Written on February 24th, 2009 by goatdiesel3 shouts
I know I know, I have been pumping A LOT of bball lately but hockey is just not that exciting this year, (except for the Tavares sweep stakes) baseball is JUST ramping up and I am NOT sure any of you would be too interested in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. Plus this shot is UNREAL and to top it off it wins them the game. The initial play is hard to understand but wait for the first replay. It shows that Harris not only gets this unreal shot off in time but is most DEFINITELY FOULED on the play AND he bobbles the ball, catches and cans it. See for yourself…
Shot of the year? What do you think? As always, let me know.
Written on February 19th, 2009 by Shaun Sinclair2 shouts
Concerns about Tavares’ development will be all for naught if he comes in next year and tears it up like Sidney Crosby did as a rookie. If he stumbles, however, you’ll start to hear some skepticism about how his situation was handled. Crosby didn’t play major junior hockey at 15. Instead, he spent a year at a private school in Minnesota renowned for developing young hockey talents. After two years in Rimouski, Crosby was definitely ready to move on to bigger and better things, but it never felt like he was wasting his time there. Obviously, the jump from junior hockey to the NHL is a massive one, even if you are an elite prospect. Tavares may suffer from his extensive time in the OHL if he’s too accustomed to playing against that level of competition. Undoubtedly an “exceptional player,” his key development years may have arrived sooner than other players his age, and if he wasn’t challenged enough during this time, will he reach his full potential at the NHL level? Only time will tell. (more…)
Written on February 18th, 2009 by Shaun Sinclair5 shouts
He’s living the dream of many kids his age, but for John Tavares, it’s probably starting to feel like “same old, same old.” Still only 18, Tavares is about to complete his 4th full season in the OHL – a league he has dominated since being drafted 1st overall by the Oshawa Generals a couple months shy of his 15th birthday. In all other cases to this point, the OHL would not allow anyone under the age of 16 to play. Tavares’ situation forced their hand and a new precedent was set. They had to change the rules (ever so slightly), letting him in under a new “exceptional player” clause. Nearly four years later, there’s no doubt Tavares was worth changing the rules for. His rookie season, he scored 45 goals and registered 77 points in 65 games. The next year, he broke Wayne Gretzky’s OHL record for most goals in a season with 72. Say what you want about puckheads in the Canadian media going overboard with stories about the next phenom coming up through the system, but even a broken clock is right twice a day. Tavares was worth the hype. (more…)
