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Hi all, newbie here (in the metro-D for several years now, raised in a rabid Wings family with four brothers plus my dad and no sisters!). I've been following along for a few days, decided I should finally jump in - you all are busy! Anyway I just wanted to post a quick thanks for the radio links the last couple games. It was very exciting to be able to bust out my goal light remote on Thursday and actually SEE the game. Nice to be here in the midst of obviously devout fans! Misha

I was there (in my head) this is 100% accurate.

The Bettman Asslick?

i saw this thread on HFboards a few days ago. someone asked if any wings fan would give up on buying tickets to the games due to the cleary signing, and some posters said they'd downright not watch games on television anymore. i'm just curious, will anyone here tank the games this year? i personally will watch the games but probably won't attend one.

OK. I know we've got the new enemies thread and I've run my mouth in it quite a few times about this subject and yadda yadda yadda. But, seriously, how are we not more pumped about the move to the Eastern Conference? Less travel. More attractive to free agents (mostly because less travel). Earlier start times. The East sucks. Etc. I feel like I almost want to call Holland a genius now. Because if you think about it, all the complaints and stuff that we've been voicing for so long...are they as relevant now, given that the East sucks? Oh, sure, every team in the East likes to hit, and most carry at least one knuckledragger. But I find it weird that everyone, when talking about this Big Bad East thing, totally forgets that the West boasts the likes of the Ducks, Kings, and Blues. Oh, and hey, that reminds me: guess what! We don't have to play the Blackhawks 997 times a season! Think of all the points we might get back now. Or, here, think of it this way: say we only play the 'hawks roundabout twice last season. Do we still finish in seventh? NO. We don't. I know, I know, THE PENGUINS. Well, they're trending downwards. And they were never that good anyway. And I know, I know, THE BRUINS. The Bruins do not scare me at all. I mean, sure, they're probably going to give us problems here and there, more so than any other Eastern team. But, again, it's not like we haven't had the New Blackhawks (best team in hockey, though it pains me to say it) rammed down our collective throat the past few seasons. And, again: Ducks, Kings, Blues (I almost feel silly putting them on this list, but they're big and strong and grinding and nasty and their blue line is crazy and their goalies are good. They just can't score. Or win.) And the Sharks always beat us, at least in their building. And even the Flames, they always beat us, at least...no, wait, the just always beat us. And another thing. You know that whole "getting up for Detroit" thing? Where, like, the Preds and Jackets and all the lower-mid-to-bottom clubs play us extra hard every time they play us? I doubt we'll be seeing nearly as much of that in the East, at least not in the first several years or so. Maybe I'm being stupid. But I just think that this move suddenly makes us legitimate contenders. And I just think that's really, really awesome. (And that's saying nothing of our bright future, e.g. friggin' IMAGINE what our blue line will look like in five years ish.) We've been playing teams that know us inside-out, and, generally, have figured out what it takes to beat us. Not (as) true in the East! etc. etc. etc. etc. Agree with me. Be pumped, excited, incredibly psyched that we're in the East. Because it's gonna be awesome. (And don't get on me about destroying our karma or dooming us to finish in last place. I'm not the only one who feels this way. There just aren't enough people who feel this way. Which is the point.)

Whoever they play, I hope they sign Bryzgalov for 24/7.

Following on the radio is harder than I remember from back in the days when I had r e a l l y s l o w d i a l u p.

Bored without a stream.

Obviously

Oh, good. I was curious. That means he got an assist for ME!

The way Mr. Kal described it, it sounded more like Bane on Batman. Not really, but yeah. Imagination is generally better than the real stuff. 2nd period's on. "Cleary fell down in a heap."

That's assumed. I'll bust you if I think you're sober

Sign him to a six year $48m contract NJ I dare you! He deservesers it he is teh brstest frwrd EVAR according to Mr.brunnerEdit: k I'm busted I've been drinking

Bertuzzi picked a guy up and threw him on the ice. In other news, Marchand's nose is so big I can see it through the radio. OH YEAH I WENT THERE

