VM1138

I would never buy an Avs jersey, dead rivalry or not. I grew up watching those battles and see no reason for me to wear the Enemy.

Wow, I really wish I lived closer to Detroit! That's really cool that you met him, and it's even cooler that he was nice about it. It seems rare to find a celebrity willing to give a total stranger the time of day. But that's why Datsyuk is great, right?

These have been around for a while, I think. I seem to remember seeing these years ago at stores. And yes, it's proof that Christmas ornaments can predict the future!

Ozzie is a great goalie and he's proven it. Have you truly forgotten all thsoe amazing saves he's had over the years? He's a consistently great goalie. But this season there is something wrong with the whole team. So we can say Ozzie is playing badly this season, but I don't think this erases all the good he's done the past two or so. He'll get it together. Goalies are an eccentric bunch and Babcock just has to come up with a way to light a fire under his ass.

Agreed, Sammy has been playing exceptionally well all season. So well that I've taken him off my "willing to trade for..." lists. He's a good addition to the team, even if his shots always seem to hit the chest protectors. He's solid defensively and brings a lot of jump. As for secondary scoring, I don't think we should worry. Last year we had zero depth offensively it seemed like, and then came the playoffs and everyone was contributing. That will come with a team this talented. If our defense can hold the line, I think you'll see everyone, including Ozzie, improve.

Missed the game. I got excited when I saw the 6....and then I saw the 5. What exactly is the problem here? Did the defense suck again? Is there ANY sign of improvement on their part?

Flip has potential, but I'm beginning to think it will never be realized. Let's face it, he's had some hot streaks, but overall he is not a consistent or reliable threat. He can do some pretty neat things but he seems to have trouble finishing. And like people pointed out, he's not suffering from lack of ice time. Flip is probably the most talented player we have that I would let walk if I had to. He's just not where we all thought he'd be two years ago.

But that trash talk is exactly what most people complain about in boxing, football, basketball, etc. And seriously, Avery has some sort of issue with women it seems.

Mule's play was awesome. When did Datsyuk take over Franzen's body?

There is simply no way we let Hossa AND Franzen go. We keep one of them. Also, I'm betting one or two will retire (Chelios, depending on how he holds up this season, is one). Also, I think Holland would have a riot on his hands if he kept Kopecky and let Franzen, Hossa, and Hudler go. The kid is....you guys know the drill......useless.

I think some people misinterpreted my post. I wasn't being pessimistic, I just wanted those questions answered. Just like some people jump all over the Wings for a single loss, some people overstate a Wings win, you know? Didn't mean to come off snotty or pessimistic.

Missed the game. If the Wings dominated, why did they only score 2 goals on 47 shots? Did they really dominate, or are we just happy they won? Was this this year's Detroit or last years team? Just a few questions I'd like to have answers to before I feel too good about a 2-1 win.

Hope to win this one, but I don't think there's ever been a game against Anaheim that we've played that wasn't insanely frustrating, even our wins. Wish I could watch it but I have to work. Go Wings!

I think so, too. Something needs to change, but we're not even close to being done. Also, I'd rather us hit a rut early in the season instead of the last half. And yes, with this Wings squad, adversity almost always makes them better. And yes, we should be resting some players, as well. It can't hurt, and may end up paying off huge dividends. I say rotate: Give Raffy a game off, then Lidstrom, have them alternate unless the team simply can't win without them both. When Chelios comes back see how he's playing, pull Lebda a few games, etc.

A lot of those teams change jersey's so often they have that "haven't we seen these before?" look. But I agree, the Leafs is OK, the Blackhawks jersey is good, but other than that, they're awful and pointless. I, too, hope that if we're forced to get a 3rd we go back to the Cougars jersey or the striped one from '26.

Our litmus tests are any game vs. decent teams. They expose our weaknesses, and every game against a good team we have we should play better each time.

Luckily we have a few guys we can get rid of, sign people of equivalent skill for cheaper. Kopecky, Filpulla, Lebda, etc.

The team defense kept them to 19 shots or whatever because of average play. But it was clear that whenever the other team at a shot, our defense fell apart. THey need to hold it together better. If you're only giving up 19 shots, but 17 of those are amazingly good scoring chances, you're just as bad as a team giving up 50 shots a game.

So I was looking at the career stats for all players who have ever played with the Red Wings and was trying to picture how the current players will figure in, mainly Datsyuk and Zetterberg, when their careers are over. Right now Datsyuk, being in what, his 7th season? has about 440 points. I'm thinking he could play 19 seasons, purely a guess. Considering declining play in the final years, I'm thinking he's a shoe-in for 1,000 points, which would put him up in the top, but nowhere near Yzerman, Howe, etc. This, to me, is unfortunate because Datsyuk is a brilliant player and deserves to be remembered as one of the best, but his "late-bloomer" status is probably going to doom him to deceivingly "low" numbers, not to mention the year of the lockout. And Zetterberg looks to be playing a season or two less (due to injuries), I'm going to venture a guess and say he struggles to hit 1,000, and will probably finish more around 900. How does everyone else figure they'll finish stats-wise?

Uhm....he put up good numbers with the Isles and Blues, didn't he? I agree he's not a best-ever goalie, but Ozzie has always been an above average, solid goaltender. He's having a rough start, but so is the team. Whenever one of the two gets their act together, the other one will, too. It's symbiotic and larger than a single player.

Like I said, it's just a guess, but I see Datsyuk having that kind of longevitiy. He stays healthy, loves the game and I can see him finishing his career as one of those talented veteran centers on a third line like Yzerman did. Zetterberg, though, I see having a shorter career due to injuries wearing him down.

Enforcers aren't worth a damn if they can't play hockey. Leino and Helm wouldn't be up here for offensive purposes only, as you suggest. The players they would replace are useless in almost every category. They would be brought up to bring SOMETHING to the table.

I've been calling Kopecky useless since we got him. DMac provides what Downey does, but can occasionally score (I know Downey scored for GR, but that's a whole different thing) and knows how to play hockey at least. I agree, though, I'd love to see Abdelkader, Leino, or Helm in over any of them. I disagree with Maltby though, he's been doing well for us this season. Draper has been a bit of a disappointment. Slash Kopecky and DMAC, bring up Abdelkader and Leino/Helm. Slash Lebda and bring up Ericcson.

You seem to forget that until the playoffs, many around here were riding Drake because he wasn't as physical as expected. He didn't really become valuable until late in the playoffs.

[[sarcasm] Yeah, so at least when we're being beat we get to see a fight![/sarcasm] I like Downey a lot, but let's be honest. He adds nothing except grit. Other than a very slight "energy" bounce once in a while he is a waste of a roster spot.