NHL players with the "it" factor?

cyrenaica

2010-04-16 22:25:09 UTC

Nicest Assist: Bobby Smith in Montreal overskated the net and passed the puck between Allan Bester's legs to Mats Naslund in front of the Leaf net for an easy goal....circa 1985

BQ: No. He hasn't been the same since the second suspension (as evidenced when HNIC showed him backing away from Gomez after lining him up) and the re-writing of the blindside hit rule.

BQ2: I never thought there was any merit to the Ovechkin>Crosby argument

BQ3: I haven't seen any of those games but watching Brodeur give up the 35 foot wrister to Richards in game 1 was all I needed to see (Didn't Switzerland score a goal froim a similar place 2 months ago???)

BQ4: I'm not sold on Howard. He's good, but not great. Detroit reduced their shots against this year by over 2 a game and took 3+ a game fewer suggesting the team played in a defensive shell all year. Toskala could win a Vezina in a system like that.

BQ5: I don't really watch the commercials. I was always a Bourque fan and I enjoyed the moment when it happened....but I have no desire to see it every day (or see Messier raising the Cup as a Ranger...or Lemieux beating Casey like a rented mule, etc). But then, as a 40+ Canadian male with the NHL Centre Ice package......I'm not the target audience

BQ6: Phoenix looked more like Trevor Berbick by the end of the game taking all the punches and not throwing any!

BQ7: Good for Brent, at least somebody wants him. Hasn't been a good goalie since his breakthrough year in St. Louis! I guess he lasted longer than Jim Carey..............

BQ8: San Jose is down 5-4 as I type this with 3 :14 left. HNIC has already shown the ominous 'San Jose has never won a series when losing the first two games' graphic on the screen.

BQ9: Chicago and Washington

BQ10: Ken Dryden....never lost a game 7 and 13-9 in overtime. If you mean of the current crop.....none. There isn't a single goaltender in the NHL today that I think is consistently good enough that I would trust a game 7 in OT with. Low GAAs and high SPCTs are a result of the big pads, not stellar goaltending. I've seen too many 'soft' OT goals for my liking. Dryden it is!

Tiny Tims Opinions Below

2010-04-16 21:56:31 UTC

I feel like an idiot homering Grabovski so hard at the begging of the season but this is still a pretty play

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDaPWljA5po

BQ- Ovechkin was brutal in the game vs. the Habs- the much talked about no shots on goal but that was the least of it.....not backchecking on the Gomez goal (meanwhile Crosby makes a beautiful save tonight on the goal line), seemed to let up on a hit (didn't notice it until Cherry showed the clip), TERRIBLE line change as he standing beside the bench watching the winning goal being scored.

So....does Ovechkin now bounce back with one of his best games of the season?

I don't know. I will let you know tomorrow.

Just wanted to get a jump on thelue

BQ2- If you go back one year from today.....hasn't the last year really solidified that Crosby > Ovechkin? All homeristic views aside....if you can't see it by now then you are blind.

Now if he can keep his stick out of other players faces and stop crying I just might start to like him

BQ3- How lucky are the Devils to be tied 1-1?

Makes me wonder if Brodeur is done

BQ4- Jimmy Howard getting the rookie jitters? Kid always has had a gaping 5 hole.

Haven't see enough of his play to make a commet

BQ5- Aren't the "History Will Be Made" ads catchy? Good marketing?

Yes. and the parodies on youtube are awesome

BQ6- Is this Detroit game like a Ali-Frazier bout or what?

Yep

BQ7- Pens fans (silly bastards) still want Brent Johnson?

talk about jumping the gun yesterday

BQ8- Which Stanley Cup contender do you consider as having their window of opportunity closing (their best chance might be in front of them)? (MY PICK-SJ)

Liked I argued with you last year Washington and Pittsburgh have too much money locked up on a few players

BQ9- Which Stanley Cup contender do you consider as having their window of opportunity just opening (they will be in the mix for the next several years)?

I have embarrassed myself enough for one season. No more predictions until September for me

BQ10- Game 7....Stanley Cup Finals.....you get to OT......who do you want in your net?

Miller

cdn24fan

2010-04-16 21:02:31 UTC

The gretzky Canada cup one to Lemieux was not bad (87 I guess)

1) Both he an Backstrom were just plain lazy on Gomez's tying goal. Does he bounce back next game, I am afraid that he will

2) Ovechkin has the skill and the Hart but he does not have the hEart that Crosby as. Crosby is a winner and will do anything to win, Ovechkin less so. Maybe Ovechkin needs a bill Guerin, or a Mark recchi around (not to mention Mario) to show him what it takes to win. Capitals have not done a good job of providing that type of veteran support to their young stars. I don't count Federov in that role.

3)Extremely, with a healthy Emery in nets this Flyers team would be scary

4) Yeah he seems to be in too much of a crouch- stand up. Nabakov doesn't look much better tonight.

5) Like em

6) San Jose/Avs are doing their best to copy it in the second.

7) Sens had only 20 shots- not convinced that Fleury is in playoff form yet. Definitely not confident that Johnson is any better though

8) SJ- Marleau is probably gone IMO if they don't win it this year

9) Hawks and possibly the Canucks

10) Patrick Roy, no one better in that situation in my opinion. Brodeur would be a long way down that list for me.

EDit based on what I am watching now- BQ10 anyone not named Nabakov or Anderson.

EDIT: Jason- check out Marty's all time Overtime record and you will have your answer- decidedly ordinary. 12-20

http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=30993

An old Lity answer on Roys OT record

https://answersrip.com/question/index?qid=20090419193957AAzDtr0

Edit, you may be right on his game 7's although he beat Brodeur in their only Game 7 meeting

Jason

2010-04-16 20:50:32 UTC

Hey Bob I already pointed the whole Crosby/Ovechkin thing out in this question:

https://answersrip.com/question/index?qid=20100416185647AAd2Feu

Great minds think alike?

