titanium2

... What an odd video. Pav with the Schenn brothers?? Not that they're bad guys or anything but what why was Pavel there in the first place? He likes the stretchy guys?

I don't think he is anymore. At the beginning of this season Babs sent him out to take the first faceoff of the PK and then come right to the bench at the first opportunity. I don't think he even does that anymore.

Excellent acting skills from Fil, Cleary and Draper.

Do they have "Family Sections" at the Joe? I've never inquired about that any time I've been there because I've never had to.

Franzen's return wasn't the only reason. Before they sent him down he registered a minus in like eight straight games or something like that.

If only the Wings could somehow steal away Patrick Sharp from the Hawks. They'll have to get rid of people after this year and I've heard him as a "Lifelong Hawk" one week and then a "f*** You Salary Cap" another week.

Really? Why? I would certainly enjoy another cup win but beating them doesn't make it any more special because we've seen that dynamic twice and it was annoying to watch both times. On the ice, Pittsburgh only has one way of beating the Wings and that is to agitate and knock them off their game. C-Word and Malkin provide most of the offense while the Cookes, Kunitzes, Talbots and Orpiks simply try to get under the Wings skin for 7 games. Rules will be broken, the Pens will dish out their cheap shots and LGW will have too many angry threads labeling the Pens as 'classless'. It's all too predictable and I truly feel like there's nothing left to prove in that situation. I can understand that you just want to see them lose but what makes it funnier and more entertaining is seeing them lose in the first round or something like that.

I don't want the Pens anywhere near the Finals. The sooner they get eliminated the better.

Really? Care to elaborate?

Because they're secret lovers.

You see that hit he threw in the last St. Louis game? That was pretty nice. I want to see more of that. I feel like it's easier for him to play that kind of hard forecheck if he's on a checking line as opposed to a scoring line. There's just less for him to worry about. In regards to being a scoring threat I feel like there is a difference between Cleary and Bertuzzi as far as a net-front presence goes that doesn't have to do with just size. Bertuzzi has more of a reputation or pedigree of being a guy who can finish and score goals. Therefore they really have to pay attention to him and make sure they lock him up as best they can. Cleary on the other hand does not have that kind of reputation and so they think they don't have to defend him as hard. He also probably doesn't have a better finishing touch than Bert. In theory, even though he certainly has his own flaws, Bert does create more space for his linemates to work, which is what the skill guys really need. If that's the way thing are working then I really like Bert where he is. But if he's being asked to play a Franzen like role where he's the shooter then you'll see his usual inconsistent results.

You know what I think about a lot in relation to Chicago? How I hope Johan Franzen can find a way to avoid a fall-scheduled game against the Hawks. We're going on 3 years now where he's encountered an injury. It's ridiculous. Next time get a one or two day allergy or something, please.

Eh, I just want to enjoy watching him while he's here. The Wings will cross that bridge when they come to it.

I think we should all just get used to the fact that the Pens are the cash cow of the NHL. Bettman and Co. are scratching and clawing for fans from their fat cat seats. The faster we can all get to the point or something near it where all this publicity doesn't bother hockey fans or inspire any emotion of any kind the better off we'll be. I really hope one day we'll be able to treat all this mess in the manner of, "Parise scored last night. Yep that's how he is." We hear about it and then we're done with it right away.

If the Wings make it I wonder how they'll respond to not having home ice advantage. It might be a really good thing as it could really help them focus on playing hockey and nothing else.

Not gonna lie here. When I saw that Babs put Draper out there I thought the game was over.

That's true about Cleary but should he be on a scoring line? Maybe it's better for him and the Wings if he just remains a fixture as a 3rd line grinder.

Neither do I. They've been a stop gap as a whole line but you just know that line could be a lot better. When I look at the names on the roster one by one, I feel pretty content that they'll all be okay (even Cleary) except for Williams. A part of it is probably unfair stigma from his past but another part of it is definitely the nagging suspicion that he really hasn't changed all that much. Doesn't win many battles, doesn't provide much of a presence on the ice, etc., no matter how hard he tries.

The reason why it wasn't such a good idea for Ericsson to play on the PP earlier this season is because Babs wanted to use him on the PK. Very few players on the team have seen significant time in all situations. Now that Lilja is back, maybe Babs should explore the possibility of Ericsson at the right point on the PP.

You mean other than his injured groin?

Pretty much what I'm thinking.