titanium2

Back to Work.

He's probably more effective as a defenseman but why not try Ericsson at forward? He used to be one anyways. Better than Lebda at forward.

Not that I'm against the combination but why does Babs keep Pav and Homer together all the time? Is it simply a combination of the best offensive player with the best puck retriever?

18 years in a row now!

So did the wings clinch a playoff spot?

So much for that.

What has to happen in order for the Wings to clinch a playoff spot tonight? NAS has to lose and what else?

I'm going to start with the defense because I couldn't really imagine they would change all that much or a change that would significantly impact the outcome. Nick-Rafi Junior-Stewie Ericsson-Lils *I'm hesitant to put Ericsson there because of Lebda's playoff experience, but I really think they could use his big body along the boards in the playoffs. Forwards If Pav and Z are together... Pav-Z-Homer Mule-Fil-Hoss Bear-Drapes-Sammy Huds-Helm-Kopy *Maltby & Leino as the main reserves for Kopy's spot If Pav and Z are apart or if they just need a shakeup in general... Mule-Pav-Homer Bear-Z-Hoss Fil-Drapes-Sammy Huds-Helm-Kopy *Maltby & Leino as the main reserves for Kopy's spot *I really liked the Mule-Pav-Homer line during that winning streak in early winter.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/nhl/...-meetings_N.htm The Detroit Red Wings have two major unrestricted free agents, Johan Franzen and Marian Hossa, to sign, and Detroit GM Ken Holland says "We are now debating internally how many long-term deals do we want." Based on that comment I speculate that Mule and Hoss really want to re-sign; are willing to work it so that they can both stay along with a few other cost-friendly players like Kopy; and now Kenny and his staff have to decide whether or not they're willing to finalize it all. In other words, they have some ideas and contract numbers in place in which both sides agree. As of today, it's just a matter of whether or not Kenny and Co. want to lock up that much money in long-term contracts. If so, then that's good news. Not really fresh news, but good news nonetheless. Sorry it took as many words for me to explain that idea.

“We met the Swedish king and got to test drive cars,” Larsson said. “I got to drive a new Corvette and the new Cadillac Escalade. I think it would be real fun to try out test cars all of the time.” Zetterberg laughs at him in the beginning of this video. Kind of funny. Is this guy for real? Or is he just another Stefan Liv, Drew McIntyre, or Joey Macdonald? Although, in all fairness to Joey a small jury is still out on him.

