T.Low

Exactlt. And it would be super easy to fill an hour or even two midweek with a Hotstove segment, highlights segment, etc.

I don't think I can give you the analytical commentary on the positional play pros and cons. But the mathmatical observation of the matter is that any given line will yield X amount of production. While emotionally, it may look more satisfying to have the three line mates all near 50/50 production (a la the Ottawa Sens), that may actually yield less overall production than if one position yields a 10/90 ratio. In this case, it appears that optimal production currently is with Dats doing a lot of the set up work with Z being the closer, and Holmer the cleanup. I understand the envy of Ottawa's situation, but this is the way it is currently working for the Wings, and yes, it will fluxuate thru the season. My simple explanation (not that its a simple question, rather I'm a simple guy with only simple answers) is that Dats is still drawing a crowd (bercause he is so amazing with the puck) and that creates space for Z and Holmer. Good question. Would make a great PhD thesis.

I agree, except that it doesn't bother me that hockey is not popular. On the contrary, popularity has a way of killing the very essence of the games you love. And I wish the NHL would stop trying to make the game more popular with all the goofey things they are doing. Just play good old fashioned hockey and those that like it watch, those that don't like it, don't watch. As for baseball, out of all the sports I played as a kid, it was the only sport where I liked practice more than the games. The games were way too frikin slow, but the practices were great. You get to run down 10 fly balls in a row, and you get to hit 25 pitches in a row. I put myself thru college by laying asphalt. We joked that the city workers always had only one guy working, the rest of them standing around watching him. Well, baseball is like city work, you got one guy doing all the work with everyone else standing around watching him.

Yes. However, I don't watch the same things they watch (Like Best Damn Sports Show, baseball, basketball, American Idol, etc) so it would stand to reason that they would not find my interests interesting, even though they proclaim to be a sports show. Those guys are boneheads. Even Dan Patrick would talk baseball all day on his show while the Stanley Cup Finals are going on, and there's still four and half months of baseball left, but only 6 hrs of hockey left! I think a bigger question would be why, in all these years, has Hockey Night in Canada not had a Wednesday night show like "This Week in the NHL" or something to tide the Canadians over till Saturday nite? Just show highlights and talk hockey and some personal stories or behind the scenes kinda stuff. I'd love that.

Listenning to the Team 1040 out of Vancouver yesterday, Ray Ferraro said Lindros could dump him on his ass at any given time. Impossible to defend against. Also said his numbers were about the same as Forsbergs. While he did not reach the pinnacle of an NHL career (Lord Stanley's Cup) he was awesome. Bust? : no. HOF?: I would say yes, but wtf do I know

No, it didn't really have an effect on the neck area. You'll notice in the video the only time there is an enormous amount of pressure on the neck area is when Moore 's head intially hits the ice from Bertuzzi's excessive drive. The rest of the pile on could have knocked the wind out of him or brusied kidney's, ribs, or something but the pressure points of the pile on were not conducive to a neck injury. Not my fault, don't get mad at me, just simple observation.

They don't call it "playing in the big leagues" for nothing.

Thats as far as I made it. (half way down the first page).

Exactly I frickin laugh outloud everytime I see Avery say that to Laraque in Hockeytown III. video. Its so proposterous that Larague knows he's not serious but to Avery's credit, he made Laraque actually think for a moment about it. I thought I actually saw a video from last year where Avery saw that Shanahan was about to square off with someone who would kick his ass, so Avery started a fight first with someone else to take the heat of Shanny and it worked. (Not the time Shanny actually fought Brashears). Now I can't seem to find the vid. If my memory is correct, I give huge props to Avery for that.

I don't mean to be harsh on your opinion, but there are a lot of things in life that people shouldn't have to go through. I loved MacCarty as a player for the Wings Heart and soul But the fact remains that every player knows their playing days are limited and they need to plan for the future. I'm sure the Red Wings front office can put players in touch with financial planners to help them plan for life after hockey. He made his own bed, now he's got to sleep in it. I love the dude but he wanted to play the leed role in "Wings gone Wild" and now he's dealing with the consequences. Yeah, I feel bad fo him, too but, c'mon, he was a fool with his money,and a fool and his money will soon be parted. Back in the day, I liked Mac so much that I thought the Wings should let Feds go if he wants to be a bonehead about the situation, but don't let Mac go.

Naslund seemed to be looking right in Moore's direction, how did he not pull back much sooner? Instead, he extended for he puck and exposed himself and sure enough Moore when in to get some. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOAxYWeQWxE

After the hit, Moore is on his way down with 245lb Bertuzzi on his way down on top of him and look at the force from Bertuzzi at that point driving Moore's head into the ice. Thats what did it. As for the lack of hand shake: there's a room with two attorney's and Bertuzzi and over a million dollars at stake, how can I be bothered to believe anything either side says regarding what went on at that meeting. Too bad for Bertuzzi, WAY too bad for Moore, but I am glad the Red Wings don't have to put up with the side show of the extended drama and all its baggage. I have to admit though, that I was sort of looking forward to Bertuzzi with the Wings visitng Vancouver. The crowd would cheer everytime he touched the puck So a play sequence where Chelios would outlet to Bertuzzi, then back to Cheli to relieve pressure, then back to Bertuzzi, then to a streaking Cheli , the crowd would sound like this: BOOOO...YAAAAY... BOOOO...YAAAAY...BOOOO. That would be fun regardless.

