GMRwings1983

I don't know about Kocur, but Probert would do just fine in today's game. He wasn't just some angry goon with no skill. The guy could put up points. Anyway, I guess you and I disagree, but I don't see how you can deny that there are enforcers out there in the NHL who don't do much else besides fight. I see plenty of them all the time. I just don't understand why we can't have a guy like that too. We can spare a roster spot for a goon better than less skilled teams can.

But how can you say that, knowing that there are many players like them all around the NHL. Downey is one of many enforcers who can't do anything but fight. BTW, Brashear is a good player for an enforcer, as is Laraque, so I wouldn't call either of them meatheads who can't play hockey. But there are plenty of others who fit that description, who play regularly in the NHL. Downey wouldn't be any different than most enforcers in that regard. You alluded to Kocur earlier, and guess what, Kocur couldn't do anything but fight. It's always been that way with enforcers, with very few exceptions. If you were a fan of fighting and enforcers, you wouldn't be saying these things about Downey or how he doesn't belong on the roster.

Basically, he should just give Ericsson that spot right now and permanently keep him there. Meech sucks, Quincey is gone, and Lebda isn't ever going to be better than what he is now. Also, I doubt Chelli will be back next year. I don't see how anyone can argue for any of those other guys over Ericsson right now. Even after Lilja returns, Ericsson should still be a permanent starter.

Stupid post. Are you saying that Sheldon Souray, Jared Boll, Chris Neil, Dion Phaneuf and Steve Begin can't fight either? Lilja did well against all those guys. I'm tired of people posting retarded s*** like this. You make it sound like no great fighter ever lost a fight in the NHL. Some fan you are dogging the only guy on his team who was willing to drop the gloves. Go watch a basketball game or something.

I love that fight. Did you see the fear of God in Phaneuf's eyes right before he fell on the ice over fear of being decimated. Classic Lilja, right there.

You just included Lucic with Boogaard, Brashear and Laraque. That shows what you know. Lucic is considered a spotpicker amongst fight circles in the league, and the only time he fought a real enforcer was in Erskine, who destroyed Lucic. The guy is overrated as a fighter. And why include Getzlaf and Perry? Those guys aren't even fighters? How would we even obtain such players since we already have too much talent locked up? Once again, I don't know what you have against Downey, but he showed last year that he still has what it takes to be an enforcer in this league fight wise. He hasn't really had a chance this season to show anything. An overall confusing post on your part.

No way we could lose to the Oilers again, right? At this point I wouldn't mind playing them, despite the CBC announcers we'd have to listen to on Versus. I feel slightly sorry for the Preds if they had to play San Jose yet again.

So who will be our enforcer now? Kopecky?

I suppose Downey's fight with Boulerice in Dallas was a draw? Last year Downey didn't lose a fight the entire season. I don't know what information you're going on, but you're way off base with your assessment of the guy. And I've seen all the Probert and Kocur fights, so I couldn't help smirk when you suggested I go watch them. If those are the only types of guys you consider to be good fighters, then there aren't any good fighters in the league right now.

Cry me a river, SWF. Plenty of people understand it, my ass. The few people here that do understand it want an enforcer to play full-time in the regular season. The rest of the people who claim to understand it don't make sense. They claim that they want Downey to play, but only if he can put up 20 goals or outplay some other 4th line player statistically, which is not an enforcer's job in the first place. If people here understand enforcers, why do they demand such unrealistic expectations from them? And don't bother naming me certain middleweight fighters around the league who can put up points, because those guys aren't enforcers anyway. People here can't get over that fact that enforcers aren't there for their skill, yet they claim to understand an enforcer's role. Bullcrap. And you keep talking about how other things are more importnat than enforcing. What other things? Our roster has every other kind of player we need. There's definitely no lack in skill right now. These "enforcer slappies" as you put it are tired of years where their team has hardly any fights. We're just fight-starved. And finally, there's no poster on LGW who has more of a soapbox preacher mentality than you do, so I wouldn't even go there if I was you.

Apparently your forgot how Lilja beat the s*** out of Phaneuf after he hit Hudler last year.

Let me guess, you're not anti-enforcer either, right?

Mediocre fighter? If he was a mediocre fighter, he would have been destroyed by Cam Janssen, instead of it being a fight of the year candidate. Downey is a heavyweight who's not in the top echelon. If that makes him mediocre, then you have a different ranking system than everyone else.

Then Meech should be the one sent down, and not Downey.

Well, there is this 6'3 stiff playing on our 4th line, who doesn't do anything remotely physical out there. He finally had a good game last week, but that was still the exception to his play.

So much for being voted player of the game several times. Now we have no Lilja or Downey or McCarty in the lineup. This might be the softest lineup the Wings have ever had in their team's history.

Why wouldn't he be. He hasn't contributed at all to this team since he was called up. Obviously the 4th line is the reason we gave up those 8 goals last game. Seriously, this organization pisses me off sometimes. Oh well, at least we got to see one good fight while he was playing. Probably our last of the season, unless Kopecky wants to man up with someone.

GS&T didn't mention one guy in his post who's an enforcer. All those guys are just middleweights who fight from time to time, but not against regular heavies. Once again, your definition of an enforcer is not a traditional one. I'm talking about guys like Belak, Godard, Shelley, Orr and so on. These guys aren't there to score, and they are real enforcers.

Is this the same Nashville who's never won a road playoff game and the same Columbus who's never even been in one? Our team is just as fast as we were last year, when we dominated your young and fast Penguins in the Finals. In fact, we're faster since we now have HOSSA! You've proven with that post that you did indeed come here to instigate. And that ladies and gentlemen, is how you play get the guest.

And I want a platinum blonde who loves me, a Ferrari, and caviar for breakfast every morning. If that's really what you want from an enforcer, then I'm sorry to say, you're pretty much anti-enforcer, since only a handful of players can actually give you what you want. And no, Lucic is not an enforcer, so don't go that route either.

For once you and I agree on something. The OP's question was basically the same thing as asking your doctor whether your health would be better off if you didn't smoke. Of course we'd be better off this season with more solid starting goaltending. We'd already have clinched the President's trophy if we had better goaltending, regardless of what Boston and San Jose are doing.

Then I gave you too much credit. Apparently you did come here to ask a question with an obvious answer.

SO the Pens can't dress a skilled player in place of Godard? How about the Sharks with Shelley or the Lightning with Koci, or the Preds with Belak? None of those players have any skill, and those teams could put in better players from the minors than any of those guys, yet they still don't. Once again, I don't see your argument as being true.

I hate to tell you this, but every team in the league that dresses an enforcer has a healthy scratch or a guy in the minors that could bring more as a scorer to the lineup than what that enforcer can. So no, we're not that much deeper than anyone that we can't afford to dress an enforcer but other teams can. In fact, if it were otherwise, we'd be the one team in the league that could afford to dress enforcers, since we'd have so much talent on the other lines as opposed to the rest of the league. Your argument makes no sense. So I repeat, why do teams dress enforcers?

If I am a retard, it's only because I even bothered to respond to your stupid post in the first place. You obviously didn't come here today to ask the question you posted above, because the answer to it is a clear yes. Of course we'd have a better record with a clear cut number one goalie if Ozzie had a better season. It's such a pointless question on your part, that it becomes easy to deduce that you just came here to start s*** like you did last year during the Finals. Once again, get over last year and the Hossa thing.