Gretzky 'is crazy'

[boxall9]

How did he do better than Yzerman? He and Maltby were equal, Gagne had more points but Maltby had a better +/- and more shorthanded goals and that will be his role (if he plays). Smyth had more points and is a grinder on Team Canada and Morrow had more points and had a great World Championship. I am just curious how Gagne is better than these guys? At the very least, he should be put in the same group. I like Gagne and think he is good but fair is fair and he should have been included in that group.

 

[MacDaddy TLC*]

The keywords of that article were that JR just suffered a suspected concussion. I love Roenick, but clearly he is playing with only about half a deck these days, escpecially if he thinks Primeau deserves to be there more than Ryan Smyth or Brad Richards.

 

[John Flyers Fan]

How did he do better than Yzerman? He and Maltby were equal, Gagne had more points but Maltby had a better +/- and more shorthanded goals and that will be his role (if he plays). Smyth had more points and is a grinder on Team Canada and Morrow had more points and had a great World Championship. I am just curious how Gagne is better than these guys? At the very least, he should be put in the same group. I like Gagne and think he is good but fair is fair and he should have been included in that group.

Gagne 24 goals - 45 points - 16:27 ice time while playing on a shut down line

Maltby 14 goals - 33 points - similar ice time, while playing on a shut down line

Draper 24 goals - 40 points - 17:43 ice time, while playing on a shut down line

Morrow 25 goals - 49 points - 19:23 ice time, while playing on a scoring line

Smyth 23 goals - 59 points - 19:38 ice time, play on #1 scoring line and PP

Yzerman 18 goals - 51 points 17:32, splitting time between scoring line and shut down line


Morrow's World Championship means very little to me, I'd much rather him have had a better first round of the playoffs.

Of the six players mentioned above, IMO Gagne, Smyth and Draper certainly should have gotten spots on the team.

Morrow is borderline, I would have chosen someone else, but won't argue vehemently against him.

Maltby IMO, in no way should have a spot on this team. There are plenty of Team Canada players that can play a great grinding, defensive shut down role, and bring more to the table than Maltby.

IMO Yzerman no longer skates well enough to play in this type of game or tournament. Couple that with the fact he'll be coming back from a serious eye injury, I think that there were better options.

 

[Prrebel]

Usually I like JRs sound bytes, but this time he is talking out of his @$$.
Sure, its easy to pick a team when you only have enough quality guys to ice 1 team. But what about if you have to pick from a crop of players who you can easily make 3 or 4 world class teams from! There are always going to be somebody pissed.

By the way, if the Flyers had of been knocked out in the first round... Primeau may not have gotten a look in on the 3rd team. He has as many goals in the playoffs as he had in the entire season.

Perhaps JRs shot to the head in game 3 done more damage than we realize.

 

[rye&ginger]

They are talking about Preems like hes a freaking god on CBC tonite.

How dare they stain your name like that.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Usually I like JRs sound bytes, but this time he is talking out of his @$$.
Sure, its easy to pick a team when you only have enough quality guys to ice 1 team. But what about if you have to pick from a crop of players who you can easily make 3 or 4 world class teams from! There are always going to be somebody pissed.

By the way, if the Flyers had of been knocked out in the first round... Primeau may not have gotten a look in on the 3rd team. He has as many goals in the playoffs as he had in the entire season.

Perhaps JRs shot to the head in game 3 done more damage than we realize.

Why are people giving Roenick a hard time here? He sees Primeau day in and day out and thinks he should have been named to Team Canada. Since that's a position many other hockey people share, what's the big deal? In the end does it matter anyway? Roenick's suiting up for the U.S..

 

[Prrebel]

Just giving him a hard time cause he decides to come out in a press conference.... televised all over the US and Canada, and call Gretzky crazy. He also went on to mention players who HE didn't think deserved to be there ahead of Primeau, oddly enough Gagne wasn't one of them. Why don't he worry a little more about team USA, and let guys who know hockey worry about team Canada.

