I am tired of hearing the Vancouver radio stations talk about the lack of performance from Markus Naslund. I have noticed a number of games this year when Naslund made a huge difference in the game. Not on the score board but by his effort. The one game that comes to mind for me is the quote, “statement game “ against Calgary before Christmas. Naslund made a bad play defensively and Lombardi scored a goal to put Calgary up one nothing. The very next shift Naslund made a great pass to set up Ohlund for a goal. The next en minutes of that game Markus was the hardest working player on the ice. The Canucks took that effort and carried it through the rest of the game for the win. The radio stations give Kesler a break for being paid 1.9m and saying it is not his fault he is getting that money. They are right. It is also not Markus’s fault for the amount of money he gets. Management signed him to that contract because they felt he was worth that money.
Then management went and changed the make up of the team and expects Markus to produce exactly the way he did before. I want to give Naslund the biggest credit for leading by example during this process. Many players with less class than Markus would complain publicly about the ice time or the wingers they are playing with.
(When I watched hockey during the eighties Jimmy Carson was traded to the Oilers. He did not like that situation and he walked out on the team asking for a trade. The headlines in the papers read “ I am taking my puck and going home”)
Markus has been a team player from day one. That is what being a captain is all about. Taking the good with the bad when it comes. Leading by example and doing whatever it takes to win. I hope I am watching Naslund raise the cup as the first European captain to do so. I am sure that would shut everyone up. If they don’t like it maybe they could trade Naslund for Samsonov in Montreal. Not.
Puckhead
Then management went and changed the make up of the team and expects Markus to produce exactly the way he did before. I want to give Naslund the biggest credit for leading by example during this process. Many players with less class than Markus would complain publicly about the ice time or the wingers they are playing with.
(When I watched hockey during the eighties Jimmy Carson was traded to the Oilers. He did not like that situation and he walked out on the team asking for a trade. The headlines in the papers read “ I am taking my puck and going home”)
Markus has been a team player from day one. That is what being a captain is all about. Taking the good with the bad when it comes. Leading by example and doing whatever it takes to win. I hope I am watching Naslund raise the cup as the first European captain to do so. I am sure that would shut everyone up. If they don’t like it maybe they could trade Naslund for Samsonov in Montreal. Not.
Puckhead
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