Thornton for MVP!

[PlayMakers]

I don't want to take anything away from Lecavalier's great tourny, but big Joe deserved the MVP. He had 4 points in the final 2 games (including the primary assist on the championship winning goal), and still found time to shut down Jagr's line & Selanne's line. Let's not forget that besides Sakic & Lemieux, Thornton's 101 point season was the best of any player on this team, but he checked his ego at the door and welcomed the checking role; dominated defensively, on face-offs and along the boards and, in my opinion, was the difference for Canada in their semi & final games.

Click to read more...

 

[kmad]

Draper is the guy who shut down Selanne and Jagr.

Doan is on the same line, and scored the tournament winning goal. He has a better case than Thornton.

 

[Burnaby_Joe*]

Draper is the guy who shut down Selanne and Jagr.

Doan is on the same line, and scored the tournament winning goal. He has a better case than Thornton.

They all played great. Thornton was a monster down low. He set up Drapes and Doan a million times.

 

[DBL]

Draper is the guy who shut down Selanne and Jagr.

Doan is on the same line, and scored the tournament winning goal. He has a better case than Thornton.

Doan was great all tournament no doubt about it, but he has a better case than Joe for MVP? Don't like Joe very much do you...

The Finns couldn't hold Joe off, his reach and physically dominates made him the best player on the ice tonight. Defensively he was a rock, making a few good backchecking plays and making sure defensive play went first.

Great game by Joe and Team Canada tonight... WOoHOo... !!

 

[kmad]

The Finns couldn't hold Joe off, his reach and physically dominates made him the best player on the ice tonight. Defensively he was a rock, making a few good backchecking plays and making sure defensive play went first.

does one good game make an MVP?

 

[Burnaby_Joe*]

does one good game make an MVP?

He played good a few games. Hey, he's no Naslund. :lol

 

[Teezax]

You get my shout out for Thornton, he certainly impressed me at times, until I woke up and realized that Sakic was the best player on this team....Mr Clutch every game, every playoff, every tournament.

 

[Verbal Kint*]

Personally I felt that if anyone from the line was to get consideration it would be Draper. Constantly paired up against the toughest opponents. Two goals and two assists to top it off. For someone who I felt was an iffy addition, he sure proved me wrong.

 

[Burnaby_Joe*]

You get my shout out for Thornton, he certainly impressed me at times, until I woke up and realized that Sakic was the best player on this team....Mr Clutch every game, every playoff, every tournament.

Burnaby Joe, Super Joe, The Canuck Crusher, Hall of Fame Joe.

 

[hockeyfan125]

He played good a few games. Hey, he's no Naslund. :lol

Good contribution to this Naslund thread. Wait a minute.....
Don't go trying to get Canuck fans riled up, it's pointless arguments.

 

[benji]

I'm ok with Lecavalier, he played awesome down low.

 

[Burnaby_Joe*]

I'm ok with Lecavalier, he played awesome down low.

That's true, he played awesome.

 

[deathbear]

im in love with vincent lecavalier. it's kind of creepy actually, as i always thought i was straight, but what do you know? turns out i have a man-crush!

 

[kmad]

I don't think Lecavalier should have won it, I think Brodeur should have won it. Brodeur's absence was evident in the Czech game and again he came up big in the Finland game. It was Brodeur's to lose, and I think he lost it because of the injury that forced him to miss the Czech game.

 

[Burnaby_Joe*]

I don't think Lecavalier should have won it, I think Brodeur should have won it. Brodeur's absence was evident in the Czech game and again he came up big in the Finland game. It was Brodeur's to lose, and I think he lost it because of the injury that forced him to miss the Czech game.

The Czechs were all over us, I don't think Brodeur would have made a difference. Luongo played awesome late in the 3rd and overtime.

 

[The Legend]

im in love with vincent lecavalier. it's kind of creepy actually, as i always thought i was straight, but what do you know? turns out i have a man-crush!

It's called a non-sexual crush.

 

[deathbear]

It's called a non-sexual crush.

so now i know how george costanza felt about jimmy.

