Vegas
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Posts posted by Vegas
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Is anybody bothering to get FSSN on satellite tonight? I currently get a Level of 55% and a quality of 0.
The test of 11776 Mhz
H Polarity
29000 symbol
is coming in at 82% level and a quality of 74%
Ok I got it. level 82% level 90% quality. I just want to thank you guys for introducing me to a real cool technology.
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Your neighbors will need to have the T180 Dish package to get ESPNU for Friday night's game.
Is anybody bothering to get FSSN on satellite tonight? I currently get a Level of 55% and a quality of 0.
The test of 11776 Mhz
H Polarity
29000 symbol
is coming in at 82% level and a quality of 74%
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Two Goals for Toews in last nights 8-1 exhibition win over Russia. Without the contact and the clutch and grab of the WCHA Toews seems to be able to go to the net at will against the Europeans. Clearly he is a already one of the fan favorites.
Toews is playing his natural position which is at center. That is the main reason why he is getting more opportunities and points.
Toews has great vision from the backside. He sets guys up when he is able to be the player who is the trailer as opposed to the guy who has to forecheck and get first man pressure on the D man.
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Colin was born in the States. His dad is Carey Wilson who played in the NHL for a number of years. Colin grew up in Winnipeg.
Futher to this. I heard through the grapevine that Colin Wilson has been getting some feelers from some Colleges and oddly enough it was shortly after this initial post. Hopefully some of those feelers are coming from UND since it would be a great fit for both Colin and UND.
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If Hak gets in a bind on D here is another Winnipeger he could possibly turn too. I know this family well as my son used to play with Wade. Father is in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. In fact Wade reminds me of a young Hak.
http://www.wsblues.mb.ca/profiles/Poplawski.html
Poplawski is a smart, skilled 1986 born D-man who has great character. His dad was the best athlete I ever played against in any sport. If you met the Joe (his dad) you would never know he was a Hall of Famer. He has too much class to brag about it.
Another kid that should be considered from the Blues from a character perspective is Dan Bohemier. Can score when he has too, but is more important for his leadership skills.
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Wow, I think you guys really need to watch Toews. I think he's playing very good even if it isn't showing up on the scoresheet. He has great vision and FANTASTIC anticipation and is usually very good with the puck. The best thing about him, though, is his play without the puck, especially for someone that will be 17 all season long. I thought he was maybe the best player on the ice on Friday and while he wasn't as good last night, he was still no slouch. There are a lot of players whose weekend I'd ctriticize before Toews, and I'm sure the coaches have done a good job letting them know who they are.
Potulny and Irmen play so well at the Ralph, I bet they wish they'd opted to play half their games there.
True, the Sioux are in danger of not making the tournament, especially when you stop to consider that it is unlikely that more than four will make the field from the WCHA. Given their home record, if they to make it, can they opt to play the first round on the road?
This was the best I've seen UMN play all year. The Sioux were not far behind. They get it together, they'll be really tough to beat. If they don't, hey, they're playing nine freshmen every game, two of which should still be in high school. Let's not be guilty of unrealistic expectations. Last year I was PO'ed because they should have been doing much better with such an experienced team.
This is one of the better posts regarding Toews. Toews is one of UND's better players on and off the puck even though he is young and is probably weaker strengthwise than almost all the guys he is playing against. His best asset appears to be his ability to shield the puck and not expose it to the D-man. Some other guys seem to invite the opportunity to expose the puck so they can dangle the puck through the guys legs. It all looks very spectacular when it works. Unfortunately they usually fail in half their attempts which means they lose the puck half the time. This is simply not acceptable at the next level and that is where Toews is going.
If someone doesn't think that 4 or 5 years, i.e., the age difference between a 17 year old and a 22 year, doesn't make a difference than I suggest they talk to any reputable strength coach. There is a big difference between a 17 year old 185 lb athlete and a 22 year old 185 lb athlete when it comes to strength and conditioning. Jon will get stronger next year and he will show his true skill and ability. He will also likely get to play his natural position which is at center. I'm guessing that Hak doesn't have him at center this year because of the strength issue.
I watched the game on Friday and I didn't notice Kessel until the PP where he scored. I noticed Toews on almost every shift in the first half of the game because of his ability to hold on to the puck. I also noticed him on the PP. If he had scored on his two posts we would probably be talking about what a great weekend Toews had over Kessel.
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He is only 16 but has amazing Stats that are on a par with what Crosby did his first year in the Quebec Major Juniors. Given that Canada's team will be so young anyway and that it could be considered an opportunity for experience I will not be surprised if both he and Toews make the team. Additionally, given coach Sutter's style and expectations I agree with TSN's assessment that Toews has the best chance of all.
Esposito is another great Canadian talent but Toews is still a more complete player at this point in time and may stay that way. Esposito and Toews played together at Shattuck last year and Toews showed that he was the best player on that team that also included Kyle Okposo.
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We beat out BU for Finley and now BU returns the favor on Gryba.
