stevkrause

and that alone is a huge difference from 07...

if anything, that just further proves that Stuart should be in there - Kronwall and Samuelsson... he hasn't been on the #1 PP all year, and I see no reason why he got promoted in Raffi's absense, if anything, if you want to keep him, fine, but bump up Kronwall and put Stuart with Sammy

QFT

especially with how well Flip has been playing, I think this makes perfect sense

no, he's a lefty as well

I actually think this is the best idea while Raffi is out...

I agree completely... and while Raffi is out, I'd go one further and say Ericsson/Lidstrom... I hate Samuelsson on the point, he can't keep a puck in the zone to save his life... I don't care if he's a right handed shot...

yea, in a perfect world where they're healthy...

Although I disagree that he is a reserve forward (as he is definitely a d man) everything else you said is spot on, although his defensive positioning isn't much worse than Lebda... however, I like this option, just in the aspect that Lebda and Meech are interchangeable for the most part, so basically, we'd really be playing with 5 defensemen, the only difference from Sundays game, is that instead of that 5th being Ledba and Chelios sitting, that 5th is Meech/Lebda and you cycle them in, keeping legs fresher, but NOT as a pair, rather pair them with other, more competent defensemen and cycle them out

I honestly would rather us not re-sign him in the off season, I think the Kopecky experiment has played out and we've all seen what he will be as an NHL'er. Personally, I would rather have Abdelkader be in before him depth chart wise in a checking role, and obviously Leino in a shooting/play-making role...

I agree, ever since his healthy scratch earlier this season, it's really been a wake-up call to malts and he's played pretty well, Kopecky, however, since his little outburst near the end of the season, has been terrible - poor balance, losing the puck, not playing physical enough - as soon as Drapes is healthy again, he needs to come in, in Kopecky's place

bummer about Raffi, but awesome to see Ericsson on the top pairing with Nick, I think that pairing is going to be absolutely amazing...

I don't know what it was, maybe just the way you worded it, or maybe your profile image, or the combination of the two... but that response just actually made me audibly laugh at my desk

I have a bad feeling he won't be back this year, but I sure as hell hope he is! I hope he has a very speedy recovery too... and in response to the earlier post about him wearing a visor, I'm pretty sure that's just an extra precaution, until he is 100% healthy, I'm pretty sure once he is cleared to play, he will ditch the visor again

Bruins in 5.

my mistake, I thought they were talking about the puck to the chest... wasn't that Yzerman who took that shot too?

wow..... sorry but even a piece of s*** like Pronger I don't want "taken out" like that... he almost died man...

exactly.

no... it doesn't. The Wings don't handle NTC's like the Maple Leafs. Enough of the "trade Stuart" talk on here, it's not possible and it's getting old.

what an awesome tool! I still don't see HOW they re-sign Hossa, even if you let other guys walk and make a trade, he'd have to come in at under a 5.5 cap hit AND we'd be right up against the ceiling again... This is what I think they best/most viable roster is - Trade Lebda, re-sign Hudler, let Sammy, Conklin, Chelios and sadly, Hossa, walk and bring up Howard and obviously Ericsson, full time

I did my part and voted from 10 different IP's... and it still only got it up 1%... I think we're fighting a losing battle here

no ifs, ands, or buts about it. He will never wear a GR sweater again. He IS here to stay. As a side note, Holland has already said he will not re-sign Chelios and I too am in the mindset that Lebda or Meech will be traded in the off season, I though for sure one of them would have been moved by the deadline...

If anyone else here has U-Verse, last night the feed on regular FSN was Ken and Mick, but when you switched over to the HD channel... FS Blue Jackets?!?! WHY THE HELL are we getting Columbus' HD feed here in Detroit????? I know they had to be taping in HD on FSN-Detroit... I was stuck watching VS HD feed and missing Ken and Mick, because I'd rather have VS announcers than the homers on Columbus' feed not too happy about that... :flamingmad:

see, my VS HD was perfect... just odd is all