Unflappable Griffins goaltender Daniel Larsson seems to have been born with ice water in his veins. Story and photo by Mark Newman Daniel Larsson is no Superman, but he has nerves of steel and the ability to deflect pucks like neutralized kryptonite. He is the consummate cool customer, the king of composure. If hockey were Zen, he would be the master of tranquility, with an uncanny ability to remain calm in the midst of chaos. The young goaltender’s demeanor is one of the things that most impressed Hakan Andersson, the Detroit Red Wings' director of European scouting. "Nothing fazes him,” Andersson told Bruce MacLeod of the Macomb Daily. “If he was sleeping and a bomb went off, he'd stay down and just open one eye to see what the fuss was.” It’s an ability to slow things down, to assess the situation and to react accordingly that allows Larsson to almost anticipate the action, to steer clear of any potential mishap. If not for hockey, he would dream of being a test driver, to be behind the wheel of high-performance cars, navigating sharp corners and dealing with adverse road conditions on a daily basis. “I like anything with engines – motocross, snowmobiles, road rallies,” Larsson said. “It’s really fun and it’s what I like to do. I think I have it in my blood.” He may be a product of his environment. He is a native of Boden, Sweden, a military outpost in the far northern part of his Scandinavian homeland. If he has ice water in his veins, he may come by it naturally. Larsson, however, claims that it is something he had to learn. “When I was younger, I had a little more temper than I do now, but I’ve grown out of that,” he said. “When you play a lot, you have to stay calm to save energy. If you let in an easy goal, you have to refocus and take the next puck.” Larsson sees the ice because, well, he lives in it. His home is less than two hours from the Arctic Circle. In fact, one of his favorite pastimes is riding snowmobiles into the polar territory. There’s something about driving into the mountains with friends that puts his mind at ease. “It’s great weather, the mountains, no cell phones and not many people, so you feel like you’re all alone,” Larsson said. “It’s just peaceful. It’s good and relaxing.” Larsson, 23, seems so relaxed in the net that he looks like he’s been playing the position forever, but he is actually a late-bloomer, having not started hockey until he was nine or 10 (he doesn’t remember exactly). Up until that time, he had played European handball, a sport favored by his father. “I didn’t notice that hockey was that big,” said Larsson, underscoring his remote upbringing in a country known for its allegiance to ice hockey. “I played handball because my dad was the coach for a young team.” Larsson credits his father for teaching him the fundamentals that made him the player he is today, even though his father never played hockey himself. “He was a goalie in his sport and it’s a lot of the same,” he said. “You find the same foundations in both. You need to be in the right position all of the time.” When one of his friends decided to join a hockey team, Larsson decided to tag along. “The first practice was hard because I wasn’t very good,” he said. “I had just started playing hockey, but I practiced a lot with my dad and I got better.” When he started, he mostly played defense, the goaltending position being handled on a rotating basis among the other players on the team. “Eventually, I was playing (the position) all the time.” Although the participants have been long forgotten, he remembers being inspired by an NHL game he saw on TV. “You always want to be the best in whatever sport you play, so naturally I had the dream to play in the NHL,” he said. “The NHL had the best players in the world.” Larsson’s innate skill allowed him to progress through the professional ranks in Sweden. He made the jump from the Allsvenskan (second division) to the Elitserien (Elite League) in 2006. He joined the Djurgarden team in Stockholm, where he became the starter in his second season in Sweden’s top division. His 2007-08 performance – a 2.29 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage – led him to win the Leif “Honken” Holmqvist Trophy as the Swedish Elite League's best goaltender. Chosen by Detroit in the third round (92nd overall) of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, Larsson decided he was ready to come to North America to compete for a job with the Red Wings. “I felt like it was the right step for my future,” he said. “I had played in the Swedish Elitserien for two years and I wanted to see something new. I wanted to develop my game even more.” He admits that he had trouble at first adjusting to the smaller rinks in North America. The 15-foot difference in rink width meant he had to adjust his instincts. “I had a little problem with the angles in the beginning,” he said. “I didn’t feel that comfortable the first couple of weeks but after a while I started to feel more confident.” The confidence showed in his play. In a stretch from Nov. 11 to Feb. 6, Larsson was 15-3-1 with five shutouts, a 2.35 GAA and a .924 save percentage. He became the ninth Grand Rapids goaltender in 13 years to be chosen to play in an all-star game when he was selected for the 2009 AHL All-Star Classic. “I didn’t think I had played enough games to be picked, but apparently it was enough,” said Larsson, who was surprised by the honor. “It was my first all-star game and a lot of fun.” Larsson enjoyed the skills competition more than the game itself, which is no shock given the high-scoring nature of all-star affairs. “No one plays defense so you’ve got to expect a lot of goals,” he said. “You just want to put on a good show for the fans.” After playing 46 of 55 games in Sweden a year ago, he has become accustomed to sharing the goaltending position this season. “It’s pretty different. If you feel like you have had a bad game, it’s quite tough to sit on the bench the next game and not go back in for three or four days. But you get used to it after a while.” It helps that that he has developed a good relationship with his partner in pads, veteran Jimmy Howard. “We get along really good – he’s a nice guy,” Larsson said. “We have a good competition going. We push each other every time we get to play.” Howard, meanwhile, appreciates what Larsson’s addition has meant to the team. “We room together on the road and you could say there’s not a bad bone in his body. He’s really quiet and a nice kid,” Howard said. “For him to be pushing me like he has this year, I’m very grateful because it makes me push myself that much harder.” For Larsson, it’s all part of the drive to the ultimate goal. “Everyone wants to be the first goalie and both of us want a place in Detroit, so we push each other every time we get to play,” he said. “Sooner or later, I want to play in Detroit.” Larsson realizes he will have to be patient. His favorite film is Gone in 60 Seconds, but it’s not want he wants for his career. And yet he admits that he has a need for speed. He loves all types of racing, a trait he inherited from his father and grandfather, both of whom enjoyed road racing. “I’ve tried motocross a couple of times,” he said, noting that he’s by no means an expert in the field. “I’ve tried friends’ bikes because I don’t have a dirt bike of my own. “ His favorite activity is snowmobiling, although he recently sold his machine. “I had my own (snowmobile) but I sold it when I moved. I don’t need it when I’m not using it.” He’s tried his hand at road rallies, although not in competition. In Sweden, road rallies can involve racing on dirt or snow through densely wooded forests. “I’ve tried it on frozen lakes, where the snow has been plowed to create giant walls on both sides,” he said. “It’s fun to be sitting in a vehicle with 4-wheel drive and a lot of horsepower.” But it’s the challenge of being a test driver that most intrigues Larsson, who was able to get on a test track at General Motors last fall with Jonathan Ericsson, Mattias Ritola and their fellow Swedes on the Detroit Red Wings. “We met the Swedish king and got to test drive cars,” Larsson said. “I got to drive a new Corvette and the new Cadillac Escalade. I think it would be real fun to try out test cars all of the time.” For the present, he’s content to restrict testing his talents to the ice. With respect to earning the inside track to the NHL, Larsson is quickly making up ground.

Maybe they can sign Chris Stewart when he becomes an UFA.

