titanium2

Now that the Wings will have more time to rest up and get their proper workout habits going I'm quite curious as to what the PK forward rotation will look like. I think Babs will be able to go back to using four sets of forwards instead of three. This year he had an order of Helm-Eaves, Miller-Cleary, Helm-Eaves, Zetterberg-Filppula. Maybe he'll be able to get Franzen in there again as well as Datsyuk. Gotta get everybody committed to playing 200 feet.

In general, I think there's too much money to be made for owners and executives to not have any influence on the game and officials bias. At the same time, I believe that most if not all people involved are perfectly aware of this and thus they're aware that they have to play through it. It's just part of the game. The real problem is the consistency. The NHL, NBA, whoever, has not been consistent with what they want to call. Coaches receive word from the officials that they will emphasize calls on obstruction, goalie interference, whatever and the coaches plan accordingly but all of sudden one instance of a hook isn't really a hook for one team but it is for the other. And then interference for one team but not interference for the other. Nobody knows what's fair.

Sharks win the cup and then lock up Marleau and whoever else to ridiculously high contracts that they'll be stuck with forever.

Question for all those out there aware of who is and who isn't a free agent. I was just thinking that maybe the Wings can package two players (Miller and Ritola) for example and package them into a sign and trade. For example, this deal will never ever happen for so many reasons but what possible deals are out there along the lines of say, Miller and Ritola for Troy Brouwer? Again, I'm perfectly aware that deal will never happen, but is something like it possible with the crop of free agents in 2010 or 2011?

Why would he?

Mannn... He's just useless in so many ways isn't he? What a third line center he turned out to be.

If I had to guess what Babs is jotting right now on his paper napkins I think he definitely wants great depth down the middle: Datsyuk Zetterberg Filppula Helm Along with a guy at the net: Holmstrom-Datsyuk Bertuzzi-Zetterberg Cleary-Filppula Abdelkader-Helm And another skill guy who is supposed to score and make plays: Holmstrom-Datsyuk-Franzen Bertuzzi-Zetterberg-Ritola* Cleary-Filppula-Hudler Abdelkader-Helm-Eaves *Yeah, I know, it sounds ridiculous. How can a rookie just immediately step onto the second line? First of all, Babs simply doesn't have any skill guys left. Who else can play in that situation? Hudler? Come on, we've seen that movie before and it always ends the same. At this point it seems like he'll revert back to keeping Hudler in the bottom six. Who else? Miller? He's not a skill guy. At least, not a skill guy to the point where he should play in the top six. Through the frustration of injuries he did an admirable job as a temporary fill in but he also played like a temporary fill in; some production but the Wings definitely could've used more. I can see how some on here thinks he is expendable. Ritola is known on here as Filppula-lite. He's a smart player with good skating ability; he can hang on to the puck and do good things with it; and lastly, he's very dedicated to the defensive side of the game. He's had countless games in GR where he was simply all over ice working and doing good things. He is definitely skilled enough for a playmaker role on a line with Zetterberg or other shooters who can finish off his passes. Based on what many of us have seen from him so far, he could very well do a lot of things Filppula did that made the Bertuzzi-Zetterberg-Filppula line successful. When it comes to his own finishing ability, however, he's not so good at that yet. Again, Hudler is probably still too slow to maintain a consistent pace that Babs likes. Miller, whenever he gets the puck, usually just dumps it in instead of surveying his options. Ritola is all that's left and he's a decent option at least worth a try.

When a bobo doll comes back up though it's not because it necessarily wants to. It's just programmed to do that senselessly. So, yeah, ok, popping back up senselessly is a good way to describe it.

See I don't know. Isn't maybe a little unfair to reference production from the 08-09 season? That team, when healthy, had incredible depth.

Bahahaha. Carmen's a Bobo doll. Do you mean "pop right back up" in a good way or...?

I know you're being sarcastic but still... to compare that thing that is Carmen is a huge insult to queens, women or gays. They each do a hell of a lot more for this earth than that tool.

How should LGW approach him when C-Word officially breaks his heart into a million pieces?

Nu-uh! He's the best player in the league! HE'S THE BEST PLAYER IN THE LEAGUE!

Yeah I actually took it a little serious.

I'm not huge into baseball but when my CLE Indians friends were up against the Red Sox years ago I quickly found out what a ****** Josh Beckett is. I mean, he yelled at somebody for... dropping a bat over home plate? Plus I really don't see how women actually think he's good looking. It's confusing.

Hmm... I don't know about that. The Pens wish we hate them that much.

Oh I know... It doesn't feel right. Ewww... Josh Beckett, Kevin Garnett, Randy Moss... Their pictures are in the dictionary next to ******.

And he smells.

I see what you tried to do there. Nice. I was a little confused at first. "Is he dressed up like a ninja or...?"

Get the f*** outta here you moron.

That is a big trophy. (Your avatar).

How's that Stanley Cup hangover feeling over there Pens boys? Oh right... No, you guys are young, you won't have to go through that s***. Riiiight.

Not gonna lie here. Soooo freaking tempted to go troll onto letsgopens.com. But I won't. Not because it isn't "classy" but because I think trolling would actually make Pens fan feel better and I'm not quite done enjoying the tears of their sadness right now.