Tampa Bay won tonight in game four, 1-0 over Calgary. You can read the write up at SportsGuru. Instead of recapping the game, I’d like to take a look at Jarome Iginla. Throughout the playoffs, he has been portrayed as some sort of godly figure for Calgary, and I think its just crap.
If Iginla is the fantastic hockey player and leader everyone has made him out to be, why does he not show up in the games Calgary loses? There are lots of players who can play well when things are going their way. Let’s look at his stats in the games Calgary has lost in the playoffs so far, shall we? I will ignore stats for winning games, because they are not reflective of his awesomeness as a player. Lots of guys get points in wins.
- 5/31/2004, even rating, 0 goals, 0 assists, 4 shots, 9 penalty minutes
- 5/27/2004, even rating, 0 goals, 0 assists, 2 shots, 0 penalty minutes
- 5/16/2004, plus 1 rating, 1 goal, 0 assists, 3 shots, 2 penalty minutes
- 5/13/2004, even rating, 0 goals, 0 assists, 7 shots, 22 penalty minutes (team total was 51)
- 4/29/2004, minus 1 rating, 0 goals, 1 assist, 4 shots, 0 penalty minutes
- 4/24/2004, minus 1 rating, 0 goals, 0 assists, 0 shots, 5 penality minutes
Now looking just at the stats, you might say that he has improved as the playoffs have progressed (at least in plus/minus). Yet he still is unable to come up with the big goal when it matters. If he really is the star and carrying this team, where are the statistics to back that up? Does your leader rack up almost half your team’s total penalty minutes in a losing cause?
Now if that doesn’t convince you, consider his performance in tonight’s game. Calgary lost any chance of taking the game to OT when Nieminen took a senseless 5 minute major with just over 4 minutes remaining in the game. The hit from behind on Lecavalier was ugly and unecessary and Nieminen will probably be suspended for it. How did Iginla react? He yapped his mouth off at everyone and slammed his stick against his bench. Anyone who knows anything about hockey knows how dirty that hit was, and I don’t care if its the heat of the moment, a real leader would have shut his trap and told his teammates “okay guys we gotta work harder, no giving up”.
For a guy that makes a fifth of Calgary’s entire payroll, he should be billed as the leader and star. And I am not disputing that Iginla has skill, and that he’s a gritty Canadian player who can dish it out. But is he THE man? Is he a true leader? I think the media hype has been exaggerated, and Iginla’s stats and behaviour back that up.
DISCLAIMER: Don’t bother leaving a comment about how this is one-sided, or how I don’t see his behaviour in the locker room or in practice. I obviously cannot, and neither can you. And most definitely do not make yourself look stupid by leaving a comment like “let’s see you do better”. I am not in the NHL making $7.5 million like Iginla for a reason. All stats can be found on NHL.com.
MasterMaq's Blog 
Calgary hater.
Edmonton hater.
Canadian hater.
What? no reply? Can’t even say deport the little azn dude? THATS RIGHT. BECAUSE YOU ARE THE TRAITOR. YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO PAUL MARTIN AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT IS A SYMBOL OF CANADIAN HERITAGE 😉
Yeah you better say what you can now, no free speech in jail you cradle-rocker.
your sister is not 18!?
(it’s cradle robber, if you’re referring to him being a pedophile)
anyways, like i said on saturday, he’s being touted as the next one (to gretzky, of course) and as much as you hate him, that’s the way it is. right, wrong or indifferent, that’s how it is and until the playoffs are done, that’s all we’ll hear about
Of course we’ll hear about it. The difference is whether people believe it or not. Hopefully you see, like I said on Saturday, there is nothing to back up what we are hearing.
And no, I meant cradle rocker…you haven’t heard this week’s show yet 😉
LOL yea, let’s all relax about this heated debate about iginla, and let’s listen to some totally awesome blogosphere radio alright?!
I agree with you Mack. Iginla is getting too much hype when he isn’t doing a whole lot, especially when his team needs him the most. I watched the hit last night too, and I can’t believe his reaction to the penalty. That penalty was well deserved and he shouldn’t be upset at it at all. If he was a true leader, he should’ve just encourage his team to pull back together instead of acting like a hot head and not being productive.
Go Tampa!
I LOVE JAROME!!!!!!!!!!
what the fuck are u talking about?
He cant score big goals when it counts?
you must have missed game 7 vs. vancouver when he pretty much took the game OVER. 2 goals and an assist. Thats the single most amazing effort i have ever seen by one person. "But is he THE man? Is he a true leader?" When you can lead a bunch of pretty much rookies to game 7 of the stanley cup final. Im pretty sure you’re a true leader.
"How did Iginla react? He yapped his mouth off at everyone and slammed his stick against his bench" yes it was a dirty hit. Yes he deserved the penalty. But no captain is just going to sit back and let it happen and be like "oh well, we lost" of course he’d going to get worked up. "work harder guys… blah blah blah" he probably did say that, and maybe he was pissed at nieminen and was taking it out on the officials. WHO KNOWS!? Lets turn it around, if pratt had hit gelinas like that you dont think andreychuk would be running his mouth off? seriously, i think we all know most captains would do the same thing.
And you must have missed the game where we lost and got those 51 penalty minutes. The flames were down by 3… and all those penalty minutes came in the dying seconds of the game. Its not like it was the first period and they were being sent to the box 3 guys at a time. Get your facts straight. Anyone who watches iginla night after night knows he’s not "overrated" or that he’s too "hyped up". Obviously you just started watching him in the playoffs, your facts prove that. You’re a fucking idiot.
you’re a fucking waste of space.
cant even give a reply… fucker.
What is going on here???
I thin kyour the best and i hope that you play for the Calgary Flames again and you are my hero
iginla = bulbous head cock sucker…