I am Calling Out Koivu and Kovalev

barry33 · Guru

I am Calling Out Koivu and Kovalev

Key Lime · Guru

barry33 wrote:

First if all, please do not take this as Koivu bashing. We have had enough of that. This is simply what I would say if I were Bob Gainey before the game tonite. These two guys need to be called out. Ok. We can talk all we want about Ribieor not being any good, about Zednick being fat and lazy, about Bulis being ineffective and about goaltending..yadda, yadda and YADDA. The bottom line is this. Our 2 highest paid players darn well better start playing like our 2 highest paid players!!!!!!! I have listened all season to the rhetoric about what a great leader Koivu is. I believe he has been called "the ultimate leader" and "the heart and soul of this team". Well Saks, pretend I am your coach and consider this your "calling out". I am officially calling you out in public. I just gave you a no trade 3 year contract because you and your agent convinced me that I cannot live without you. You convinced me that you were indispensible. And then you proceeded to disappear. You used to be one of our best plus/minus guys and you are now a minus one. Even Plekanecs is a plus 3! You have not scored a goal in 14 games and for 5 mill of my cap money I expect more than that. And to top it all off, you have been taking selfish and lazy penalties and key times of the game and it is costing us. Saku, if you are the "ultimate leader" many claim you are, now is the time to step up. True leaders rise to the top during crunch time and you have gone the other way. You need to start setting an example. Period. As for you Alexie, I am sick and tired of your "play when the mood strikes me" attitude. Earlier this year you whined and complained that the coach's system was inhibiting you and that players like Markov were being handcuffed. So I canned the coach and here we are. Strangely I do not feel you are doing any better now. You are the same old selfish and lazy player you have been known for your whole career. Some defend you by saying "ya well look ho whe plays in the playoffs". Guess what Alex baby...we are teetering on the edge of playoff elimination now. If things continue like this, the only playoff action you will be seeing is from your living room buddy. I have basically catered to you. You whined because Perezhogan was being sent down to Hamilton so not only did I call him back up, I put him on your line. You whined that Zednick was not pulling his weight so I took him off your line. Anything else I can do for you Alex? Personal masseuse while you are on the bench perhaps? A sign that says Alex the Great in the dressing room perchance? Pfft. You are sofff Alex..me I never see a player so sofff...pfft. You are getting paid alot of money to float around the ice Alex. I suggest before you point fingers at everyone from the trainers to the guys who sharpen your skates, you take a long hard look in the mirror.

Barry I just think that even if Alex takes that long look in the mirror, he will love what he sees. You know what I mean? ...have you ever met people like that.

wright · Veteran Member

barry33 wrote:

First if all, please do not take this as Koivu bashing. We have had enough of that. This is simply what I would say if I were Bob Gainey before the game tonite. These two guys need to be called out. Ok. We can talk all we want about Ribieor not being any good, about Zednick being fat and lazy, about Bulis being ineffective and about goaltending..yadda, yadda and YADDA. The bottom line is this. Our 2 highest paid players darn well better start playing like our 2 highest paid players!!!!!!! I have listened all season to the rhetoric about what a great leader Koivu is. I believe he has been called "the ultimate leader" and "the heart and soul of this team". Well Saks, pretend I am your coach and consider this your "calling out". I am officially calling you out in public. I just gave you a no trade 3 year contract because you and your agent convinced me that I cannot live without you. You convinced me that you were indispensible. And then you proceeded to disappear. You used to be one of our best plus/minus guys and you are now a minus one. Even Plekanecs is a plus 3! You have not scored a goal in 14 games and for 5 mill of my cap money I expect more than that. And to top it all off, you have been taking selfish and lazy penalties and key times of the game and it is costing us. Saku, if you are the "ultimate leader" many claim you are, now is the time to step up. True leaders rise to the top during crunch time and you have gone the other way. You need to start setting an example. Period. As for you Alexie, I am sick and tired of your "play when the mood strikes me" attitude. Earlier this year you whined and complained that the coach's system was inhibiting you and that players like Markov were being handcuffed. So I canned the coach and here we are. Strangely I do not feel you are doing any better now. You are the same old selfish and lazy player you have been known for your whole career. Some defend you by saying "ya well look ho whe plays in the playoffs". Guess what Alex baby...we are teetering on the edge of playoff elimination now. If things continue like this, the only playoff action you will be seeing is from your living room buddy. I have basically catered to you. You whined because Perezhogan was being sent down to Hamilton so not only did I call him back up, I put him on your line. You whined that Zednick was not pulling his weight so I took him off your line. Anything else I can do for you Alex? Personal masseuse while you are on the bench perhaps? A sign that says Alex the Great in the dressing room perchance? Pfft. You are sofff Alex..me I never see a player so sofff...pfft. You are getting paid alot of money to float around the ice Alex. I suggest before you point fingers at everyone from the trainers to the guys who sharpen your skates, you take a long hard look in the mirror.

