LCS Hockey - Forsberg Steals Top Spot from Lindros

Forsberg Steals Top Spot from Lindros
by Jim Iovino, Ace Reporter

It hasn't been too pleasant a summer for Eric Lindros.

The Philadelphia Flyer captain failed to lead his team out of the first round of the playoffs, let alone arrange a date with Lord Stanley's Cup. He was criticized by his boss, general manager Bob Clarke, for not playing up to expectations. And he has been unable to cash in on the high-paying contract he wants.

With troubles like these, it almost hurts us too much to inform Lindros of the latest news. But I'll do it anyway, because I'm that kind of guy. Eric Lindros has fallen out of the top spot in the LCS Hockey's list of the NHL's best centers.

The new No. 1? None other than Colorado Avalanche star Peter Forsberg.

Sorry, Eric. We know you've had a tough year, but them's the breaks.

The "Big E" takes a fall

Lindros wasn't a big Darius Kasparaitis fan before the Penguin defenseman knocked him loopy with a clean, open-ice check in Pittsburgh, so it's hard to imagine the big guy has a kind word to say to Kasparaitis now. Things fell apart for Lindros after Kasparaitis's check gave him a concussion. He was out of action for the next 17 games or so, but the layoff proved to be devastating for the rest of his season.

Before the injury Lindros was on pace for a solid year. But more than that, Lindros was having a healthy season. For most players a healthy campaign is the norm, but for Lindros, who had played in more than 65 games only one time in his career, a full season definitely would have been something to celebrate.

But good health wasn't the only thing Flyer fans were hoping for. They wanted the Stanley Cup. With Lindros injured, that wasn't going to happen. Even before the injury, however, the Flyers and Lindros weren't playing like Stanley Cup contenders. In order for the Flyers to win, they had to set a tone. They had to pound the opposition every chance they got. But the will and desire to obliterate the other team wasn't there for more than a period a night -- especially from Lindros.

Lindros returned from his concussion in time for the playoffs, but it didn't matter. The results were the same. On most nights, the Flyers would play a tremendous first period, then fall asleep for the last two. Leading the way in this bad habit was Lindros. At times you'd forget that he was even playing. That shouldn't happen.

The Flyers made a quick exit from the postseason thanks to a first-round loss to Dominik Hasek and the Buffalo Sabres. After Lindros led the team to the Stanley Cup finals the year before, a first-round loss was not what management and fans had in mind. Lindros was supposed to build off his first finals appearance and win it all in 1998. He didn't, and he has paid for his failure all summer long.

Several weeks ago Flyer general manager Bob Clarke spoke out on the disappointments of his team captain, and what he said wasn't encouraging for the 25-year-old center. Clarke said that if Lindros, who has been struggling to come to terms on a long-term contract with the club for quite some time, wanted to be the highest-paid player in the league he had to start playing like he deserved that kind of money.

"You're not a kid anymore," Clarke said. "He's 25 years old, and he's been in the league six years. It's time."

Clarke thought Lindros was ready for the big time this past season. Skill-wise, Lindros was. He's probably got the heaviest shot in the league. He's quick (when healthy) and he can play outstanding hockey at both ends of the ice. Stat-wise, Lindros is dominating. Last year he scored 71 points (30 goals) in 63 games. For his career, Lindros has totaled 223 goals and 284 assists for 507 points in 360 games.

But intangibles have slowed down his progress. Clarke thought he could help his young prodigy by naming him captain of the Canadian Olympic Team. The win-or-else environment could have been the perfect place for Lindros to assert himself as a leader and take charge of one of the best rosters the world has ever seen. In order to do that, Clarke had to leave Mark Messier off of the roster. A bold move by Clarke -- a move that he would regret making after Team Canada failed to take home a medal.

Lindros wasn't able to lead Team Canada in the Olympics, and he wasn't able to motivate his Flyer teammates into playing the way they should have during the regular season and the playoffs. By all accounts, his leadership skills proved to be a major flaw in his game this past year.

Although giving your star player a critical tongue-lashing in the papers was probably the wrong way to go about it, Clarke was right. It is definitely time for Lindros to take his game up to the next notch. The only way he will silence his critics is by winning the Stanley Cup. And that's also the only way he will reclaim the title of best center in the LCS Hockey rankings.

"I love it when you call me Big Foppa"

Lindros is out as the LCS Hockey No. 1 center. His departure made room for the Swedish sensation, Peter Forsberg.

Ironically, Forsberg was part of the deal between the Quebec Nordiques and Flyers in 1992 that sent the unsigned Lindros to Philadelphia for six players, two first-round picks and $16 million. Six years later, Lindros is still squabbling about contracts while the 25-year-old Forsberg has already won a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche.

There are still some questions about Forsberg's game that must be answered. Like Lindros, there's a question of leadership. Can Forsberg carry a team on his own? Forsberg has lived in the shadows of Joe Sakic his entire career. When the Avs need a big goal, they look to Sakic. Forsberg has to prove that he can make the big plays, too. Forsberg was second in the league in scoring this past year with 91 points in 72 games. He did a lot of that scoring with Sakic struggling with an injury. This helped Forsberg quiet some of the critics, but there's still more room for him to grow as a true leader in Colorado.

Some critics say Forsberg needs to shoot more instead of always looking for the pass. Forsberg has a lethal shot, but the crafty center often tries to make a pretty pass to a cutting teammate instead of shooting. Forsberg has scored 30 goals just once in his career. That stat doesn't help his bargaining position for being the No. 1 center in the league.

But though it is true that Forsberg often opts for a pass rather than a shot, it doesn't detract from his game. Forsberg's just that good a passer. If a teammate is open, "Foppa" will find him. Just ask Valeri Kamensky, who has been on the receiving end of some of Forsberg's best passes.

A promising sign for Forsberg came in the Avs' seven-game playoff series against Edmonton. Forsberg scored six goals on 18 shots. Perhaps Forsberg finally realizes that he can be a dominating force in the league if he thinks about shooting as much as he does passing.

Lindros looks to shoot. Forsberg looks to pass. But other than that, the two centers' games are quite similar. Both love to hit - and hit hard. Despite his Swedish nationality, don't think for a second that Forsberg is soft. He loves physical play, and most often he is the initiator of contact.

Forsberg is also great in the defensive zone. Lindros had a better plus/minus rating this past season, but Forsberg covers his own end a lot better than Lindros does. A lot of times it seems that Forsberg enjoys playing defense so much that he forgets about his offensive responsibilities. Any coach would love to have a player like that.

Add it up

So what have we learned today? We learned that Eric Lindros isn't a perfect hockey player. We also learned that Peter Forsberg has flaws, too. But in the post-Lemieux, post-Gretzky dominated era, the days of the perfect centerman are over.

Both Lindros and Forsberg are great players, but at this moment in time Peter Forsberg has more desire to be the best at his position. Lindros always seems to be distracted by his surroundings. If he would just go out and play like he is capable of playing night in and night out, the debate about the league's top center would be over. But until he does, players like Peter Forsberg have a shot at stealing that No. 1 ranking.