GMRwings1983

Gary Bettman should be on the cover.

I don't mind it. The pastel colors aren't bad. They just need to change the blue to pastel blue. Kind of like the Rams old colors.

I always liked him, though. I thought this thread was about players you once didn't like, but then changed your mind on? Or is that not so? Hey, I finally thought of somebody that fits the mold. Tie Domi. I used to not like him when he played, but admire him more when I watch footage of his, being a smaller man who took on much bigger fighters and used his style to his advantage.

It's funny because Bowman told Ward at the handshake line in the 2002 SCF that he was retiring. Ward should have said, "Good f***ing riddance old man!"

Kane (not the wrestler)

I can't think of anyone really. Maybe Lindros. Nobody jumps to mind as a player I changed my mind on (other than Wings players).

Wait, there's a player named Clendenning? Would be awesome if we traded for him and put him on a line with Glendenning.

I love Carey Price, but I'm not following this post. Why would a baseball team sign him to that kind of money? BTW guys, this is a hockey and wrestling forum. Not a baseball forum.

As far as beards go? Easily.

Doesn't that make Scott Parker the best player ever?

Let me guess, you obviously went by PPG? I would rank Ovechkin, Crosby and Malkin ahead of him for sure. After that, I could toss up rankings between the other players. He would be on that list for consideration. If you have to build a team for one season, you'd really take Backstrom and Kopitar over him? Seguin as well? I find that hard to believe.

Interesting. Is Hudler yet another guy that got the Babcock "Cena'esque burial treatment"?

Agree with most of what you said, however, Ovechkin does not disappear in the playoffs. He's scored 70 points in 72 playoff games. He just plays for a team that has a terrible playoff history and he hasn't gotten much help there. So who are the 10 you'd rank ahead of him for sure? I can only think of three or four I'd rank ahead for sure. After that, I can make arguments for and against him over someone else.

Very few players. That was my point. And most of those guys were drafted before Tayes. In the 90's and 80's, this list would have a lot more names on it. So according to the PPG theory, there's only 5 top players in the entire league (Backstrom being one). The problem with your theory is, most people in the NHL would rank him in the top 10. The man has scored some big goals in his career in big moments. He's been consistent. He's won many awards.

Well below PPG? Zetterberg has scored 119 points in 132 playoff games. Tayes has scored 102 points in 117 playoff games. That looks like a similar playoff PPG to me. In the regular season, Tayes has a higher PPG average. In today's game, being a PPG player isn't as easy as it was in the 90's. In fact, how many players that entered the league when Tayes did, have averaged a point per game throughout their careers? I can't think of any.

Tayes has scored 102 points in 117 playoff games. I'd say that's pretty good in today's game. Sure, he's had some series where he doesn't score a lot, but Chicago gets enough balanced scoring in the postseason, where they haven't needed him to score all the time. To contrast, the Wings just don't score enough goals in the playoffs. When the top line disappeared in the Chicago series in 2013, we were sunk. We always need Zetterberg and Datsyuk to score a lot. The other players still haven't proven themselves in the playoffs. That's why I said we rely on Zetterberg more than Chicago does on Tayes. They still had Kane, Hossa, Sharp, Keith, Seabrook and others. We're still waiting to get playoff production from our other guys in the postseason.

Wasn't really a theory. The Hawks have more star players than us. They don't need Tayes to score a lot. We may get balanced scoring in the regular season, but in the playoffs, we have trouble getting any scoring, period. The Hawks don't have this problem. BTW, most people forget Zetterberg had no offense in the Chicago series in 2013. Our top line expended all its energy shutting down Tayes' line. They cancelled each other out. One could say that Tayes shut down Zetterberg as well. No one around here ever mentions that. Really? How many goals did Zetterberg score in that series? As I say above, both players shut each other down. We needed our 3rd and 4th liners to carry us offensively in that series.

None of Chicago's stars put up massive numbers. They balance their scoring out, kind of like the Wings during their heyday in the laste 90's and early 00's. I guess Kane could have been on track to win the Art Ross this season if not for injuries, but we never got to find out. Tayes, just like Zetterberg, can affect a game without scoring a lot. The biggest difference is, I think we need more from Zetterberg offensively. Chicago has more big names they can rely on. When Tayes doesn't score, someone else for them steps up. When Zetterberg doesn't score, we get eliminated from the playoffs. In any case, my post was simply in response to Tayes not scoring 70 points. I think it's harder to hit 70 points nowadays than it was 5 years ago when Zetterberg last did it. That was a team effort. Zetterberg had Datsyuk on his wing and Lidstrom on the blue line. The team shut Crosby down, Zetterberg being a large part of it. But it wasn't a one man job, like people on LGW always make it sound. Besides, Zetterberg was at his peak back then, and Crosby was still young and a few years removed from what would have been his peak (if not for the concussion issue).

Voted Tayes for both. If, however, there was a third category for "peak", I would give to Zetterberg. His 2008 and 2009 form is better than Tayes at any point. You need to look at it in context. I had a thread here recently about how few 30 goal scorers and PPG players there were last season. I feel like high scoring totals are absent from the game. When Zetterberg was in his peak, top players put up more points. Datsyuk's 97 points in 2008 and 2009 would win the Art Ross trophy easily this past season. I can't wait for his five year injury bug to finally heal.

What did you think he'd choose? Pelican Bay? While he's in prison, he can surf LGW and maybe call one of the many call girl numbers on the front page.

Honest question. If the Grind Line comes out of retirement for one playoff series.............could they shut down our top line of Zetterberg, Nyquist and Abdelkader?

There are several hockey enforcers who went on to MMA careers. Steve Bosse and Sasha Lakovic are two off the top of my head.

Was it that, or was it having worse linemates? I don't remember McCarty getting much top line minutes during the 2000's. By that point, he was playing almost entirely on the grind line. I know the guy scored 50 goals in juniors, but so did Kirk Maltby.

I guess that's true looking at the numbers. I'm thinking more of the 2000's version of McCarty, who wasn't putting up big numbers.

So weight classes are irrelevant? I agree she'd beat Abdelkader in an octagon, but the 6'6 tough guys she may have an issue with. Some of those guys do train in boxing and kickboxing. LOL. Good one.