04/18/24
January 24, 2003
NHL intermittent beat report
(Three quick links inside)
posted by Samsonov14 to hockey at 12:51 PM - 4 comments
Theo Fleury: I don't care what he does outside of the rink, as long as it doesn't affect his play. That said, if he was drunk he should be suspended until he completes some more AL-ANON meetings. Boston/Montreal/San Jose: I agree with your statement, Samsonov14. I had no idea that Sundstrom was still in the NHL. All-Star Rosters: Everyone always complains that someone got screwed in these selections. It's an annual thing. As a Leaf fan I have to smile a bit when I see Belfour made the roster but Cujo didn't. Other things: The nationality breakdown of the starting lineups is interesting: 3 Americans, 3 Russians, 3 Canadians, 1 Czech, 1 Finn, 1 Swede. Very international. Who's the next coach to get canned? Have we reached the end? Or will they jettison Ftorek if the struggles continue after getting Hackett?
posted by grum@work at 01:18 PM on January 24, 2003
Theo Fleury has run out of chances. He can stick his apologies in a sack as far as I'm concerned. As a person, I feel bad for the guy and what he's going through, but it's up to him to change and since he hasn't, I'm offering very limited pity. I agree with Samsonov's run-down of the big trade with Boston being the winner and the Canadiens being the losers, but I have to say this: Sundstrom isn't all that bad. You certainly can't judge him by the numbers. He's good at both ends of the ice and should fit in nicely up in Montreal. Plus, they only gave up their back-up goalie (a free agent to be) for him. That ain't too bad. The bad part is where Hackett ended up. How Montreal let him end up with a division rival desperate for a goalie I'll never know. That fact is what made them the real loser here. Leetch made the All-Star team based on fan balloting and I'll never argue with the fans' choice, especially when it works for a Ranger. That said, fans are idiots and he shouldn't be in the line-up. Perhaps he gets extra credit for his high-quality play over a long career, but I don't know. Crack is a problem in America, what can I say. Iginla made it because the game needed a Flame. Who else would you take? I look forward to seeing him play, even if he sucks this year.
posted by 86 at 03:01 PM on January 24, 2003
Seeing as how the All Star ballots are printed and distributed only a month to a month in a half into the season, I assume that the nominations are based on last season's performance. Which is ridiculous. Oh well, at least Jeff Goal'Neill made the game. As for Fleo, I feel really, really bad for the person. It's got to be a terrible struggle to get clean and stay clean. However, as for the player, I think it's time that the NHL helps him take his skates off. For good.
posted by NoMich at 11:53 AM on January 27, 2003
Theo Fleury: Drunk again, got his ass whupped Ohio-style, and should be suspended for six months without pay but somehow isn't. He should stick to mucking it up with mascots. I love the crazy little bastard, but he doesn't deserve to play anymore. Boston/Montreal/San Jose deal: Good moves for all involved, but Boston gets the most, San Jose gets a little better as long as McLaren is healthy, and Montreal gets the least out of this trade. All-Star Rosters: How did Jarome Iginla make the team? And Brian Leetch? Hejduk and Kaberle might have been better choices. I’m also a bit upset that we won’t get to see Ilya Kovalchuk playing in a game where his lack of defense just wouldn’t matter. Heatly just isn’t that flashy. Thoughts?