maplesyrup
New member
Bender said:
Well, I don't know if you recall but I was against Connolly as an option from the outset (I've since come around ever so slightly/cautiously) so he has some work to do to turn me around completely.
Tim Connolly Interview today on the FAN590
- Thread starter cw
- Start date
Well, I don't know if you recall but I was against Connolly as an option from the outset (I've since come around ever so slightly/cautiously) so he has some work to do to turn me around completely.
Floyd said:
No, I recall. I'll be careful not to wade into the debate, but when he cost nothing but cash and makes the team better then what's the difference? Even if he's injured the team will remain similar to last year's, so at worst we'll be equivalent to last year's team. To me that's the price of risk/reward for a horrific UFA market devoid of much talent worth spending money on outside of Richards.
maplesyrup
New member
Bender said:
... and what you're saying is (in part) why I feel slightly better about the acquisition. Other than the injury issues, I'm still uncomfortable with the fact that Sabre fans are still partying over the fact he's off their roster.
Kin
New member
Bender said:
And he responded with 78 points. 70 games of Mats Sundin were better than 82 games of just about anyone else.
The thing about Connolly, and this is tough to say without seeing him play too often, is that the descriptions of him I keep reading have a boatload of his value tied up in him being in the line-up and producing on the scoresheet. So I think Sarge's benchmarks are fair. As to whether or not you should be "pissed" or just unhappy if he fails to meet them is a semantic thing I can't speak much to.
maplesyrup
New member
13th fan said:Wait a minute ! Floyd is Sarge and Borge ? Are authorities looking for you ?
Shhhhh... Seriously though, as I explained in the username change thread, I wanted "Floyd" all along (from Sgt. Floyd Pepper... see my avatar) but it was gone on the old site. I've used that full name or just plain "Sarge" previously but there was opportunity here to nab the handle I wanted all along.... and cops I can hanble. Phone cops though? Please don't tell those guys.
Floyd said:13th fan said:Wait a minute ! Floyd is Sarge and Borge ? Are authorities looking for you ?
Shhhhh... Seriously though, as I explained in the username change thread, I wanted "Floyd" all along (from Sgt. Floyd Pepper... see my avatar) but it was gone on the old site. I've used that full name or just plain "Sarge" previously but there was opportunity here to nab the handle I wanted all along.... and cops I can hanble. Phone cops though? Please don't tell those guys.
Weren't you also Dr. Bobby Leafer?
maplesyrup
New member
Bender said:Floyd said:13th fan said:Wait a minute ! Floyd is Sarge and Borge ? Are authorities looking for you ?
Shhhhh... Seriously though, as I explained in the username change thread, I wanted "Floyd" all along (from Sgt. Floyd Pepper... see my avatar) but it was gone on the old site. I've used that full name or just plain "Sarge" previously but there was opportunity here to nab the handle I wanted all along.... and cops I can hanble. Phone cops though? Please don't tell those guys.
Weren't you also Dr. Bobby Leafer?
Yup I think "Floyd" makes it 5 or 6 usernames in 5 years. Probably more changes than most. "Phone cops" clued you in, eh?
Floyd said:
His career high is 65 pts (73 GP) and he's only been over 50 pts one other time (55pts, 63 GP).
Grabbo had a career high 58pts last season with 48pts being his second highest.
The 30th best scoring center in the NHL in the last five years has been between 54 and 59 pts.
Of the 16 playoffs teams last spring:
1st line center averaged 66.4pts, .89ppg, 74GP
Connolly has averaged 50pts, .83ppg, 60GP (ignoring 2 GP '07 season)
2nd line center averaged 47.9pts, .69ppg, 72GP
Grabbo has averaged 47pts, .65ppg, 72GP (over last 3 seasons)
Connolly has performed a little below 1st line center average. Grabbo has been pretty close to 2nd line center. If Grabbo can repeat his 58pt performance of last season with MacArthur & Kulemin and if Connolly can play 68 games scoring at his average .83ppg, the two would attain NHL average scoring for top 6 centers on a playoff team.
I'd be pretty happy if Connolly played 68 games and put up 56 points. With a whole year under their belts, Grabbo should be able to score close to his 58pts if that line can carry on their chemistry of last season. That presumes that Wilson gives those two lines ample ice time and PP time - close to as if both are top lines - to mimic what Grabbo got last year.
maplesyrup
New member
So we're fairly close on what we hope to see of him then.
Sudafederov
New member
This feels like a JFJ move...trying to get too cute when the evidence suggests otherwise.
Jeff O'Neill 2.0
Jeff O'Neill 2.0
Former teammate defends Tim Connolly
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/leafs-beat/former-teammate-defends-tim-connolly/article2098040/
The article drew the ire of several of Connolly?s former teammates with the Buffalo Sabres, including star netminder Ryan Miller, who painted a picture of a player who has been unfairly criticized throughout his career while battling through a series of devastating injuries.
