Prospal Nominated for Masterson Award

[jdhebner]

About time!

Masterton. Sorry for the bad spelling. I was thinking of Bat.

Click to read more...

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Well deserved.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

hope he wins

 

[JacketFanInFL]

I could be wrong, but doesn't each team have a nominee?

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

I could be wrong, but doesn't each team have a nominee?

Yes.

 

[Robert]

Excellent, now just get him signed for at least one more season..

 

[jackets4life]

In all seriousness, though, Vinny, thank you for your contributions to this team, especially your leadership. He deserves this so much, hope he wins it.

 

[SuperGenius]

I will forever consider Vinny the first brick. His comments early last season represent the beginning of the end of the suck, as far as I'm concerned.

From Puck-rakers on 10/21/11

“For us to be getting out of this, it’s a matter of putting more pride in ourselves going to the net, creating screens, getting on loose pucks,†Prospal said. “But I would say the biggest thing is it starts in practice. It’s the way you practice that becomes the habits you take into the game.

“This is what the young guys should be doing, and the older guys should be teaching them to do.â€

Prospal said the Jackets’ offensive woes — they’ve scored two goals in every game and have an anemic power play — are directly related to their approach in practice.

Asked if he’s seen the level improve, Prospal thought a moment.

“Not right now, no,†he said. “This is not one game. We’ve scored two goals every game. It’s been going on for six games. The coaches are expressing enough, but ultimately it’s up to each individual, how they approach it. The coaches can do only so much to guide you, show you what to do. Ultimately, it’s on the individual to perform out there. Not try to do it, do it.

“(Against Dallas) it’s great that we had 40 shots, but we still scored two goals. It’s not enough. That’s what we should be thinking about, not that we played a good game, that we probably outplayed them. That’s not enough. We cannot be satisfied.â€

Prospal has played with great players along his many NHL stops — Philadelphia (twice), Tampa Bay (twice), Ottawa, Florida, Anaheim and the New York Rangers.

One player who stood out, he said, is Lightning winger Martin St. Louis.

“That guy, when he’s not scoring, he goes out there and he battles like crazy,†Prospal said. “He shoots with purpose. He goes to the net with purpose. That’s what makes you appreciate the hockey player and the person. He has achieved so much over his career and still, if he’s not scoring, he doesn’t just say, ‘Oh, (the heck with) it, it will come.’ No, no. He works through it.

“I wouldn’t want to judge (the franchise) because I haven’t spent much time here. But for right now, for sure, it’s one of the reasons why we are where we are.â€

Sydor was traded, much to his relief. Fedorov played out the string before he was traded near the end of his contract.

Prospal said he wants no such escape. At 36, and nearing the end of his career, he wants to make it work here.

“I don’t want to think like that right now,†Prospal said. “I’m grateful. I’m very fortunate for the opportunity that I’m getting here.

“But the career goes by so quickly. Maybe some guys don’t think about it the way I am right now, but you never know how it’s going to be. You have to try to make the most of the opportunity you have at this time. Right now. Today.

“I wanted to have a better start, and I want to make sure we have a positive attitude. Here, sometimes, you sense the feeling of being down. Well, nobody is going to help us. We have to do it on our own.â€

http://bluejacketsxtra.dispatch.com/content/stories/2011/10/21/prospal-questions-jackets-hunger.html

 

[blahblah]

I will forever consider Vinny the first brick.

As much as I despise that cliche, I agree with the sentiment. By all appearances, he really started the change in the locker room. If nothing else I liked how he approached turning things around here. True leader and veteran presence. I hope he can play at a high enough level to give us two or three more years.

 

[Viqsi]

As much as I despise that cliche, I agree with the sentiment. By all appearances, he really started the change in the locker room. If nothing else I liked how he approached turning things around here. True leader and veteran presence. I hope he can play at a high enough level to give us two or three more years.

Two or three more years would be nice. What I really want, though, is for us to get him his day with the Cup.

Because, somehow, he still hasn't had one yet. And you know he deserves it.

 

[CBJ Scruffy]

Awesome stuff, great for Vinny. I love the mentality from that quote. Its good to see him getting recognition right now, whether it is as a future captain or through this. I've often underrated him since he's been here, but that has really changed over the last month or two. This guy needs to finish his career here.

As far as the actual Masterson Award goes, though, I'm having a tough time not putting my hat in Josh Harding's corner. A friend of mine's dad had MS, and I've seen what it does. Just coming back and playing at all is a great story for him and the league, and hopefully things work out for him.

 

[Skraut]

As far as the actual Masterson Award goes, though, I'm having a tough time not putting my hat in Josh Harding's corner. A friend of mine's dad had MS, and I've seen what it does. Just coming back and playing at all is a great story for him and the league, and hopefully things work out for him.

Agreed the Masterton award has become "Who has overcome the worst injury and returned to be a successful hockey player"

With that it's either Harding or Markov