Ando wrote:

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...why does he NEVER share the blame???

Because he's one of the few guys out there who puts out every night.

Since he is pretty much the concensus face of Habdom (around here anyway), where was he during today's press conference? 

I'm sure, told not to speak.

Why did he not stand-up and account for the players perspective on the firing of yet another coach??? 

Who's to say he didn't/doesn't do this in the dressing room?  I bet he did/does.

Why does Saku get a free-pass from the media in Montreal??? 

See first answer, above.

Why doesn't he ever get asked where his name is amongst the league leaders in goals, assists and points? 

Hard to do when he's injured all the time.  Plus there was that "C" thing.  Yes, being injured is a problem, but do you think he does it on purpose?

 Is he FINALLY going to take charge of things now...or wait for Gainey to bring in another centre to take the pressure off his line?

That's Gainey's call, not his.

10 years of this guy as Captain is enough!  How many more excuses...and how much time are we gonna give this guy to just play and win? ...oh yeah, he's due for another injury soon too - lucky us!!!

And-o would be rolling around in glee over this one, Nil d thinks.

(And-o would give ANYTHING for a Captain like Mark Messier! 

They can't ALL be Jean Beliveaus (or Steve Yzermans (Yzermen?), apparently

Here is hoping that Saku just plays out his contract and leaves...it really has been one crisis after another with him as Captain!!!)

Here's hoping And-o will finally get off his case!

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First, Saku Koivu isn't qualified to carry Messier's skates!  Second, Saku is a selfish idiot for even considering the Olympics this season...and I'd support Bob putting an end to it now in public!!!

...this little Prince has burned enough coaches. 

Bob Gainey should avoid Saku's agent - afterall, it's not like there will be a bidding war for him!

When the time is right...Saku can be signed for perhaps $2 - $2.5 million per season as a 2nd liner (where he would be playing on a contending team)!!!

barry33 wrote:

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Ando wrote: ...why does he NEVER share the blame??? Since he is pretty much the concensus face of Habdom (around here anyway), where was he during today's press conference?  Why did he not stand-up and account for the players perspective on the firing of yet another coach???  Why does Saku get a free-pass from the media in Montreal???  Why doesn't he ever get asked where his name is amongst the league leaders in goals, assists and points?  Is he FINALLY going to take charge of things now...or wait for Gainey to bring in another centre to take the pressure off his line? 10 years of this guy as Captain is enough!  How many more excuses...and how much time are we gonna give this guy to just play and win? ...oh yeah, he's due for another injury soon too - lucky us!!! (And-o would give ANYTHING for a Captain like Mark Messier!  Here is hoping that Saku just plays out his contract and leaves...it really has been one crisis after another with him as Captain!!!) Sorry but I need to side witH And-O on this one. Tell me where our "Ultimate leader" has been in the dressing room this year. His words in tsn today are "Oh well when the team is underperforminng it is usually the boss who has to go. It's too bad but that;s the way it is". Way to take some responsibility Saks!! Way to step up and take charge and be a leader. A good captain would have said "We all need to take a look in the mirror because ultimately it is OUR responsibility to perform regardless of who is coaching". Once again, liek Theo, we have a lack of accountability and a habit of pointing the finger at everyone else. 

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Careful about the blinders Barry. I know you are a man who understands hockey. As such, I know that you would see the effort that Koivu gives night in and night out. Anyone who watches the game from an acedemic and passionate perspective could see that. The best leaders lead by example...

Also, I figure one day Csosby will be an ultimate leader and even he recognized that if the coach is the boss, and the team is not performing, then the boss must go...come on Barry, pour some saline in those eyes.

If you work for a company and have a great boss, but a bunch of his/her workers are tools, then it is up to the boss to straighten it out. Cj was unable to. I am not suggesting the players should not look in the mirror, but the boss gets chopped in all levels of industry for underperforming staff. That was all Koivu was saying.

I know you are a friend of CJ. I actually think he is a great coach, but with nothing to trade due to such "yahoo's" on the team, firing the coach was the only safe "big" move for the time being.

barry33 wrote:

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 By the way, my "boss" is really not motivating me lately. I intend to go to the office and put my feet up Monday. Wish me well on the unemployment lines lol. Where else, besides pro sports, do the "employees" dicatate who they will and will not work for?

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And-O and Davidb Stop whining about those Olympics already, that has nothing to do with this. You don´t know nothing about Finnish players responsibility for Finnish hockey fans. Finland is little country we only have few "world class" players and if they don´t come and play at these kind of tournaments if they are healthy, next time when those players come home fans will pelt with stones those traitors.

Mark Messier can´t be every teams captain. If there are better ones than Koivu why they don´t change captains. I say why, there isn´t better ones in the team or all others are afraid to take that ungrateful job. Because if i remember right Habs traded at least 2 captains (Keane and Damphousse) before him maybe even 4.

And-O this is for you. i hope too that Koivu leaves Habs after this season. This team has so ungrateful fans like you who are whining about his size and everything he do or not do game after game. Habs isn´t getting any better if Koivu leaves and for that reason i hope that he leaves. Maybe then you understand tha Habs need much more than that, and maybe then you start whining about those dazzling Canadian players what we so much.

