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Scott Gomez: Born Dec. 23, 1979. Johan Franzen: Born Dec. 23, 1979. Cue Twilight Zone theme.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/hbo-24-7-returning-season-3-red-wings-180321428.html

Radulov has always struck me as the kind of kid in high school who thought he was the s*** but everyone else secretly hated him.

Hey, I remember how Scotty used to give a doorman or someone a hockey stick in the hotel lobby and that person would ask a player to sign the stick and that's how Scotty found out who violated the curfew.

2 Russians got drunk? No way!! Seriously though, shouldn't do that before a game, let alone a playoff game... definitely shows a total lack of commitment.

It's not against team rules (or any for that matter)

Not to say that he's bad or anything like that, because he's a very good goalie, but we made him look better than he is. He would give up rebound after rebound and the Wings would all stand there and think, "Hey. There's the puck. It would have been really cool if someone would have been standing there to take another shot. Is someone going to get that? No? Oh, we're on defense now? Ok, I'll just skate to the other end. Unless my shift is over..."

I agree, I like to have a beer or 10 after a day of work so why can't these guys..as long as they keep it classy I don't see what the big deal is. I've seen lots of players in the Roxy in Vancouver after a game...no biggie. I don't want to defend Radulov because he's obviously a selfish tool but the shorter the leash you give these guys and the more you treat them like babies it seems the worse it almost makes it. When was the last time we had an issue like this? I can't even think of one.

So on average every team in the league had at least 1 player with more goals than Franzen? Yes I can - and I said his production "wasn't the issue". Maybe I should clarify that. His regular season production is adequate. But given his lack of effort, and the fact that he is playing with one of the elite playmakers in the NHL, what do you think he could achieve if he actually tried on a nightly basis? He is capable of so much more. He's scored 30 goals once. An ancient Brett Hull playing in the dead puck era got 30, 37 and 25 with Datsyuk. An ancient and decrepit Shanny who could barely skate got 40. Hossa (who apparantly didn't "gel" with Dats) got 40. Maybe age, injuries, and wingers who don't pull their weight don't help either? WRONG! People were moaning about his lack of effort all season - and all of last season too. All regualr season it was the same, wait till the playoffs, wait till the playoffs. Well now we've had 2 consecutive playoff no-shows, and 2 consecutive half-assed regular seasons. Fail to prepare, prepare to fail as Roy Keane used to say.

You can't push a stroller in to a bar - what do you think he's going to do?

that is a great way to catch players missing curfew

I love Scotty B. Miss him, too. He was one of a kind.

OK, Holmstrom better be coming back for another year now.

See Delmon Young.

For some reason, when I hear about curfews and the like, it amazes me that grown men have or need bedtimes. Is this really worth a suspension? It sounds so high school. I understand that they are in the playoffs, but you'd think that the players would realize the need to be at the top of their game. Maybe I'm reading too much of my own life into this, but it seems like they'd know by this point in their lives how much they can and can't drink and how late they can stay up and still get enough sleep.

I don't think the problem is inherently subsidization of private enterprise so much as it is unwarranted subsidization. If it were to merely help a franchise get on their feet to help them be self-sustaining, that's one thing. However, what the article in the OP is suggesting is that without this help the franchise is not sustainable.. at all. If I could epitomize something wrong with the US in how it deals with private enterprise and government this would certainly be one huge example. Look at things in the bigger picture, you have a sports league that's raking in profits, players and owners are fighting at CBA's about who gets what share of profits, but in the end with the subsidization of certain franchises taxpayers are the ones taking it in the ass. Make the friggen league pay for it's own unprofitable teams, especially since it wants to have that slice-of-pie revenue sharing mentality about it. I have a feeling though revenue sharing is more symbolic for keeping unsustainable teams in the league and then the league doing their best to make taxpayers be their franchises' collateral in one hand while reaping profits in the other. This is one thing that really needs to stop. If a franchise cannot be sustained without perpetual help, especially when a government has no money to spend and is forced into reckless bond issuance to come up with money to subsidize it, it needs to do what every other business should do and simply fail. The Nashville issue pales in comparison to the Phoenix Coyotes one, but nonetheless, it's still just yet another one, and the ones are adding up to an insurmountable debt.

But it's ok to ram an opposing player's face into the glass.

They should both go back to Russia. If you make millions (almost for Radulov) then be professional and follow team rules. they should both be fined by the team too. Radulov is garbage and should never have been allowed to come back to the NHL the way he did. The league needs to address that, and the bulls*** that they most likely got into.

Lidstrom needs to let Holland pursue Suter and Parise with his wallet wide open, then re-sign Helm, Abby. Then and only then, should Holland sit down with Lidstrom. For the first time in a long time, Holland's #1 priority is not to re-sign Lidstrom, but to secure the next 10 years of this franchise. If Lids wants to be part of the transition, he needs to step back, let Holland spend his Cap, then come in for one more season and a HUGE reduced rate. Honestly, with Suter being signed, Kronwall playing a larger roll and Ericsson looking to get even more ice and White still here, Lidstrom may actually be a #4 or #5 defender is he re-signs...

I would resign him to the same amount, then offer him a bonus to shoot the puck more and not pass/wait for the play. He passes up soo many good opportunities to score when he plays like that.

didn't they lose last year to Vancouver in 4 games as well after beating us? We can call it "detroit syndrome"

Nashville looks flat and tired..almost seems like they treated us as their Stanley Cup.

Back to the PK.

Wait, you'll be (partially) mad if they win the cup because then they won't make the changes you think they need. And presumably the reason you think they need to make changes is so that they win the cup. Your circular logic is making my head spin.

And nobody on the Wings roster. And a number of other teams who don't even have a 30 goal scorer. The Bruins had only one with as many as Franzen, the Hurricanes had zero, Avalanche had zero, Panthers had zero, Kings had zero, Wild had zero, Predators had zero, and the Blues had zero. These are teams that are either not playoff teams or play a more defensive style. This shows that we need more than one player who can challenge for 30 goals if we want to be more of a threat offensively. Not on Franzen. Franzen scored 35 goals with a stacked lineup and a much better Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Hossa, etc playing and providing space. If you think the guy is capable of 40+ goals even with effort you are out of your damn mind. Hull and Shanahan are hall of famers. Worth a lot more. Hossa is a great goal scorer. Also paid more. So what? His injury is what set him back the most. Before the injury he was playing amazing and contributing well offensively. First no-show he was injured. Second no show the entire team other than Zetterberg, Datsyuk, and Miller didn't show up. Effort or not, it isn't all on him. Pretty much the point of the article in the OP.