Quote:
Originally Posted by Cleveland Steam Whistle
And that's the point, Keith and Seabrook are rarely outperformed by the opposition teams other top 2 d-men. Bouw is always a top 2 d-man on his team in the NHL, but in a situation that mattered, when has he ever outperformed his counter parts on the other squad. The answer is never, which is why he isn't good at his job. I called him a depth defender because when people come in to defend him, they hold him to a depth defender standard, not the elite standard he should be held too.
You choose to make excuses for him by saying he had a tougher job in this series than Keith and Seabrook. I actually agree, but it's a long career now of him not getting it done when it counts, and people like Keith getting it done when it counts, we need to stop saying his failures are situational and accept he's not a guy you have in your top 2 if you want to win.
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Let me get this straight...
You say he is a top 2 D man on one of the best teams in hockey all season, yet you state right after that he isn't good at his job? That makes no sense. If you are a top 2 D man in the league, one of the 20 best in the league, and are able to crack team Canada you are ELITE at your job.
You say it is a long career of him not getting it done, well he played on 2 of the worst teams in hockey (Florida then Calgary) what is your definition of not getting it done? Making playoffs, winning a cup? Did Bourque have a long history of not getting it done until he went to Colorado (subsequently didn't get it done) then won in his second year there?
Bouwmeester did his job in this series and in the series last year against the Kings. They lost to the Kings because Quick>>>>Ellis. They lost to Chicago because they didn't have there captain take a cheap shot and get knocked out of the series. If Bouwmeester did a Seabrook to Toews would you then consider him a "winner" because I can almost guarantee that Chicago without Toews in the lineup would have lost the series.
I understand what you are trying to say (he doesn't perform to his salary expectations, and that he got outplayed by Keith and he should have done more) but I think your statement is backed more by a bias against Bouwmeester and the TEAMS result then with his actual performance in the playoffs.