Tyler Kennedy is one ugly creature.

http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/20...pecky_play.html "Babcock said he plans to have Draper center the third line in the playoffs, flanked by Dan Cleary and somebody else." I had a feeling that Draper would center the third line. I'm thinking that somebody else is Sammy. Though, if they're looking to fill Dallas Drake's spot and want a tenacious skater who can finish simple checks (though not kamikaze like) then I actually think Helm would be good on Draper's left wing. But then who is the center for the 4th line? Kopy? A line of Huds-Kopy-Samuelsson doesn't sound too bad. At least in theory. If that's not it then maybe Kopy goes on Draper's left and Helm centers the fourth line like last year. Pav-Z-Homer Mule-Fil-Hoss Helmer-Drapes-Bear Huds-Kopy-Sammy I just don't see where Leino fits in for this year's run. I can't say I fully disagree with leaving him off because they have enough skill. And Babs already said that Leino has a long ways to go to be consistent defensively. Unfair or not, that'll probably be the deciding factor for him.

He has grit to his game. Plus, if you look on YT you'll find multiple clips of him fighting. However, he's pretty good with the puck and so I don't know if anyone wants those hands fighting. Like Hossa.

Up front, if Pav and Z are together ZDH Mule-Fil-Hoss Huds-Drapes-Bear Leino-Helm-Sammy If Pav and Z need to be separated to spark the lineup Fil-Pav-Homer Mule-Z-Hoss || || On the back end Nick-Rafi Junior-Stewie Lils-Lebs Don't get me wrong, I think the Big Rig has looked good. However, Lebda has veteran pedigree and playoff experience. Plus, he's played well as of late, mostly because he's been skating well. I'm thinking that Kopy has been saving himself for the playoffs. I'd like for someone of his size to be able to play but I'd rather not sit anyone else in his favor.

I guess this whole thing was slowed by Hossa being in the hospital.

What is Stoll complaining about? Actually, what were the Kings complaining about in general?

Well I remembered that it was on the Red Wings Corner blog. And whenever you at least know the main site you can pretty much search with the url plus whatever phrase you remember. And the ones I remembered were 'Don't yell' or 'He's sick.' http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&cli...amp;btnG=Search

http://redwingscorner.blogspot.com/2007/11...sing-fancy.html Thursday, November 8, 2007 Datsyuk: Passing fancy DETROIT -- Pavel Datsyuk doesn't like noise. He doesn't like yelling and he doesn't like hockey sticks smacked like beaver tails on the ice. Not while the game is on. Johan Franzen found that out early. After a shift on Datsyuk's line, the Russian made sure to speak with Franzen on the Detroit Red Wings' bench. "Don't yell," said Datsyuk quietly. "'I know where you are." Franzen smiled thinking about it. He is in his third season in the NHL, played in Sweden's elite league and in international competitions, but he hasn't had many linemates who claim to see everything on the ice and then back it up with their play. "He's sick," said Franzen, using English slang as a compliment. "You think that he doesn't see you, but he knows exactly where you are. And he hates when you yell for the puck. Hates it. He wants the other team to forget about you and then he gets you the puck." Pavel Datsyuk is an admitted pass-aholic. He would much rather pass than shoot, rather stick-handle than set up for a one-timer. And that's just fine by the Red Wings because Datsyuk has developed a good shot that he will use. Since 2003-04, only Henrik Zetterberg has scored more goals for the Red Wings than Datsyuk (87). Lost in Zetterberg's remarkable opening -- he has a franchise record 15-game point streak from season's start and leads the NHL in scoring -- is that his linemate, Datsyuk, has helped turned the Swede into a sniper. Entering Thursday night's games, Datsyuk was third in the NHL with 14 assists in 15 games. "I like passing," said Datsyuk. "When somebody scores in an open net after my pass is the best. If somebody says, 'Would you rather score or have somebody score off your pass?' … I'd say pass." Datsyuk's shot needed work when he started in the NHL. Now in his sixth season in the league, Datsyuk has improved greatly in that department. His teammates have teased him in the locker room about wicked high slap shots that he unleashes in practice and on occasion in games. "When I played in Russia, I practiced more passing," said Datsyuk. "I passed a lot more than shoot. I didn't have a strong shot. I didn't have much sting on my slap shot. Now I do. My slap shot needed more work. "We have bigger rinks (in Russia). Everybody tries to be closer to the net to shoot it. Here, every shot is danger. In Russia, you can have the best shot and it's still not dangerous. It's a different style over there." Aside from being a bigger part of the Russian game, passing is also a natural inclination for Datsyuk. The forward spends significant time after practices working on skills like saucer passes and games of keep-away. "People who don't play hockey probably don't even see 20 percent of the small things he does," said Franzen of Datsyuk. "He knows all the tricks. Hitting the other guy's stick so he can't get the puck. It looks so easy, but it's not. You don't want to play against him." posted by Bruce MacLeod at 3:53 PM

I think the Pug comparison is more accurate.

Even though 2006 was one of the most disappointing playoffs runs, this goal by Z is still my favorite because he demonstrates one of his biggest strengths: His great hockey sense.

Leino too. He looks kind of weird in that video. That was before the game against Columbus in which he was suspended. It seems like they're just letting a little loose before dressing up for the game. Pav was probably somewhere else in a suit.

Conklin is playing well and still has a number of years left. Larsson and McCollum are pretty solid in their development. Think they might shop Jimmy Howard? I'm sure they're interested in re-signing Conklin and it seems like he'd like to stay.