I saw Gryba play last year. He was a big kid with above average hands and hockey sense. He ran the powerplay very effectively for the Saskatoon Contacts.
My only question mark was his skating which I would describe as below average to well below average. As a result, he may or may not become a dominant defencemen in college hockey. You can't really tell until he gets into a practice or game with guys that can really skate to determine if he can or cannot keep up.
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Do you think that fairly represents an individual player when there are 6 guys on the ice for each goal? I just have to wonder.
My experience is that it is a pretty good indicator stat. Yes, there are times when it is totally unfair because someone has just stepped out on to the ice when a goal is scored and had nothing to do with the play leading up to the goal or the goalie has simply let in a weak goal. Over a longer period, however, it does tend to give you some hints about a player, particularly if his +/- is out of step with the rest of his team.
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That is largely true, but some people consider +/- to be a very over-rated stat. It still reflects team play, not strictly individual contributions. A players +/- will be influenced by the quality of your linemates, the situations you play in (if you are asked to play against the other team's top scoring line consistently, you'll probably be a minus player), and sometimes dumb luck.
The +/- stat is actually pretty telling. If you have a lot of points but a realtively low +, then that tells me that you are a one dimensional player, i.e., the ice is sloped towards the other team's end. If you have a lot of points and have a high + then that suggests that you are a complete hockey player and probably a leader on the team. There are times when the statistic can be misleading but over the course of a season it usually gives you a pretty good idea of what is going on with certain players.
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I'm not watching the feed but I've seen this goal before from Toews. Get used to it folks!
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I erased my post when I read yours. That was exactly what I was going to say.
Oshie and Toews play a different style of hockey. Oshie is more high energy, gritty, just score mentality (whether by goals or by setting it up) similar to Bochenski.
Toews is more of a finesse player. A guy with Stafford's skates and Zajac's stick. He has great size for his ability. His potential is simply staggering. Plus he's smart. Intelligence is something rare in sports. Toews will bring a new aspect to this team.
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I 'm going to repeat myself but here goes. Toews was born in 1988. Kessel was born in 1987. T.J. Oshie was born in 1986. To compare Toews to these guys and say they are better is unfair at this stage. Waite another year after he has had some time to gain some additional strength and then ask yourself, where he sits. I suggest he will be ahead of both TJ and Kessel by then. TJ for sure. The reason I suspect people don't recognize how young Toews is, is because he is as tall or taller than a good chunk of his current teammates.
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Don't get me wrong, I think Toews will be a great player. But I remember when I saw Zach Parise play in person for the first time I was more impressed than I was when I saw Toews play in person for the first time. Remember that Zach got a hat trick in his first game, scored 4 points against Michigan in his second game, and had 13 points in his first 4 games. By comparison, Toews has 4 points in his first 4 games.
Toews is a year younger, so the potential is there, but I don't think he's going to approach the 61 points in his freshmen campaign like Zach did. Maybe next year he will.
I think Brian Lee is a much greater risk for being a one year Sioux player than Toews.
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That is why it is so difficult to compare Toews to anybody else. You have to imagine Toews at his current level playing at Shattuck this year and ask yourself, how would he do? I would suggest that he would absolutely destroy that league.
Then you have to ask yourself, how will he do next year as a rookie after having a full year under his belt at the NCAA level. Obviously you can't have a full year and be a rookie at the same time, but that is effectively what we are talking about when it comes to Toews and any comparisons that you would make with anybody else. He is a unique situation.
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It's possible. Sidney Crosby is in the NHL as an 18-year-old, but I think it is far from a sure thing that Toews will be ready for that. If he signs a pro contract and doesn't stick with the NHL, the AHL would not be an option because he would be underage. He'd have to go to the CHL.
I think (hope) that the Sioux will have Toews for 2 years.
BTW, Toews hasn't even approached the torrid start that Zach Parise had when he came to UND. You may recall that Zach started with a pair of 4-point games against Canisius and Michigan.
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Whenever someone makes a comparison between Toews and say Z Parise they should realize that he is likely a year younger than any of the other rookies both past and present. I don't know for sure but I'm guessing Parise was at least 18 years old when he first came to UND.
Toews was born in 1988. He is playing as a true 17 year old. His peers are still in high school. That is one of the reasons why UND will likely see this kid for at least 2 years.
Toew's hand to eye coordination is what sets him apart, the puck never leaves the toe of his stick when he receives a pass. It appears to be glued to his stick. That is one of the differences between him and the rest.
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Can people from Canada play for the NDTP? I thought it was a training ground for developing U.S. talent for international play. Do these players have dual citizenship?
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Colin was born in the States. His dad is Carey Wilson who played in the NHL for a number of years. Colin grew up in Winnipeg.
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Another couple of kids the Sioux should look at is Colin Wilson and Justin Guttek out of Winnipeg.
I note that Colin Wilson is now the leading scorer for the US Under 17 NTDP after 10 games. He may be looking for a place to play that is close to home in a couple of years and I can't think of a better place than Grand Forks which is only a couple of hours away.
