GMRwings1983

Howard is ******* terrible in big games. He had enough time to get set, instead he gives up the whole net to shoot at. Ugh. Always goes down early.

He hits and fights more often than our other 4th liners. I think he's done a good job this year filling his role. Nobody is overrating him. I believe a player like him should be in the lineup for a series like this. Eaves can kill penalties, but so can many of our other forwards. He's hardly irreplaceable.

Who died and made you mod? My point is that Holland's history shows that players like Tootoo are virtually obsolete. Even when they're more useful than other 4th liners at that role. Holland's soft mentality is stuck in 2002, back when we had Hall of Famers on our 4th line.

Unfortunately, Samuelsson. Those are the only types of players he overspends on anymore. Same with overspending on Quincey. We'll never convince a good top 6 winger to come here without spending big. Otherwise, we'll have to develop one, and we don't have any legit scoring wingers in GR right now. Let alone, big physical ones.

Kenny Holland doesn't like violence in hockey. Makes him cringe.

For the last several summers, actually. I've given up on Holland getting that player. He doesn't want to overspend, even though that's what current market price is.

I know. But I remember him playing on the top line for game 1. Or was it game 2?

Didn't we do this in game 1 of the 2008 Finals, where Sammy scored two goals? Problem is, this is 2013, not 2008. This organization needs to stop living in the past so much. Hit what? A bong?

No reason to sign Tootoo if you aren't going to play him in a tough, physical playoff series. He brings more hitting and energy than our other lower line players.

I raise.

Isn't he very good friends with Shanahan?

So did Georges shoot the puck at MacLean? Don't know if I've ever seen that before. The Wings, I'm afraid, will look worse than Montreal if games like this happen.

Then he should have fought Perry or Getzlaf two games ago.

Don't see that too often. Ottawa has assembled a pretty good mixture of youth, talent and and tough guys. Imagine the Wings dressing a Neal and Kassian type player in the same game. We play in this division next season. If I'm coaching Boston, Toronto or Ottawa, I try to impose myself on the Wings physically on every shift. Scrums after whistles, etc.

I've seen him play like an ass all season.

Pretty much. Sometimes, players make goalies look bad, but other times, the goalie makes players look better than what they are. There are invariably going to be defensive mistakes and good scoring chances in every game. When a goalie swallows those, everybody tends to forget those mistakes. Howard has been pedestrian for us in the playoffs in his career. I can't remember him stealing too many games, but I can remember him choking a few away. His numbers are pretty average in the playoffs. Yes, the teams around him haven't been 2002 'esque, but we've seen hot goalies carrying teams before. Howard carried us into these playoffs, but now he has to play like someone that can carry a team in the playoffs.

Yeah, how about that?

He needs to be better, but no is the answer. If we had a "2008 Osgood" type player, I'd likely say yes. Ozzie was an All Star that year and was a proven netminder already. But we don't have that option as a backup.

Now, everybody on LGW has joined what the rest of the NHL fanbase has done for two years. Hate Brendan Shanahan. Easily the most hated man in the NHL behind Bettman.

How can a team in this day and age play Samuelsson and Cleary on the same powerplay unit?

Ah, I forgot we played them in 1999.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but hasn't the winner of the Wings/Ducks series always gone on to the Finals?

Who is blaming this game on Howard?