You are right about one thing. Koivu would be 2nd liner if he played on a contender team, but that isn´t his fault. That is BG job to find and get that bonafide 1st line center to Habs.

And-O this is for you. i hope too that Koivu leaves Habs after this season. This team has so ungrateful fans like you who are whining about his size and everything he do or not do game after game. Habs isn´t getting any better if Koivu leaves and for that reason i hope that he leaves.

Almost as thankful as the habs fans were for CJ's contributions? It is very clear that hockey is a "what have you done for me lately" business.

brooklynhabfan wrote:

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You'd have to be drunker than a batchelor party on The Åland islands to expect a player who is responsible for a multi-million dollar contract should have no divided loyalties in this situation. And for what? Another fifth place finish? I guess that makes having concerns that one of our top guys might get injured in an "amateur" tournament unreasonable...

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Maybe it is Finland`s history that makes us realize what patriotism means a little differently that you folks there. No one is willing to answer that should it be good to deny every NHL-player`s Olympics, not only europeans. Would it be a little too easy to Canada if they are the only DREAM TEAM there?!

I get that feeling that most of you here hates Saku more than Islamic nations hate Bush and blames him for the problems that Habs have, so in my point of view it would only help and would be huge relief to Habs if Saku gets injured during the Olympics. Looks like that BG isn´t ready to trade him so at least he would stay away from locker room and road trips and wouldn´t cause more problems, then there wouldn´t be any problems at the locker room and other players could start playing and Habs start to win again. Everyone here would be happy, am i right?

brooklynhabfan wrote:

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 Here's an Idea, take your bizarre comparisons and start walking north, go see Santa and ask him for the other half of your logic back... Also, try reading the hundred or so posts that advocate all NHL stars staying home from the Olympics, not just the two from Finland, before making blanket statements... As far as your superior patriotism, for what? Finland's never really been independent (yes, I know about 1917) , and spent most of the 20th century doing Russia's dirty work in exchange for not being invaded. It's where the term Finlandization came from. (Oddly enough Canada's been accused of Finlandization in the past) Yes, I'm sure you have much more to proud of than Canadians, and your ability to develop such a magnitude of national pride in such a short time is truly a feat to behold! So keep posting, the entertainment value is tremendous! It's too bad you live in the city, because I know a village that's looking for an ... never mind -- Edited by brooklynhabfan at 10:37, 2006-01-15

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Can you really compare the situation in team Finland and team Canada if 3 best players in both teams would be told not to play in Olympics? Canada has let say about hundred World class player, Finland about twenty. It seems like rest of the world never gets respect from Northern America, not hard to read your attitude, for example. And what I ment about patriotism is related to years 1939-1944, when we really fought our independence with Soviet Union and kept it, a little dosage of history That is what REALLY happened, when you look it somewhere else than 60 years later and other side of the world. What Finlandization means there is as much true that what world sees as Canadas role at late sixties or how the rest of the world sees USA today I`m glad you are amused, the situation in team Finland is not that cheerful.

I don't know what all the fuss is about surrounding Koivu?  You know he is only going to net you ~20 gino's a year and maybe 60-70 points.  He plays very hard for a little guy, has good hands and vision, goes into the corners and hits guys 12" bigger than him.  He can kill penalties and he's a decent weapon on the powerplay. He's never going to get you 100+ points in a season, but he's always a + player.  He plays with emotion and you can see it on his face, as you could when Higgy scored that beauty last night.

So tell me who else would you have wearing the C on that team right now?  Thats what I though.

24 Rings wrote:

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I don't know what all the fuss is about surrounding Koivu?  You know he is only going to net you ~20 gino's a year and maybe 60-70 points.  He plays very hard for a little guy, has good hands and vision, goes into the corners and hits guys 12" bigger than him.  He can kill penalties and he's a decent weapon on the powerplay. He's never going to get you 100+ points in a season, but he's always a + player.  He plays with emotion and you can see it on his face, as you could when Higgy scored that beauty last night. So tell me who else would you have wearing the C on that team right now?  Thats what I though.

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24 Rings you are correct.  Posters please, this board has denigrated to name calling, insults, etc. and for what.  Who cares at this point in time what country fought for whom and who didn't enter what war!!!  We are talking about one of our Habs here, a very good player who gives his all game in and game out.  I am sure he doesn't purposely go out and get injured.  Its too bad the Habs didn't have more players with Koivu's heart-we would be sitting comfortably in a playoff spot right now and CJ would still be coach.  As for not standing up and criticizing the team, there are many captains who are not able to do this and they chose to set examples by their work ethic.  I feel this is the way Koivu operates.

We have seen it for years and we may as well get used to it, coaches are usually fired when teams performs poorly and the players know this.  In our case, these players now have to deal with the GM and must perform or risk being traded/sent down to Hamilton.  Most of us feel sorry that Julien was fired but we have to accept this and continue supporting our beloved team.  We have all had the opportunity to vent our frustrations over the happenings this past couple of days and it is now time to move on.  Thanks CJ for being part of our great hockey team-you were too much of a gentleman to be the drill-sargeant this team needed. We all know you will be gainfully employed before too long.

murphy wrote:

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  As for not standing up and criticizing the team, there are many captains who are not able to do this and they chose to set examples by their work ethic.  I feel this is the way Koivu operates.

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