Sports
When it comes to the Chara decision, I just don’t get it – Stanley Cup of Chowder
It really is a weird thing to consider, isn’t it? Zdeno Chara, suiting up for a different team.
The nitpickers among you (and there are plenty) will point out “WELL ACTUALLY HE’S ALREADY PLAYED FOR OTHER TEAMS,” but you get the point.
Chara has presided over a wildly successful run for the Bruins as a franchise, arguably the most successful since the invention of the Internet.
And this is how it ends?
To get this out of the way, it’s unlikely that Chara’s departure makes or breaks the Bruins’ 2021 season. Their fate, as it usually is, will be decided by goaltending and secondary scoring.
But the idea, being put forth by many, that Chara didn’t have any value on this team or that the Bruins somehow deserve credit for cutting bait is insane.
Zdeno Chara is no longer elite. He’s no longer a top-pairing defenseman, nor is he a guy who can play 20+ minutes a night.
That’s fine. As Adam mentioned in his review of Chara’s season, it’s important to look at Chara in the present, not in the past.
And in the present, Chara is still better than John Moore. He’s better than Urho Vaakanainen, better than Jakub Zboril, better than Jack Ahcan.
Too many people are getting caught up in the whole “youth movement” idea, as if a player being younger automatically makes him better.
“Well you’re just getting caught up in nostalgia,” you type in the comments. “He was bad in the playoffs.”
He was! You’re absolutely correct. You know who else was bad? Patrice Bergeron. And Charlie Coyle. And Torey Krug.
Oddly enough, those guys were injured, or in a slump, or just had trouble getting started after the bubble.
But for Chara, it was age catching up to him. “Father Time,” you say. “He just doesn’t have it anymore. He was bad in the bubble, so clearly he won’t be able to handle a compressed season.”
What this conveniently ignores is that during the regular season prior to the shutdown, Chara was playing some of his best hockey of the past few seasons. Again, not at an elite level – but at an effective level, including against the opposition’s top talent.
Many of you will deny this now, and that’s fine. But you’re letting a bad playoff run cloud your memory of what came before it.
“He’s slow! The game has passed him by!”
I’m not sure how to break this to you, but speed has never been one of Chara’s strengths, even in his Norris days.
He’s a player who was effective due to positioning, smarts, and reach…things that don’t really get worse with age.
What makes this decision especially puzzling is the fact that the Bruins have elected to go with a youth movement on defense during what, by most accounts, is likely their last serious kick at the can.
Their #1 goalie is likely gone after this season. Their #2 center is likely gone as well. If those problems with secondary scoring were bad before, just wait!
To me, this move would have made a whole lot more sense after this coming season. It’d be a tacit admission of “look, we have to start looking to the future, even if it means a lean year.”
But why now, when everyone seems to be in agreement that the Bruins’ Stanley Cup window is rapidly closing (if not already slammed shut)?
There are ways out of this for Don Sweeney, and I suppose it’s important to hear what he has to say tomorrow morning.
If, for example, the Bruins told Chara he’d need to accept third-pairing minutes and the real possibility of being on the 9th Floor at times and he declined, then fine – Sweeney did what he had to do.
If Sweeney has another move in place (it’s been rumored that the Bruins have been active on the D trade market), then cool!
But the idea that the Bruins had to cut bait with Chara because he wouldn’t accept a lesser role seems insane to me – he’s been a model citizen for a decade and a half, and knows he’s running out of chances for another Cup.
The idea that you can’t have your captain playing on the third pairing is similarly laughable. You look to your captain for leadership, not headlines. There are few better examples of sports leadership than accepting a lesser role for the good of the team.
In the end, however, it is what it is. The Bruins have decided to pin their hopes on a left side of their defense anchored by John Moore and Matt Grzelcyk, or they have a trade coming. I suppose we just have to wait and see.
The Bruins, as currently constructed, are not better without Zdeno Chara than they were with him. And for a team in “win now” mode to go that route willingly is pretty puzzling.
