AK-1 Posted September 9, 2008 Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 # 6 - Tom Kostopoulos Position: Right Wing Shoots: Right Height: 6' 0" Weight: 200 Born: 24 Jan '79 Born in: Mississauga, ON, Canada Drafted: Pittsburgh's 7th round choice, 204th overall, in 1999 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianMike Posted September 10, 2008 Report Share Posted September 10, 2008 what a nice surprise we all got last season from Tom K. Great character guy that gives us all he's got every game. Let's hope he has a repeat from last season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColRouleBleu Posted September 10, 2008 Report Share Posted September 10, 2008 what a nice surprise we all got last season from Tom K. Great character guy that gives us all he's got every game. Let's hope he has a repeat from last season. minus the huge shiner, poor guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bailey1 Posted September 11, 2008 Report Share Posted September 11, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leafs_rock_go_mccabe Posted September 11, 2008 Report Share Posted September 11, 2008 I agree! Bring back the shiner! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RicochetII Posted October 9, 2008 Report Share Posted October 9, 2008 I was talking about Kosto in another thread and looking for that discussion and thought it was in this thread, until I saw exactly how popular Kosto is on this board. Considering his work ethic and the passion in his game, he is the kind of player I love to have on a team, but I normally jump into conversations and not start them. I'm disappointed noone feels the need to talk about Kosto. Is this an oversight because he fits in so well that we just take him for granted or is it disdain because we do not feel he is an important player for our club? I will begin a discussion by bringing up his offensive potential that only a few of us seem to recognize, because that will likely cause some debate and get this thread going. Either way, Kosto deserves to be talked about. Consider that in the regular season, in a defensive role, he displayed a good shooting ability and managed to score 7 goals (one every ten games). Then consider that in the playoffs, when we were struggling offensively, he put in 3 goals in 12 games. That would put him on pace to be a 20 goal scorer. Considering his usual linemates, what would happen if we put him on a scoring line in a sniper role with a physical presence? I know people do not like the Lats/Kosto comparison, so I'm going to make it. Lats is billed as a sniper with the potential for a physical presence. Kosto has the potential to become a sniper and already has a physical presence. My point is that while we are looking for a 2nd or 3rd line sniper, Kosto should enter into the considerations. Until we have found that elusive sniper, who may indeed be Lats, we should have Kosto working to develop his offensive abilities and chemistry. In my opinion, anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony1234 Posted October 9, 2008 Report Share Posted October 9, 2008 I was talking about Kosto in another thread and looking for that discussion and thought it was in this thread, until I saw exactly how popular Kosto is on this board. Considering his work ethic and the passion in his game, he is the kind of player I love to have on a team, but I normally jump into conversations and not start them. I'm disappointed noone feels the need to talk about Kosto. Is this an oversight because he fits in so well that we just take him for granted or is it disdain because we do not feel he is an important player for our club? I will begin a discussion by bringing up his offensive potential that only a few of us seem to recognize, because that will likely cause some debate and get this thread going. Either way, Kosto deserves to be talked about. Consider that in the regular season, in a defensive role, he displayed a good shooting ability and managed to score 7 goals (one every ten games). Then consider that in the playoffs, when we were struggling offensively, he put in 3 goals in 12 games. That would put him on pace to be a 20 goal scorer. Considering his usual linemates, what would happen if we put him on a scoring line in a sniper role with a physical presence? I know people do not like the Lats/Kosto comparison, so I'm going to make it. Lats is billed as a sniper with the potential for a physical presence. Kosto has the potential to become a sniper and already has a physical presence. My point is that while we are looking for a 2nd or 3rd line sniper, Kosto should enter into the considerations. Until we have found that elusive sniper, who may indeed be Lats, we should have Kosto working to develop his offensive abilities and chemistry. In my opinion, anyway. I do not feel Kotsopoulos is a naturally gifted goal scorer. He will never be a sniper, but what he can bring is that charge the net and pop in the garbage type of thing. What he did in the playoffs was good, and needed- offense from an unexpected source is necessary for a team to win the cup. But to expect it over 82 games is just not realistic, IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flames4eva Posted October 9, 2008 Report Share Posted October 9, 2008 I was talking about Kosto in another thread and looking for that discussion and thought it was in this thread, until I saw exactly how popular Kosto is on this board. Considering his work ethic and the passion in his game, he is the kind of player I love to have on a team, but I normally jump into conversations and not start them. I'm disappointed noone feels the need to talk about Kosto. Is this an oversight because he fits in so well that we just take him for granted or is it disdain because we do not feel