You said it all, Barry.

davidb · Guru

Very good post Barry u said it all

Nil d · Guru

Great rant, Barry! And your points are all well-taken. Any chance that Bob Gainey will actually say those things to those guys?

(By the way, my evil twin Grammarman wanted me to congratulate you on mis-spelling the name of almost every player you mentioned in that post! It's Alexei, not Alexie, Zednik, not Zednick, Plekanec, not Plekanecs, Ribeiro, not Ribieor (you likely meant to say Ribiero). Bulis and Koivu thank you. Sorry, big guy, I couldn't resist! ).

barry33 · Guru

Nil d wrote:

Great rant, Barry! And your points are all well-taken. Any chance that Bob Gainey will actually say those things to those guys? (By the way, my evil twin Grammarman wanted me to congratulate you on mis-spelling the name of almost every player you mentioned in that post! It's Alexei, not Alexie, Zednik, not Zednick, Plekanec, not Plekanecs, Ribeiro, not Ribieor (you likely meant to say Ribiero). Bulis and Koivu thank you. Sorry, big guy, I couldn't resist! ).

Tis no problem Nilsey..during a good rant, one cannot worry about spelling

As for whether Gainey will do that or not, I don't know. All I know is that I had to do something similar to two guys on my Bantam team last week and we have turned it around. It is tough to do, because you look at what Koivu has given the franchise in the past, but this is pro sport and that was then and this is now. Get 'er done Saks. Get 'er done!

-- Edited by barry33 at 12:06, 2006-03-20

Nil d · Guru

barry33 wrote:

Nil d wrote: Great rant, Barry! And your points are all well-taken. Any chance that Bob Gainey will actually say those things to those guys? (By the way, my evil twin Grammarman wanted me to congratulate you on mis-spelling the name of almost every player you mentioned in that post! It's Alexei, not Alexie, Zednik, not Zednick, Plekanec, not Plekanecs, Ribeiro, not Ribieor (you likely meant to say Ribiero). Bulis and Koivu thank you. Sorry, big guy, I couldn't resist! ). Tis no problem Nilsey..during a good rant, one cannot worry about spelling :smile: As for whether Gainey will do that or not, I don't know. All I know is that I had to do something similar to two guys on my Bantam team last week and we have turned it around. It is tough to do, because you look at what Koivu has given the franchise in the past, but this is pro sport and that was then and this is now. Get 'er done Saks. Get 'er done!-- Edited by barry33 at 12:06, 2006-03-20

Hey, Barry, spelling is about the only thing I can do better than you. You are THE guru of this board!

What was Claude's take on Saku & Kovalev, if you're allowed to say?

barry33 · Guru

Nil d wrote:

barry33 wrote: Nil d wrote: Great rant, Barry! And your points are all well-taken. Any chance that Bob Gainey will actually say those things to those guys? (By the way, my evil twin Grammarman wanted me to congratulate you on mis-spelling the name of almost every player you mentioned in that post! It's Alexei, not Alexie, Zednik, not Zednick, Plekanec, not Plekanecs, Ribeiro, not Ribieor (you likely meant to say Ribiero). Bulis and Koivu thank you. Sorry, big guy, I couldn't resist! ). Tis no problem Nilsey..during a good rant, one cannot worry about spelling As for whether Gainey will do that or not, I don't know. All I know is that I had to do something similar to two guys on my Bantam team last week and we have turned it around. It is tough to do, because you look at what Koivu has given the franchise in the past, but this is pro sport and that was then and this is now. Get 'er done Saks. Get 'er done!-- Edited by barry33 at 12:06, 2006-03-20 Hey, Barry, spelling is about the only thing I can do better than you. You are THE guru of this board! What was Claude's take on Saku & Kovalev, if you're allowed to say?

Actually he agrees with me 100%. He is very much a Koivu fan and still believes in Kovalev, but he is a coach and he KNOWS your best have to be YOUR best this time of year. He would put Koivu back with Zednick and Kovalev, as would I.

Desi · Senior Member

Absolutely on target with this post, Mr. 33. The Brothers K (along with Huet) are the key to this team making the playoffs. If they don't step up, the team might as well step down.

Play smarter Koivu! Move your damn feet Kovalev! Time to earn those fat salaries of yours!

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