Yeah, I guess thats a boring topic, probably not there yet anyway. Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday...Hmm Still Friday nite? Well, I guess i can watch all the Wings hilites again on NHL.com... Okay, that was fun... Can read all the threads on LGW again... Dupe a dupe dupe dupe OzzzzGood, OzzzzGood, Z!!! Still Friday nite... man, when the Wings are playing like this...this is going to be a long time off between games...

Sweet. Was the trend to do an outdoor game started by the UofM-MSU Cold War, or was it someone else in recent history, like Mystery, Alaska vs the NY Rangers?

XL, NHL Players Center Ice Nike. Don't ever wear it anymore. Worth anything?

Thats frockin funny, dude!

I voted little effect. I figure that I already hate all the little gimmcks implemented to make it a more "marketable" game, and I still watch the Wings, so I wouldn't like a fighting ban, but I would still watch. The only thing Bettman really needs to do if he wants to increase the hockey market is to educate more people about hockey. The more people know about hockey, the more they like it.

I'm standing in this line, to vote the same way ladystanley is voting, for the same reasons, with the same amount of enthusiasm.

Now that you mention it, it could be sweet to have a Alternative (3rd) jersey, say a retro "DETROIT" or something. Try red with black, or red with silver or... I think the Lions retro uni's are far away the best looking uni's in the NFL. But don't mess with the main jersey. It is what it is and thats all it ever needs to be. It could'nt be any better.

Is Emery the guy who, when I see him giving interviews while in street clothes, I think Its an interview with someone from the NBA? Dresses in Hip-hop wear as opposed to the classic NHL suit and loose tie? Is that Emery?

Where's Cujo now? With Yzerman and Shanahan and Lidstron and Draper and ETC. in the room, thats a HUGE presence, and I would think all pretty much on the same page. All that veteran presence would pretty much neutralize a small dose of toxic personality. And I'm sure Bowman wouldn't tolerate the apple cart getting upset, so he would ship 'em out, like in Avery's case. Sort of like how you never heard anything about Dennis Rodman being a goofball until after he left the presence of Daily, Thomas, Dumars, Laimbeer, and Mayhem. He respected those guys and was focused while he was here. Of course it wasn't unitl after he left Detroit that he got a lesson in self marketing and promotion from Madona.

But this is Detroit; we restore old muscle cars and old hockey players. ! Seriously, though, Naslund is a huge question mark. He can fly and he can score, but he's been mopin' around the ice like Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh for the last 2 or 3 yrs, now. Seems like he'd be a good candidate for the "if the price is right, Bret Hull type replacement, 2nd line sniper" guy. I think they'd want more than Meech and Downs, though, but you never know.

In the '70's, wasn't Emerson Lake and Palmer's "Hoe Down" the theme song for Hockey Night in Canada? And any of you guys know Buddy Wasisname and The Other Fellas playing "Shinny on the Ice". Great unplugged classic. 100% Pure SHINNY ON THE ICE Wait until the bay is froze, scrape and shovel off the snow Well the scattered boy had skates, scattered toque on from his face Wearing rubbers with no grips, pipes and planks for hockey sticks Well I know it wasn't nice playing hockey on the ice After school and Sunday too made no difference who was who We had Rolly for the goalie, 'cause he was six foot two Watch for Ralphie on his skates, couldn't turn he'd just go straight If he struck he'd take your life, playing hockey on the ice. Oh when Harv or Bruce or Len, shifted the net and fired one in Rolly beat him in the face but they was all the best of friends If you had to use your fists, you kept on your woolly mitts And they sure got lot of fights playing shinny on the ice. Chorus: Scunnin' marbles in the muck, playing tiddley after school Catching conners off the wharf, firing rocks like bloody fools Copying pans out in the cove, killing frogs or rats or mice But there wasn't nothing better than playing hockey on the ice. We had Bert the referee 'cause he saw one on TV He made up all the rules, but no one gave it heed And the worse one of the bunch, Tom would go home for his lunch He'd do it just for spite, playing hockey on the ice Brucie's mother tanned his hide for wearing Sunday clothes outside For falling in the rent or going off the edge of the ice For swearing there was Harv, swinging fists right from the start He was all bark no bite playing hockey on the ice. Oh, when the day would end and the cold and wet would send Every boy home to work, after supper then We were soon all off to beds, the only thing in our heads What we dreamt of every night was playing hockey on the ice. Chorus: Scunnin' marbles in the muck, playing tiddley after school Catching conners off the wharf, firing rocks like bloody fools Copying pans out in the cove, killing frogs or rats or mice But there wasn't nothing better than playing hockey on the ice. Playing hockey (hockey, hockey) on the bays or ponds or coves Playing hockey (hockey, hockey) as everybody knows.

Took the signing bonus and put studded snow tires on it.

**compare with Blackhawks and Lions of the last decade, prior to this season** So in comparing the Lions and the Wings, would you then agree that it must be more difficult to run a pizza company than a car company? Illitch knows what it takes to be successful. He has hired great Hockey guys in the front office and lets them know that he is genuinely committed to winning. The ownership and the front office are there to create and support the team. Not all organizations operate this way. The Canucks have had ownership at odds with itself, and the GM, and the players, and thats no way to create a winning, trusting atmosphere. It all starts with Illitsch and his committment to the team. It also helped that Ilitch was not a hockey man, but a successful businessman. When he had ideas, and his hockey guys siad its not done like that in hockey, he would ask them why not. The next thing you know, they're sneaking players and players families out of Czechleslovakia.