Chara will likely be a shell of what we remember him as in Washington, but they know what they’re getting: an experienced defenseman who can contribute in a reduced role on a team with a closing window.
It’s a shame that the Bruins didn’t see it the same way.
Sports
Toronto Maple Leafs Make Tough Decision in Waiving Jason Spezza and Aaron Dell – The Hockey Writers
We knew the Toronto Maple Leafs were going to have to be creative with the salary cap situation. General Manager Kyle Dubas said there would be a lot of paperwork to file out to stay compliant, but it was just a formality for the most part. But that paperwork started a dumpster fire on Sunday morning. Jason Spezza hit the waiver wire, and within minutes it got worse. Sportsnet’s Chris Johnson spoke with Spezza’s agent, Rick Curran, who said Spezza would “simply retire” if another team claimed him.
What just happened? Spezza has played well as a fourth-line centre. He won all 10 of his face-offs on Saturday night in a win over the Ottawa Senators. He recorded his 600th career assist in the opening game against the Montreal Canadiens. He even played a few shifts on the second line with John Tavares and William Nylander. These facts did not lead anyone to imagine that his hometown team would waive the 37-year-old veteran.
I’m sure Dubas did not come to this decision lightly. It’s a ripple effect of Nic Robertson injuring his knee in the first period of the game on Saturday night. A move had to be made to bring up another player from the taxi squad. According to his agent, Spezza understood the risks of these roster moves when he resigned with Toronto. He was happy to continue to play a depth role and offer leadership.
Rough Ride for Spezza in Toronto
I get that this is business, but you have to feel for the guy. He came to Toronto to pursue his dream of winning a Stanley Cup. In his first game with the organization, Mike Babcock gave the veteran the healthy scratch with several family members in attendance. A move that lit up the Toronto sports commentators for weeks. Now just three games into his second season with the Maple Leafs, he is put on the waiver wire.
It seems unlikely Spezza will be claimed. However, Toronto may lose its third goalie. Aaron Dell has also been put on waivers. Toronto was carrying three goalies to offer more downtime to Frederik Andersen and Jack Campbell. Andersen didn’t dress on Saturday night.
A Move Was Coming
Before Saturday’s game, Sheldon Keefe was asked about his ability to make lineup changes. His answer left it open to this kind of move. “You get the extra goalie insurance the depth there, and of course we value,” said Keefe. “I think when you look at our situation carrying a 21 man roster, and one of those guys is a third goalie, it limits our ability to make lineup changes. But a lot can happen in a season, and things can change quickly.”
Those changes did happen quickly. Not only in Toronto, but the Edmonton Oilers are facing challenges. Mike Smith was placed on the long-term injured reserve list. Edmonton lost back-up Anton Forsberg, who had earlier been claimed off waivers. This left Edmonton one minor injury from a disaster in the net. The Oilers have signed two goalies since, but due to quarantine restrictions, they are not available to the team until January 27. Edmonton is 19th on the waiver wire list. Not only that, the Oilers are in Toronto for a game on Wednesday and Friday. It’s hard to imagine that Dell will not be claimed.
We are just three games into the 56-game regular season. We are getting a sense of how difficult it will be for teams and players to manage the new world of quarantine restrictions. Who could’ve predicted that Robertson’s knee injury could lead to a possible retirement of Spezza and could possibly help out a North Division rival? This is the new normal.
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NEW ORLEANS — Nearly two hours after the New Orleans Saints’ season had ended, Drew Brees stood on the Superdome field in street clothes, throwing passes to his children while his wife, Brittany, captured images of those moments with her cellphone.
Brees routinely throws the ball around with his kids after home games, but after a 30-20 playoff loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday night, he lingered longer than usual — and there was no telling whether that familiar postgame scene would play out again.
Two days after Brees’ 42nd birthday, his 20th NFL season ended with statistically his worst playoff performance.
