Quote:
Originally Posted by Igottago
Sorry, keep reading this, its not true, or if it is it doesn't rest on the shoulders of Iginla. That team simply wasn't good enough to go where fans wanted it to. The team has way better centre depth now than it ever did during Iginla's career (all due respect to guys like Conroy and Langkow).
There were many other reasons those Flames teams failed to deliver and not much of it was Iginla's fault.
I don't know how anyone could have watched Iginla's Flames career and seen anything other than a guy who did everything he possibly could to help the team, whether it was scoring, fighting, taking the media pressure on his shoulders. The guy was the best captain in the team's history. This narrative that he was some type of cherry picker who just wanted to pad his own stats -- utter nonsense.
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I don't think that he was someone looking to pad his own stats.
I think he sincerely believed that the team couldn't score enough and that he needed to shoulder that burden. So he focused on a very offense first game at the expense of the team system and 2 way hockey.
He didn't set a good example on the ice for what the coach wanted or even some of his team-mates.
But by no means do I think it was for selfish reasons. I think he was doing it because he thought that's what was required to win.
The Iginla/Regehr disconnect, as the two most important leaders on those teams, is something I'd love to know more about.
They were clearly not on the same page and it damaged the team IMHO.