VM1138

Maybe with a little luck Parise can get traded to a good team after his leg heals.

That's not even a hard hit, let alone an illegal one.

Hm...not so sure about that. Modano has a much bigger upside than Ritola. Even Williams scored a goal once in a while, we just have to wait for Modano to get going.

This is where Lilja would come in handy. At any rate, has anyone else noticed how good EVERYONE looks tonight EXCEPT for Modano? Man, he and Cleary look terrible together. Early on they were passing and each time were bungling it. It was really obvious that they weren't clicking even more than usual. Time to sit Modano.

Modano should have been benched, not Hudler, but what can you do? Hudler is pissed and understandably so. He knows he's not the one that should have been benched. At least he's trying out there. Modano better have a big game or I think Babs will sit him and bring Hudler back in, saying he gave Modano a chance. Ritola: 3 GP, 1 pt., -3. 3 shots, 9:54 Ice Time. Miller: 8 GP, 0 pt, -3, 6 shots, 11:09 ice time. Miller has played in twice as many games, twice as many shots, a minute more a game. With that added ice time his -3 looks a lot better than a -3 in 3 games.

I just realized that when Draper comes back we'll have a serious backlog of players. With 3 lines playing well and nowhere to move Cleary and Modano, Draper and Hudler would have to sit. Talk about an embarassment of riches if those two guys sit mainly because there's no room.

It's not that he's an older guy. It's that they promised him he could play if he came here. And if they bench him he might very well just hang them up and create an embarassing distraction.

You know, people complain about the travel but it really hasn't affected the Wings for a few seasons now. Their road record has been really good over the past three seasons or so. Also, Chicago and Detroit won two of the last three Cups, as Detroit went to the final a second time and pushed it to game 7. So that shorter travel-time for the East hasn't helped them much lately.

We've been over this on these boards. Osgood hasn't had the chance to play consistently (even for backup-levels) in well over a year. Even this season, with the Wings taking such long breaks between games he's hardly seen any play. He clearly got better after the 3rd goal and I think starting him again is smart. It breaks up the routine and helps Ozzie avoid making things worse by dwelling on his bad play. Now he's got a chance to even the score and keep himself together mentally. Smart move by Babcock. As for who sits, it has to be between Hudler and Modano. Every single other player is carrying their weight. I'd lean toward Modano (since Hudler has at least been trying, all over the ice) but we basically promised Modano he'd play to get him to come here, so I guess it'll be Hudler.

I think it's lame how Pittsburgh designed new uniforms. It's even more gimmicky than having two Winter Classics this year. Honestly, I know it's a business decision, but as a fan I would hope the Wings would stick with their '08 Winter Classic jerseys if they are ever allowed into the Pittsburgh Classic.

On the one hand, the East would mean the WIngs would dominate each and every year. On the other hand, I think it might make the Wings lazier. In the West you've got to have that killer instinct. I'd hate to have an easy route to the Finals in the East only to run into a well-oiled machine of a Western juggernaut and not be prepared.

Who wants to get turned on around a bunch of drunk adult males?

Oh my God, there's only like 75 games left this season, the Wings need to get it together before Chicago runs away with it! In all seriousness, Nashville is the biggest threat in the Central, but then again they always have been. And they're almost identical with us, so I'd hardly say the Wings are playing poorly compared to the other Central teams.

People, Osgood has looked decent in his few starts this season. This is a bad game. True, when added to he last year or so of bad games it makes it seem like he's done, but I wouldn't say that. Bad game, no doubt, but I'm sure he can get it together if he plays more than once every 3 weeks.

That was an obvious dive. When was the last time anyone saw a dive called in the "New NHL?" Osgood looks really uncomfortable with his saves and non-saves. He just seems really unsure of his movement.

I'm really worried that Modano is going to get benched, say it's not what he signed up for, and because he was already close to retiring call it quits mid-season.

I don't think it was just incidental. Orr takes a stride after he gets "knocked off balance" to push the goalie. And the goalie didn't dive, Orr was ON TOP OF HIM.

Yeah, football is a really grinding sport. Not only are you getting hit, you're getting twisted, straining against piles of extraordinarily heavy people, etc. I have no doubt hockey hits are harder. Physical guys skating at high speeds against glass and wood? Yeah, the distance alone leading up to a hit is much greater than in football, I'd say, so the impact would have to be higher in force. However, the two are really different and I don't think this proves either one is necessarily tougher than the other.

They may want to give it someone younger, but they may just go with tried and true this time if the young kids continue to struggle. Lidstrom winning it in his (potentially) final year would be just as good of a story as one of the young kids winning it from a media standpoint.

Hey, I remember him from his Spirit days!

Way too early, but I can't see a better way for Nick to go out than with a Cup and a Norris.

Why is Smith a piece of s***? The article says the hit was legal, it was probably just one of those bizarre twists of chance. Horrible for Nylander but it's not as if Smith set out to do that.

Rafalski has just been a beast the last few months of hockey (stemming back to last season), I can't wait until he's back. Things should get even better then. Lidstrom-Stuart Kronwall-Rafalski Kindle-Salei Ericsson I don't get all the Salei hate. Most of the goals against have come because they're paired with the third line that doesn't know how to play defense, correct? I fail to see how those goals are therefore Salei's fault. They haven't been caused by glaring mistakes by Salei. I see nothing to blame him for. Same goes for Kindl.

Well, Mr. Selanne, it's amazing you felt his elbow hit you when it was clearly a shoulder hit. Maybe you should go watch the replay before you shoot off at the mouth. I don't know why powerplays going to your opposing team is so shocking to a Duck. Your team is full of discipline-less goons.

I see the KHL in his future.