Florida is a lucky team - Markstrom is rocking

[sportmats]

Florida will be a really good team in a three-four years time. They have secured the goalie Jakob Markström, that is really really awesome. I hardly doubt there are any better 18 year old goalie around in the world for the moment.
He has alone brought Brynäs to the top position in Swedish Elitserien. The pundits were saying before the season that Brynäs would have a really bad season and that the team would fight really hard to stay in the Elitserien. But after 12 (of 55) rounds. Brynäs is on the top. And behind that is an really top of the world play between the pipes by Jakob Markström.

He has 94,95 save precentage and 1.54 GAA in nine games.

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=9787

Here are a clip http://svt.se/svt/play/video.jsp?a=1277163
Just look at the saves after 3.40 mins in the clip. Markström is the goalie in the white team. BTW. The goalie in the green team is Johan Holmqvist.

[Donovan]

Re: Florida is a lucky team - Markstrom is rocking

People have been saying they will be great in 3-4 years since they came into the league. But they've done very poorly in the draft, what guys they have had turn out well they couldnt keep, and they don't shell out for big UFAs. Since they went on that run back in the 90s they've sucked in the easiest division in the NHL. Luongo is gone, Jokinen is gone, this summer Bouwmeester will be gone if he doesnt get traded. Florida will be a bad team for a long time still.

[Money99]

Re: Florida is a lucky team - Markstrom is rocking

People have been saying they will be great in 3-4 years since they came into the league. But they've done very poorly in the draft, what guys they have had turn out well they couldnt keep, and they don't shell out for big UFAs. Since they went on that run back in the 90s they've sucked in the easiest division in the NHL. Luongo is gone, Jokinen is gone, this summer Bouwmeester will be gone if he doesnt get traded. Florida will be a bad team for a long time still.

I completely agree. It's been half a decade or more we've been waiting for the Panthers to make some waves, but they haven't.

And Mike Keenan should have never seen another bench or GM position in his life after completely getting bent over in the Luongo deal.

South Florida is just a bad hockey market. Nobody seems to care all that much and it seems to be the same case with ownership and management.

[sportmats]

Re: Florida is a lucky team - Markstrom is rocking

I really hope that you have watched the world junior hockey championships and watched Markstrom play in the swedish goal. Really awesome play. Come on Canada, we are ready!

[Pink Mist]

Re: Florida is a lucky team - Markstrom is rocking

I really hope that you have watched the world junior hockey championships and watched Markstrom play in the swedish goal. Really awesome play. Come on Canada, we are ready!

And so is Canada...

[theaub]

Re: Florida is a lucky team - Markstrom is rocking

I really hope that you have watched the world junior hockey championships and watched Markstrom play in the swedish goal. Really awesome play. Come on Canada, we are ready!

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww its on now

[bad_philanthropy]

Re: Florida is a lucky team - Markstrom is rocking

Is Markstrom a hockey player or an Olympic diver? Looks like the latter in this gold medal game.

[headrulz101]

Re: Florida is a lucky team - Markstrom is rocking

The guy's been flopping all over the ice. I think he might have a good career playing on the Italian or Portugal soccer team. I mean, it's happened five times or more, and is it me or is his helmet is exploding off his head every time?

Don't get me wrong, he is an excellent goaltender, but hopefully Florida knocks the sissy dives out of him.

[bad_philanthropy]

Re: Florida is a lucky team - Markstrom is rocking

The guy's been flopping all over the ice. I think he might have a good career playing on the Italian or Portugal soccer team. I mean, it's happened five times or more, and is it me or is his helmet is exploding off his head every time?

Don't get me wrong, he is an excellent goaltender, but hopefully Florida knocks the sissy dives out of him.

Yeah, he's a hell of a goalie no need for the wussy gamesmanship.

[Money99]

Re: Florida is a lucky team - Markstrom is rocking

I really hope that you have watched the world junior hockey championships and watched Markstrom play in the swedish goal. Really awesome play. Come on Canada, we are ready!

You mean the goalie that was embellishing and diving all over the ice? The same goalie that allowed the Canadian team to get in his head and dominate him in a gold medal game?

Yeah, I can't wait to see this whining baby play in the NHL.

Now, about the game. It was nice to see the Canadian team utterly and thoroughly dominate the Swedes. We had probably the worst starting goalie our country has employed in 10 years between the pipes and we still kicked butt. Good job Canada! We'll win our 6th gold in 6 years 12 months from now.

