Alex Tanguay compared to Vinny Prospal
Alex Tanguay admitted he didn’t have a great season in Tampa when he joined the Bolts in 2009-10. The one thing that was working against him from the get go, however, was the fact he was replacing a fan-favorite in Vaclav Prospal (better known as Vinny Prospal). The popular left-wing had been bought out by the club (…and still affects the salary cap to this day) and was replaced by the younger Tanguay.
Three years later, dot he players still compare? In the hearts and minds of Lightning fans, no. They hold a grudge against Tanguay and against former GM Brian Lawton for getting rid of Prospal…
But what about their numbers?
Both wings have 735 points in their career — the difference being Prospal needed 1060 games to get there, while Tanguay did it in 883. Both have had injuries limit playing time… Tanguay has a better team around him in the Calgary Flames than Prospal does at current with the Columbus Blue Jackets (he had been with the New York Rangers after his buyout in Tampa).
It’s a moot debate to be had now, as Prospal’s multiple tenures with the Tampa Bay Lightning were much more productive than Tanguay’s single-season effort with the Bolts…
[Note by John Fontana, 09/04/12 2:59 PM EDT ] Vinny Prospal’s name was originally mispelled in the title of this post.