 

[John Flyers Fan]

Why are people giving Roenick a hard time here?

It's what happens if you actually have a personality or give your opinion, instead of speak in cliches for an entire press conference.

 

[Teezax]

Priemau not being chosen is no surprise, but when you have Lemieux in there who is playing on a wooden back, that is a problem. Also I have Richards miles ahead of Vinny. Richards is a complete player while Vinny is a big ego who will bring Canada nothing.

 

[AgentOrange*]

They are talking about Preems like hes a freaking god on CBC tonite.

This coming from someone with the username "hockeyGod".

 

[AGraveOne]

Playmaking is luck wow he is the luckiest playmaker in the league . Listen buddy you don't make plays by getting "luck" you make plays , by having great hockey sence , and great ice vision ... learn it !!!

Primeau is playing a huge role ont he Flyers, so i can understand your commitment to him. But if you think he has great vision and great hands and decent skating, look no further than ...

Primeau goes in on Khabibulin, it's a 3 on none, he makes a move...um..er..stumbles and falls forwards into Khabibulin. The puck slides out to Kapanen(??maybe) who put it in. The play is negated because of goalie intereference and Primeau goes to the box.

That is the most clod-like play i have ever seen. NO ONE touched him....

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

People need to let this go. Kieth Primeau is not a superstar. Barry Melrose actually compared him to Jerome Iginla the other day. I nearly crapped my pants when I heard that.

he compared the players on what they meant to there teams. they both are equally important to their clubs. obviously Iginla is the better player but as far as value to their clubs? Primeau is just as important to the Flyers as Iginla is to the Flames. that is what Melrose meant.

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

Primeau is playing a huge role ont he Flyers, so i can understand your commitment to him. But if you think he has great vision and great hands and decent skating, look no further than ...

Primeau goes in on Khabibulin, it's a 3 on none, he makes a move...um..er..stumbles and falls forwards into Khabibulin. The puck slides out to Kapanen(??maybe) who put it in. The play is negated because of goalie intereference and Primeau goes to the box.

That is the most clod-like play i have ever seen. NO ONE touched him....

i just think that someone might be bitter. or is it sour grapes? dunno. btw how are Rod Brind'Amour and the Canes doing in the playoffs?
btw thats THIS year. not some fluky playoff run they had years ago.

 

[Sotnos]

If they cared so much about Chemistry, why was Richards chosen over Lecavalier ? Vinny plays with St. Louis on a regular basis not Richards.

Only since the playoffs last year. Prior to that, St. Louis was with Richards 95% of the time.

Regardless, if Richards and Lecavalier were on two separate teams, would everyone consider this an either/or situation? Why do people try to disparage Lecavalier's personality anyway? I've seen him interact with his teammates outside of game situations, and he's obviously very well liked by them.

 

[Stephen]

Roenick is just an idiot. I don't know what he's doing singling out guys on Canada like that. I'm sure they'll be fired up to play the USA, and wouldn't it be painful for JR when Richards scores the game winner and Maltby is putting a severe hurting on the Americans?

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

Roenick is just an idiot. I don't know what he's doing singling out guys on Canada like that. I'm sure they'll be fired up to play the USA, and wouldn't it be painful for JR when Richards scores the game winner and Maltby is putting a severe hurting on the Americans?

JR is expressing his feelings over a teammate he feels was left off a national team. Just like alot of players would when a deserving player is snubbed. im sure someone on the Wings would have spoken out if Draper would have been left off. I have spoken to allot of hockey fans from canada and most of them are not exactly happy with the team that was chosen, and its just not Primeau getting left off either.

 

[John Flyers Fan]

Only since the playoffs last year. Prior to that, St. Louis was with Richards 95% of the time.

