Pettersson/Miller

[Meds]

Which is why I don't like it when the team I cheer for, the one that has a legacy of playoff failures, so often hitches their wagon to players like that.

Vancouver has -- or has historically had -- two advantages to leverage with respect to Swedish players:

1) Gradin has been one of their more effective scouts, with far more hits than misses.

2) If the player is inclined to start a family, then when they look around the League, to a Swede Vancouver looks like one of the better NHL cities in which to do that. That means that when it's contract negotiation time, Vancouver has often received a "home-town" discount. Other players, as mentioned, might be more inclined to look for a more favourable tax regime, or even -- heavens forfend ! -- a chance of winning.

In the modern League, it's tough to win it all without some players outperforming their contracts. And if the team is getting a good performance to cap hit ratio out of a player, I think a good coaching and management team should be able to work around whatever limitations he has (there being few players who offer the Complete Package) with complementary players. Not suggesting EP40 is anywhere close to offering a good performance to cap hit ratio, but other Swedes have for the Canucks.

I'm ok with Swedish players. Just not as key players that you have to rely on in the playoffs.

The Sedins were excellent players. But in the playoffs they were useless once the refs pocketed the whistles. Watching Daniel stand there and get speed bagged by Marchand just to hopefully get a PP out of it was an embarrassment to the jersey.

Edler was a solid defenseman, but ultimately a #3 for almost all of his career and often crumbled in high pressure games when relied on as a #1.

Naslund was the ultimate choke artist in the post-season. I was a huge fan of his when I was younger. The WCE was electric. But never able to grab that extra gear in the playoffs.

Samuelsson. Good 2nd line winger. A little better than 0.5 ppg in the post-season.....support player and deployed appropriately.

Naslund was named captain in 2000. The culture of this team became progressively softer from there on out.

[MrG9002!]

Ultimately you two are grown men playing a game for millions of dollars while Joe Average struggles to come up with $500 for 2 people to have a night out to be entertained by you. Put your petty whining to bed and grow up.

[theman]

Ultimately you two are grown men playing a game for millions of dollars while Joe Average struggles to come up with $500 for 2 people to have a night out to be entertained by you. Put your petty whining to bed and grow up.

You know, this might be your first post where I agree with you.

[Kenji]

Good posting throughout UW.

EP's best play was when Miller was not around for 10 games.

Pretty damning character issues suggested there.

Agreed - you guys make some great posts about the team.

Just wanted to add that with Miller out, EP also had the pick of offensive wingers. Miller always gets Boeser, seems to me that since Kuzmenko EP has not clicked like that

[rockalt]

Naslund was the ultimate choke artist in the post-season. I was a huge fan of his when I was younger. The WCE was electric. But never able to grab that extra gear in the playoffs.

Mostly agree with your summary and I know this is not the point of this thread but I think Naslund's playoff "choke artist" reputation is a little exaggerated. I definitely agree that he underperformed relative to his regular season but he wasn't the biggest disappointment from the WCE team. I understand he faces the biggest heat because he was the best player but for me Bertuzzi was the biggest letdown (aside from Clouts obviously). I remember feeling at the time that Bertuzzi was doing okay because of his physicality but he produced so little offensively in the 2003 playoffs and obviously wasn't around in 2004. Naslund, while missing that next level still produced 14 pts in 14 GP in 2003 and another 9 points in a 7 game loss to Calgary. I actually think he was quite good in 2004 and the reason the Canucks even forced it into OT (well his rush + some help from a drunken fan and Cooke knocking in the rebound).

Anyway nice trip down memory lane - like returning to this board. I'm glad I still remember how to make a post!

[Madcombinepilot]

Well, on the bright side, This thread should finally die.

[Cornuck]

Well, on the bright side, This thread should finally die.

LOL - c'mon, MCP, you've been around here long enough to know that ain't gonna happen!

[Cousin Strawberry]

This is where we will start a 5 year statistical battle over who ends up being better.

Pick your side wisely. You'll be here alot

[Kenji]

Now that they’ve been separated I hope to start hearing better gossip about why they were fighting. Did they both wear the same dress to a party?

[Cornuck]

Interesting - I wouldn't have guessed that they had similar PPG numbers. I'm guessing Bure's GPG were noticeably higher than JTs

[donlever]

I thought you read all the posts?

[donlever]

I thought you read all the posts?

JT Miller averaged 95 points for us over the previous 3 seasons and was over a point a game player during his tenure here.

(..he and Pavel Bure are the only Canucks ever to get traded having done so....)

[Cousin Strawberry]

Miller - 1GP-1G -0A

EP - 1GP-0G-1A

[donlever]

EP - inconsequential assist down 4-1 & - 2 & 10/24 on FO's

JT - first NYR goal of game to tie score and mobbed by teammates thereafter

[Blob Mckenzie]

Puke.