Quote:
Originally Posted by nmhen
Agree. That seems to be common among Finnish players, but that's not to detract from the responsibility he shows in all three zones. Mikko's probably the most-extreme example of that willingness to play defensively. He has said in the past that his natural inclination is to bail on the offensive zone to make sure he's in the best position to defend rather than stick around trying to score.
That's why I don't think Mikko's a true #1 center. He's too defensive-minded, or he's not offensive-minded enough is a better way to put it.
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For sure he is not. I read some Minnesota fans opinions on hfboards and I think some fans need to stop hoping for Koivu-Parise to be Getzlaf-Perry and just appreciate the things that they do so well.
They work so hard, they carry the team in most situations, they're nasty to play against. There's a lot to like there if you appreciate the finer things in hockey. But maybe you won't see point-per-game seasons from either.
If you get a more balanced scoring going, you can relax about Koivu too.