 

[Oceanic39*]

I was extremely impressed that Thornton could lose his scoring line spot to Lecavalier, be asked to center a checking line, and not say a word and play it to almost perfection. Very impressive. He was indeed a monster tonight and I have a new respect for him.

The only person to impress me more than Thornton was Shane Doan - every freakin' game.

MVP for this team is a toughie. You could pick 90% of the roster and make a good case for them.

For Vinny, he either scored or assisted on 4 of Canada's 6 GW goals. The game (besides the finals) he wasn't on the scoresheet he was Canada's Player of the Game. He didn't get much ice time tonight, but you have to give the MVP to someone.

I'm a huge Sakic fan, so if it would have went to him I wouldn't have complained. So many deserving candidates.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

I am not a Thonton fan but I think he should have gotten it. He was a force all tourney and If he had anyone with a hot hand on his line he would have had well over 10 points.

 

[Rocky Saginuts]

I agree, Thornton was Canada's most consistent player over the tourney. He would have had 20 points if Doan had a better trigger. His strength behind the net is awesome.

The other aspect of his tourney, was never complaining about being considered a checker. This guy has hands to be on any NHL teams' first line, yet he did his duty while Vinny had the glory.

Wasn't sold on Thornton before, but now I'm a believer.

 

[kmad]

What Brodeur does so much better than Luongo is puckhandling and rebound control. Czech would have got a lot less scoring chances if Brodeur were in net, thanks to his rebound control, and Canada would have had to deal with a LOT less Czech forechecking, since Brodeur can make outlet passes on his own.

 

[Colt.45Orr]

I think you could make a strong case for:

Jumbo Joe...

Vinny...

or Burnaby-J...

My vote would have gone to either Joe -thaaan Vinny.

I love Lecavalier - I just don't feel he had as big on an (overall) impact as Thornton.
The OT goal sealed the award for him - AND I THINK IT IS GREAT -take nothing away from the guy......

But Thornton put up the same numbers (basically)...

had a much better +/-

Didn't put his team short-handed the whole tourny

Shut down two of the top lines in the World Cup.

But hey, Sakic would have been a good pick too...

 

[Knucklez]

im in love with vincent lecavalier. it's kind of creepy actually, as i always thought i was straight, but what do you know? turns out i have a man-crush!

I feel the same way about Thornton. He's always been one of my favourite players, but this tournament put him over the top. He'll never top Burnaby Joe, but nobody ever will, Thornton is officially my favourite player.

"I was just so happy to be a part of this team. Checker, water boy, whatever, it doesn't matter" - Big Joe

 

[Sotnos]

Didn't put his team short-handed the whole tourny

You blame Vinny for getting a crappy call against him in the Czech game?

 

[Anksun]

whoever wants Thornton or Draper for MVP need a shake in my opinion.

Mark my words: They were both VERY good. But the way they have play was more in relation with the ice time they got from Quinn than anything else. And for me, both of those games (semi and finals) would have been easier would they have play Lecavalier and so on more.

You got the best offense (all 4 lines i mean) in all the tournament but suddently you need to CHECK and that's WHY you WIN????? Of course we'll never know but this Canada team was Much more efficient against Usa and Russia than they were in semi and final and this is the way they should have keep rolling.

Lecavalier for MVP is more than fair and I think the amount of Ice time he have received in the last 2 games and especially tonight was quite laughable.

Take it for what it's worth but there was 2 ways of thinking about this after the game tonight.
1. Thornton was Huge and close to MVP, dont even heard of Lecavalier except something like "good for him he won the mvp"
2. Nice win, Thornton was very good but how can you put Lecavalier on the bench for so long in a game like that and the way he have play in ALL this tournament?

I'll finish by saying 1 way was coming from a French Channel and the 2nd was from an English Channel and not in that order
__________

My only point in fact was more about Quinn. If you think he have take this team to the victory because of good Coaching... I strongly think you are Wrong. And this doesnt affect what I think of players performance as they were about all good.

1 last question: Was Lecavalier not playing tonight (not much) because he was not good enough? 'cause I think everyone will agree even those who wants Thornton that he was the mvp (could say clear cut) before this game...