[News] Olli Jokinen talks about his career

[Igottago]

If you want to look at Iginla and constants, look at 16 years of leading the team in almost every category. The guy did absolutely all he could for this team as a player, and as a captain.

Gio is a good captain but without a Jack Adams level coach and some stud young talent he's got the exact same issues Iginla had -- a team that isn't good enough to compete at the highest level.

I'm still in disbelief the anti-Iginla conversation gets any traction here. Pure garbage.

And to add: How does Jokinen not being good enough becomes Iginla's fault too? Thread took a strange turn.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Igottago

If you want to look at Iginla and constants, look at 16 years of leading the team in almost every category. The guy did absolutely all he could for this team as a player, and as a captain.

Gio is a good captain but without a Jack Adams level coach and some stud young talent he's got the exact same issues Iginla had -- a team that isn't good enough to compete at the highest level.

I'm still in disbelief the anti-Iginla conversation gets any traction here. Pure garbage.

And to add: How does Jokinen not being good enough becomes Iginla's fault too? Thread took a strange turn.

To be fair, there's about 4 posters who are very vocal against Iginla any chance they get, and it makes it appear like there's like there's lots of traction but statistically it's a very small percentage of fans.

[starseed]

Originally Posted by flameswin

To be fair, there's about 4 posters who are very vocal against Iginla any chance they get, and it makes it appear like there's like there's lots of traction but statistically it's a very small percentage of fans.

I was starting to think that my ignore list was longer than it is. But yeah, I think the bizarre Iginla hate is the exception to the rule on CP.

[heep223]

Originally Posted by Igottago

If you want to look at Iginla and constants, look at 16 years of leading the team in almost every category. The guy did absolutely all he could for this team as a player, and as a captain.

Gio is a good captain but without a Jack Adams level coach and some stud young talent he's got the exact same issues Iginla had -- a team that isn't good enough to compete at the highest level.

I'm still in disbelief the anti-Iginla conversation gets any traction here. Pure garbage.

And to add: How does Jokinen not being good enough becomes Iginla's fault too? Thread took a strange turn.

My sense is that 90% of CP has the view that Iggy was a fantastic player, person and captain while he was here and also that it was time to move on. 5% take the extreme view that he should come back / should have never left and 5% take the extreme view that he was the real problem. The extremes are likely far more vocal than the majority, so I wouldn't read too much into it.

[AcGold]

Usually how it is with most things. The worst is the vaccine issue, the 5% on either side simply cannot be reasoned with.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

So umm okay, cool cool.

Did Iginla and Crosby have chemistry in that tournament or no? I said yes, you think no?

Try to keep up here, Paul Blart.

AC brought up Iginla saying he thought Jokinen got a bit of a raw deal in Calgary because him and Iginla didn't have much chemistry.

Other posters including yourself disagreed citing the players that had come through Calgary that Iginla played well with. There is definitely an argument to actually discuss what 'chemistry' means with a player and I'd argue he really only had chemistry with Conroy, McAmmond, Tanguay and Cammalleri, as those are the guys who he exceeded his regular production with.

Someone remarked on his lack of chemistry with Crosby, who Iginla did not play well with in Pittsburgh.

You made mention that him and Crosby played pretty well together at the Olympics.

My contention has been throughout the thread that it has been difficult for him to find players who he has legitimate chemistry with. To further that argument, I point to his role on the 2010 team Canada team where he continued to have a problem finding reliable chemistry with an all-star team worth of teammates.

Crosby had the same issue. Iginla and Crosby are both difficult players to play with, mostly for the same reason: they are their own offensive catalyst.

I think they didn't have much chemistry together in that tournament, and they certainly didn't have much chemistry with other players. Because they are both freakin' first ballot HOF players, they came together to score the biggest goal for Canada since Sakic scored in 2002.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Try to keep up here, Paul Blart.
.

Has the tag team reunited?

Don't steal his material though, makes you look as boorish.

[mikephoen]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Someone remarked on his lack of chemistry with Crosby, who Iginla did not play well with in Pittsburgh.

I assume you know that Crosby got hurt the first game that Iginla was in Pittsburgh. And in the playoffs Iginla was on Malkin's wing (and playing his offwing at that). Iginla and Crosby didn't play together in Pittsburgh.

But you know that, because it's been pointed out to you many times before, and you're just continuing to be obtuse.

[Bandwagon In Flames]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Crosby had the same issue. Iginla and Crosby are both difficult players to play with, mostly for the same reason: they are their own offensive catalyst.

Uhhhmmm what???

This couldn't be more wrong. Tweeners score 30 goals playing with Crosby. I cannot believe you just compared playing with Iginla to playing with Crosby.

I think you should talk about what you know which obviously isn't the Penguins. Otherwise you will look quite silly.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by Bandwagon In Flames

Uhhhmmm what???

This couldn't be more wrong. Tweeners score 30 goals playing with Crosby. I cannot believe you just compared playing with Iginla to playing with Crosby.

I think the situation is that when you play with Crosby, you park your ego and do what's best for Crosby. If you do that you score 30 goals.