They're better right now, but It's not like they're miles ahead of Jensen. http://www.redwingscentral.com/prospects/ , http://www.hockeysfuture.com/teams/detroit_red_wings/ Out of the 25 top prospects on RedWingsCentral, Sproul is ranked #6, Ouellet ranked #8, and Jensen is ranked #13. Jensen's not that far at all. Sproul and Ouellet have also fallen slightly on the prospect rankings recently, while Jensen has been shooting up the list. Again, there's a reason why Jensen won the equivalent of the Norris trophy in his league last year. How about another source? on Hockey's Future Sproul and Ouellet are given an identical talent score rating of 7.0 and an identical probability of success grade of C. Jensen is given a talent score of 6.5 and probability of grade of C. Again, not that far off from them at all. Sproul and Ouellet are not un-tradeable, untouchable guys. Frankly none of our prospects are un-tradeable. We don't have any Dumba's, Reilly's, Reinhart's, Murray's, or Trouba's in our system. Especially with the current state of things, I don't think even guys like Nyquist are untouchable. There's a reason that when trade threads pop up on here people typically include guys like Mrazek (despite him being ranked as our #2 prospect) in trade ideas. He actually has value, but isn't the caliber - at least yet - of a Hall, Larsson, or Fowler type prospect that is almost immediately ready for NHL. Those guys are untouchable bonafide future leaders of their franchises. Take a look at Hockey's Future again and look at a guy like Ryan Murray. #2 overall pick by the Jackets, but not a guy that immediately jumped to NHL so he's still a prospect. He's a ranked at a talent level of 8.0 and probability of success grade of B. That's a full point ahead of Sproul and Ouellet in both categories. That's the kind of guy that's approaching untouchable status. (IMO I wouldn't say even he is absolutely 100% untradeable, though I doubt it's very likely) If the great one can be traded, anyone can be traded. Great prospects, but in no way does that warrant special treatment. It's well known that our entire farm system is full of boom or busters. It lacks blue chip prospects but also lacks bad prospects. So why would anyone in particular get special treatment? Detroit is known for the exact opposite of coddling it's prospects as well. We force ALL our prospects down - including the Tatars and Nyquists of the world - and make them go above and beyond to earn a spot. It wouldn't surprise me at all to see a guy like Jarnkrok or Mantha bust, only to have a guy like Tvrdon (ranked #19) make the team one day. Why would we not need that? In fact that's the one thing we're missing - the physical, gritty, agitating side of the game. Sure we need a top line Sniper as well. But those are very hard to come by, and we have a ton of depth scoring to make up for it. The team is loaded with soft type players, so I think it's good to start adding some nastyness to compliment them. Take a look at this years draft. We selected a lot of physical, gritty, and pk type guys. Namely: Nastasiuk, Bertuzzi, Pope, Wheaton, McNulty. IMO that show's that Holland thinks he's got a good possible future core locked up in the likes Tatar, Nyquist, Jurco, Frk, Jarnkrok, Mantha, Ferraro, Pulkkinen, Sheahan, Athanasiou, and Tvrdon. Now he's adding players with a knack for the physical side of the game to round out that future scoring core. I think people on this site have a much bigger pet peeve for unsourced statements my friend.

He reminds me a bit of Lids. There, I said it.

I was looking forward to watching Ouellet, Sproul and Jarnkrok....DAMN! ...was at work for last game, it was on the TV there, but only got a chance to see about 5 mins. I did see my boy Danny Diesel's goal though! Awesome! This guy will be here 20 years, mark my words! No way he leaves on his own or the Ilitch family trades him...

Personally, I'm just hoping that being in the East, Pavel will get some of the recognition he deserves - both from fans and the media. The post-season awards seem to have become even more east-centric the last few years, and I'm sick of hearing fans of Eastern teams yapping on about how defence and two-way play are over-rated and how they'd take Ovechkins 100 points and no defence over Pavel's 80 points and Selke level defence.

a colorado / detroit one in the future would be sweet.. you kno, after they become relevant again

Bertuzzi was showing what he brings, that's why he was signed, it's what's expected of him. And to your source comment, people generally prefer a source if your going to say something as if it were fact, that's just the way it is, or else just state it's your personal opinion, simple as that.

Sad. He's a good player and deserves to have a job

I hope the mods on this site have intollerance for unwarranted source requests and issue warnings and proceed with consequences to the posters who distract the discussions with this nonsense. It's irritating. Back to Lil Bert. Is he good at agitating? Obviously. Do we need that? No. Jensen doesnt need to be agitated or have his patience tested by players wearing the same crest he has on. He will get that from opponents enough times.

Didn't say I wasn't excited about them. I'm just excited about Jensen too. They're better right now, but It's not like they're miles ahead of Jensen. Sproul and Ouellet are not un-tradeable, untouchable guys. Great prospects, but in no way does that warrant special treatment. This isn't Yzerman we're talking about. If you make statements like that without an "IMO" I'll ask for a source every time. Don't really care if you don't like it.

Ur statement about Bert not being in the doghouse bc Jensen isn't a top prospect is completely unfounded and frankly bad. First, you have no idea if Bert is in the doghouse or not, or why. and 2nd Jensen is very much a top defensive prospect. He won best defensemen in his league last year for a reason.

You think an 18 year old who's never played higher than the CHL has nothing to prove? First, he's new to the organization and has to show where he stacks up against our other prospects. Second, Bertuzzi is not big at all by NHL standards and will be expected to: hit, agitate, and fight. Add that to the pressure of being a 2nd round draft choice, and add that to the pressure of the name on his back. I'm sure some among the Wings - and this forum - believe he was only drafted so high because of his uncle, or that it at least influenced the decision. All our prospects have a lot to prove, particularly Bertuzzi. It's also his job. He agitates. That's what he's good at, and it was made pretty clear by the Wings that that's what they brought him in for and wanted out of him. Did you want him to skate around like a plug and just go through the motions? He's a professional athlete at his first ever NHL prospect camp. He did what he does best, gets under the skin of an opposing defender almost 5 years his senior. Regardless of whether you thought he was too aggressive, he did not start the fight. He did not attempt to injury anyone. All he did was chirp and push Jensen around. If anything this incident should be demerit on Jensen. He lost his cool under pressure, chose to initiate the fight, and got injured for that choice. Lesson learned: Don't let the Marchand's, Raymonds, Avery's, and Bertuzzi's of the world get to you or your probably going to make dumb decisions on the ice. Like losing your composure and getting a dumb injury for it. I believe it was Jalen Rose who used to research his opponents personal lives before games so he could chirp them about it and get in their heads. IMO, smack talk is far worse in hockey. If Jensen can't handle the heat he needs to get out of the kitchen. When it comes down to it, I'm sure the choice words management had for Bertuzzi was that he needs to make peace with Jensen off the ice.