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Post by Score on Jun 23, 2007 11:42:54 GMT -3
Congrats to Antoine Lafleur, who was chosen in the 2nd round (48th overall) by the NY Rangers!!
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Post by Krang7 on Jun 23, 2007 11:45:28 GMT -3
Congrats Tony. A lot earlier then I expected to see him go but great to see.
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Post by Mugford-Unit(2008-2009) on Jun 23, 2007 11:50:54 GMT -3
congrats Antoine Lafleur
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Post by wingman on Jun 23, 2007 12:35:30 GMT -3
Congrats to Lafleur. Second goalie taken in the draft, it looks like the playoffs didn't hurt him.
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Post by Rascal on Jun 23, 2007 13:48:11 GMT -3
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Post by Score on Jun 23, 2007 13:50:52 GMT -3
Thanks! here's the pic.
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Post by HockeyChick21 on Jun 23, 2007 15:58:42 GMT -3
Well that is great, congrats Antoine!
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Post by _rocketfan_ on Jun 23, 2007 17:37:36 GMT -3
Here a short video of Antoine at the Draft
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Go Rocket!
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Post by Score on Jun 23, 2007 17:54:42 GMT -3
Thanks!
Im sure it was a great experience for him and the whole family.
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Post by thedarcy on Jun 23, 2007 20:13:53 GMT -3
Brief article from NHL.com
Quebec's hockey factory? -- Goalie Antoine Lafleur, who was the first North American goalie to be taken in this draft – by the New York Rangers at No. 48 – hails from Gatineau, Quebec.
To be the first (North American) goalie to be selected is a big deal to me," said Lafleur, who was ranked behind Plymouth's Jeremy Smith and Peterborough's Trevor Cann. Swedish goalie Joel Gistedt, taken by Phoenix a dozen picks earlier than Lafleur, was the first goalie selected at this year's draft.
Lafleur was quick to point out that he is just the latest in a long line of high-end hockey prospects to hail from his hometown, which is right across the Ottawa River from Ottawa, Ontario.
"There's a lot of good players there," he says proudly of his hometown. "(Derick) Brassard (selected sixth-overall by Columbus last year) was drafted here. Mathieu Carle was drafted by Montreal (also in 2006). There are some good guys. (Buffalo's) Daniel Briere is from my hometown."
--Shawn P. Roarke
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Post by Wallee on Jun 23, 2007 22:03:20 GMT -3
nice to see and so high in the draft. was there a shortage of goalies this year. there didnt seem to be a lot drafted early. or was it that teams did not have them high on their needs list?
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Post by rocket09 on Jun 24, 2007 9:57:08 GMT -3
This is excellent news. Congratulations Antoine. Before moving to PEI, my family and I hailed from Gatineau and we are well aware of the caliber of players that are groomed from that end of town.
All the very best with your NHL career.
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Score
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Go Rocket!
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Post by Score on Jun 24, 2007 15:15:36 GMT -3
With regular season stats like: 49GP 27W (7th Overall) 19L 2.97 GAA (4th Overall) .909 Save % (2nd Overall) and after reading some of the other forums around, I don't understand why so many "out of towners" have a bit of a "hate" on for Lafleur. Yes, he's playoff performance was not up to his regular standards, but does that cancel out his play all season? Lafleur went 17-10 after the trade deadline, helping lead this team to the playoffs. Without sounding to CHSB'ish, I personally feel Antoine will continue to turn heads this upcoming season, and prove that he is deserving of being drafted..........more so then say, Riopel/D'orso. Little report on Lafleur from another site: Strengths: He is big at 6’-4” and that alone allows him to cover a lot of high net as he is playing his Butterfly style. He is not however a traditional butterfly style goalie as he mixes some standup technique into his own style. Antoine is a hard working driven individual who sets goals for himself. Consistency is one of his main strengths as he seems to make all the saves he should and then a few that looked to be impossible. He is very positionally sound and has a calm demeanor. He also doesn’t let a goal rattle him. Weakness: His glove is not his strongest point and the could use work on his reflex reaction on both his glove and blocker as he may have become used to letting the puck hit him and not actually making the save. His lateral mobility is another area he needs to focus on improving. He needs to work on his foot work. NHL Potential: No. 1 NHL Goalie. Boom or Bust Potential: Med Risk, High Reward. Lafleur has all the tools to be a legit No. 1 NHL netminder. Extra Note:Antoine already has his stick in the Hockey Hall of Fame as he scored a goal back in 2005 off a bad pass from a Halifax defender that found its way into the Halifax goal on a delayed penalty call.
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Post by yousuckref on Jun 24, 2007 15:35:46 GMT -3
LaLaLaPrise is saying that he has a problem between the ears. Don't ask me how he comes to that conclusion.
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Post by lalalaprise on Jun 24, 2007 16:46:56 GMT -3
LaLaLaPrise is saying that he has a problem between the ears. Don't ask me how he comes to that conclusion. I said he allows soft goals...I wonder why you didnt cut and paste all the GOOD stuff I said about him lol
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