Posted Thursday November 29, 2012, About: Gruden gets Browns ownership stake with Vols job

agreed, 100%. I cannot stand him. His "always in a good mood" routine comes across as beyond fake.

Posted Friday September 21, 2012, About: Coaches warned to play nice with replacements

I think most of you are looking through rose colored glasses in regard your memories of the "real" refs. And, I think every tiny little thing is being scrutinized by the media tenfold to the point where I am surprised we aren't getting footage of them parking their cars with people critiquing their driving style/ability.

Has there been errors and blown calls made? Sure, but I am not sure you could convince me there would be any less with the real refs. They just make the calls quicker, right or wrong, so the game doesn't take as long.

Posted Monday August 27, 2012, About: Dynamo Moscow exec against chasing Ovi

Sure the KHL would love to have him, and Malkin and every other big name Russian player in the game. Doesn't mean that this particular team wants him though. Maybe this guy see's what a lot of us saw,even during his break out years, that he is a tad overrated. Fantastic goal scorer, no doubt about it, but other than not knowing how to throw a hit without leaving his feet, he is not exceptional at any other aspect of the game really.

Hind sight being what it is and all I bet Pittsburgh is happy they had the #2 overall pick that particular year.

Posted Thursday August 16, 2012, About: NHLPA has for years advised preparing for lockout

Yea I thought of something along those lines for cutting players as well. You could also give each team something along the lines of the new Amnesty thing the NBA had this year. Where they could cut like 1 player without it affecting their cap - but I think you need to restrict it to being only able to be used during the off season.

Posted Thursday August 16, 2012, About: NHLPA has for years advised preparing for lockout

50/50 revenue split
8 years to UFA
4 years entry level contracts
6 years max contract length
No more burying guys in the minors - you signed the contract (or in the Habs case foolishly traded for it) you live with it.
Hard cap that raises by a predetermined % each year, cap levels (ceiling/floor) reviewed every 3 years and new %'s are negotiated between the league and PA in regard to how much it goes up/down for the next 3 years
10 year agreement with the ability to review and make changes after year 5 and 8 on the guarantee from both sides that the review years cannot lead to a lockout or strike.

Posted Monday November 28, 2011, About: Sources: Iginla considering Calgary exit

Iggy on a team with an actual supporting cast and play making center....34 or not I think given the right circumstances he can still score 50.

Posted Tuesday November 22, 2011, About: Time finger points in Ovechkin's direction

ahh lol No, Ontario, but a Habs fan :)

Posted Tuesday November 22, 2011, About: Time finger points in Ovechkin's direction

Not sure I understand the question.

My point is/was valid. While every country has players that do not live up to their talent, and who's work ethic is therefore questioned, it seems to occur most commonly with Russian born talent.

Semin
Kovalev
Zherdev
Yashin
Radulov
Morozov (think that is how it is spelt, played for the Pens)

and the list could could on. Some of them have had great years, but more often than not you are left wondering if they were even in the lineup on most nights.

Then you have players like Datsyuk, Malkin, Bure (Pavel), and others that work hard and are noticed most every night. Malkin has slumped, but he has never looked like a quitter out there in my opinion. The same cannot be said for the people listed above.

Posted Tuesday November 22, 2011, About: Time finger points in Ovechkin's direction

I would put Malkin more on the Datsyuk side than the Kovalev/Semin side of things. I could see Malkin leading a team much the way Sid does, but then again it could be the perfect situation for him where he does not have to, and the pressure is not there to be the guy so he performs.

Posted Tuesday November 22, 2011, About: Time finger points in Ovechkin's direction

Could be worse, they could be trying to off load Gomez. At least with Semin someone will take a shot at turning his career around based on his talent alone.

Posted Tuesday November 22, 2011, About: Time finger points in Ovechkin's direction

@Slapshot - agreed, I am not in the room, so I am just guessing as well, but it is definitely how it appears to be shaping up in DC.

On a side note, I am not a huge fan of Russian players. For every Datsyuk there seems to be 5 Kovalev's or Semins - all the talent in the world absolutely no heart what so ever. Obviously there are players like this from every country, even my own, but it just seems to happen most frequently with Russian born talent.