he is an important player for our club? I will begin a discussion by bringing up his offensive potential that only a few of us seem to recognize, because that will likely cause some debate and get this thread going. Either way, Kosto deserves to be talked about. Consider that in the regular season, in a defensive role, he displayed a good shooting ability and managed to score 7 goals (one every ten games). Then consider that in the playoffs, when we were struggling offensively, he put in 3 goals in 12 games. That would put him on pace to be a 20 goal scorer. Considering his usual linemates, what would happen if we put him on a scoring line in a sniper role with a physical presence? I know people do not like the Lats/Kosto comparison, so I'm going to make it. Lats is billed as a sniper with the potential for a physical presence. Kosto has the potential to become a sniper and already has a physical presence. My point is that while we are looking for a 2nd or 3rd line sniper, Kosto should enter into the considerations. Until we have found that elusive sniper, who may indeed be Lats, we should have Kosto working to develop his offensive abilities and chemistry. In my opinion, anyway. If the chemistry is there and it works, I have no problem with Kostopoulos being the 3rd line right-wing Carbs may have a problem with it however Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sach Posted October 9, 2008 Report Share Posted October 9, 2008 Tom is a player that can get you 10 goals i believe just because he is always in the slot area. he scored the OT winner in game 1 vs philly last spring so he has alittle touch for the net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosalie52 Posted October 10, 2008 Report Share Posted October 10, 2008 I'm glad that Kosto is still with the team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bailey1 Posted October 11, 2008 Report Share Posted October 11, 2008 I'm glad that Kosto is still with the team. Yea, well no one is more glad than me, cause I'm TK's #1 Fan!!! KO-STO-POU-LOS OEOEOEOEOEOE!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RicochetII Posted October 11, 2008 Report Share Posted October 11, 2008 Kosto was given or decided on a different assignment for tonight's game. He was the player most likely to be found at the top of the crease and first into the zone along the boards for the third line. The problem is, he was so intent on taking the body, he usually wound up with his stick tangled before he even reached the boards and lost the puck just about every time. He needs to work on that mental switch if he is going to have any opportunity at a recurring role on the third line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sach Posted October 11, 2008 Report Share Posted October 11, 2008 the bomb is gonna be good this year, ya he was running around abit but thats his game 14mins tonight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHaul Posted October 11, 2008 Report Share Posted October 11, 2008 I was pleasantly surprised with Kostopolous tonight. He might have been running around a bit, but his hustle was really evident and he was really forcing the opposition's hand a lot of the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kindred Posted October 11, 2008 Report Share Posted October 11, 2008 Considering his work ethic and the passion in his game, he is the kind of player I love to have on a team, but I normally jump into conversations and not start them. I'm disappointed noone feels the need to talk about Kosto. Is this an oversight because he fits in so well that we just take him for granted or is it disdain because we do not feel he is an important player for our club? don't worry, if he screws up there will be alot of people calling for his head or crying that we have "too many 4th liners" I've always had a soft spot for the blue collar players, the Kosto's the Downeys of the league. The guys who don't have the pure natural talent of an ovechkin or a crosby but give you 150% every single night. Last night was a prime example. You could see he was trying hard to keep up with Lang and Sergei, but he never brought the line down and was one of the few forwards who wasn't afraid to go to the net or even park himself in front of the goalie to make some traffic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flames4eva Posted October 11, 2008 Report Share Posted October 11, 2008 Kosto was a big part of the line's very good performance last night vs. the Sabres IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourtrax Posted October 11, 2008 Report Share Posted October 11, 2008 If I'm Carbo, I keep Kosto on that third line as long as possible. I was pleasantly surprised by how much moxy he brought. He hustled on the forecheck, worked hard in the corners, threw checks, and wasn't afraid -- unlike our skill players -- to play simple hockey: chip the puck into the zone, skate to retrieve, work your tail off on the boards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RicochetII Posted October 11, 2008 Report Share Posted October 11, 2008 All good points and true. Hope he performed well enough that he gets a second shot at that line tonight. Even if he can keep his stick free to put the puck off the boards, that could be enough to keep Lang's point streak going and doesn't require a whole lot of concentration or game changing on Kosto's part. Go Kosto! