Im not going to do a thorough fisking of Eric Francis' column on Jarome Iginla from this morning, because it basically fisks itself with stuff like this:
The difference between this year and years past is the cast of characters surrounding him. Given the extraordinary depth Darryl Sutter has finally managed to fill the Flames roster with, Iginla is no longer required to carry the team offensively as in years past.
Instead, he can use the attention he draws as one of the game's most complete players to distribute the puck more, allowing finishers like Mike Cammalleri to shine.
There are only so many goals to go around, and with the team on pace for one of the franchise's most successful regular seasons, why should anyone question how it's getting done.
Got that? Offense is a zero-sum game on a hockey team and the Flames depth is *stealing Iginla's goals*. The conclusion here is that Iginla's scoring is down not in spite of the club's improvement but because of it*.
*(this might actually be a valid inference if the Flames increased depth had resulted in a reduction in Iginla's ice-time. Of course, it hasn't. Iginla is right in line with his ES ice time from last year and his PP ice has actually increased slightly.)
There's more fellating in the article, ranging from claiming Iginla is a Hart candidate this season (sorry, he isn't), to pointing out he's highly durable (making him a great leader. Like...Brendan...Morrison?).
Look, Im not on a witch-hunt here. I still think Jarome Iginla is a great guy, a great player and an asset to the team. But don't piss in my face and tell me it's raining. Iginla has taken a significant step back from his last two seasons and whether it's due to teammates, injury, personal issues or just plain bad luck, the Iggy of 08/09 ain't the guy who dominated the Western Conference the last two seasons. There's reams and reams of data proving that out for anyone willing to look at it, not to mention it's plain as day to the fans who have watched him struggle to be effective this month.
It's stuff like this that's made me turn away from the MSM the last few years. Insight and scrutiny is totally absent, instead replaced by cheerleading and question-begging.
Jarome Iginla has a wife and mother - let them massage his shoulders and tell him he's still great. Leave the column space for, you know, actual analysis.
