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From Mlive Howard has scrapped several times this season with players who have made contact with him. "Z never pushed him. I watched the replay," Howard said. "Hansen leans into him, he loses his footing, just steamrolls me. "I’m just sick and tired of getting run over. It’s every single game." I've always thought that its cool to have Howard who wont back down from anyone and has a couple scrappy moments to his name with the wings, but this is starting to get ridiculous. The goalie on a hockey team should not be the one always defending himself and his teammates. The fact that Howard is the one that has went after the most guys for hitting him on the team is pathetic really. A guy nails him last night, gets up and has the guts to hit Lidstrom and Howard is the only one that will do something about it. Its clearly bugging Howard if he went to the press about it. Its time this team started sticking up for its goalie. In hockey that is your number 1 priority, you are taught that from day 1. Even if the players thought Z pushed hansen in last night, as soon as Howard went after the guy, the whole team should've been in there to show their goalie theyve got his back and that we'll defend you just worry about stopping pucks. Last year it happened with the San Jose guys snowing him, he was the only one who did anything to Crosby, this year he already went after Perron and Hansen. Its embarrassing really

Why do you always have to answer for hitting in the NHL now? Keep your head up next time Kesler and it won't be an issue. This guy used to be one of my favorite players in the league until last season, especially in the playoffs. Now I just see him as a whiner and hypocrite. It is completely wrong for Kronwall to make a hit but Kesler is allowed to stick his knee out and try to injure Zetterberg? Total clown -- fits in well on that team with the Sedin's, Bieksa and Burrows.

Why, let me break it down for you why this was the BEST decision to not fight after that hit; a.) you just stopped a breakout on one of the best two way players, i mean, the play completely stopped. Guess what, kronner did his job. b.) fighting injuries, as said earlier, are avoidable injuries. If you want to fight after you just got hit, you better be damn sure that hit was illegal. Kronners, as said many times before, is not an illegal hit. Kronner admits that he left his feet, not purposely but obviously when you step up on someone like that you're going to propel into them, it can be accidental. c.) we got a powerplay out of it, why? Because Kesler was acting like an idiot. Understandable, you were just laid out by Kronner, but guess what instead of crying because you got hit in a contact spot how about you DON'T take a penalty and go score a goal. Beat them with skill, not taking stupid penalties. I'm sorry, but absolutely nothing Kesler did after that hit was acceptable. His temper was up, obviously, but you can't let things like that take over your discipline. It's an immature move, especially from one of the highly skilled players in our league. It's just another reason why Vancouver doesn't go all the way and falls short, they don't have the discipline or maturity. Small things like this don't win championships, i don't care how small or big of a problem it is, I wouldn't allow my players to act like a bunch of teenagers on the ice under my watch.

Paging Jiri "the Fury" Hudler. Time to use that training, m'boy.

Ryan Kesler has been easily one of the most fond hockey players non-wings related for me, unfortunately it seems slowly but surely he is just rubbing me all the wrong ways on how he conducts himself. I'm not saying I know him personally but after receiving that beautiful legitimate hockey hit he has come off as one of the weakest minded hockey players i've come across. Listen, if you're going to play, none-the-less at a professional level being considered one of the best two-way forwards in the league, understand that when you have positive control of the puck and give Kronner no less an opportunity to lay you out, you're going to get hit/knocked off the puck. The latest interview of Kesler b!tching about Kronner just had me laughing, " I think if you're going to hit guys like that, you're going to have to drop the gloves." "I think he has zero career fights in his career," Kesler said. "If you're going to continue to hit like that, I think you've got to answer the bell." Kesler delivered a thigh-on-knee hit on Henrik Zetterberg's left leg, though Kesler denied doing so. "I have no idea what you're talking about," Kesler said when asked by a Detroit reporter. Why? Why does Kesler magically think because Kronner wants to dish legitimate hits that stop plays dead in their tracks, ending what could be a potential odd man rush/scoring chance, he needs to drop the gloves? No less you come back later in the game and knee someone back? Please, someone get this 13 year old he isn't playing bantam anymore. Full article: http://www.freep.com/article/20111222/SPORTS05/112220459/1053/sports05

Anyone who knows me, knows my feelings about teams who let their goalie get taken out, game after game. Jimmy has the credibility at this point to call them out himself - and he should. No one is saying that our players should go beat down the other team's players who offend. But someone (don't ask me who) needs to make sure they're looking over their shoulders when they touch one of our goalies. There are ways players can police these sorts of things on the ice, without resorting to goon tactics. I just wish some of our current players had that type of mentality - which I believe they do not. I miss Mac and Shanny and some of our less "elite" players like Duschene, who had the heart and passion to make sure no one took liberties with our goalies. If Jimmy has to channel Vernon and fight for his own safety out there, then the Wings should know they might have to figure out how to win games without him, when he's injured or sitting out a suspension. It makes my blood boil when players run Jimmy and then get rewarded for it.

I'm tired of it too, jimmy. i hate our organizations use of the word "grit." it's like the south's use of the word. just a bowl full of buttery mush. we can't have ONE guy on this team that is mean? "oh, we're team tough." bulls***. only the power rangers were team tough (yeah a POWER RANGERS reference, that's how mad i am). jimmy's getting frustrated and we don't know yet how he plays when frustrated. he shouldn't be fighting a team battle.

