VM1138

He could be. A lot of the games we're losing are close. He won't help with the blowouts but he'll give us a couple extra wins that we probably won't deserve, which is fine with me. EDIT: Franzen is money when coming off an injury. Most players take time to get their groove back, I bet Franzen goes on a 12 game scoring streak.

Scum. I never understood belligerent people at events. People are there to have fun, not get harassed.

In 2008 a lot of people were scoring. But as we saw last year, they all decided to stop scoring. And, throughout this year it seems the star players only score when it's easy. I don't see too many goals being created out of thin air or fought for relentlessly. But even if your point stood, do you really think it's better to have more puck distributors than scorers? Even if in 2008 we only had one scorer, isn't it better to have more than one in case of injury? I like Flip but I've always said if the right trade came around it should be considered. Like others have noted, he's an odd fit here. He's too good for the 3rd but not quite good enough for the 2nd on his own without great linemates. He is like a mini-Zetterberg out there, and if he were to develop a scoring touch I'd say keep him. It's not that I WANT Flip gone, but if the team can be helped, his skill is something we have in abundance. Maybe another way of putting it is this: If the team HAD to give up one player, I'd say Flip, but I wouldn't go out of my way to get rid of him.

Right now this team is replete with playmakers. We need some bonafide scorers. And as Franzen's injury illustrates, having more than one (well, Homer kind of counts) is absolutely necessary. Do I hate Flip? No. But we have to give up value to get value. I would be open to trading Flip only if a possibility to fill a team need appeared. Flip could still develop, but we've been waiting for him to develop and he seems to have flat lined. "On pace for" doesn't mean anything, especially when an injury occurs. Could Flip be valuable for us in future years? Yes, I think so. But is he worth keeping at the expense of something the team needs right now and next year (i.e. a 2nd line scorer?). I'm not sure, but it'd depend on the player in question.

It didn't hurt old players in '02. I think the fatigue factor is a bit overrated. Babcock will just have to be a bit more strategic with ice time immediately after the break.

You don't do major shakeups when you're a playoff bubble team. If you make a change you make a careful, surgical change that gives your team something you badly need without messing up what little chemistry you may have on your team. You only do major shakeups if you're a bottom feeder, which this team, with all it's struggles clearly is not. But I don't forsee the Wings adding any players, we'll just have to ride out the storm and then tweak the team in the offseason. I am, however, one of the few who thinks the Wings still can dominate in the playoffs. We've seen them turn the switch before. Call me crazy, but I'm calling a Cup finals appearance again.

I disagree, we need this break. 1) We have no rhythm right now, a long break would do the team good. 2) As long as particpants don't get hurt, playing in the Olympics could get a major distraction out of their heads and give them so good, high caliber practice to get feeling good about themselves again. 3) Rest for non-participants. 4) The possibility of other NHL teams losing their groove and being easier to make up ground against post-break. I look forward to the break.

I don't know how everyone can have bad seasons in the same year. Just doesn't make sense to me. What I do see is sloppy passes, they almost pass too much. I see two players six feet apart passing to each other with an opposing player bearing down on them, so they inevitably lose it instead of passing to the wide open player on the other side of the ice. I see a lot of dump and chase, which they swore never to do a couple years ago when they won the Cup and last season. And worst of all, I see a lot of players standing five feet away from the puck and they stand there to wait for the opposing player to pick it up and then just pick up the man and follow them around. I saw that a lot today and it infuriated me. I don't know who to cite an example, but at center ice the puck had was moving slowly and the Detroit player could have easily picked it up without exposing himself or putting himeslf out of position. He would be guaranteed to get the puck. Instead, he came to a complete stop and waited for Pittsburgh to grab it and carry it down ice. If you want to chase the puck, actually CHASE it down.

Datsyuk played well, too. Zetterberg was okay, but he needs to stop doing the behind the net move that 99% of the time results in losing the puck. And Flip, regardless of how many points he's put up, has been a huge disappointment this season. If he has the puck you can bank that he's going to lose it. That wide open net miss was just icing on the cake of his crappiness this season. But he's always been more promise than delivery, which is why so many people sided with Hudler in the Hudler vs. Flip debate. Filpulla will not be a life-long Wing.

They've had tons of breakways, but it always ends the same, someone shooting high and wide or getting the puck all tripped up in their skates or the goalie's chest.

Our shootout lineup is pitiful this year. Not just in the shootout, but breakaways, etc. No one on this team can go one on one it seems. I feel good about getting the point, but really wish they could have beaten Pittsburgh. Feel worse that Crosby scored twice. One thing is for sure: The Wings have to work on quite a few things, but despite being badly outshot, they played hard and kept up with Pittsburgh. Just have to work on the passing and being more aggressive. Oh, and Howard was HUGE.

Come on guys, just one period left, you only have to play good for 20 more minutes, just come out of the gate swinging (metaphorically, I don't see how a fight will magically give them a goal, but it'd still be nice to see). Pressure! No blind passes! Crash the net! No time to play around, don't waste time getting cute.

Zetterberg and Datsyuk are both doing excellent, defensively. And I thnk that is the problem. Hank's comment about being a bit nervous about this game, coupled with what we've seen this year, I think Babcock is telling them to play defensively when they really need to open up the offense. As we've seen when we play Pittsburgh the past two years, Z always goes on the defensive, not the offensive. Right now they need to change it up. They're losing, so forget about defense, since the defense isn't cutting it anyways. Just go for their throat.

A 1-0 deficit is nothing. We can still come back and win this. On the other hand, it being against Pittsburgh + Our Lack of Offense + Blind Passes + No Sustained Pressure + The Luck We've Been Having This Season = bad news. However, I choose to be optimistic. One fluke, one rush, one bounce is all we need to tie. Then it's down to a lucky bounce and I'd rather have Howard than Fleury.

Well, at least Phaneuf is out of the West, now.

That is not a very good Olympic team. Russia and Canada would have a field day playing against them. Miller might be able to keep them in competition longer than they really should, though. Who knows, maybe they'll have enough heart to win...but looking at that team, I don't see a whole lot of heart.

I can't believe that a simple signing of Giguere is "enormous." Helpful, but not enormous. And man, is Burke a one-trick pony or what? What would he do if all his ex-players were retired? EDIT: I've got it! They will be trading their entire squads, just a big flip!

For God's sake if there's a non-playoff series clinching, non-playoff position clinching game that I want the Wings to win, it's this. For all the crap the Wings have had to deal with this year from the hockey gods, please cut them a break today!

If we have to let anyone go after May, Leino is next on the chopping block, I would have to think.

Maybe they'll be tied after OT and Bettman will declare Crosby the winner?

God I hope we beat Pittsburgh. We've been embarassed enough this year, I hope the Wings show up.

Quick Thoughts: Lidstrom, Datsyuk and Zetterberg are doing exactly what they should be doing. Helm, Draper and Eaves are freaking amazing! Miller is great! And how about a big hand for our co-goalies, Brad Stuart and Jimmy Howard?

I don't know if this has been said yet: There is no way in hell the Wings are trading the rights to Hudler after witnessing our offensive troubles this year. They'd lost Flip before Hudler.

Despite Osgood's poor play (yes, it's poor play, positionally and he's very slow) I kind of want to see what he does with 2 consecutive starts. But I guess that's unlikely.

What's more exciting is that Tatar is said to be a MORE DYNAMIC Hudler. I pray this kid doesn't pull a Leino when he gets his chance up here.