most of the people in the organization already, and he will know what to keep and what to throw away, while at the same time making the coaches feel like they are useful.
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Originally posted by ap79
What is with all the Chicago Blackhawks avatars on a Montreal Canadiens message board?
Weren't you one of the jerks suggesting that since I live in Vancouver I should become a Canuck or Leaf fan?
The team doesn't belong to that shallow little gene pool stuck in rural Quebec, but I can imagine the outrage if I put another teams logos up with MY messages....:eyes:
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You're just sore because I challenged your mock draft and was right on all the point I made, Blackhawk fan. I was right and you were wrong there, and I will be right about the other issues as well. Your the same idiots who were sayign that Kostitsyn would be a 40 goal scorer in the NHL by this time.
P.S. The other posters who don't have a good command of the English language don't make fools of themselves by posturing with big words and elaborate phrases that don't make sense. Take a lesson.
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Most of any single town ever. Last year's WJC goalies were both from the WHL if I recall. Neither was highly drafted, either. This year's goalies will probably both be from the WHL as well, unless the P.C. police have their way. There has only been one clear #1 netminder from Finland in the entire history of the NHL. Pasi Nurmanin, and now he is gone as well. There have been more starting NHL goaltenders (or better ones) from dozens of countries. Finland is just about dead last in producing NHL goaltenders.
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Wow...I don't even have enough time to tear this apart. If this is what you think then you should probably keep it to yourself.
Someone made the point that Melanson and Allaire are great goaltending coachs and offered as proof that there were so many good young F.C. netmnders around. But really, F.C. goalies have been severely overrated for the past 5 years at least. Probably longer. Next it will be the turn of Finnish goaltenders. The fact is that the best goalies seem to come out of Western Canada. Some guy over at H.F. did an extensive anyalyisis, and it was pretty overwhelming.
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Time to drop the myth about F.C. goaltenders. The rest of the world has. Fleury has been a choker and is on his way to being a dud. Pitt brought in Jocelyn Thibault which gives you some indication what they think of Fleury. Deslauriers and Daigneault sucked in the AHL compared to Lehtonen and Cam Ward, last season. Leclaire couldn't carry Dan Blackburn's equipment if Blackburn was still healthy. Leclaire is even more psychologcally fragile than Fleury and Deslauriers. Maxime Ouellet tanked last season in the AHL and is unlikely to become an NHL goaltender. Mathieu Chouinard was a fat stupid joke who is probably in the Quebec Senior League by now. The best goaltender propects in the AHL were Cam Ward, Kari Lehtonen, Hannu Toivonen, Ryan Miller, etc. Even Andy Chiodo who took over when Fleury choked up in the playoffs again for Wilkes-Barre, is a better prospect, I think.
[Edited on 2005/9/2 by beckham]
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Carey Price's father was a goaltender. Carey was excellant in the midget ranks and was the highest goaltender taken in the WHL draft since Dan Blackburn. He went on to win the starting job in Tri Cities as a 16 year old over a 19 year old who was on the Candian U18 team and has since become the top goalie and MVP of the Central Pro League. Last season Carey was coached several times per week by Olaf Kolzig who is one of the top handful of goaltenders in the NHL at the moment and has had a long distinguished career. Price had an excellant season as a 17 year old in the WHL (where statistically the best NHL goaltenders originate), and led the league in playoff save %. Now you're going to have some coach come along and "teach him how to play the position"?:?-
That was how they screwed Komisarek's development. They had to pull him out of Michigan (where he had one of the top two or three coaches in the world in Red Berenson) two years early and send him to play for a second rate minor league hacks like Therrien and Julien.
Leave Price alone and they will be much better off. He is a smart kid and a terrific natural athlete. I'm sure that he can call Kolzig at any time and that his father will be watching his progress.
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Price is the same type of goaltender as Kolzig. Melanson was a shorty like Theodore, but not as good. I think that Price would benefit much more from Kolzig's coaching, to whatever extent he might need it. Leave the kid alone as much as possible. I don't buy this "Melanson/Allaire/? 'made' anyone into a good goaltender". If Theodore or Roy has to play for Nashville like Tomas Vokoun, they wouldn't have had numbers that were any better. As it is, Vokoun's career average is pretty close. Melanson and Allaire coached a lot of other first rounders like Mathieu Chouinard, Patrick DesRochers, Marc Denis, Mathieu Biron, Pascal Leclaire, etc. who have really done nothing.
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Shows what you know. Melanson turned a 2nd round goalie into a Hart & Vezina winner. :bow: Imagine what he could do with Price. Seems to me that Theodore was a good goaltender long before he met Melanson. Played twice at the WJC and was top netminder the second time around, as I recall. Tomas Vokoun was a 10th rounder, went to another team and has turned out to be at least as good as Theodore. So I don't think it has much to do with Melanson.
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Price has already been coached for a year by Olaf Kolzig. Based on career performance, Melanscon should just leave Carey alone. Rollie wasn't exactly a Hall of Fame goaltender.Originally posted by Howie_MorenzI was just looking this over on http://www.canadiens.com our hockey shrine away from this hockey shrine. I am drooling over what kind of goalie Carey Price will turn out to be under Roland Melanson's guidance. I have read so much about our forwards it is going to be fun to see how he develops. :hlogo:
I love using the HABS logo!
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The other walk on/free agent players are all at least 20. Sebastien is still 18, and had better numbers than Luc Bourdon and Kris Letang with Val D'Or. He has decent size at 6-0, 205 pounds, and if the game opens up, could be a great prospect.
Bourdon was -39 last year, with 32 points. Bisaillon was -12 with 48 points. Bourdon went top 10 in the draft and there is only a couple of months difference in their age.
Gainey's changes
in Habs & Hockey Talk
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It didn't have to be Czerkawski, although at $500 k for a single year, you can't really go wrong. He would earn his keep even if he spent the whole year in Hamilton at that rate. As I recall, Mariusz was totally professional when he was demoted the last time round and all his teammates in Hamilton raved about his work ethic while he was there. Can you imagine trying to demote Kovalev if he averages a point every 4 games like he did last time round during the regular season?
But look at all the players out there now who can be had for a song. Kozlov, Freissen, Morozov, Kraft, Orpik, Brylin....I'm sure that Gainey could have signed half a dozen top NHL players for the combined $6.2 million per annum he will be shelling out for Kovalev and Dandeneault for the next 4 years.