What is Tucker doing in the NHL?

[Kovy_Ribs_Fedo 3]

Watching the Leafs game right now and he's horrible.

Horrible skater, horrible player, I can't believe this guy is making millions. I see guys better then him at shinny, no kidding and the Leafs are wondering why they can't win,

[gxc999 7]

He's a "fan favorite" so they can't flat out cut him. I totally agree with you though, he's a little guy with little offensive talent, is a poor skater and doesn't play defense well either. The only thing good I can think of is that he occasionally throws a big check.

[mack 44]

I hate Tucker and not entirely disagreeing with this but I also just got done watching Montreal/Isles and it looked like a bad AHL game. There is just a lot of suck in the NHL in terms of entertainment.

[kosydar 0]

Watching the Leafs game right now and he's horrible.

Horrible skater, horrible player, I can't believe this guy is making millions. I see guys better then him at shinny, no kidding and the Leafs are wondering why they can't win,

This goes back to the Tucker/Kovy arguments of last year, huh. He has definitely had a season to forget. He has been hurt off and on, and just recently said that he is starting to feel 100%. I'm not justifying his poor play or making excuses, but his style is one that can't be effective when he is hurt. He looked bad tonight because he was with Sundin. He should never be with Sundin, he just can't keep up with him.

[RadioGaGa 162]

I hate Tucker and not entirely disagreeing with this but I also just got done watching Montreal/Isles and it looked like a bad AHL game. There is just a lot of suck in the NHL in terms of entertainment.

I was AT a bad AHL game tonight...should have stayed home and watched the Habs game. Carey Price got SHELLED in Hamilton tonight. Top to bottom, front to back...the Dogs looked awful tonight.

Against Peoria too...good thing David ISN'T in the "A"...might have been 10-2 (as it is we lost 7-2).

Back to the Tucker argument. He's definitely lost whatever magic he had last year. I think he's hurt and just not admitting it. The way he played last year (that got him this contract). I'm not a Tucker fan...but, I would've have had him on my team in a minute. He knew his role...played within it, and was successful. This year...he doesn't know if he's supposed to be a pest, or a scorer...or a playmaker...he's trying everything and doing it all badly right now.

[LoXish 0]

Radio, did Toivenen play for the Rivermen or was it Schwarz in net?

[RadioGaGa 162]

Radio, did Toivenen play for the Rivermen or was it Schwarz in net?

Toivenen. Dude, it was ugly! And, to make it worse, Gainey was there tonight.

[LoXish 0]

Lol... give Peoria some credit though, they're on a 7 game win streak now... Lemtyugov is pretty fresh...

Although I would expect more from Price at that level... wasn't he stellar like 99% of the time last season?

[mack 44]

Radio-

This was bad. Granted, it was 2-0 MTL when I turned it on but the only player on either team that looked good was Higgins. Kovalev at least wasn't the turnover machine I remember him to be.

[Law Goalie 147]

Both he and Blake scored nothing but positional goals last year. Now they both think they're offensive geniuses, so they run around trying to make plays when all they're good for is sitting at the bottom of the circles waiting for rebounds.

[RadioGaGa 162]

Radio-

This was bad. Granted, it was 2-0 MTL when I turned it on but the only player on either team that looked good was Higgins. Kovalev at least wasn't the turnover machine I remember him to be.

Kovalev this year is NOT the Kovalev most guys remember...Last year at this time, he had about 5-10 good games...He's been "on" just about every night.

Plekanec had both goals, and he wasn't one of the "good" players....were they garbage goals? I haven't even seen the highlights yet.

[Fury of One 6]

Radio-

This was bad. Granted, it was 2-0 MTL when I turned it on but the only player on either team that looked good was Higgins. Kovalev at least wasn't the turnover machine I remember him to be.

Kovalev this year is NOT the Kovalev most guys remember...Last year at this time, he had about 5-10 good games...He's been "on" just about every night.

Plekanec had both goals, and he wasn't one of the "good" players....were they garbage goals? I haven't even seen the highlights yet.

No, they were pretty good snipes and Kovalev had the empty netter.

[Eazy_b97 1]

Both he and Blake scored nothing but positional goals last year. Now they both think they're offensive geniuses, so they run around trying to make plays when all they're good for is sitting at the bottom of the circles waiting for rebounds.

Blake scoring positional goals? He was usually circling around the net, hogging pucks and picking corners. Blake's just not finishing, his play is very similar.

