GMRwings1983

That's what I always say, but very few people here understand that, even though it was a big part of the team's eventual growth last year when it came to physicality. Because the Wings have had soft teams for many seasons now, the fans have embraced this team's softness, not realizing that it hasn't resulted in anything but an early playoff defeat in seasons where we didn't dress a tough guy during the regular season and playoffs. It's like trying to argue with people that the grass is green. They just don't get it and have no argument for why the majority of the NHL dresses enforcers, if they happen to be so useless. I know people here always ***** that it isn't so cut and dry, but I don't care. The majority of LGW (with a few exceptions) is anti-enforcer. I'm tired of them saying that they're not, and then writing pages about how useless Downey is and about how obsolete enforcers are the new NHL (even though every other team has one), and about how fighters are all useless goons. If fans here don't understand that part of the game at all, then theyr'e not knowledgeable hockey fans. I'm tired of people bashing enforcers, and then writing a quick disclaimer about they're not anti-enforcer. Damn hypocrites.

It's too damn long a list to make. And playing 4 minutes a night isn't going to help his chances of scoring either. BTW, Chris Neil isn't an enforcer. He's more of a light heavy who throws with heavies, but usually loses to them. You obviously either have something against Downey, or you don't know s*** about enforcers around the league in general, which is evidenced by calling Chris Neil an enforcer. I suppose you think Lucic is an enforcer too? Fact is, Downey isn't that less talented than most of the tough guys in the league, and I think most posters here would agree with me on that one fact. You're in the minority on this Opie.

Once again I can't agree with you. I don't think Downey is that much worse as a player than most of the enforcers in the league. There are plenty of goons who suit up nightly with limited skills. You just have unrealistic expectations of what an enforcer should be. Most teams are content with their tough guys not scoring, and every team has a few healthy scratches per night that are way more talented than the enforcer who's taking those player roster spots. If Downey is only capable of fighting (which is true), he's no different than most of the enforcers in the NHL.

The instigator rule hasn't changed as much as people say it has. Enforcers are still present on just about every team. From your post it appears that you don't have an answer for why teams have dressed enforcers? Or are you saying they do it purely for entertainment purposes? If that's your position, I find it's truth very hard to believe. A team's first priority would be to build a good team skill wise. If the enforcer was as meaningless to deterrence as you say it is, there would maybe be 5 fighters in the whole league.

Even better. He tried to start a fight to boost his team when they were getting blown out. That's what fighters are supposed to do.

So you don't like seeing someone on the Wings standing up for himself, unlike the rest of the team? I suppose he should have just skated away and pointed at the scoreboard.....oh wait, nevermind.

Do you really think that enforcers have existed for decades in hockey and still continue to exist all around the league, even though they don't prevent anything? The NHL is a business, and I'm pretty sure teams wouldn't waste roster spots at all on enforces if they were just there to retaliate. Also, did you ever stop to think that maybe retaliation is a way to deter later attempts at cheap shots?

That's why duck and cover is the best strategy, right? Then our PP can come out and do the enforcing.

We obviously don't need Downey and should give his roster spot to some soft euro, which we don't have enough of currently. There's too much grit all over our lineup to waste it on yet another Canadian. Also, because he fights, that means that he's somehow susceptible to taking dumb penalties. Likewise, he doesn't deter anything, thus the other 29 teams in the league that dress enforcers are stupid for doing so, since there's no deterrence whatsoever.

Signing Hossa last year made it pretty much impossible to make any moves at the deadline. Not enough cap space. Also, I don't think anyone had the foresight to imagine that the goaltending and defense would be so lousy this season. It was taken for granted that the same roster as last year, plus Hossa, would equal a much better team. So far it hasn't been that way because we're giving up way too many goals. Still, it'd be nice to have landed someone like Chris Neil, especially since people here seem to think that Holland is capable of any level of greatness. Overall, the deadline is supposed to be about improving your team, and we didn't really improve ours. That either means our team doesn't need improvement, or the management wasn't sly enough to pull any deals off. You all can decide for yourselves which one it is. BTW, Kp, you need to sacrifice some of your social life and post here more often. We need a poster of your calibur to offset some of the posters around here.

And he suits up for the Wings tonight, much to the chagrin of the horror-stricken, dumb ass Pepsi Center crowd.

All I said was that I hope that's not what happens. You don't have to overreact and start giving thumbs downs like you're a film critic or something.

My 4th line is better!

The salary cap has destroyed the Colorado divealanche. It hasn't done anything to the Red Wings. It's as if the cap was never put in for us. Unfortunately, for some reason, they're the only team that can handle us well in shootouts. It would be embarassing to go 0-4 against these idiots, but they've got bigger things to worry about than gloating over us.

If that's so, I hope it doesn't mean there will be NO Cup.

Zetterberg - Datsyuk - Holmstrom Hudler - Franzen - Hossa Cleary - Filppulla - Sammy McCarty - Lilja - Downey Lidstrom - Rafalski Kronwall - Stuart Ericsson - Chelios Osgood/ Conklin

Those hits usually involve him falling on his ass. And for the last time, we don't need our 4th liners to score points. Their number one priority should be to bring it physically every game for the rest of the players to feed off of that energy. If you think Kopecky has been doing that, then you haven't been watching much.

He looked great out there. I'd love to see him play some more. However, because of his size, I know that as a fan I'm going to have high expectations about his physicality, thus he's going to have to bring the lumber every game so to speak.

What is the meaning of this thread? Kopecky has sucked all year, and last night was the exception. Is the OP actually criticizing us for being hard on a player who's done nothing all year but take up a roster spot?

Honestly, he was secretly my favorite Wings player all along. I just hope no one took my posts about him to be an indication of me thinking that he was useless, or anything like that. I still say that he's afraid to fight though, and he didn't disprove me tonight.

Good, that means the Sharks will get him. They obviously need to improve their size and physicality.

Almost perfect, but seeing Hossa being wheeled away on a stretcher makes it hard to say the game was perfect. You have to think long term, and not short term. He just came back from an injury to his neck, also.

Well, Lidstrom hasn't scored in a couple of games.

Damn! That was close. Why doesn't the idiot drop the gloves? He beat up Patrick Sharp.

I think he's been reading my posts. Hopefully, we'll see him fight, and then I can take the rest of the week off.