Location: Not protected by the Mods...I mean Mob. Take your best shot! Joined: 09.01.2012
Jun 22 @ 4:19 PM ET
All our centers will likely be as good defensively as Giroux. It gives him less responsibility. As for face-offs, nothing stops him from taking a draw and then playing as a wing. It's just an option to think about in a couple years. - Mononoke
See, if Laughton becomes our fourth line center, he still has a lot to prove. Coots is great defensively but inconsistent with his offense and his foot speed is getting worse by the season. Let's say we get Nolan Patrick. He's young, he's gonna need this rookie season to feel out the league. I think we can all agree we don't expect him to be Connor McDavid or Austin Matthews. In my opinion we're deep on the right side, which is the side Giroux was drafted as. Look, if it happens, great! I wouldn't move G to wing.
I don't think anyone is saying that leadership alone wins Cups. You have to have talent, a good mix, and good goaltending. Getting lucky with lack of key injuries helps. But it also helps to have a guy who can rally the troops if/when needed.
Guys like Pronger and Messier could control a room and get everyone motivated simply with a stare or a few words, and backed it up on the ice. Granted, those guys are few and far between, but even a guy like Briere was hailed as a key part of winning the 2011 Sabres series in game 6. - jmatchett383
Those guys were good. My example was that I don't mind losing the "leadership" of a guy like PEB because he didn't bring enough on the ice. I am more focused on putting together 4 competitive lines before I will be worried about whether or not they lack leadership
Those guys were good. My example was that I don't mind losing the "leadership" of a guy like PEB because he didn't bring enough on the ice. I am more focused on putting together 4 competitive lines before I will be worried about whether or not they lack leadership - YuenglingJagr
Agreed. If all you can offer is "leadership" and a can-do attitude, as well as getting hit by a puck, then you're replaceable. Maybe not as easily as some say, but you are more easily replaceable than a 25-goal scorer or top-2 defenseman.
I don't think anyone is saying that leadership alone wins Cups. You have to have talent, a good mix, and good goaltending. Getting lucky with lack of key injuries helps. But it also helps to have a guy who can rally the troops if/when needed.
Guys like Pronger and Messier could control a room and get everyone motivated simply with a stare or a few words, and backed it up on the ice. Granted, those guys are few and far between, but even a guy like Briere was hailed as a key part of winning the 2011 Sabres series in game 6. - jmatchett383
The problem I have with it -- not speaking for anyone else -- is that it's purely results-based. Guys who played their asses off but didn't quite get there, have one signature moment or comment, don't get the full credit for their leadership as some others
For example: Keith Primeau.
Primeau in 2004 played as hard as any dude I've ever seen play for the Flyers in that run to the ECF. He really did. Him and Kapanen -- who nearly got his arse killed by Darcy Tucker -- did everything that Hitch asked and tried as hard as they could
Not only does hardly anyone remember that, but Ruslan Fedotenko beat him in a Game 7 -- and guys like Roenick, Amonte, Zhamnov, etc., were all starving for a Cup, too
Leadership is a good thing to have. But ultimately, it just doesn't show itself in any discernible way that leads to any kind of predictable result
The problem I have with it -- not speaking for anyone else -- is that it's purely results-based. Guys who played their asses off but didn't quite get there, have one signature moment or comment, don't get the full credit for their leadership as some others
For example: Keith Primeau.
Primeau in 2004 played as hard as any dude I've ever seen play for the Flyers in that run to the ECF. He really did. Him and Kapanen -- who nearly got his arse killed by Darcy Tucker -- did everything that Hitch asked and tried as hard as they could
Not only does hardly anyone remember that, but Ruslan Fedotenko beat him in a Game 7 -- and guys like Roenick, Amonte, Zhamnov, etc., were all starving for a Cup, too
Leadership is a good thing to have. But ultimately, it just doesn't show itself in any discernible way that leads to any kind of predictable result - AllInForFlyers
Folks who were Flyers fans then most certainly remember.
The problem I have with it -- not speaking for anyone else -- is that it's purely results-based. Guys who played their asses off but didn't quite get there, have one signature moment or comment, don't get the full credit for their leadership as some others
For example: Keith Primeau.
Primeau in 2004 played as hard as any dude I've ever seen play for the Flyers in that run to the ECF. He really did. Him and Kapanen -- who nearly got his arse killed by Darcy Tucker -- did everything that Hitch asked and tried as hard as they could
Not only does hardly anyone remember that, but Ruslan Fedotenko beat him in a Game 7 -- and guys like Roenick, Amonte, Zhamnov, etc., were all starving for a Cup, too
Leadership is a good thing to have. But ultimately, it just doesn't show itself in any discernible way that leads to any kind of predictable result - AllInForFlyers
So, when Mark Messier guaranteed a game 7, then went out a scored a third period hat trick in Game 6 to win the game...just pure dumb luck?
I'm not saying leadership alone wins. But I do think that certain players can get players to play harder by both their words as well as by backing it up on the ice.
I'm not saying leadership alone wins. But I do think that certain players can get players to play harder by both their words as well as by backing it up on the ice. - jmatchett383
Absolutely. Clarke could do that. But, as you've mentioned, quite often that alone isn't enough. Clarke wasn't suddenly a bad leader after 1975.
Absolutely. Clarke could do that. But, as you've mentioned, quite often that alone isn't enough. Clarke wasn't suddenly a bad leader after 1975. - Scoob
Prior to 1975, he was GLBC
After 1975, he transformed into his alter ego, BLBC.
After retiring, he then became BGMBC.
I remember, a number of years ago, the same Pittsburgh leadership group crumbling to pieces against the Flyers in the first round. - PhillySportsGuy
You mean 5 years ago? I'm sure they've learned some lessons and grown as leaders since then. How often have you seen players get under Crosby's skin recently to the extent the Flyers did in that series?
Location: any donut with a hole in the middle can get (frank)ed right in its hole, NJ Joined: 04.08.2012
Jun 22 @ 4:44 PM ET
You mean 5 years ago? I'm sure they've learned some lessons and grown as leaders since then. How often have you seen players get under Crosby's skin recently to the extent the Flyers did in that series? - Baxter27
Malkin and Crosby are constantly rattled once they fall behind. They're the very definition of poor sports. It's easy to remain classy and show good leadership when you're winning every year.
