I told you so...
Posted 11:30 PM ET | Comments 3
Well, what do you know? If it isn't Steve Downie being assessed another suspension. Yesterday, Downie used his hot-headed antics to the fullest once again, and it wasn't even at the professional level. In an AHL game between between the Norfolk Admirals, the Tampa Lightning's minor league team, and the Worcester Sharks, San Jose's affiliate, Steve Downie completely blindsided veteran Kyle McLaren face first into the boards near the benches. After the game, McLaren replied to Worcester Telegram and Gazette, "I'm here to play hockey. There's no reason to hit from behind like that, and play dirty. You can play hard, and you can play smart. That's not playing smart or hard. I have no respect for that at all."
For his bonehead play, Downie was slapped with a 3 game suspension by the league.
Now for those of you who do not know, I am an avid HFBoards viewer and poster. I frequently visit the Flyers board as I am a hardcore fan. On November 7, the Flyers traded Downie and Steve Eminger and a 4th round pick for Matt Carle and a 3rd round pick in a desperate effort to revamp the Flyers struggles early on in the season. Many posters on the Flyers board of HF were highly doubting the move, saying things like, "Wow. That's a horrible move. Carle has looked terrible." (Jonathan.) And, "That's a stupid deal for the Flyers. They got hosed." (Devilsfanatic) And you can't forget,"HORRIBLE move, Carle isn't living up to his contract and Downie is gonna come back to bite us in the ass. We ****ed around with him wayyy to much. The only reason for the stunt in his development is our terrible coaching staff and Homer's refusal to fix it." (hotshot26)
Meanwhile, I am the only one of a few Flyers fans on the boards that thought this was probably one of the best trades Homer ever made since he got here. Granted, the Coburn trade was a complete steal, but this was and will turn out to be something great that Homer can put on his lists, of best trades ever made as a GM.
I knew from the first time I read the article when it was leaked onto the internet, that Carle would do more than overachieve when he arrived in Philly. In the 06-07 season, Carle had 42 points in 77 games for the Sharks. His past two years were flukes only scoring a combined total of 18 points in 80 games. Definitely not the Matt Carle I am used to seeing.
However, having said that, the reason I was so excited that we got him was not because he once did score 42 points, and not that he is on a little bit of a cold streak and will soon get back to full vigor, but because the Flyers were knee deep in "you-know-what" when it came to the defensive aspects of the game.
There was talk on the boards of Eklund breaking the story that Brendan Shanahan might be one of the players that Holmgren was trying to make room for by freeing up cap space via trades. As most were on the bandwagon, I abruptly tried to persuade them otherwise.
The Flyers problems this year were not anywhere close to the offensive aspects of the game, but the defensive. Now Biron probably got a lot of hatred that he didn't deserve from me, as I always tore into him when we would lose a game. But I realized, that defense was the problem that Biron and the Flyers as a team were facing. Easy goals were being let in because there was not a definitive defensive defenseman on every pairing.
So the second Carle was signed, I knew Holmgren made a move in the right direction and I needed to put my two cents in to show people that Homer didn't lose any credibility whatsoever with a trade like that. Eminger was underachieving and Downie has no place on the Flyers or in the NHL for that matter.
Now I have to rip into Downie for a second. I didn't like him when we drafted him, when he came here, when he played here, and when he left. I have never respected players who go out to play and try to hit someone on every shift, or cheapshot them when they aren't paying attention. I do know that is what some players do, like Brashear, Laraque, Cote, etc., but they don't have a choice. They do not possess nearly the amount of skill that Downie has. That has been Downie's style of play since he was in juniors. He racked up a total of 506 penalty minutes in 3 season in the OHL. He was somewhat helpful in capturing the two golds for Canada in the World Junior Championships in 06 and 07. And this is not to say that the hit he laid on McAmmond was not a beauty. It may have been cheap and dirty, but DAMN was it nice.
But I digress. Steve Downie has no business playing in the NHL. With the amount of talent he has, and the way that he plays, it simply just goes to waste and that is really a shame. And damned if it didn't happen again, Downie gets another suspension for another cheapshot.
And everyday, this trade for Matt Carle seems to get better and better and better with every game, with every shift, and with every play. Matt Carle adds a defensive aspect to the game that the Flyers did not have previously. He gives it his all every shift, blocks shots, sets up plays, throws a few hits. And all I have to say to that is...
I told you so.
For his bonehead play, Downie was slapped with a 3 game suspension by the league.