It's the same situation with Iginla except you'll get 50 assists and since both are used to being the top dog, it isn't easy to accommodate to each other.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by mikephoen

I assume you know that Crosby got hurt the first game that Iginla was in Pittsburgh. And in the playoffs Iginla was on Malkin's wing (and playing his offwing at that). Iginla and Crosby didn't play together in Pittsburgh.

I guess I'm being obtuse here, but did Iginla not play with Crosby because Crosby and Iginla had amazing chemistry?

Bylsma played Iginla with Malkin because Iginla and Crosby had too much chemistry together?

Iginla and Crosby had so much chemistry together that Iginla had to play on his off wing on a different line?

[Bandwagon In Flames]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

I think the situation is that when you play with Crosby, you park your ego and do what's best for Crosby. If you do that you score 30 goals.

It's the same situation with Iginla except you'll get 50 assists and since both are used to being the top dog, it isn't easy to accommodate to each other.

I'm not sure if a Kunitz or Neal had much of an ego. Rightfully so as they were not even close to being star players.

Kessel will be honoured to play with Crosby. He's just happy to no longer being harrassed by TO media.

Crosby wanted to play with Iginla and Iginla wanted to play with Crosby. They didn't get much chance to, but it's not because of each others ego (which has never been an issue in their careers).

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Bandwagon In Flames

I'm not sure if a Kunitz or Neal had much of an ego. Rightfully so as they were not even close to being star players.

Kessel will be honoured to play with Crosby. He's just happy to no longer being harrassed by TO media.

Crosby wanted to play with Iginla and Iginla wanted to play with Crosby. They didn't get much chance to, but it's not because of each others ego (which has never been an issue in their careers).

I think you're misunderstanding his point.

The point isn't that either one of those guys have an ego, it's that they are such overwhelming, commanding players that it's in your best interest to play with them exactly how they want you to play.

Flat out, if I am on the ice with Phaneuf, Bouwmeester, Tanguay, Conroy and Iginla, I am looking to pass it to Iginla.

Crosby and Iginla both want the puck on their stick, they want to be the focal point of the offense and they want to get the puck in their own personal sweet spots on the ice to make the most of it.

You'd have to have a supreme ego to resist that.

[codynw]

This is a Jokinen thread.

[mikephoen]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

I guess I'm being obtuse here, but did Iginla not play with Crosby because Crosby and Iginla had amazing chemistry?

Bylsma played Iginla with Malkin because Iginla and Crosby had too much chemistry together?

Iginla and Crosby had so much chemistry together that Iginla had to play on his off wing on a different line?

You would have to ask Bylsma why he didn't play them together. When Crosby came back in the playoffs he reunited Crosby with his previous line and left Iginla on Malkin's line.

Iginla had 12 points in that playoffs in 15 games and Malkin had 16 in 15 games, so it's not like that line wasn't working well.

[Bandwagon In Flames]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

I think you're misunderstanding his point.

The point isn't that either one of those guys have an ego, it's that they are such overwhelming, commanding players that it's in your best interest to play with them exactly how they want you to play.

Flat out, if I am on the ice with Phaneuf, Bouwmeester, Tanguay, Conroy and Iginla, I am looking to pass it to Iginla.

Crosby and Iginla both want the puck on their stick, they want to be the focal point of the offense and they want to get the puck in their own personal sweet spots on the ice to make the most of it.

You'd have to have a supreme ego to resist that.

Crosby wants the puck on his stick so he can dish it out. The guy is an assist machine.

Iginla dishes the puck out so he can get it back for a one-timer in his sweet spot. He's a goal machine.

These two are complimentary players and had great potential together. Iginla had already developed chemistry on Malkin's line so perhaps Bylsma was content with more balanced lines instead of a stacked top line.

[TX_Flame]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Flat out, if I am on the ice with Phaneuf, Bouwmeester, Tanguay, Conroy and Iginla, I am looking to pass it to Iginla.

You'd also be responsible for a too many men on the ice penalty unless, of course Keenan just pulled Kipper for an extra attacker.

[GoJetsGo]

The amount of players who had career years and got paid as a result because of Iggy are numerous.

He is underrated as a playmaker and tended to make everyone he played with better.

The players he didn't have chemistry with were the exception, not the norm.

Flash Walken is doing his usual schtick of bashing Iginla at any chance he gets with pure non sense.

[Flash Walken]

To bring this back to Jokinen, this gives a lot more context to what Darryl Sutter used to say about how Jokinen was 'never accepted' by the team.

Was Jokinen too professional?

[Igottago]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Try to keep up here, Paul Blart.

AC brought up Iginla saying he thought Jokinen got a bit of a raw deal in Calgary because him and Iginla didn't have much chemistry.

Chemistry with Iginla aside, if Jokinen was that good of a #1 centre he would've found a way to produce. Jokinen was an ok centre, but certainly not a player that helped elevate the Flames in any meaningful way.

What the Flames needed was another player of Iginla's caliber. A gamebreaking player in his own right. There was hope that Jokinen could be that player, but he simply wasn't.

Again, I don't see how that's Iginla's fault. There's no real excuses for Jokinen, after a few great seasons in Florida he just wasn't that good, anywhere.