titanium2

I'm not so sure as you to be honest. It feels like a very even matchup to me, especially when you consider the conditions of the game.

http://redwingscentral.com/stories/2010_09/21_Roundup.php Emmerton 'still a prospect' but needs big year By Sarah Lindenau – RedWingsCentral.com / September 21, 2010 It was a long summer for Cory Emmerton. The 6-foot, 188-pound center struggled to improve his offensive production last season compared to his American Hockey League rookie campaign with Grand Rapids Griffins. In the end he managed a modest 12 goals and 25 assists for 37 points compared to his 35-point output in 2008-09. "I played really well defensively last season and I think I grew a lot that way," he said. "It is one of those things I was really focusing on, really being better defensively and being responsible, but I think a lot of the time I was taking myself out of the offensive plays and that really hurts your scoring chance." Emmerton was one of several players who played below their potential last season for the Griffins. As a result, the club finished seventh in the Western Conference and did not qualify for the playoffs. After the Griffins' playoff elimination, the Red Wings recalled a group of players to Detroit to serve as Black Aces, but Emmerton — who had been a Black Ace in previous years — was not one of them. "It was disappointing, but at the same time as bad as it sounds, I didn't want to go," Emmerton said. "It's a great experience and you want to be part of that but at the same time I didn't really earn it. "I knew I had a lot to work on and I pretty much went right home and I got down to business in the gym. I didn't really take any time off." The former 2006 second-round draft pick focused his attention on improving his shot and working on his skate edging so he can better protect the puck. "When the season ended I went home and I took a step back," Emmerton said. "I really thought to myself, 'What do I need to do to better myself to be the point-producer I was in junior?' One of the things I thought back to was in junior I shot the puck a lot more. I lost a little bit of confidence in my shot so I concentrated on making it harder and quicker this summer." The St. Thomas, Ontario native admits he has a tendency to over-think the play and look for the perfect pass or shot. He knows if he puts more pucks on net this season it will result in more production. "Points come from shooting the puck more," he said. "Last year I didn't think I had nearly enough shots and there were times when I was taking too long to shoot it as opposed to just throwing it on net. I need to just put the puck on net and maybe create chances for my linemates." There is a lot on the line for the 22-year-old as he enters a contract year. With his waiver exemption up at season's end, he needs to work his way back onto the NHL radar. "He needs a good year in the American League," said Red Wings general manager Ken Holland. "It's hard to set your sights on the NHL when you are an average American League player. The biggest thing is (to) be better this year than you were last year. We still like him, though, and we still think he's a prospect."

I hope they'll go down as one of the greatest lines in Red Wings history. I still think they got quite a ways to go. Lindsay-Abel/Delvecchio-Howe Shanahan-Fedorov-Yzerman Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Holmstrom ?????-?????-????? Although the Yzerman line wasn't together for all that long compared to the ones above and below right?

That's pretty bad as far as offense goes for Toronto's back end.

Something that I absolutely love at the Joe (although this is probably true for many of the new arenas nowadays) is that you feel like there's no such thing as a bad seat.

Your dream threesome?

:thumbdown: :thumbdown:

Pav owned Z pretty nicely with that shoulder check. So funny.

Photo #74 in her album. Not jersey number.

http://redwingscentral.com/stories/2010_09/20_Roundup.php PYETT GAINS CONFIDENCE Logan Pyett had a bounce back season with Grand Rapids in 2009-10, playing top-four minutes and piling up nine goals and 21 assists for 30 points. "I made improvements on my rookie year," said Pyett, who had a disastrous AHL freshman campaign. "I was able to contribute a bit more and handle my ice time a bit better. I needed to improve my play in the defensive zone and that came with confidence." With the likely departure of Jakub Kindl to Detroit, the 22-year-old will be asked to shoulder a heavier load on a blue line that could feature one or both of Derek Meech and Doug Janik and prospects Brendan Smith and Brian Lashoff, among others. "There's other guys coming up who are certainly very skilled," Pyett said. "These guys are going to be pushing me and challenging me for ice time. I think it's going to be competitive and I will have to earn my ice time like I did last year."