A good candidate for best assist is Bobby Orr's fall down behind the back in the Coach's Corner intro.

BQ1: Maybe, but the reality is he's not a big game player and likely never will be. Russians just have no heart compared to Canadians. Call me a racist or whatever but it's the truth. South Americans bring the same sort of passion to soccer and you wouldn't get in trouble for pointing it out.

BQ2: Yep. The only people who would say otherwise are bandwagon Caps fans like the guy that called me out in the linked thread up there.

BQ3: Fairly lucky but I say they win the series. They've shown they can score, and you can never count out Brodeur to bounce back.

BQ4: A little bit, but this back and forth game is a goalie's nightmare.

BQ5: Yep.

BQ6: I'm too young for that, but yeah it's a great game.

BQ7: I doubt it. Neither Kings fans and Bernier, but the King of Manchester is way better than Johnson.

BQ8: San Jose is a great pick, it was Calgary the last few years.

BQ9: LA Kings.. goaltending looks bright with either Quick or Bernier. Doughty will likely be the NHL's best defenceman for the forseeable future. Dean Lombardi is a good GM.

BQ10: Marty Brodeur.

Leafsfan29-Embrace the drought!

2010-04-17 07:09:10 UTC

BQ1: If he doesn't then the Capitals are free to join us in Myrtle Beach starting next weekend.

BQ2: The scoreboard is really going in one direction. I was having an Angry Hour last night after work discussing some golf trip details. I've taken to comparing these two to Woods and Mickelson. Sure...Mickelson is exciting, but look at the scoreboard: Woods has 14, Mickelson 4.

BQ3: You could make the same comment about SJ. It's what they do with that luck (and let's be honest here- at some point you need to have some buena fortuna).

BQ4: Let's see what happens in Detroit...that 3.50 GAA isn't exactly screaming Conn Smythe.

BQ5: They're great in that "easy to parody" kind of way (which helps, I suppose).

BQ6: Pass- I missed it, shamefully (wouldn't have minded staying up for the SJ-COL game).

BQ7: Methinks not. He was what- #3 or #4 in Washington (not exactly backing up a tandem of Brodeur and Roy at their peak).

BQ8: At some point SJ needs to either crap or get off the hopper. Washington (or San Jose of the East) needs to do the bizzo...this is what good teams do.

BQ9: Colorado...Duchene is a horse, this Yip is a good egg, and I like how Reilly plays the game; if they can shore up their goaltending they're a contendah.

BQ10: For the other team I want Toskala.

NeverSayNeverAgain

2010-04-17 04:56:49 UTC

Nicest Assist: Back in the day I saw Darryl Sittler set up Dan Maloney with a pass that I swear went through 3 sets of legs. I was 10 back then but I can still visualize the play.

BQ1:He will bounce back with a solid game. It's not a series deciding game in which he can disappear.

BQ2:Sid is a more complete player.

BQ3:1-1 sounds about right.

BQ4:Howard will be fine. He has a lot of team around him.

BQ5:Yes, but like my son said, "Who are those guys?" Had to give a little history lesson to him. I'm not sure those ads relate to today's youth, but I think they are awesome.

BQ6:Saw the highlights. I wish I could have caught the whole game.

BQ7:Only the idiots. Pittsburgh in general always wants the backup QB or goalie if the starter has one off night. ( You should hear the talk about Roethlisberger. It will blow your mind.)

BQ8: The Devils. How much longer does Marty have?

BQ9:Los Angeles. The core is starting to form nicely.

BQ10: Has to be Brodeur. He's the greatest of all time.

2010-04-16 21:04:56 UTC

Crosby really turns you on doesn't he? Anyway the nicest assist I've ever seen came in OT of an Avs/Rangers game say um....about 8 or so years back. Forsberg took it into the slot on the forehand and shouldered into the defensemen who promptly stopped him in his tracks. Not having any other play, Forsberg switched to his backhand, spun around, and fried a spinning, no-look pass right to Joe Sakic who one-timed it over the shoulder of the Ranger's netminder to win the game.

BQ:Yes. 2 goals, 2 assists in game 2.

BQ2: I think your mask is on too tight.

BQ3: The Devils are always lucky. Every goal they score is on a blind deflection.

BQ4:Perhpas. It's like you when you see Sidney Crosby. The legs open up.

BQ5: I enjoy them yes.

BQ6: I wouldn't say it's that big since it's the first round but style-wise it's a good analogy. Very back and forth.

BQ7: No comment

BQ8: The Devils. Marty won't be around forever, and he's getting old.

BQ9:Get used to the Phoenix Coyotes playing playoff hockey.

BQ10: Active goalie, Henrik Lundqvist. Any goalie throughout history, or as a plan b in case Claude Giroux is on the ice, Patrick Roy.

Edit: I love how I always manage to draw your attention.

Yeah cause apparently I like asspie now. You got an obsession man. It's creepy.

?

2016-06-02 04:08:09 UTC

I like Ernests Gulbis since I started watching him at the French Open this year. Although, I think he will be a factor soon. I saw Kevin Anderson play a challenger last year and I've been impressed with him since. He's been been doing well on tour and I think he will do even better (on faster surfaces) once his ranking is high enough so he doesn't have to play qualies. Jesse Levine and Younes El Aynaoui are two other lower level guys that are fun to watch. And, as you said Santoro the magician. There's never a dull moment with him.

Luck1tSelf

2010-04-17 08:44:21 UTC

Beauty Assist. Gretzky to Coffey.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG9iUN6Xh2s