GMRwings1983

Wow! Chiarelli, along with Lombardi, has been the best GM of the last 5 years. Ironic they both missed the playoffs, but this is an overreaction.

+1 for actually being able to spell Lesnar's name right. Shame on you guys.

I'll raise you Tampa in 2. Filppula scores hat tricks in back to back games and crushes our team's soul.

Speaking of the HHOF, that's why I think a guy like Datsyuk will get in easily. If 1,000 points was still used as the barometer to make it in, only a few guys who came into the league post 2005 would make the HHOF. Two players scoring 40 goals is pitiful. That's several years in a row now this sad pattern has happened.

Zetterberg - Weiss - Nyquist Abdelkader - Datsyuk - Tatar Helm - Sheahan - Pulkinnen Miller - Glenfiddich - McGrattan

How dare you? You spelled Nature Boy's first name wrong.

Have to go with Lesnar. McGrattan is the best fighter in hockey, though. He's only fought one fight in the AHL this season because nobody wants to challenge him. But the NHL is always trying to grow the game beyond its niche. The only thing that ends up growing, though, is the goalies' equipment. As a side note, Datsyuk would easily hit 100 points if he played in a different era and had real linemates.

If increased scoring means more powerplay goals, than I'm not really a fan. Powerplays ruin the flow of the game. Besides, not allowing icing on the PK would be the biggest rule change in decades in the NHL. I don't see it happening. This team is more dry than straight gin. But this thread wasn't about the Wings as much as the league in general being kind of dry. This thread is about entertainment, though. The Wings/Avs rivalry was entertaining, not just because of skill but because of the fighting. That drew fans toward the games. How many rivalries now do that?

I would get rid of the instigator rule. I didn't mention it because I think the lack of big time scorers and lack of fighting in general has made the game less exciting. The instigator is a sidebar to that, although it is related to fighting obviously. But that rule has been in place for some time now.

Joseph Conrad would be proud of this paragraph. So you don't mind having a league where star players are being neutralized and only 15 players score 30 freaking goals? How is that good for the game and growing stars for the general public? It isn't. I guess you ignored the scoring part of my argument. Speed isn't scoring goals right now.

The league is becoming les and less exciting. I wouldn't call this a cycle anymore.

I figured he was out, I just haven't seen any official announcement from the team shutting him down.

That's an interesting take on it. But how many times did Gretzky, Lemieux or Bossy hit the ice against the other team's goon line? I can't imagine coaches were that stupid back then not to adjust.

Why do you always have to bash soccer? It's a different sport and the best sport in the world. I used to feel that way about hockey, but well.............I've already said why that changed in this thread. You should care about the scoring part as well. Only fifteen players scoring 30 or more goals is pitiful.

What happens if I want to wear an Yzerman jersey to a Lightning game?

Yeah, I'm thinking even smaller goalie equipment may not make the game more exciting. Don't forget the defensive systems have gotten a lot better than they used to be. But even so, you always see vintage tapes of players scoring from slapshots on the rush with no screen in front of the goalie. That never seems to work anymore. Now everyone's screaming for a goalie to be pulled if he gives up a shot like that. The goalies are just trained too well nowadays. They have made the league less exciting . The rule changes and eradication of fighting has helped also. As I said, one has to embrace big goalies that can swallow pucks to enjoy today's game. I for one don't, which is the biggest reason I follow the league casually now and not religiously like I used to.

And with the help of Cammalleri, who was a man possessed in those playoffs.

They must have all been legal if only 4 players hit 150+ PIM.

The only people in this country who should be called "The King" are Gable and Elvis. The guy who's only been to the Finals once shouldn't have that nickname. I mean, even Martin Brodeur didn't have a nickname like that.

Good point. I couldn't even find hitting stats on the league's site, but big hits didn't seem too common either.

Aren't we already there? And I hope the league doesn't think that the way to solve this is by increasing powerplays. That seemed to be their "genius" idea for how to raise goals after the lockout.

I know. I just think it's funny that Babcock is doing that now. In his last season.

That's a crock. Cleary and Samuelsson took roster spots away from more deserving players for years.

Carey Price will never run out of gas.

Is Franzen dead?