Guttek is a great skating defencemen who is currently attending Prep School at Salisbury High School. He is probably going to go college at some point. Again, the Sioux would have some advantages over other colleges based on proximity.
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I would like to see the lines for this weekend look like this
Toews Zajaz Stafford
Spirko Oshie Porter
Fabian Kaip Prpich
Watkins Duncan Kozek
Martens Miller Foyt
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Toews is a natural center and should probably center the second line to start the season. Once you see this kid play you will understand. His vision is second to none and that includes Zajac.
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Don't forget Toews is a fair bit younger than most of the guys on that list.
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Toews is younger than all of the guys on this list. There was another post wondering why Toews was the only College kid on Team Canada's Under 18 team this year. They didn't realize that his teammates were likely entering grade 12. Don't forget, Toews skipped a year. He did 3 years of high school in 2 at Shattuck.
In fact, some of these guys are 3 years older!
Toews has also outperformed all of these players when comparing apples to apples. He was the captain of a gold medal winning team at both the Under 17's and the Under 18's. He was also the leading scorer in both these tournaments.
The only two guys that you can say something similar is Kessel and Cogliano. Cogliano was the leading scorer for Team Ontario when they won their gold medal in 2004 at the Under 17's. He was however an alternate captain not the captain of that team.
You should also look at the physical stats of these guys. Many of them will not be able to play at the pro level unless they somehow have sudden growth spurt. Toews is already one of the biggest guys on this list and as mentioned above, he is considerably younger.
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Found this on the above noted site:
Aug 15, 2005
IVAN HLINKA MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT FINAL RESULTS
For August 14th
Gold Medal Match
Canada 5 Czech 3
7th Place Match
Sweden 4 Switzerland 2
Scoring Leaders
CAN Jonathan Toews 9pts
CAN Zach Hamill 8pts
USA Michael Fourney 8pts
USA Kyle Okposo 7pts
CZE Michal Kazatel 7pts
SVK Julius Sinkovic 6pts
SVK Erik Caladi 5pts
SUI Aurelio Lemm 5pts
USA Mike Borisenok 5pts
RUS Aleksandr Vasyunov 4pts
Final Standings
1. Canada
2. Czech
3. Finland
4. Russia
5. USA
6. Slovakia
7. Sweden
8. Switzerland
Posted at 10:03 am by Panflo
Posted by Vegas @ 08/26/2005 07:44 PM PDT
Jonathan Toews is again the leading scorer in a world class tournament. Hopefully some smart scout will figure out just how good the manitoba 88's are and maybe have a few more of them on the Junior Team next year. White and Macaulay are two other boys that should have been on this team.
Based on the final points, Jonathan had two assists in the final for a total of 5 goals and 4 assists for the tournament. He was the leading scorer in a World Championship tournament AGAIN!!! This should reinforce just how good this kid is. His linemate was Zack Hamill who came second in scoring with 4 goals and 4 assists. Ben Maxwell also had a few points. The total scoring for the line was likely around 20 points and they accounted for 10 of Canada's 23 goals.
My prediction for next year is that whoever plays on Jonathan's right side will have a career year especially if he is a right handed shot.
I also question Peter Mueller or any of the other guys being rated above Jonathan with the exception of Kessel. Jonathan has consistently outscored and outplayed Mueller whenever they have gone head to head in minor hockey tournaments.
Kessel, in my opinion, is the only player who is on the same level as Jonathan. Again it must be noted that Kessel is roughly 6 months older.
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I think we have to try to keep everything in perspective. It's hard not to have high expectations for him, but we have to remember that he just turned 17 three months ago. He will play his entire 1st year of college hockey as a 17 year old. Over the years, UND has probably had more 17 year old players than any other school, and it's been a difficult transition for most of them. I've been told that what sets Toews apart from others is that he excels at every part of the game, not just the offensive end. His play along the boards and away from the puck is as good as it gets. This, along with his leadership and offensive abilities, is what will separate him from the other high profile recruits. But we'll need to give him time to adjust to this level of hockey.
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I coached against Jonathan when he was six years old and noticed that he was a special player even then. When he had scored his five or six goals he would try and find another kid on his team that hadn't scored for a while and he would set that kid up.
I watched him until he was 14 when he left Manitoba to pursue a hockey career outside of the Province. I can tell you that if he isn't a force initially because of the difference in speed and strength of the players at the College level, he will be by Christmas. The kid is an absolute warrior and he is one of the smartest kids you will ever come across. He will adapt very quickly.
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Note that Jonathan is perfectly bilingual since his mother is french and he went to french imersion school while growing up in winnipeg. Having said that, the story is pretty funny when read from the translation, especially when you know what the translation is really trying to say.
USA vs. Canada
in Men's Hockey
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You know you live in Canada when they tell you to go watch the rest of the football game on your local CBS affiliate! TSN has bumped the remainder of the football game for the pregame show for the Junior Hockey game. I sure love my TSN!