Oh no, 55fan. This will be used on LGW for the rest of eternity!

what a little cry baby *****

eh, Kesler has always been one of my non-Wing favorites, too. The Canucks have delusions of grandeur when it comes to their place in the NHL. Makes them say ridiculous things. Kronner may not have more fights than Kesler, but he's got more Stanley Cups. Oh, well. Kesler is a wanna-be Datsyuk has more Selke's, too. Just sayin'.....

i just checked the current shots against stats for both goalies and, wow: vokoun - 588 howard - 764 yay howard, indeed. boo, defense.

Why should he have to answer the bell for clean hard hits? Sure he left his feet last night, but he didn't target the head. Wah wah wah Kesler....wah wah wah

Okay. Conk has something to prove. The rest of the team has something to prove after they played so pathetically last night (except for an occasional good half shift here and there). I'm calling a win. 4-2. Goals by Lidstrom, Miller, Mule, and The Todd. Both Calgary goals by Iginla, stopping him just tantalizingly short of 500.

Abdelkader has been a huge disappointment in general this season. I'm not sure what it is, but he's just sort of disappeared into the woodwork.

I'd sure like to know.

WTF happened to Abby? He used to hit people and fight the odd time and just be a pain in the butt. I think that Jimmy will be ran over more now that other teams know he can get rattled and not one player on the Wings will do a damn thing about it. Shame on them.

Howard has played in eight more games. He's facing roughly three less shots per game than is Vokoun. Boudreau announced Vokoun as Washington's starter almost immediately after he was signed. Neuvirth started the season as the backup. There's not a chance Vokoun would have agreed to be a backup goalie. He left Florida and took a massive salary cut so that he could have a better chance of winning a Cup. He'd not have entertained the idea of playing for a team on which he very possibly might end up riding the pine in the playoffs.

Current Streaks Regular-Season Streaks Overall: 1-game losing streak Road: 1-game losing streak Historical Regular-Season Streaks v. Calgary Overall: 1-game winning streak Road: 4-game winning streak (1 shootout) Last Ten Games – Current Regular-Season Overall: 6W-4L Road: 6W-4L Last Ten Games – Current All-Time Regular-Season v. Calgary Overall: 7W-3L Road: 6W-4L Home Stand / Road Trip This is the third game of a four-game road trip Record v. Calgary / Atlanta All-time Record v. Calgary /Atlanta All-time, Overall 145G: 67W-61L-16T-0RT-0OTL-1SOL All-time, Road v. Calgary / Atlanta 72G: 27W-39L-6T Season Record v. Calgary Overall This is the third game, of four, v. Calgary this season. The Club's record in the previous record: 1W-1L This is the first road game, of two, v. Calgary this season Record on this Day December 22 This is the 39th regular-season game played on this day. The Club’s record in the previous 38 games: 16W-16L-6T This is the 3rd regular-season game played v. Calgary on this day. The Club's record in the 2 previous games: 1W-1L LGW.

Leaving his feet was only part of the reason he got suspended. The main reason was because the principle point of contact was the head. In the Kronwall hit the principle point is not the head. Big difference I honestly have always disliked Kesler because he whines, cries and is cheap. I can honestly tell you that although I'd probably cheer for him if he were a Wing I would do so begrudgingly. It's no different than how a lot of people felt when Bertuzzi was signed. Some Wings' fans hated him but were torn because part of them would want him to do well simply because he's a Wing. Despite how good he is or can be I would still really prefer he never became a Wing. Also, all this crap about Kronwall not fighting Kesler is being way overblown. Kronwall laid a big hit and it's not like he then turtled or ran away. He made his hit, got up and moved on. The refs were in between Kesler and Kronwall almost right away. Plus, at that stage Kronwall has nothing to gain by fighting. All it would do is take him off the ice for 5 mins.

Injuries are a part of the game, but injuries from fighting are avoidable.

Yeah, to be clear, this is not an enforcer issue. It's about whoever is on the ice sticking up for Jimmy when he gets run like that. It's what Babs refers to when he talks about keeping the flies off. If players know they can take liberties with Howard by running into him and getting in his face, they will. When you make them answer for it, even if the Wings end up taking a penalty there's a good chance the refs also hand out a penalty for what started it all, running Jimmy.

You're spoiling the fun with your reasonable response. This is basically an "I told you so/Holland is perfect!" thread. Who knows whether Vokoun needed a guarantee or not, but I can't fault the guy for not wanting to come to a team that already had a very solid #1 guy in Howard. Especially given Detroit's handling of goalies in the past. It could've turned into a s***storm for him. 1A 1B with those two would've been awesome though. As for Howard, it's great that he has become a solid goalie for the Wings and absolutely capable of winning a Cup with the Wings. He was so stellar in college, I think when he didn't tear it up in the AHL it gave people some pause. Then he had some rebound control issues early in his NHL career. But the guy's a stud now.

Agreed. The Wings should be making guys pay a price for being around the net in general, but at the very least if someone runs their goalie they should absolutely have to answer for it. It's cool to see Jimmy so fired up about it, but sad that he has to go Hextall on guys because no one else will help him out. He's been a rock for this team all season. They should have his back.

watch the replay, kesler totally sticks his leg out in an attempt to injure zette and should get punished for running around just trying to hurt players. he is such a little cry baby

God I really wish we had more tough players. I hate these kinda games because the Wings can't handle them and guys like Ericsson and Bertuzzi won't do the dirty work.