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kindred Posted October 12, 2008 Report Share Posted October 12, 2008 congrats to Tom for playing in his 300th career nhl game Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leafs_rock_go_mccabe Posted October 12, 2008 Report Share Posted October 12, 2008 Tom, in my opinion, has been our best 4th liner in the two games this season. He has worked hard, had a fight, gotten on the fore-check, and shown he can play on the 3rd line, too! Not bad... not bad at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russianhabsfan Posted October 12, 2008 Report Share Posted October 12, 2008 Dunno JR, Begin and Dandy were both equally impressive. Personally I appreciate Kosto's deffensive abilities. But on the offense he's so so. He makes me cringe every time he softly dumps the puck in right at the blue line. It looks like there's an energy field at the line that stops him from carrying the puck over. Someone has to show him how he can bring it over, skate sideways and then pass once his teamates are in the zone... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne-1 Posted October 12, 2008 Report Share Posted October 12, 2008 Dunno JR, Begin and Dandy were both equally impressive. Personally I appreciate Kosto's deffensive abilities. But on the offense he's so so. He makes me cringe every time he softly dumps the puck in right at the blue line. It looks like there's an energy field at the line that stops him from carrying the puck over. Someone has to show him how he can bring it over, skate sideways and then pass once his teamates are in the zone... I think the reason Kots doesn't do that is because he knows that's not in his skill set and he'd end up turning the puck over much more often than not... so instead he plays a dump and chase game with the rest of the grinder line... that's what's so good about these veteran 'fourth liners', they know their jobs, they know how to do them, and they don't try to do stuff that they know they can't do (usually)... and a good job by the coaching staff in not asking them to do things they simply aren't able to do -- i.e. they are giving them the chance to succeed, not setting them up for failure... they may not win you the game but they'll rarely play so poorly that they'll lose you the game either... what they do is eat up clock while the other 'skill' lines, which you are relying on to win the game, get rest... it's like the starting pitcher who is valuable not because he wins a few more than he loses each season, but the certainty that he'll pitch 200+ innings, allowing the bullpen to rest... his direct contribution is limited, but his indirect contribution in making the rest of the team better is far greater... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourtrax Posted October 12, 2008 Report Share Posted October 12, 2008 I think the reason Kots doesn't do that is because he knows that's not in his skill set and he'd end up turning the puck over much more often than not... so instead he plays a dump and chase game with the rest of the grinder line... that's what's so good about these veteran 'fourth liners', they know their jobs, they know how to do them, and they don't try to do stuff that they know they can't do (usually)... and a good job by the coaching staff in not asking them to do things they simply aren't able to do -- i.e. they are giving them the chance to succeed, not setting them up for failure... they may not win you the game but they'll rarely play so poorly that they'll lose you the game either... what they do is eat up clock while the other 'skill' lines, which you are relying on to win the game, get rest... it's like the starting pitcher who is valuable not because he wins a few more than he loses each season, but the certainty that he'll pitch 200+ innings, allowing the bullpen to rest... his direct contribution is limited, but his indirect contribution in making the rest of the team better is far greater... Exactly. Furthermore, part of what has made the third line so effective is that Kostopoulos isn't constantly losing the puck at the blueline. He's playing simple, effective, dump-and-chase hockey, which is sometimes just what the team needs when facing a good defensive team (like Buffalo) that doesn't give you time and space to carry the puck over their blueline. Kostopoulos knows his job, he executes it well, and his willingness to do the dirty work creates opportunities for his more skilled linemates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RicochetII Posted October 12, 2008 Report Share Posted October 12, 2008 Kosto is good at dump and chase, not so good at stickhandling and passing. You are correct, in that he is simply relying on his strengths. He hasn't been getting the opportunities to shoot the puck that I expected. Possibly because he is playing too physical a game and it is hard to get room to swing your stick when you are focused on crashing into other players. Another part is that our third line doesn't get the respect of the first, so the defense doesn't give them a whole lot of breathing room to make plays. If you charge at Kovy while he has the puck, he's likely to bite you with a good pass or maneuver and leave you out of position. SK will be at that level eventually, but he isn't there yet. Kosto is doing well with the dump and chase and front of the net duties. If he worked on his passing game a little more, perhaps he could provide more opportunities to his linemates. Either way, I've liked his play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arpem-can Posted October 12, 2008 Report Share Posted October 12, 2008 Last night against TO Kosto's line played more offence than defense...perhaps a tribute to how bad TO really is but more to the point is why would you put Kosto on a line to prove that he can score more goals.?.take the odd one he pops in and be thankful he's a good defensive player....same goes for Dandy...we need the 4th line checkers ...where would Montreal have been in the 70's without the Tremblay-Risebrough-Lambert line?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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