I knew it was too good to last (Tony Gallagher)

[dash]

lol Hazel!!!

wearing her Keg mansion hostess outfit from 12 years ago

See you tonight, Hazel (lol)

 

[jstewismybastardson]

from the "shit tony gallagher says" files:


Surely you've noticed.


At times Alex Edler of the Vancouver Canucks has been very close to the best defenceman in the game, a Norris Trophy candidate for sure were he to reach his best more often and a bargain for the team at just $3.2 million U.S. per.


At other times he is a whimpering wreck totally bereft of confidence, a fellow who gives off the impression he subconsciously believes he actually belongs back in the Swedish second division and that one day he's going to awaken from this NHL dream and be dragged back there by the Swedish secret service—if they have one.



Read more: Gallagher: Alex Edler, Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde?

 

[KennyBanyeah]

i figure this could be the Gallagher "appreciation" thread


ridiculous column today



:ss:




What is it with Vigneault that he insists upon putting Hodgson in positions whereby failure is the most likely outcome? Did he hear the kid cracking some kind of anti-Francophone joke or something? What's up with this guy, and why does GM Mike Gillis just stand by and watch his first ever draft pick get shafted?

Gallagher: Vigneault stiffs Hodgson in first game of season

I'm not saying that Hodgson will never be a good layer, but, IMO, he really needs to work on his skating.

Besides 30 points in 52 games at the A level doesn't scream top 6 forward on a President's trophy team.

The kid is 21; he has time to develop and if the Nucks are doing it slowly, so much the better.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

I'm not saying that Hodgson will never be a good layer, but, IMO, he really needs to work on his skating.

Besides 30 points in 52 games at the A level doesn't scream top 6 forward on a President's trophy team.

The kid is 21; he has time to develop and if the Nucks are doing it slowly, so much the better.

have you watched him at all this preseason ... he's been a lot better ... a lot stronger on his skates ... even going around dmen and staying on his skates where last year he was down like a baby deer ... plus he's now injury free ... he'll get a shot at second line centre to start the year

/Sedins took alot of potshots about their skating in the early days too

 

[KennyBanyeah]

have you watched him at all this preseason ... he's been a lot better ... a lot stronger on his skates ... even going around dmen and staying on his skates where last year he was down like a baby deer ... plus he's now injury free ... he'll get a shot at second line centre to start the year

/Sedins took alot of potshots about their skating in the early days too

Good to hear jstew. I watched him a fair amount in the O and he was fun to watch. A smart player with pretty damn good hands.

I haven't seen him this preseason, but even if his skating still needed work, he is 21 years old. He has plenty of time to address any weaknesses.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Gallagher in fine form this morning


Anyone thinking the Vancouver Canucks were going to take an enormous swan dive this year got a pretty good indication that this may still be a very strong team and perhaps still the best in the league.

Taking on one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, the Canucks were missing two or three of their better players and many of those on the ice performed so poorly the wags watching were curious as to which member of last year's finalists was furthest below par.

And that was a lengthy discussion, yet still the Canucks came away with a point.

Clearly Roberto Luongo was in contention for "furthest below form" with his two ridiculous whiffs that have to take the starch out of any team, the peaks and valleys with this guy becoming almost absurd. Now the air is beginning to come out of this team every time he fans one, and that's not a good sign. And the shootout? Absolutely laughable. Just how long this can continue with this team is a mystery, but the paying customer is growing genuinely tired of it - not that their opinion ever matters.
Alex Burrows did more whiffing than Alex Rodriguez in the first two periods when the Sedins handed him cold chances to pass Matt Cooke as the league's leading goal-scorer. Dan Hamhuis certainly didn't look himself, and partner Kevin Bieksa at times looked as though he was doing his now loved bust of Ryan Kesler posing nude while actually playing.

The line of Cody Hodgson, Marco Sturm and Michael Samuelsson was downright funny at times, the trio so slow that on one shift midway through the third period they appeared as statues standing around in their own zone as the Pens tried to break the 3-3 tie. Hodgson actually got going a little better and nearly won it in the third period with his best chance of the evening.

"That line is still trying to find a little chemistry," said coach Alain Vigneault when asked how he thought Hodgson played.

Wheels is what they're looking to find, Hodgson looking like a gazelle relative to his plodding wingers.
Manny Malhotra still has some work to do. Perhaps the most shocking of all was Jannik Hansen, who looked so uncomfortable and nothing like the player who was so good here all season last year.