Regardless, if Richards and Lecavalier were on two separate teams, would everyone consider this an either/or situation? Why do people try to disparage Lecavalier's personality anyway? I've seen him interact with his teammates outside of game situations, and he's obviously very well liked by them.

I was just making a point that Team Canada didn't use "chemisty" when they picked their team.

Other wise, you would have had Gagne-Primeau, LeCavalier-St. Louis, Thornton-Murray and Sakic-Tanguay.


The team I would put on the ice for Team Canada (18 skaters and 2 goalies) included LeCavalier and didn't include Richards. It's basically a toss-up IMO.

Richards is a bit more consistant, LeCavalier has a higher top end.

 

[rwilson99]

It's funny there wasn't this much talk about who made the team and who didn't when Bobby Clarke and Co. picked the team for the 1998 Olympics. Why does ever pick that Gretzky and Co. make get criticized.

b/c people expect Gretzky to win with his success in the 2002 Olympics. Mr. Clarke carries lower expectations with him.

Nice touch by JR to include Brad Richards on his list of players that should be replaced by Prims. He has outscored Prims in the playoffs and absolutely dominated last night's game.

 

[John Flyers Fan]

b/c people expect Gretzky to win with his success in the 2002 Olympics. Mr. Clarke carries lower expectations with him.

Nice touch by JR to include Brad Richards on his list of players that should be replaced by Prims. He has outscored Prims in the playoffs and absolutely dominated last night's game.

Dominated ??? He had 2 GREAT GREAT shots, but he didn't dominate the game.

 

[Mowzie]

hey JR, ease up on the Tylenol 3's.

your fighting for your playoff lives, let's not worry about a tournament in September until September comes.

 

[Dr Love]

Nice touch by JR to include Brad Richards on his list of players that should be replaced by Prims. He has outscored Prims in the playoffs and absolutely dominated last night's game.

Who scores more doesn't matter in a comparison between Brad Richards and Keith Primeau. Richards' job is to score, Primeau's job does not have goal scoring as a priority. To use their scoring as a comparison is erroneous. They've both dominated games, just in different ways.

 

[AGraveOne]

you don't know me too well...

I love Brind'Amour and actually was one of the few Canes fans that was upset at their playoff run because i knew that it meant the management would make no changes to improve the team. And that is what happened.

I wouldn't trade Brind'Amour for Primeau straight up. And i can't believe any Flyer fan would turn their back on the guy - he is a great guy. (by that i do not mean that a Flyer would drop Primeau for Brind'Amour...i mean that no flyer can have anything negative to say about him really...)

I am only speaking the truth, Primeau is a clod.

 

[Ironchef Chris Wok*]

Dominated ??? He had 2 GREAT GREAT shots, but he didn't dominate the game.

Sometimes, that's all you need.

Guys, the Primeau business is getting out of hand. He's a 7 goal energy player who's having a great playoff run. Did I mention the Flyer's playoff success from recent years w/ Primeau on the team? The year where the Flyers scored like 4 goals in 5 games or something?

(Btw, I believe that Brind'amour for Primeau was one of the better trades the Canes have made)

 

[John Flyers Fan]

Sometimes, that's all you need.

Guys, the Primeau business is getting out of hand. He's a 7 goal energy player who's having a great playoff run. Did I mention the Flyer's playoff success from recent years w/ Primeau on the team? The year where the Flyers scored like 4 goals in 5 games or something?

(Btw, I believe that Brind'amour for Primeau was one of the better trades the Canes have made)

He;s a hell of a lot more than an "energy" player. He's the best player on one of the best teams in hockey.

Who go the better of the Primeau-Brind'amour deal ???

99-00 - Flyers
00-01 - Flyers
01-02 - Canes
02-03 - Flyers
03-04 - Flyers

 

[Vomiting Kermit*]

People need to let this go. Kieth Primeau is not a superstar. Barry Melrose actually compared him to Jerome Iginla the other day. I nearly crapped my pants when I heard that.

:lol!!!!!