Bill Laforge wrote:mr perfect wrote:Bill Laforge wrote:AV is certainly not the only coach in the past decade who has had a problem with Linden. He is soft, won't stick up for teammates, had poor hands and is getting slower every day. He wouldn't even be on any other NHL team so why are you surprised he is not playing much. It is sad that he is the face of this franchise to so many people when you consider all of the great players of his era. I feel that I deserve more as a Canuck fan and am so happy that this is his last season so we can build towards a more successful future. I hope the next popular Canuck is a moe complete player who accomplishes more than Linden, a player who has been inconsequential in the past 11 years. Now that he has stopped scoring in shootouts, what is he good for?
Bill, you're entitled to your own opinion but your post is as impressive as your namesake's NHL coaching record.
Everyone can see Linden's NHL playing career is coming to a close, even Stevie Wonder can see that. Where you get this idea that Linden is soft and won't stick up for his teammates, well you haven't seen him play throughout his career if you think he's soft and he never was supposed to be an enforcer. What we are discussing here is whether Linden can contribute to the Canucks. Based on his ice time and production to other players that Vigneault has favoured over Linden, the answer for many of us is yes, he can contribute. Can you honestly say, based on stats that Jeff Cowan and Byron Ritchie are better players and have contributed more? Isbuster has similar stats to Linden this season but he has nowhere near the big game experience and leadership that Linden has. Who came through big time in game 7 against Dallas in last Spring's playoffs? Linden, of course. Who would you prefer on the ice when the Canucks are down a goal late in the 3rd period, Cowan and Ritchie or Linden? With a team that has trouble scoring, Vigneault needs to squeeze as much offence from this team as possible and giving preferential treatment to a Ritchie over a Linden will get Vigneault fired from his job if he continues to ignore possible offensive solutions.
As for other coaches you claim Linden has had problems with, Mike Keenan is not an NHL coach, he's an idiot.
You too are entitled to your opinion but clearly you are living in the past. Ron Wilson in Washington had no use fro Trev, Crawford had to deal with him but did not share your love of him and in Long Island and Montreal the coaches there, Milbury and AV also didn't see his greatness. Keenan is an NHL coach who will be in the HOF for sure and tougher, less fragile players like Iginla, Messier, Roenick, Kovalev, Leetch, Tocchet and many more thrive under his style. Keenan challenged Trev and he folded like a cheap tent and sulked his way out of town. Trev had his first decent playoffs in a decade but sadly had to take up space on the PP to produce. The PP sucked by the way, good for Trev to be on it but bad for the team. He has 5 playoff goals in his last 45 playoff games spanning 11 years. Wow, pretty impressive huh? Sorry to debunk your closely held Linden myths but you forced me to. I would like Ritchie on the ice late in the game ahead of Trev, he is younger, faster and is tougher and worls harder, Trev should have packed it in last year and no other NHL team would want him on their roster so why is he on ours. He has plenty of chance to prove himself this year but seems cntent to rest on his laurels, and why wouldn't he with fans like you will love him no matter how lazy he is.. As a Canuck fan I feel very ripped off that a player like him defines our franchise. He is a nice guy who is good with the fans and media but he is not a great player. What would his legacy be without the arrival of Bure? One can only imagine but it wouldn't be much. By worshipping Linden Canuck fans truly embarass themselves and it is no wonder why this franchise is, sadly a laughingstock in professional sports. Enjoy the remiander of his games as a Canuck, I look forward to the future and a new player with more guts and talent to step up and define this franchise. The Linden era is almost over and looking back it was pretty frickin average at best.
So now we know JOSNIQ has registered under another name.
I'm living in the now. I can see Linden has played 15 fewer games than Ritchie, gets less ice time than Ritchie yet has 2 more goals and is a +2. Ritchie is a team worst -10. The PK has also slid from 1st overall last season when Linden played a more prominent role to 13th this season where Ritchie has played a more prominent role. Not all Ritchie's fault but he's a contributing factor. How many playoff goals does Ritchie have? If you prefer Ritchie over Linden on the ice late in a game when the Canucks are behind, then you must like losing games. No one can help you.
Where do you get the idea Wilson didn't like Linden? Wilson used to be an assistant coach under Quinn so he could have told McPhee he didn't want Linden. Or Milbury? Crawford had Burke's ear when they were together in Vancouver so why didn't he tell Burke he didn't want Linden? Proof? Were you in the dressing rooms or part of the management team or just speculating?
So you liked Keenan's coaching and Messier's "tough" play here in Vancouver, did you? How many playoff series did "Iron Mike" win while he was here? How many playoff points did Messier score during his stint in Vancouver? They did it all without Linden too. How successful were either of them since they left a stacked team in NY? Leetch and Iginla were good players before Keenan coached them. How many Cups have Iginla, Roenick and Tocchet won under Keenan? Ever heard of Brendan Shanahan? He wasn't tough enough to play for Keenan either and "Iron Mike" got rid of him. Shanahan sure could play for Scotty Bowman. He turned out to be the missing piece the Wings needed to win 3 Cups in 6 seasons. Some guy named Bret Hull couldn't play for Keenan yet he was able to win 2 Cups without Keenan.
I didn't say Linden is a great player, he's been a good player whose best years are behind him but he can still contribute. Learn some comprehension. He's been a great Canuck. If Bure was a great Canuck, he wouldn't have asked for a trade out of Vancouver, a trade request spurred by the likes of Keenan and Messier, according to Bure's good friend, Gino Odjick. That's not speculation, that's been aired by Odjick. You didn't debunk any myths since I didn't create or have any, junior. Fans don't embarrass themselves by cheering for players on their team, that's what fans do not cut up their players and wish them gone. Don't try and tell me how to be a fan, I've been a Canucks fan for 38 years and I'll back the players I want to.
