stevkrause

Agreed, I still don't think he will continue at this pace, or become an All-Star and would still be FLOORED if he did... and that will indeed be the truest test - when he falters and goes on a slump and how he rebounds after...

yea, I was really bummed that Tollefsen didn't re-sign here, I thought he still had a lot of upside... guess he just didn't want to play in the AHL another year and to have to earn a job back into the NHL... I think long term, he could have become an every night guy here on the 3rd pairing... oh well...

Lets keep in mind too, that with our scouting staff, that 5th round pick could turn into an All-Star, haha by the way, although this is indeed possible, I'm not saying to count on it, just making light of the subject... and yes, it would have been nice to get a little more in return, but we were the ones that needed to dump salary, so to get anything for an unproven player was good at the time and we could have just as easily lost him for nothing, as we probably would have had to waive him otherwise...

I agree with you 100% about our 2nd line, but I very boldly stated that I thought he was a flash in the pan and would never even be a 20pt scorer in this league. That is what I am eating crow for, not for advocating his exit from Detroit, because I still agree with that.

I'm not saying that this is what you're getting at, but let's not take this thread for something it's not... I've made it very clear that I'm still very glad Holland made the tough choice he had to and would not change it one bit... I said several times already in this thread that I don't think Leino would have ever done what he is doing in Philly, here - My point was, that he is proving he is a legit NHL'er, and even if his numbers drop off, even 30-40pts a year is more than I thought he was capable of, this does not mean I am saying he will be an all-star, there can be an in between ground between bust and superstar... all this thread is doing is stating that he is a legit NHL'er and I am admitting I was wrong when I said he never would be.

I thought he was just on a hot streak last year too, but the thing is, that it's not just the points that make me think he has finally found his stride - it's the way he's playing as well... he's playing with heart, tenacity and energy... three things he seemed to lack here... of course, like you said, a nice little drought that all players go through will be a good test of his resolve and show if he will have long term success, but right now, it looks like it is indeed more than just a streak... Agreed 100% - as I said earlier in the thread, people discount chemistry FAR too much, it can make a WORLD of difference (look at Bert's renaissance with Franzen and Fil right now)

Sounds pretty nice, I can't wait to see it!

Fine, can we compromise - A career crippling injury, resulting in a minimum of 50 games missed? I don't think Savard will ever be the player he was again...

I'll man up and admit when I'm wrong, I'm not too proud!

That's one of the biggest reasons I still have no problem with us letting him go - We do not have Briere or Hartnell... people all too often dismiss line chemistry, but it is HUGE... You could take 3 average skill players with amazing chemistry and 9 out of 10 times, they will generate more points than 3 superstars with no chemistry (look at Ilya right now) I'm not taking anything away from Leino - he got in a good situation and made the most of it and more power to him, but I still don't think his success there means we made a bad choice and I think more people need to notice that

Let me preface what I'm about to say by openly admitting that I know that this makes me a bad person and one should never take pleasure in injuries, but... I will openly cheer, without shame, if anyone ever takes a run/cheap-shot at Cooke which results in the end of his career. Cooke is EXACTLY the type of player the game needs to get rid of - no respect for his fellow player or the game, and a abortion of a human being to boot.

I don't think trades should really ever be made of roster players when you're winning and especially not once the season is already going - you don't mess with locker room chemisty... so I'm going to have to say no under these circumstances at this time... if you had brought this up in the off season though, I probably would have been all for it... I love Hudles and would hate to see him go, but I LOVE Clarkson's game and think his game is VASTLY underrated, he's not just a goon or even a 4th liner, the guy has genuine power forward skills and adds some snarl as well... but once again, we do not to even be THINKING about trades right now.

I love everything about this, and I didn't know Bert had so much work done either... As a bit of a jokester myself, a lifelong Pantera fan and someone with quite a bit of work myself (1 and 1/2 sleeves, full chest and a decent amount of my back, totaling over 70 man-hours worth of work), that video made me smile from ear to ear

fighting is a PART of the game and players should be allowed to police themselves a little better than they currently do and there needs to be more respect out there, there is no doubt about it - but the game is HOCKEY first and foremost, not UFC

well played sir, well played! :beerbuddy:

The product on the ice today is WAY better than the early 90's... the obstruction was ridiculous and the game was SOOOOO much slower... I'd take fast paced, end to end play with big hits, and exciting plays over clutching/grabbing all game and a fight every 3 minutes... I hate Bettman as well and they have DEFINITELY tweaked several things too far and things that didn't need to be, but let's not act like the early 90's was the way hockey should be played, because THEN it was bulls***...

But the real question is... what is Yves Racine doing these days?

I mean, lets call a spade a spade... doesn't it?

ex-freaking-actly!

I agree with most other posters here, I think it was too many for the fact that this is still hockey... I agree with him being suspended, but I think it should have only been 1 game... with that said, that was a DIRTY play and Briere was an idiot for doing it...

That would be admitting fault... the NHL is NEVER wrong! :blink: *cough* trapezoid, automatic instigator rule, hockey in Phoenix, hockey in Atlanta, glow puck, overseas games to start the season, back to back games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Gary Bettman, etc, etc... *cough*

There, fixed that for you

and got the year 2010 confused with the year 1998?

the league needs to do something about players that turn their backs to checks... this should not have been a penalty and players are going to get hurt worse and worse if this trend continues like it has been... even the penalty on Franzen the other night on Smithson, should have Franzen given up the hit? probably, but it was Smithson's own fault for turning his back to the hit and he's lucky he didn't get seriously hurt, let alone hurt at all... take your licks like a man and get close to the boards (not ON the boards, but close) and turn INTO your check, even initiating contact when possible... you will be more protected and will also take less brunt of the hit due to the absorption of the initiation... this is how the game is SUPPOSE to be played...

That's a beat writer that is supposed to follow hockey?!?! The guy should be re-assigned to golf or something, that's downright disgraceful...