Brees threw three interceptions, his most in 18 post-season appearances. His 134 yards passing were a career-playoff low. And because of COVID-19 restrictions, there were fewer than 4,000 fans in the 73,000-seat Superdome to bid him farewell — if indeed it was his final game in a Saints uniform.
For now, Brees won’t say. But he’s also said nothing that would lead one to believe he’s prepared to play next season, his last under contract.
“I’ll answer this question one time and that is that I’m going to give myself an opportunity to think about the season, think about a lot of things just like I did last year and make a decision,” Brees said.
Drew Brees waving goodbye and taking one possible last look before leaving the Superdome field has us right in the feels.
: @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/UBU9J9q0pf— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 18, 2021
That decision for the NFL’s all-time leader in yards passing will come after a fourth straight season that saw the Saints (13-5) win 11 or more games and go to the playoffs, only to come up short of the Super Bowl.
This season, Brees missed four games with multiple broken ribs and a punctured lung, but came back in time to see New Orleans through to its fourth straight NFC South crown and a convincing playoff victory over Chicago in the wild-card round.
“I would never regret it. Never. No complaints, no regrets,” Brees said. “I’ve always tried to play this game with a great respect and a great reverence for it, and I appreciate all that this game has given to me.
“There are obviously so many incredible memories and so many incredible relationships that have come as a result of playing this game,” Brees continued. “You find out so much about yourself and you have to fight through so much when you play this game. And I’d say this season I probably had to fight through more than I’ve ever had to in any other season in my career, from injury to all the COVID stuff, to just crazy circumstances. And it was worth every moment of it. Absolutely.”
Brees said the way this season ended “won’t have anything to do” with his decision on whether to retire.
As for what will go into the decision, Brees said, “I’ll keep that to myself right now.”
Saints coach Sean Payton seemed to be taking his cue from Brees when he, too, sidestepped a question about what his decade-and-a-half relationship with Brees has meant to him.
“That’s probably for another press conference,” Payton said. “Obviously he’s been tremendous for this team, this city. I could go on and on, but let’s wait and answer that at the right time.”
Other teammates didn’t wait, though.
“He’s been everything you could imagine a leader could be,” said Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan, Brees’ teammate since 2011. “He’s the first one in, the last one out. Every stereotypical leadership core value you think of, Drew has. He exemplifies everything that he does in terms of wanting to be a better teammate.”
Veteran linebacker Demario Davis said playing with Brees has meant “everything” to him.
“When I came to New Orleans, I wanted to help Drew Brees win another Super Bowl because I feel like he deserves it for the accomplishments that he’s had,” Davis said. “I wanted him to have some more championship trophies on the mantle.
“He’s a great teammate, a great leader, a great man, a great husband and a great father,” Davis added. “He’s just an example for all us to try to emulate.”
Brees, who brought the Saints their only Super Bowl appearance and win in the 2009 season, is not only the all-time leader in yards passing with 80,358, but also completions 7,142. He began this season first in touchdowns, but is now second with 571, behind the 581 of Tampa Bay’s Tom Brady, who is moving on to his 14th conference title game at age 43.
When the game ended, Brees greeted a couple of Bucs players, including Brady, who he’s known since college, and then pointed to the stands and blew kisses as he jogged to the tunnel leading to the Saints locker room. When he first emerged from the locker room back onto the field in street clothes, he shared a long embrace with Brittany while his three sons and daughter played nearby.
“I always soak in the moment and I’m looking up at my family and blowing kisses to my wife and my daughter and fist-pumping my boys,” Brees said. “They’ve become so much a part of this as my kids have gotten older, and they are so invested in this as well. That’s what makes the moment special, to be able to share it all together.”