Tucker's never been a great scorer. He finishes off passes well on the PP, but he isn't getting them anymore. Welly's gone into the crapper and nobody else can feed him. I honestly don't like Tucker, and it's been some time since I'd consider him effective, but he'd be down there on my list of complains. Tucker never really created plays or "Sniped". He was a one-trick pony offensively and it isn't working anymore. I think he's playing hurt, but his edge has been declining for some time. He's never been able to skate or stick handle though.

[RadioGaGa 162]

Both he and Blake scored nothing but positional goals last year. Now they both think they're offensive geniuses, so they run around trying to make plays when all they're good for is sitting at the bottom of the circles waiting for rebounds.

Blake scoring positional goals? He was usually circling around the net, hogging pucks and picking corners. Blake's just not finishing, his play is very similar.

Tucker's never been a great scorer. He finishes off passes well on the PP, but he isn't getting them anymore. Welly's gone into the crapper and nobody else can feed him. I honestly don't like Tucker, and it's been some time since I'd consider him effective, but he'd be down there on my list of complains. Tucker never really created plays or "Sniped". He was a one-trick pony offensively and it isn't working anymore. I think he's playing hurt, but his edge has been declining for some time. He's never been able to skate or stick handle though.

So do I...I've heard him say that he's "...feeling better lately" in some current interviews....Better than what? I think there is an injury of some kind that hasn't been talked about.

[Eazy_b97 1]

The thing is, I doubt he ever plays close to 100%. He's always banged up. He basically played on a broken ankle for some parts of last year when the team had a ton of injuries. Even if he is hurt, he needs to find a way to be better or just take some time off.

[chippa13 1844]

Blake had his career season at just the right time. Something I like to refer to as the Bertuzzi effect. Toss in a great season or two and mail it in once you get the big deal.

[Oberon 0]

From Strib coverage of last night's Wild-Avs game:

Avs' Tucker follows through on threat to take out Nick Schultz's knees

Stay classy, Darcy

[kosydar 0]

At least he isn't a liar.

[Law Goalie 147]

Only on Corson's behalf...

[RiSeOnFiRe 0]

Radio-

This was bad. Granted, it was 2-0 MTL when I turned it on but the only player on either team that looked good was Higgins. Kovalev at least wasn't the turnover machine I remember him to be.

Higgens grew up in Smithtown LI. thats like 10 mins from me. It might have been the 1st game on LI since he got in the show.

[mrusse01 0]

From Strib coverage of last night's Wild-Avs game:

Avs' Tucker follows through on threat to take out Nick Schultz's knees

Stay classy, Darcy

I haven't seen footage of the play in question, but just because Nick Schultz says something to the media doesn't mean it's automatically the 100% truth.

[Oberon 0]

From Strib coverage of last night's Wild-Avs game:

Avs' Tucker follows through on threat to take out Nick Schultz's knees

Stay classy, Darcy

I haven't seen footage of the play in question, but just because Nick Schultz says something to the media doesn't mean it's automatically the 100% truth.

Thanks, I'll try to remember that.

I saw most of the game, but not the play in question. Nick Schultz is a pretty quiet, laid back guy. I've never heard him speak out against another player, and this really upset him. Michael Russo is a respected hockey writer, not prone to just making shit up (or splitting infinitives). You can take it for what it's worth. Maybe I'm more easily swayed because it was against the Wild, and I've always thought that Darcy Tucker is a giant douchenozzle. But, it's not as though I found some random article in the Weekly World News.

[chippa13 1844]

From Strib coverage of last night's Wild-Avs game:

Avs' Tucker follows through on threat to take out Nick Schultz's knees

Stay classy, Darcy

I haven't seen footage of the play in question, but just because Nick Schultz says something to the media doesn't mean it's automatically the 100% truth.

What would Nick Schultz have to gain by making it up?

[mrusse01 0]

I've been in a lot of scrums with a lot of douche bags, and I've never once heard someone say "hey, I'm going to take out your knee later this game". People just don't say stuff like that.

I suspect what really happened was something along the usual lines of 'keep your head up pal' (which we've probably all said to somebody), Tucker hit Schultz low later that game, and at that point Schultz took Tucker's earlier threat to mean he was going after his knees.

Again, I haven't seen the hit (if someone could link that would be great), so I don't know if the hit itself was dirty or not...it well could have been, but that still doesn't mean Tucker threatened to take his knees out.

[chippa13 1844]

I don't know, Schultz was specific about Tucker saying it would be his knees. That isn't something you usually misremember.