I also find it astonishing that we've only lost 1 junior game in 5 years. That's unbelievable!

[headrulz101]

Re: Florida is a lucky team - Markstrom is rocking

You mean the goalie that was embellishing and diving all over the ice? The same goalie that allowed the Canadian team to get in his head and dominate him in a gold medal game?

Yeah, I can't wait to see this whining baby play in the NHL.

Now, about the game. It was nice to see the Canadian team utterly and thoroughly dominate the Swedes. We had probably the worst starting goalie our country has employed in 10 years between the pipes and we still kicked butt. Good job Canada! We'll win our 6th gold in 6 years 12 months from now.

I also find it astonishing that we've only lost 1 junior game in 5 years. That's unbelievable!

Yeah, Hockey Canada has been churning out some pretty damn good players over the past 5 or so years. At least half of the players on this year's team will find playing time on an NHL squad in the future.

I'm also glad the Montrealer, Esposito, showed everyone that he'll play tough and he'll grind out some pretty awesome goals (he scored a big one yesterday). I hope Atlanta takes note of this and gives him a call up in the close future.

Oh and PK Subban! The guy is a great Offensive Dman and he has an infectious personality. He also shows a ton of passion on the ice (punching the net after Tokarski was knocked over).

PS Markstrom looked like a bowling pin at the beginning when he was "knocked" over. Once again, great goalie, but he must get rid of the embellishment, especially if he plays in the NHL.

[Money99]

Re: Florida is a lucky team - Markstrom is rocking

Yeah, Hockey Canada has been churning out some pretty damn good players over the past 5 or so years. At least half of the players on this year's team will find playing time on an NHL squad in the future.

I'm also glad the Montrealer, Esposito, showed everyone that he'll play tough and he'll grind out some pretty awesome goals (he scored a big one yesterday). I hope Atlanta takes note of this and gives him a call up in the close future.

Oh and PK Subban! The guy is a great Offensive Dman and he has an infectious personality. He also shows a ton of passion on the ice (punching the net after Tokarski was knocked over).

PS Markstrom looked like a bowling pin at the beginning when he was "knocked" over. Once again, great goalie, but he must get rid of the embellishment, especially if he plays in the NHL.

You know what I find interesting? Is that since the lockout, and the change in officiating standards, Canada and the US have skyrocketed up the ladder as far as 'skilled' players are concerned.
I would have guessed it would be the other way around.

But the more I read about hockey from 'yesteryear' and see the changes the NHL went through once the European infusion began, it's quite obvious that the European players brought in the 'systems' and hooking and holding.

Back in 1985, the game, while slower, was more wide open and featured some great end-to-end action and individual skill.
Once Europeans started coming over the game evolved as well. Systems like the left-wing lock, the torpedo and neutral zone trap are all European-based. And so was the stick work.

Now that it's all been eliminated we're seeing the skill of our North American skaters. Nearly every US born player has great skating skills. Guys like Kessel, Modano and Wilson are testimants of that.
And look at the reduction of Russian born players in the NHL? You're seeing more kids get drafted out of the USHL and NCAA than Russia and the Czech Republic.

The game is progressing and it's nice to see that North American kids are reaping the rewards in allowing the skilled players the freedom to show them off.

[CoRruPt-]

Re: Florida is a lucky team - Markstrom is rocking

And look at the reduction of Russian born players in the NHL? You're seeing more kids get drafted out of the USHL and NCAA than Russia and the Czech Republic.

Isn't it because there's no transfer agreement between the NHL and Russian hockey clubs? Teams are very wary of picking Russian players because of this.

[Money99]

Re: Florida is a lucky team - Markstrom is rocking

Isn't it because there's no transfer agreement between the NHL and Russian hockey clubs? Teams are very wary of picking Russian players because of this.

That's part of it. But there's been a big decline for a handful of seasons now. And surely they would have a few players some teams would gamble on taking with a late round pick.

The NCAA and USHL are gaining popularity because of the skill level their athletes are showing. I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that we're seeing a shift in how the game is played. Systems aren't as effective and with little to no hooking and holding, we're seeing American and Canadian skaters shine.

[Donovan]

Re: Florida is a lucky team - Markstrom is rocking

Isn't it because there's no transfer agreement between the NHL and Russian hockey clubs? Teams are very wary of picking Russian players because of this.

If any Russian was half decent, IE Malkin or Ovechkin the team takes him anyway, but it might hurt mid round guys yah, if there was a Canadian or Russian with the same skill level they probably take the local.