Source: – Sportsnet.ca
Sports
Drew Brees’ career possibly ends with more Saints playoff sorrow as Tom Brady and Bucs move on
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The Canadian Press
Saints’ Brees exits playoffs, perhaps career, on sour note
NEW ORLEANS — Nearly two hours after the New Orleans Saints’ season had ended, Drew Brees stood on the Superdome field in street clothes, throwing passes to his children while his wife, Brittany, captured images of those moments with her cellphone. Brees routinely throws the ball around with his kids after home games, but after a 30-20 playoff loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday night, he lingered longer than usual — and there was no telling whether that familiar postgame scene would play out again. Two days after Brees’ 42nd birthday, his 20th NFL season ended with statistically his worst playoff performance. Brees threw three interceptions, his most in 18 post-season appearances. His 134 yards passing were a career-playoff low. And because of COVID-19 restrictions, there were fewer than 4,000 fans in the 73,000-seat Superdome to bid him farewell — if indeed it was his final game in a Saints uniform. For now, Brees won’t say. But he’s also said nothing that would lead one to believe he’s prepared to play next season, his last under contract. “I’ll answer this question one time and that is that I”m going to give myself an opportunity to think about the season, think about a lot of things just like I did last year and make a decision,” Brees said. That decision for the NFL’s all-time leader in yards passing will come after a fourth straight season that saw the Saints (13-5) win 11 or more games and go to the playoffs, only to come up short of the Super Bowl. This season, Brees missed four games with multiple broken ribs and a punctured lung, but came back in time to see New Orleans through to its fourth straight NFC South crown and a convincing playoff victory over Chicago in the wild-card round. “I would never regret it. Never. No complaints, no regrets,” Brees said. “I’ve always tried to play this game with a great respect and a great reverence for it, and I appreciate all that this game has given to me. “There are obviously so many incredible memories and so many incredible relationships that have come as a result of playing this game,” Brees continued. “You find out so much about yourself and you have to fight through so much when you play this game. And I’d say this season I probably had to fight through more than I’ve ever had to in any other season in my career, from injury to all the COVID stuff, to just crazy circumstances. And it was worth every moment of it. Absolutely.” Brees said the way this season ended “won’t have anything to do” with his decision on whether to retire. As for what will go into the decision, Brees said, “I’ll keep that to myself right now.” Saints coach Sean Payton seemed to be taking his cue from Brees when he, too, sidestepped a question about what his decade-and-a-half relationship with Brees has meant to him. “That’s probably for another press conference,” Payton said. “Obviously he’s been tremendous for this team, this city. I could go on and on, but let’s wait and answer that at the right time.” Other teammates didn’t wait, though. “He’s been everything you could imagine a leader could be,” said Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan, Brees’ teammate since 2011. “He’s the first one in, the last one out. Every stereotypical leadership core value you think of, Drew has. He exemplifies everything that he does in terms of wanting to be a better teammate.” Veteran linebacker Demario Davis said playing with Brees has meant “everything” to him. “When I came to New Orleans, I wanted to help Drew Brees win another Super Bowl because I feel like he deserves it for the accomplishments that he’s had,” Davis said. “I wanted him to have some more championship trophies on the mantle. “He’s a great teammate, a great leader, a great man, a great husband and a great father,” Davis added. “He’s just an example for all us to try to emulate.” Brees, who brought the Saints their only Super Bowl appearance and win in the 2009 season, is not only the all-time leader in yards passing with 80,358, but also completions 7,142. He began this season first in touchdowns, but is now second with 571, behind the 581 of Tampa Bay’s Tom Brady, who is moving on to his 14th conference title game at age 43. When the game ended, Brees greeted a couple of Bucs players, including Brady, who he’s known since college, and then pointed to the stands and blew kisses as he jogged to the tunnel leading to the Saints locker room. When he first emerged from the locker room back onto the field in street clothes, he shared a long embrace with Brittany while his three sons and daughter played nearby. “I always soak in the moment and I’m looking up at my family and blowing kisses to my wife and my daughter and fist-pumping my boys,” Brees said. “They’ve become so much a part of this as my kids have gotten older, and they are so invested in this as well. That’s what makes the moment special, to be able to share it all together.” ___ More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL Brett Martel, The Associated Press
Source: – Yahoo Canada
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