Leafys Not So Weekly
This…three days, I’m going to talk about why it is impossible to dislike Jarome Iginla, how the Coyotes and Blue Jackets may surge, why Canadian players are getting back into the scoring race and more.
I’ll start with Iginla, you’d have to be the biggest Oiler fan in the world, and the President of the Klan not to like this guy. Quite possibley the classiest guy in sports, have you ever seen him (Joe Sakic’s like this too) NOT smiling in an interview? I’ve never met someone who doesn’t like him, and for black kids to see him, you know it’s probably easier for them to dream of being like Jarome Iginla, understandably because he’s black, and that is great for the game, to see him play so well, and help spread the game, being a black role model, and a great guy, and you know, he’s back, in 8th in scoring this year, and he’s played at least 2 fewer games then everyone ahead of him, other then Cindy Crosby. He’s fourth behind Crosby, Havlat, and Jagr in points per game, and you know, at the beginning of the year, people were calling the Flames a disaster, telling them to dump Iginla, Tanguay, Phaneuf, Regehr, Kiprusoff, good on Darryl Sutter for not panicking.
Every year the year starts with guys like Hossa leading the league in scoring, and it ends with Canucks or sometimes Yankees leading the way, why? Well, it’s pretty obvious. In the European leagues, they play 40 games a year, in the Canadian junior leagues, they play more games. North Americans are generally better conditioned to longer seasons, because of how much they play. After the first 10-20 games, the Europeans were all leading the league in scoring, no Canucks in the top ten, now half the top ten is Canadian, and the number’s growing. That’s why Sundin, Selanne, Jagr, Forsberg, the veteran Europeans, more accustomed to playing the North American game, are the Europeans who end up with higher point totals. The Canadians in the top ten now include Crosby, Iginla, St Louis, Lecavalier, and Spezza, with Heatley, Thornton, Shanahan, Sakic and Briere trying to squeeze in there, and Brind’Amour only not there due to an injury.
The Coyotes and Blue Jackets, while still bottom feeders are slowly improving, why?
Columbus has found a great coach in Ken Hitch*****, and Nash, Carter, and Fedorov have all imrpoved since Hitch*****’s arrival. Columbus could concievabley fight for a playoff spot with Hitch in charge.
Then Phoenix. Nolan is playing alot better, and has been improving all year, get him on a roll, and it’ll be great for the teams momentum, and even Roenick might start scoring more. Great for morale too. When did the Leafs start playing well again? When Sundin started getting back into things. Sometimes one player getting his ass in gear can turn a team around, and it’s looking like it for Phoenix.
Am I the only one who thinks in a couple years Jordan Staal could be better or as good as Crosby and Malkin? I’m not saying for sure or anything, but Don Cherry’s made some good points about it, and everyone said Don was crazy for saying Thornton would be better then Samsonov, and look how that turned out.
Now, I’ve repeatedly said 5th-7th for the Sens, and you know, with them playing this averagely, I’m starting to believe it more and more.
Support our Troops.
-Bill.