VM1138

I think I remember reading that several players were testing out ankle protection, at least. They liked it, but haven't been using them because it alters their movement.

Looks like the guys are shaking off a lot of the baggage dragging down the team since the Finals. Especially Datsyuk. Hopefully this means he'll be back to regular production from here on out. I'm almost glad this is a close game. If the Wings can come back and grind out a win here, I think it's better mentally than a 6-0 win. It's about time this team actually responded to adversity instead of just talking about overcoming adversity.

Lebda looks really, really bad. Was he on the ice for both goals against or just one? I mean really, really bad. Howard, again, looks decent but he has virtually no control once the puck hits him. He always falls flat on his ass and looks around as the teams play with the puck. And it's like he's made of rubber, the puck just bounces right off him back 10-20 feet. But as long as he keeps stopping him I guess I can't complain too loudly.

Panic? Adthe isn't working....again. Any functioning streams?

It'll be fun to see Sammy again.

My future brother in law actually has swine flu. It sucks, but it's the flu. Not this cataclysmic disease that will wipe out humanity. People will realzie it next year when they hype up yet another ailment as the end of humanity.

I didn't even know Budaj was still in the NHL.

I think he meant that the Wings will score 5 quick ones to start the game, the other two would come later.

Big Bert has been rock solid for the team, I get so tired of people recyling years old critiques of a player despite how they're playing.

Howard LOOKED like he played well, but he really didn't. Did anyone see those massive rebounds on every single save? The kid got lucky. I would love if he developed into a Conklin-type backup, but I have a feeling he won't. Just like the WIngs are playing well but not winning, Howard is LOOKING good but isn't really.

I actually think that this will make the Wings MORE desirable. On paper, they're fantastic. And everyone knows the WIngs are going to get it going sooner or later. Very few intelligent hockey people think they're on their way in a downturn. Even a rough season won't convince people of that, except rabid fans and the media. Next season the cap situation improves and the Wings are right back on top. Anyway, my point is that the Wings are just missing something to push them over the top. Now, imagine you are a skilled player offered a chance to be that missing piece and be a hero while making money on a legendary team? I think a lot of players would take that chance.

You know, I wonder if Hudler might bail out of the KHL to come back for the Wings halfway through the season with the extra space from Franzen being out.

Osgood is REALLY damn good when the playoffs start. So there.

Yzerman and Shanahan, but also Chelios once he joined the Wings became a favorite of mine. Chelios' jersey was the first one I ever owned.

We can always hope that this slump is the annual February slump happening a few months early, and that we'll tear it up for the rest of the season, too.

Holland did the absolute best he could do in the situation. In fact, he blew most people's expectations out of the water. He can't be blamed for a team not giving a s***. I don't know what it is. On paper, this team should be fine. They're shooting a lot, but nothing seems to be going in. Everything is just wide, just long, a fluke mistake that the opposition scores on, nobody is hitting, everyone LOOKS good, but isn't putting up good numbers. It just boggles my mind and if I were coach, I wouldn't know what to do.

The thing that worries me most is Datsyuk's sudden inability to score. I don't know what the problem is but it needs to be fixed immediately.

They did put forward a good effort. Really most of the games this season they've played well. But they're like cursed or something. No matter what they do, it isn't working. They have fresh blood. We've added players so trading for someone isn't going to make everyone else suddenly start scoring. Offense really shouldn't be a problem. The Wings (on paper) are still much better than the rest of the league, and if s***ty teams' scoring works, ours should, too.

It feels really weird to see Pittsburgh and Colorado having seasons that the Wings usually have. I mean, I don't expect the Wings to be #1 every year, but even in off years they're still above average. This is just...weird. The Wings seem to be doing everything, but nothing is going in. Even our defense isn't THAT bad anymore. Two goals scored against is about to be expected. I wonder the teams average this season is? 3? At any rate, I have a weird feeling about this season. Datsyuk and Zetterberg are LOOKING good out there, but they're not producing the way they should be. I know they have points, but something just feels off. Ever since the end of last season, I don't even think it's a lack of heart anymore. With all the young blood we have we have heart and we fight for the puck. Things just aren't going the Wings' way for some reason.. And that makes me nervous.

Anyone have a working feed? Atdhe.net's isn't loading now. Earlier it was working but very slowly and then it would cut out constantly and never re-load.

Lidstrom has performed partial goaltending before...maybe it's true!

I don't expect a win anymore, but I sure hope they do!

I agree with you, except for your statement that this team might have a "couple" of seasons of mediocrity. Really this whole situation is because of the cap, and we're out of that jam at the end of this season. So I fully expect the team to be back to form next season once they can build a team they really want.

Osgood is a proven high caliber goalie who turns into a monster in the playoffs. Howard is an unproven goalie with a history of inconsistency and underperformance. We know Ozzie will get better. There are no such assumptions for Howard yet. So yes, there is the mentality of: trade him while we can get something for him.

On page 77 of the book The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly: Detroit Red Wings by Ted Kulfan, the author relates an incident during the dramatic era when the Wings were stuck with three goalies: Hasek, Joseph and Legace. We all know this was a pretty bizarre time in the recent history of the team, but Kulfan briefly mentions an incident that caught my eye and I was hoping someone else could explain this. Here is the text: "The Hasek experiment didn't nearly go as well the second time around. He was limited to 14 games the entire season because of lingering groin problems and never could get completely healthy. Then, one afternoon in January, after practice had ended, Hasek skated out to the ice to presumably test his groin. What was odd was the fact that some of the players seemed to be aiming shots high, at Hasek's head. It seemed they were trying to hurt him, rather than helping him back into the lineup. Evidently, the Wings already knew. Hasek was about to call it a season." I had never heard this before. Is it normal for players to do something like that? If not, does anyone know which players were aiming at his head? Anyone know more details about this incident? I've never played ice hockey on a team, so maybe I'm missing something but that seems really classless.