Now for those of you who do not know, I am an avid HFBoards viewer and poster. I frequently visit the Flyers board as I am a hardcore fan. On November 7, the Flyers traded Downie and Steve Eminger and a 4th round pick for Matt Carle and a 3rd round pick in a desperate effort to revamp the Flyers struggles early on in the season. Many posters on the Flyers board of HF were highly doubting the move, saying things like, "Wow. That's a horrible move. Carle has looked terrible." (Jonathan.) And, "That's a stupid deal for the Flyers. They got hosed." (Devilsfanatic) And you can't forget,"HORRIBLE move, Carle isn't living up to his contract and Downie is gonna come back to bite us in the ass. We ****ed around with him wayyy to much. The only reason for the stunt in his development is our terrible coaching staff and Homer's refusal to fix it." (hotshot26)
Meanwhile, I am the only one of a few Flyers fans on the boards that thought this was probably one of the best trades Homer ever made since he got here. Granted, the Coburn trade was a complete steal, but this was and will turn out to be something great that Homer can put on his lists, of best trades ever made as a GM.
I knew from the first time I read the article when it was leaked onto the internet, that Carle would do more than overachieve when he arrived in Philly. In the 06-07 season, Carle had 42 points in 77 games for the Sharks. His past two years were flukes only scoring a combined total of 18 points in 80 games. Definitely not the Matt Carle I am used to seeing.
However, having said that, the reason I was so excited that we got him was not because he once did score 42 points, and not that he is on a little bit of a cold streak and will soon get back to full vigor, but because the Flyers were knee deep in "you-know-what" when it came to the defensive aspects of the game.
There was talk on the boards of Eklund breaking the story that Brendan Shanahan might be one of the players that Holmgren was trying to make room for by freeing up cap space via trades. As most were on the bandwagon, I abruptly tried to persuade them otherwise.
The Flyers problems this year were not anywhere close to the offensive aspects of the game, but the defensive. Now Biron probably got a lot of hatred that he didn't deserve from me, as I always tore into him when we would lose a game. But I realized, that defense was the problem that Biron and the Flyers as a team were facing. Easy goals were being let in because there was not a definitive defensive defenseman on every pairing.
So the second Carle was signed, I knew Holmgren made a move in the right direction and I needed to put my two cents in to show people that Homer didn't lose any credibility whatsoever with a trade like that. Eminger was underachieving and Downie has no place on the Flyers or in the NHL for that matter.
Now I have to rip into Downie for a second. I didn't like him when we drafted him, when he came here, when he played here, and when he left. I have never respected players who go out to play and try to hit someone on every shift, or cheapshot them when they aren't paying attention. I do know that is what some players do, like Brashear, Laraque, Cote, etc., but they don't have a choice. They do not possess nearly the amount of skill that Downie has. That has been Downie's style of play since he was in juniors. He racked up a total of 506 penalty minutes in 3 season in the OHL. He was somewhat helpful in capturing the two golds for Canada in the World Junior Championships in 06 and 07. And this is not to say that the hit he laid on McAmmond was not a beauty. It may have been cheap and dirty, but DAMN was it nice.
But I digress. Steve Downie has no business playing in the NHL. With the amount of talent he has, and the way that he plays, it simply just goes to waste and that is really a shame. And damned if it didn't happen again, Downie gets another suspension for another cheapshot.
And everyday, this trade for Matt Carle seems to get better and better and better with every game, with every shift, and with every play. Matt Carle adds a defensive aspect to the game that the Flyers did not have previously. He gives it his all every shift, blocks shots, sets up plays, throws a few hits. And all I have to say to that is...
I told you so.
Yeah. And many posters were saying, "Finally. Good riddance to bad rubbish." But then, mentioning that wouldn't make you seem like nearly the maverick you're dying to be.And none of the three screen names you quote are regulars on the main Flyers bloggers boards.
Did you, at 14 or 15 years old, have access to OHL games? "I have never respected players who go out to play and try to hit someone on every shift" Really??? Hitting is part of hockey, not every part, but very important. An "I told you so" article is pretty weak, stop making Flyers fans appear to be like you, I feel like i lost 5 minutes of my life and will never get it back
I think you misunderstood. I love hitting in hockey just as much as the next hockey fan, dont get me wrong. It is just that Downie has a great amount of skill and fails to capitalize when he gets the puck or tries to take it away because he is always going for the big hit instead of the big play. And I just fail to respect the players who do not utilize their talent the way that they should. I can understand Brashear or Laraque or Cote. Downie could possibly be compared to Dustin Brown. Definitely not the same skill set, but the same type of style. Brown is obviously better but Downie has hands like Brown and a little bit weaker physical presence, but a big one nonetheless. But Brown not only lays the big hits, he also sets up plays and scores which Donwie can't seem to figure out how to do. It may have worked in the OHL, but this is the professional level, not the minors.