On Dec 31, 12:45 am, marty wrote:
> Chuck wrote innews:f1f0fe4c-6b5d-47e6-8677-a7639554ae69@v13g2000yqm.googlegroups.com:
>
>
>
> > Wasn`t he supposed to fight so players such as Komisarek, Bouillon etc
> > would not have to? But his code tends to get in the way. Players who
> > do not want to fight Laraque, are still willing to fight other Habs,
> > his presence in the lineup doesn`t deter this.
>
> I'd actually have to agree with this a little. It comes down to this
> "code" thing. I forget now who it was that declined a fight with Laraque
> earlier this season, then it ended up that Kostopolous fought him,
> despite the fact he was 6 fot 2 or something like that. Laraque has to
> just grab that guy and sock him and take the extra 2 minutes. If he just
> discretely challanges guys but then lets them skate away if they don't
> want to fight him without even making a big deal about it and then let
> his smaller teammates do the fighting instead, then I'd come around and
> start to agree Laraque doesn't have much value. His teammates have to at
> least feel that when a big player from another team lays out a punishing
> hit against a top star or makes a dirty play, Laraque will be the guy
> who'll take his number and dole out some punishment. If it is Kostopolous
> instead who has to do it, then there is no chance of a hint of
> intimidation to the other team, and no increase in confidence for your
> own, even if it is just the "rush" players get when they see some revenge
> extracted for a downed teammate. Instead we watch Kostopolous get wailed
> on, like tonite. I mean, this is why Carbonneau is frustrated. Laraque
> should have been the man to challange a monster like Artyukhin (6'5", 254
> pounds!). Instead Tanguay gets injured, Kostopolous gets wailed on,
> Artyukhin looks like Mario Lemiuex the rest of the night and almost
> scores twice while no Hab dares approach him, and Laraque sits at home
> with the same injury that he had since training camp. 36 games into his
> Montreal career, Laraque hasn't established his role at all.
>
> Marty
They need players who play with grit 24 and 7, not just when members
of their "Enforcer" fraternity are nearby. I thought Laraque was a
poor signing, but he is difficult to seperate from the puck at times,
I was hoping Carbo, Jarvis and company could work on getting some use
out of that skill (Slot during PPs etc). Not having much if any of a
useful training camp or being healthy for any stretch has prevented
him from developing any chemistry with linemates, to make his "hard to
be knocked off the puck" skill usefull.
>> Stay informed about: Laraque in doghouse 
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