Nev

This. So much this.

Jurco needs more time in GR, and Glendening doesn't have to go through waivers, so there's your answer

This. I'm not one of those keyboard warriors who think they know better than Babcock, but this is Coaching 101.

Crucial game tonight for more than just the points. No Kindl, Bertuzzi, Cleary or Samuelsson - we must win to prove to Babs that they are surplus to requirements.

Ha, never thought about D and Z playing each other and trying to shut each other down. It'll be like Spy vs Spy :lol

Don't get your hopes up, Cleary ain't being waived. Ever.

And so draws to an end the Mikael Samuelsson era, not with a bang, but with a whimper. To all those thinking he'll not report to GR and will retire - dream on. All the guy has to do is ride buses for 3 months and he picks up another $1.5M What an absolutely brutal contract. 2 years?? Why Kenny, why? $3M per year? ?? Why Kenny, why? NTC?? Why Kenny why? Why could you not give a 35 year old with no leverage, a 1 year contract for $1.5M and no NTC????? Its not like you were in a bidding war for the guys services!!!

Well played sir, well played

Helm is soft and injury prone and a china glass princess who we should trade whilst he still has a tiny bit of value - quick, before the rest of the league find out!

Amidst all the bitching and moaning and weeping and wailing and beating of breasts and gnashing of teeth, this is actually a fair point. How many come from behind wins have we had this season? Any? Bueller? But its not down to lack of motivation or coaching, its lack of firepower, pure and simple. For 20 years we've been used to RedWings comebacks. Coast for 40 minutes, then pour it on in the 3rd. Wave after wave of attacks. relentless pressure, opposition D panicking because they know its only a matter of time. You might fend off Datsyuk, you might fend off Zetterberg, Hossa, Holmstrom, Franzen and Lidstrom, you can get your 3rd pairing out there for a shift......but Detroit has Sammy or Cleary or Bertuzzi (back when they were good) or Hudler or Filpulla out there, and you just know someone is going to score the tying goal. Now? Its Zetterberg, and a couple of 40 point kids.

I don't think its fair to refer to Pulks as our #11 prospect, when you look at the guys ahead of him - Mrazek, Sproul, Oullet, Jurco, Jarnok, Mantha.....that's our top 6. We just have unreal depth in our prospect pool right now. Personally however, I would look to package him up because I don't see where he's going to get a spot on our roster (like a lot of our other B level prospects) no matter how well he does in the AHL, and 30 points in 38 games in his first pro season is pretty good. B-b-b-b-b-b-but Holland sucks, and he trades away our first rounders!!!!

Well, since you have to be symptom free for a week before you're cleared to play, I think his status for Thursday is pretty clear

Z's point production has tailed off the last few games...I fear his back is flaring up again and he is playing through the pain whilst we're short-handed....

And given up a 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the next draft? That's a pretty bold offer sheet... Anyway, who is this top pair D-man? I'd be a lot more willing to trade Jimmy for Keith or Weber than say Phaneuf

No, I find that entirely believable. Miller and Andersson will be here next season. Babcock loves Glendening. He's also starting to love Sheahan. Cleary wore an A last night and hasn't been as terribad as he was in Oct/Nov and may be back next year (). There's only so many 4th line spots to go round. The fact that Callahan and Ferraro haven't been given a single call up, despite all the injuries, is very telling. Its a shame, because I like Ferraro, he reminds me a lot of Maltby (but also drops the gloves occasionally). But it's a numbers game right now, and those 2 are on the outside looking in.

Yeah, I was wondering the same thing

Well, first up 3 of the 4 players you name are miles down the depth chart and are only playing because of all the injuries. Emmerton and Eaves have already been waived once, and the only reason Sammy hasn't been waived is cos it only saves 100k. Our real 4th line is Miller/Andersson/X. Of course, you'll hate them both because its not fighter/fighter/fighter, but the fact is that they are both key components of what is actually one of the best PK's in the league.

He sure didn't look bored the previous 15-20 games when he was absolutely on fire (and I'm a fully paid up member of the Franzen is lazy and he sucks club). He didn't look bored either when he was shouting at the ref from the bench and got the 2 minute minor, before he got taken down the tunnel.

Hahahaha, this is brilliant! We need to use some of these names for players who don't currently have nicknames. I'm thinking My Little Pony = Kindl (seems appropriate somehow) Agent Orange = Smith (Agent Smith...) Dances With Wolves = Cleary (used to be really good, now he's gone all Waterworld) Any more for any more?

Just a thought, but here's that roster in terms on NHL games played. 746 - 814 - 62 543 - 869 - 295 367 - 265 - 68 6 - 86 - 0 0 - 538 556 - 38 306 - 81 70 - 188 2 236 6 That's a very inexperienced line-up whichever way you cut it. 10 out of 23 with less than 100 games of NHL experience. I know everyone always says "play the kids!", but I only see one of Ferraro/Sheahan/Callahan getting the call, and they're all behind Glendening who Babcock loves.

Well, I'll be cheering on Russia for Datsyuk's sake, but after that its Sweden who will get my support. Canada can go lose the bronze medal game to Slovakia

They're professional athletes, they're very competetive people. That's why they do dumb things like bet 1000s of dollars per hole when playing a round of golf, "just to make it interesting"

.I thought that too. Carlyle's coaching reminded me of when Homer goes to work for Hank Scorpio. "Could you guys work a little harder?" Sure thing Mr Simpson!...................."Could you guys work a little harder?" We're already working flat out Mr Simpson! Losing too many face-offs? Carlyles solution - cross-check your opponents on the wrist! The other thing I noticed was Carlyle had a much better rapport with his players, back-and-forth. I cannot even begin to imagine the Wings players joking with Babcock like that! But there's clearly a completely different culture in the 2 locker rooms, Wings are much more proffessional and calm, a culture which we know goes back to Yzerman and Lidstrom. I also noticed that I didn't hear a single foreign accent from the Leafs in the show, so I went and checked their roster and was shocked to find only 1 swede and 1 Russian. And then I thought about the Wings who were covered, it was all the NA guys like Howard, Smith, Cleary or the Swedes who speak perfect English like Alfie, Kronner and Z.

The good - Pav, Z, Kronner. The PK. Surprisingly good - Alfie, Lashoff. Monster, Q2 Franzen. The bad - Injuries. Playing down to bad teams. Injuries. Roster management wasting the first 6 weeks of the season. Puck movement in our own end. Q1 Franzen The surprisingly bad - Quincey, Cleary (did even their biggest detractors think they'd be this bad). Howards form. Injuries. The shootout.