Posted Tuesday November 22, 2011, About: Kessel finally getting his due

I will give Kessel some credit, on some absolutely terrible Leafs teams, he has put up some decent goal totals in years past. So his ability to score 50+ well I always assumed it would happen as soon as he had some talent to play with. Just always hoped it wouldn't be with the Leafs :)

The thing is I can think of about 15 players, if not more, that I would rather have on my team than him. His slumps are legendary, his inability (though improving slightly) to back check also legendary. During those slumps it looks like he is floating out there.

Posted Tuesday November 22, 2011, About: Time finger points in Ovechkin's direction

Crosby is coachable, he actually enjoys working hard to improve his game and help his team and it shows. Thierrein was simply the wrong coach for the group as a whole. And, really should not have been an NHL coach though rumor has it he has vastly improved, and matured, and when Martin's head was being called for he was a legitimate candidate (in the media at least) to replace him.

BB use to let Ovechkin play how he wanted to, do what he wanted etc and Ovechkin was happy. Sure he was a puck hog, and ice time hog, and it was all about him, but he was happy and scoring goals. You might be able to do that in the regular season but it gets you bounced from the play offs pretty damn quickly. BB has been fixing it for a about a year now, and it seems like other than Ovechkin and Semin (shocking) the rest of the team has bought in.

Posted Monday November 21, 2011, About: Watching Crosby comes at steep price

While I think the ticket prices are insane and would not pay that much myself, I have less concern over what people are paying than whether or not he is ready to play.

I am going to assume he is or he wouldn't be back given how careful they have been with him to date. But, his ability to take a hit and be fine has impacts above and beyond the NHL. We, Canada, need him at the 2014 games :)

Posted Monday November 21, 2011, About: Parise spells out partial wish list for suitors

Here's the thing every one said Gomez and Gionta would flourish outside Jersey in a more offensive minded system. While Gionta is doing fine for the most part, all you have to do is look Gomez's stay in NY and now Montreal to know this is simply not true.

While I think Parise is a much better player than Gomez ever was, I would still be leary paying him more than the $6 million he is currently earning.

Posted Monday November 21, 2011, About: Boudreau on thin ice with Ovechkin

While I basically agree...the only real issue is, if we can see that he has quit and is sulking and dragging his team down, more than likely causing issues in the dressing room, then so can every GM in the league. A happy and content Ovechkin has huge upside, but do you really risk your organizational depth on 1 player who could turn on his new coach and cause the same issues at his new home as he did at his old? A few GM's may take that risk but his skill and talent aside I am not sure, if I were a GM, if I would be one of them, depsite the potential upside.

Unfortunately, I think the Caps will axe the coach to keep their star happy... wrong move in my opinion, but I am just a guy posting on the internet so what do I know :)

Posted Saturday November 19, 2011, About: Ovechkin in decline?

His rise and this slow fall remind me of another Russian that played for Detroit at one time, and funnily enough was a teammate of Ovechkins at one time too...Fedorov. The person that said he is predictable, is correct, and let's face it he has no heart. This has been proven more than once on the International stage and pretty much every year in the NHL play offs. Let's pretend for a moment that he is as talented as Crosby (both elite players, I give the edge to Sid in talent, but for arguments sake we will call them equal). Crosby in my opinion would still come out ahead in the big games (gold medals, stanley cups etc) because of the intangibles that Ovechkin does not have, heart and a passion to be the best. You can have all the talent in the world, but if you don't want to work or have passion in what you are doing, then all you will ever do is show glimpses of greatness and nothing more, just ask Kovalev.

Posted Thursday November 17, 2011, About: Miller part of chemistry trouble in Buffalo?

I agree but their lack of response is more than likely a direct result of their feelings towards Miller. Who is to say they didn't enjoy it.

I was laughing so hard when Cole, who I have no idea what he was thinking, side swiped Enroth and then as Cole is stepping into the box Pomminville comes over and decides now it is safe to say something.

Posted Thursday November 17, 2011, About: GM won't cave to Filatov's exit strategy

Thanks :)

Posted Thursday November 17, 2011, About: Small step for Staal, but Rangers aren't talking

As un-Canadian as this will sound I prefer American Turkey Day. Having lived in the US in the past, and spending a Thanksgiving there, it is just so much more festive than ours.

Plus the football is better :)

Posted Thursday November 17, 2011, About: Miller part of chemistry trouble in Buffalo?

No one is denying his talent.

Unfortunately for quite some time now his attitude has been the issue and honestly it doesn't matter how talented you are if you lose the respect of your teammates they are simply going to stop playing for you.