Where's he been?
Watching Tim Conboy mix it up with Steve Downie on Friday, I couldn't help but wonder yet again: Where's he been?
The Hurricanes sure seem like a different team with Conboy in the lineup — 4-0-3 this season after the win over Tampa Bay, 13-3-2 last season (and 2-3-0 to close out the year and miss the playoffs without him).
His teammates love him. His personal struggles earlier in his life certainly appear to have given him some real perspective and maturity. There's a reason he's the captain in Albany. And the guy is a wild card on the ice, which is something statistics can't measure -- a deterrent and a threat.
Conboy's on a one-way contract next season, so it would be surprising if he isn't on the team right out of camp, but in my book he's earned a spot from here on out as a talisman alone.
Even if he's not a solid enough defenseman at this point in his career to play his natural position regularly in the NHL, you have to throw him on the fourth line and take the good with the bad. Don't you?
Luke DeCock
Luke has worked for The N&O since 2000. He covered the Carolina Hurricanes and the NHL before becoming a sports columnist in August 2008. A native of Evanston, Ill., he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. He can be reached at 829-8947 or luke.decock@newsobserver.com.
Comments
The Convoy
Sun, 02/22/2009 - 12:04 — TheReaper49In Rutherford's defense, he has admitted to mistakes before. The Malik & Langdon for Hlavac & Druken specifically.
There is no question that Conboy brings alot to this team. No idea why they would even consider playing Bayda, Eaves, or Ryan over him. He brings more than any of them.
It's maddening because I fully expect him to be sent down in the coming days and a lackluster, energy-less, passionless performance will soon follow.
We all knew Conboy should've
Sun, 02/22/2009 - 02:07 — SunWe all knew Conboy should've gotten a one-way contract, not Brookbank. And by "we" I mean "everyone who watches all the Canes games except Jim Rutherford". Whether or not he ever actually publicly acknowledges his mistake in giving Brookbank a one way deal as opposed to the clearly more deserving & effective Conboy, trading Brookbank indicated he obviously (finally!) realized signing B-bank was a bad decision. But it still pisses me off that everybody but ole Jimmy could see that Bbank & conboy's deals shouldve been reversed. Just once I'd like to hear this company guy admit he actually made a mistake.
Gotta Love Conboy
Sat, 02/21/2009 - 10:53 — mokimanoThe guy does everything asked of him, he stands up for his teammates, he plays forward or defense or wherever you want to play him...he makes the other team accountable for taking liberties with our smallish, skilled players. Conboy is indeed a wildcard, but you can see to a man what he does for the rest of the Canes players that rely on him to play that policeman role. Conboy has a dirty job but he does not mind coming to work and putting on the workboots and getting the job done. It is no coincidence that the Canes record is better with Timmy in the lineup.
Comboy's Absence
Sat, 02/21/2009 - 10:50 — JustListenenHe might have been called up earlier but for the 4 game suspension ... and an earlier 2 game suspension
Notice that he WAS called up as soon as the 4 game suspension had been served. Without the suspension he probably would have been called up when Brookbank was traded.
Note on his penalty in the Islanders game: I have seen worse collisions on a goalie waved off ... and he had been pushed/checked by an Islander helping him to collide with the goalie.
Amen brother
Sat, 02/21/2009 - 07:06 — totalkevToo bad we don't make those decisions, although the stats certainly do seem to bear out what we can all (aside from JR, apparently) see very clearly. Conboy makes a difference, and that's not something you can say about many of the guys who get regular playing time for the Canes right now. And that's too bad.