Kessel signs long term extension (8 yrs, 64M, 8M AAV)

[GhostofPotvin29]

Phil Kessel was named the Olympic tournament's best forward by the IIHF: bit.ly/1cEpH0d #TMLtalk #Sochi2014

They must have been going by points and not the teams that won.

I believe you're thinking of the "Gold Medal" which is awarded to the winning team, regardless of whether that team has the tournament's top forward on it.

So let me get this straight:  The best forward honour goes to a player, and the gold medal goes to a team??  That's so weird.

IIHF  and IOC right?  Can never figure out why they do what they do.

 

[ZBBM]

Phil Kessel was named the Olympic tournament's best forward by the IIHF: bit.ly/1cEpH0d #TMLtalk #Sochi2014

They must have been going by points and not the teams that won.

I believe you're thinking of the "Gold Medal" which is awarded to the winning team, regardless of whether that team has the tournament's top forward on it.

So let me get this straight:  The best forward honour goes to a player, and the gold medal goes to a team??  That's so weird.

IIHF  and IOC right?  Can never figure out why they do what they do.

He deserves it.  Still, I sure wish he would have scored against Canada.  I'll give him a pass on the bronze medal game.  Anything less than gold is pawn shop material.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

I just....no.

Babcock then took a slight shot at Phil Kessel, without mentioning his name.

?Does anybody know who won the scoring race? Does anybody care? Does anybody know who won the gold medal?? said the coach, who rushed out to get to the closing ceremony.

http://www.torontosun.com/2014/02/23/sochi-hockey-squad-one-of-the-greatest-canada-has-ever-iced

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Classic Steve Simmons.

 

[Zee]

I just....no.

Babcock then took a slight shot at Phil Kessel, without mentioning his name.

?Does anybody know who won the scoring race? Does anybody care? Does anybody know who won the gold medal?? said the coach, who rushed out to get to the closing ceremony.

http://www.torontosun.com/2014/02/23/sochi-hockey-squad-one-of-the-greatest-canada-has-ever-iced

How is that a shot at Kessel?  I think Babcock was just saying that despite how many people were complaining that Canada was "dominant" enough, especially after that Latvia game, in the end they won the gold and that's all that matters.

 

[Corn Flake]

Classic Steve Simmons.

Classic for sure and as usual, missing context for effect.

I'm dying to know what the question was he was asked that provoked that answer. Had to be a typical snarky media guy who said something that irked him and provoked that bit of a snap response from Babs.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

I just....no.

Babcock then took a slight shot at Phil Kessel, without mentioning his name.

?Does anybody know who won the scoring race? Does anybody care? Does anybody know who won the gold medal?? said the coach, who rushed out to get to the closing ceremony.

http://www.torontosun.com/2014/02/23/sochi-hockey-squad-one-of-the-greatest-canada-has-ever-iced

How is that a shot at Kessel?  I think Babcock was just saying that despite how many people were complaining that Canada was "dominant" enough, especially after that Latvia game, in the end they won the gold and that's all that matters.

That's exactly what it was, a comment on the hand-wringing over the lack of offense from Team Canada and how the only result that mattered was the Gold.

For example, NHL.com has this as one continuous quote:

"When you talk about great defense sometimes we get confused," Babcock said. "Great defense means you play defense fast and you have the puck all the time so you're always on offense. Don't get confused, we outchanced these teams big-time; we didn't score. We were a great offensive team. That's how we coached. That's what we expected. That's what we got. We didn't ask guys to back up.

"The interesting thing for me when I look at this whole scenario is does anybody know who won the scoring race? Does anybody care? Does anybody know who won the gold medal? See ya."

Then he left.

And no, I don't think Simmons is super influential or we should really care, but it's fun to laugh at all the same.

 

[Kin]

How is that a shot at Kessel?  I think Babcock was just saying that despite how many people were complaining that Canada was "dominant" enough, especially after that Latvia game, in the end they won the gold and that's all that matters.

I think it was just a variation on what we hear all the time about individual accomplishments being secondary to team achievements which, as you say, shouldn't really be read as a shot at Kessel, named or unnamed.

Although that said, Alan Muir did raise an interesting point re: Kessel's being named the tournament's best forward which is that it was largely on the basis of what he did against teams like Slovenia and Slovakia and that the medal round should maybe have been weighted a little more heavily in the decision. I think there's some fairness to that as Toews being left off the list of the tournament's best forwards despite what he brought to Team Canada in terms of penalty killing and overall play seems, to me, ridiculous.

That said, it seems like that is giving about a hundred times more thought to these end of tournament teams than they deserve.

 

[Heroic Shrimp]

I just....no.

Babcock then took a slight shot at Phil Kessel, without mentioning his name.

?Does anybody know who won the scoring race? Does anybody care? Does anybody know who won the gold medal?? said the coach, who rushed out to get to the closing ceremony.

http://www.torontosun.com/2014/02/23/sochi-hockey-squad-one-of-the-greatest-canada-has-ever-iced

Geez, what kind of moron thinks that's a "shot" at anybody other than those who focus on individual stats over team results?

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Discuss.

 

[Frank E]

Discuss.

That's journalism right there.

 

[Highlander]

You know where Bab can stick his cock? up his Red Wing butt

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

You know where Bab can stick his cock? up his Red Wing butt

That escalated quickly.

 

[Rebel_1812]

You know where Bab can stick his cock? up his Red Wing butt

does he bend that way?

 

[Highlander]

Hey Dudes Bab-cock just won the big O for Canada, time to be a very tiny bit magnanimous..don't ya think?

 

[Bullfrog]

Discuss.

Shouldn't have to motivate a millionaire professional hockey player to practice hard. Should have slept more on the flight back.

 

[princedpw]

Discuss.

That's journalism right there.

I had to check to see whether the picture was a spoof or not.

 

[pnjunction]

I don't put much stock in that but I do have feeling there is a Kessel slump coming up

 

[caver]

Eff that...Phil is gonna turn it up a notch...check with the Nutman, he will back me up.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

I don't put much stock in that but I do have feeling there is a Kessel slump coming up

Well his current streak is wholly unsustainable so....most likely.