But hey, the Sedins were going, and when that happens it's essentially a free pass for all Vancouver players, the get-outof-jail-free card, if you will. And among those using that card may have been the management and coaches who decided to have the veteran players practice rather than play during the pre-season. On the basis of one game, which admittedly is pretty flimsy evidence on which to proceed, that whole strategy should be filed under the nice-try category and something else used next season. Perhaps a playing tour of Nigeria to generate the "hunger" which was promised? LMAO

But that's how good this team can be. When all was said and done, Vancouver got a point firing on about one and onehalf cylinders. When the rust comes off most of the roster and Ryan Kesler gets back, this team should put up some numbers.

"This is what happens when you're not playing your best," said Henrik Sedin, who put in his best game Rogers Arena has seen since the San Jose series.

"We were lucky to get back and get the point."

"I think the ceremonies with all the delays and trophies and stuff may have been a factor, but I thought once the midway point in the game came along we were a lot better," said Sami Salo, who was one of the best players on the ice for Vancouver, along with Keith Ballard, who scored a spectacular goal and played one of his best games in a Canuck jersey.

"We were happy with the way we played in our last exhibition game against Edmonton but then five days off and that may have affected our start," said Hamhuis, who happily said he felt very strong on the ice despite looking rusty. "But you take the schedule as it comes."



Read more: What was bad, not bad at all

 

[puckhead]

lo. Nigeria, please.

wtf happened to TG's kid-gloves with Gillis' team?
oh well, back to "sharmy douchebag" mode

 

[jstewismybastardson]

lo. Nigeria, please.

wtf happened to TG's kid-gloves with Gillis' team?oh well, back to "sharmy douchebag" mode

maybe Gillis hasnt paid for dinner lately

i think Gallagher is just trying his best to show Gillis the err of his ways and get AV fired

 

[filosofy29]

Gallagher in fine form this morning


Anyone thinking the Vancouver Canucks were going to take an enormous swan dive this year got a pretty good indication that this may still be a very strong team and perhaps still the best in the league.

Taking on one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, the Canucks were missing two or three of their better players and many of those on the ice performed so poorly the wags watching were curious as to which member of last year's finalists was furthest below par.And that was a lengthy discussion, yet still the Canucks came away with a point.
Clearly Roberto Luongo was in contention for "furthest below form" with his two ridiculous whiffs that have to take the starch out of any team, the peaks and valleys with this guy becoming almost absurd. Now the air is beginning to come out of this team every time he fans one, and that's not a good sign. And the shootout? Absolutely laughable. Just how long this can continue with this team is a mystery, but the paying customer is growing genuinely tired of it - not that their opinion ever matters.
Alex Burrows did more whiffing than Alex Rodriguez in the first two periods when the Sedins handed him cold chances to pass Matt Cooke as the league's leading goal-scorer. Dan Hamhuis certainly didn't look himself, and partner Kevin Bieksa at times looked as though he was doing his now loved bust of Ryan Kesler posing nude while actually playing.

The line of Cody Hodgson, Marco Sturm and Michael Samuelsson was downright funny at times, the trio so slow that on one shift midway through the third period they appeared as statues standing around in their own zone as the Pens tried to break the 3-3 tie. Hodgson actually got going a little better and nearly won it in the third period with his best chance of the evening.

"That line is still trying to find a little chemistry," said coach Alain Vigneault when asked how he thought Hodgson played.

Wheels is what they're looking to find, Hodgson looking like a gazelle relative to his plodding wingers.
Manny Malhotra still has some work to do. Perhaps the most shocking of all was Jannik Hansen, who looked so uncomfortable and nothing like the player who was so good here all season last year.

But hey, the Sedins were going, and when that happens it's essentially a free pass for all Vancouver players, the get-outof-jail-free card, if you will. And among those using that card may have been the management and coaches who decided to have the veteran players practice rather than play during the pre-season. On the basis of one game, which admittedly is pretty flimsy evidence on which to proceed, that whole strategy should be filed under the nice-try category and something else used next season. Perhaps a playing tour of Nigeria to generate the "hunger" which was promised? LMAO

But that's how good this team can be. When all was said and done, Vancouver got a point firing on about one and onehalf cylinders. When the rust comes off most of the roster and Ryan Kesler gets back, this team should put up some numbers.

"This is what happens when you're not playing your best," said Henrik Sedin, who put in his best game Rogers Arena has seen since the San Jose series.

"We were lucky to get back and get the point."

"I think the ceremonies with all the delays and trophies and stuff may have been a factor, but I thought once the midway point in the game came along we were a lot better," said Sami Salo, who was one of the best players on the ice for Vancouver, along with Keith Ballard, who scored a spectacular goal and played one of his best games in a Canuck jersey.