?It?s unfortunate the media hasn?t even let him get on the ice before starting with this crap,? Miller said Thursday.
?I think some people in the media [in Buffalo] felt like he owed them explanations beyond what he cared to share, and it just became a little bit of a vendetta. From my perspective, the only thing Tim doesn?t care about is what the talking heads think about him. He cares about hockey fans, he cares about winning and he cares about his teammates.
?In my book, that?s all that matters.?
...
Miller said while Connolly?s critics derided him for being soft and injury prone, he saw a young player battle through injuries to become much more well-rounded, playing a key role on both the power play and penalty kill in recent years.
?Tim committed to recreating himself over the last few years to bring value to our team,? Miller said. ?He hasn?t been perfect and no one is ? but he has had major obstacles to contend with and has come out as a solid NHL player every time he has been knocked down. He never quit.?
Connolly?s agent, J.P. Barry, added the environment in Buffalo had gotten so poor it was time for him to leave the city after 10 years of being a lightning rod for critics.
?It just didn?t stop over the years,? Barry said of criticism Connolly faced from members of the Buffalo media, including one who branded him ?Tiny Tim? early on ? a nickname that caught on with fans.
?Unfortunately, there were a couple journalists in particular that took a rough approach to him and continued to do that. I can only assume they?re the source of these stories,? the agent said. ?He?s played in the league since he was 18 years old and there?s a lot of guys in this league that like him a lot.
?He?s a quiet, respectful kid. ? We know how other players feel about him, and it?s just completely the opposite of what?s being said in this article.?
Miller said he believes Connolly, 30, will excel with the Maple Leafs, a division rival the Sabres will face six times next season.
?He?ll do well with a fresh start,? the goalie said. ?He?s misunderstood by the media and the fans.?
Two sides to every story. Glad Mirtle put that together.
All I know is that a number of times the guy got the puck while with the Sabres, I wasn't too happy for our Leafs with what happened next.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/leafs-beat/former-teammate-defends-tim-connolly/article2098040/
The article drew the ire of several of Connolly?s former teammates with the Buffalo Sabres, including star netminder Ryan Miller, who painted a picture of a player who has been unfairly criticized throughout his career while battling through a series of devastating injuries.
?It?s unfortunate the media hasn?t even let him get on the ice before starting with this crap,? Miller said Thursday.
?I think some people in the media [in Buffalo] felt like he owed them explanations beyond what he cared to share, and it just became a little bit of a vendetta. From my perspective, the only thing Tim doesn?t care about is what the talking heads think about him. He cares about hockey fans, he cares about winning and he cares about his teammates.
?In my book, that?s all that matters.?
...
Miller said while Connolly?s critics derided him for being soft and injury prone, he saw a young player battle through injuries to become much more well-rounded, playing a key role on both the power play and penalty kill in recent years.
?Tim committed to recreating himself over the last few years to bring value to our team,? Miller said. ?He hasn?t been perfect and no one is ? but he has had major obstacles to contend with and has come out as a solid NHL player every time he has been knocked down. He never quit.?
Connolly?s agent, J.P. Barry, added the environment in Buffalo had gotten so poor it was time for him to leave the city after 10 years of being a lightning rod for critics.
?It just didn?t stop over the years,? Barry said of criticism Connolly faced from members of the Buffalo media, including one who branded him ?Tiny Tim? early on ? a nickname that caught on with fans.
?Unfortunately, there were a couple journalists in particular that took a rough approach to him and continued to do that. I can only assume they?re the source of these stories,? the agent said. ?He?s played in the league since he was 18 years old and there?s a lot of guys in this league that like him a lot.
?He?s a quiet, respectful kid. ? We know how other players feel about him, and it?s just completely the opposite of what?s being said in this article.?
Miller said he believes Connolly, 30, will excel with the Maple Leafs, a division rival the Sabres will face six times next season.
?He?ll do well with a fresh start,? the goalie said. ?He?s misunderstood by the media and the fans.?
Two sides to every story. Glad Mirtle put that together.
All I know is that a number of times the guy got the puck while with the Sabres, I wasn't too happy for our Leafs with what happened next.
princedpw said:
During the original six years, I'm not sure a player would say such a thing. The rivalries were so intense. It was a classy, decent thing for Miller to say.
I kind of take it all as kind of a positive. Because there's a fair chance a change of scenery will help his game in the short term.
BlueWhiteBlood
New member
Makes me like Ryan Miller even more. If there would ever be a successful goalie Captain, it would be him. Stand up guy in my nooks.