*

[Teflon Billy]

Oh and by the way, for Knightfall 1972.

Georges Laraque is the toughest and classiest tough guy in the league. He stands up for his teammates, he doesn't turtle, and he'll fight anybody on any team. He doesn't pick and choose.

Yup, agreed.

Laraque is 100% cool.

 

[spatha]

I never thought I'd see a sight like useless Felix Potvin standing in net, giving another lame, useless performance....and the crowd beggining to chant "WE WANT BOB!" hoping that their hero, Bob Essensa would get between the pipes.

*sheds a tear for goalie Bob.

Who do you think is gonna be one of the strongest teams this year?

All 3 western Canadian Teams, Ottawa, Pitsburgh.
I am thinking and dreaming this could be the year the cup comes home to Canada.

 

[devilbat]

*sheds a tear for goalie Bob.

I thought Goalie Bob (Essensa) was awesome when he was a miracle worker here in Winnipeg. If only he had not been the team representative for the previous collective bargaining agreement, which assured him A) a huge contrat that would be almost impossible to live up to, and B) the utter hattred of Barry Shenkerow and Mike Smith, the owner and the GM of the Jets at the time. His trade to Detroit was terrible for both him and the Jets, and it took him a long time to recover. At least he ended his career on a high note, having stellar seasons as a backup in Edmonton, Phoenix and Vancouver.

One of his autographed sticks hangs in my office to this day.

 

[Teflon Billy]

I thought Goalie Bob (Essensa) was awesome when he was a miracle worker here in Winnipeg. If only he had not been the team representative for the previous collective bargaining agreement, which assured him A) a huge contrat that would be almost impossible to live up to, and B) the utter hattred of Barry Shenkerow and Mike Smith, the owner and the GM of the Jets at the time. His trade to Detroit was terrible for both him and the Jets, and it took him a long time to recover. At least he ended his career on a high note, having stellar seasons as a backup in Edmonton, Phoenix and Vancouver.

One of his autographed sticks hangs in my office to this day.

Vancouver fans loved "Sideshow Bob"

Potvin showed up here, got a fat contract, and began to suck almost immediately. Fo a goalie of Potvin's reputation it was uncanny. He was awful.

He routinely got pulled in favor of Essensa who--every time he was put in--delivered a solid, workmanlike performance. You could score on him, but it wouldn't rattle him.

He didn't get on streaks either good or bad. He simply was

It was like watching a (non-obese) Buddha play Goal.

He was also class in interviews.

Interviewer: "Hey Bob, why, when your stats are so much better than Felix's, are you still the backup? Isn't it about time you became the starter?"

Essensa: "No. you see what a lot of people don't understand is that the rest of the team trusts in Felix's skills so much more than mine, that they tend to play a lot tighter defensively around me; simply becasue they know I can't match Felix in skills. It's a necessity that takes away from the team's offense..."

Literally. the guy never had anything but incredible--and largely nonsensical-- praise for Felix Potvin, even when 2 minutes into the first period the Vancouver fans were deafening chanting for Sideshow Bob to put in.

Next year they traded both of them. It was a baffling move from a baffling period in Canucks history.

 

[Lefferts]

In a surprising move, Vancouver sign's Minnesota's Richard Park.

Good acquisition if you ask me. Park was a decent player in the Vancouver/Minnesota series, and absolutely shone in international play.

I think with the game opened up, Park could become a really big contributor.

Park has some fantastic speed that should be a big asset, if the game really does open up.

 

[Teflon Billy]

if the game really does open up.

Exactly

 

[Welverin]

Where the Flyers (and a lot of other teams, I expect) will have problems is with injuries. If their top line players get hurt, they are not going to be able to replace them.

Isn't this pretty much always the case for any team? It's rather rare in any sport now a days for a team to be stacked enough to be able to with stand the loss of their top players.

p.s. thanks for the info on the P-wings young guys.

 

[devilbat]

Isn't this pretty much always the case for any team? It's rather rare in any sport now a days for a team to be stacked enough to be able to with stand the loss of their top players.

Yes, yes it is.

 

[devilbat]

Park has some fantastic speed that should be a big asset, if the game really does open up.

Park will be a great addition to the Cunucks. I attended a few of those Cunucks/Wild playoff games in Minneapolis a couple of years ago, and Park was very good. A little under utilized in Minnesota's defense first system. He'll also be a pretty big fan favorite in Vancouver, given his cultural background. I think he'll help introduce a whole new group of fans to the NHL.

 

[Welverin]

Jeff Carter and Mike Richards are both 2003 first-round picks who played in the AHL playoffs last year after their junior teams were eliminated from the postseason. Carter led the AHL in playoff scoring and the Flyers are looking at him as a RW with Forsberg and Gagne. Richards also played in the AHL playoffs, scoring 7 goals and 8 assists in 14 games. He was named the captain of Team Canada at the World Junior Championships in 2005. (Canada won the Gold). A good face-off and penalty-killer, he is being looked at as a center right now. That may change with all the natural centers the Flyers have on their roster.

I was thinking of this earlier, which lead to the thought that as poorly as Clarke does signing and trading for vets, the Flyers do a good job drafting.