"We were happy with the way we played in our last exhibition game against Edmonton but then five days off and that may have affected our start," said Hamhuis, who happily said he felt very strong on the ice despite looking rusty. "But you take the schedule as it comes."



Read more: What was bad, not bad at all

lol, don't get me wrong, the Canucks will still be a giant force to reckoned with in the WC.....that said, I wonder if the Penguins were playing with a full deck.....seems like they may be missing an important piece or two.....

Roberto needs to get a tire pump stat!!! And wow, Gallagher sounds like a whiny little kid here who got his toy taken away. Although I'll admit, some of that would be more refreshing to read than the softballs the San Jose Mercury tosses up.

EDIT: Also, Stew, was AV there before Gillis? I seem to recall it that way. In general, does Gillis seem to be a fan of AV?

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Gallagher ever the hockey conspiracy theorist ... talked about these 2 super talented and skilled teams that are offensive juggernauts and therefore are more apt to go on the power play because their immense talent level is making teams take penalties against them

From TG: The bottom team in each conference, Carolina and Columbus, are the top 2 teams in powerplay time in the league.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

oh ... Hes talking about the double top secret phenomenon known on the down low as "game management" ... I can buy that (i lost my tin foil hat)

Gallagher's point being - league doing whatever it can to have parity. Hurricanes and Jackets are often down, so get pps to get back into it

 

[dash]

Garrett was whining today on HockeyCentral at noon about how the Sedins don't get calls like other elite players in the league (claims it's an issue of respect).

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Garrett was whining today on HockeyCentral at noon about how the Sedins don't get calls like other elite players in the league (claims it's an issue of respect).

Garrett is stuck in his era because i dont think any elite players get calls anymore

 

[Eddie_Shack]

Garrett is stuck in his era because i dont think any elite players get calls anymore

I don't know, depending on which drunken Bostonian you ask Lucic is considered in some circles to be an elite player...

 

[dash]

Uh oh, Tony is calling for AV's head...

Vigneault’s time with this team is surely drawing very near the end because management owes it to the group to give them another coach next year, so as to have a fresh approach before the Sedins get too old to even talk about getting something done five-on-five….

What’s going on now is so unlike the professionalism of last year’s team and you have to wonder what effect it’s having on Zack Kassian and Marc-Andre Gragnani, who came over from Buffalo in the Cody Hodgson deal. Joining a team that was leading the ridiculously tough Western Conference, they probably thought they were going into a room whereby everyone did their utmost every night to make sure the team not only had a chance to win but dominated many games. They probably thought they were coached by somebody whose every word was carefully considered and perhaps even acted upon.

Instead they’ve reached the Vancouver country club where even a sixth defenceman like Aaron Rome is so cocksure of his position in the club pecking order that he chooses to compete when he feels like it with no repercussions whatsoever, other than a little holiday so Gragnani can get into enough games so as to prevent the newcomer from gaining group six free agency.

 

[mattola]

Uh oh, Tony is calling for AV's head...

Vigneault’s time with this team is surely drawing very near the end because management owes it to the group to give them another coach next year, so as to have a fresh approach before the Sedins get too old to even talk about getting something done five-on-five….

What’s going on now is so unlike the professionalism of last year’s team and you have to wonder what effect it’s having on Zack Kassian and Marc-Andre Gragnani, who came over from Buffalo in the Cody Hodgson deal. Joining a team that was leading the ridiculously tough Western Conference, they probably thought they were going into a room whereby everyone did their utmost every night to make sure the team not only had a chance to win but dominated many games. They probably thought they were coached by somebody whose every word was carefully considered and perhaps even acted upon.

Instead they’ve reached the Vancouver country club where even a sixth defenceman like Aaron Rome is so cocksure of his position in the club pecking order that he chooses to compete when he feels like it with no repercussions whatsoever, other than a little holiday so Gragnani can get into enough games so as to prevent the newcomer from gaining group six free agency.

holy fuck tony really. trying to sell some papers are we.... bah

 

[dash]

NHL is killing skill in the league, back to pre-lockout hockey writes Gallagher...

NHL has let rough stuff trump skill since the Canucks-Bruins rematch in January

 

[SLY]

I would punch this dude in the face if I ever saw him in the street... No I wouldn't, I'd probably kill him. But I'd definitely give him a verbal beatdown.

What a sackless bitch.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

I would punch this dude in the face if I ever saw him in the street... No I wouldn't, I'd probably kill him. But I'd definitely give him a verbal beatdown.

What a sackless bitch.

what ... no backhand to the face?

 

[jstewismybastardson]

anyone denying that refereeing changed mid way through the season needs to start watching more hockey


/or you work for the nhl