http://redwingscentral.com/stories/2010_09/20_Roundup.php Mursak on deck for NHL duty By Sarah Lindenau – RedWingsCentral.com / September 20, 2010 After sitting out nearly 30 games during a horrendous American Hockey League rookie year, Jan Mursak was down but not out. The 5-foot-11 right-winger returned with renewed vigor as a Grand Rapids Griffins sophomore in 2009-10, increasing his goal production by 1,100 percent and his point total by almost 400 percent. He finished with 24 goals and 18 assists for 42 points through 79 games. "My first year I was down on myself," said Mursak, who had two goals and seven assists in 51 games in 2009-10. "Last year I started on the fourth line and climbed my way up to the second line. All my shots went in and I was feeling really good on the ice and started to be confident. It was just amazing going from one season where I didn't play to playing a lot and scoring goals." The Maribor, Slovenia native also represented his country in the IIHF Pool B world championship, collecting five goals and seven points in five games to lift his country into Pool A for 2011. With a number of newcomers arriving in Grand Rapids this season, Mursak is expected to assume an even heavier load. "This year is really important for me because it's my last year of a contract," he said. "I have to show what I can do and try to do my best. So in the off-season I had a private trainer who mixed the Detroit training plan with his plan. I think we did a really good job because I am feeling really good on the ice right now." What makes this season that much more pivotal is the fact that Mursak is out of waiver options next fall. He'll be expected to increase his production and maybe get a few looks as a call-up to show he is ready for full-time NHL duty. "Playing for the Red Wings would mean everything," he said. "When I was a young kid I always wanted to play in the NHL. I think my dreams would come true if that happens, but I am concentrating on the season in Grand Rapids first. I am sure if I play well there I will get a call up, but I don't want to think about that too much."

Ilari. I don't know why but to me they look very different. Then again, I always think I can choose the correct Sedin twin and I'm not as good as that as I think.

http://www.kuklaskorner.com/index.php/a2y/comments/the_second_day_of_the_red_wings_training_camp_everythings_situational_the_a/

http://www.kuklaskorner.com/index.php/a2y/comments/the_second_day_of_the_red_wings_training_camp_everythings_situational_the_a/

http://www.macombdaily.com/video/media-18508753/ Hmm... What do we think?

Music to this boards ears.

In terms of health, any idea as to how Zetterberg is doing? Is he at 100%? I feel like a lot of the times he's injured and we don't know it because he just plays through it. It'd be nice if he could officially be at full health.

The first thing that I thought of was that maybe that will make room for the supposedly new and improved Aaron Downey. It'd be great to have him as a reserve forward. But Draper's problem isn't that bad I'm guessing. EDIT: Or perhaps even better, they'll be able to keep Miller and Ritola.

So jealous. Can you feel the jealousy?

McCarty

The toughness groupies are probably drooling over the possibility of a Oslund-Abdelkader-Callahan line.

http://blog.mlive.com/snapshots/2010/07/red_wings_prospect_camp_assess_1.html 59 Nick Oslund Pluses: One sentence describes Nick Oslund’s tremendous potential, maddening inconsistency, and the fact that the 6’3,” 210-lb power winger is going into his last season at St. Cloud State University (where he hopes to win an NCAA championship) without having really established himself as anything other than a grinder: “He’s on the clock.” Oslund is most certainly 6’3” and 210 pounds of muscle, and when he uses that muscle, the big man can push people around with ease, roar up the wing while protecting the puck on his stick via his fantastic wingspan, twist and turn and toss the puck off to more offensively talented players to generate offense and crash and bang on the forecheck. He’s huge, just huge, strong, he’s improved his skating by leaps and bounds over the past three years, especially in terms of conserving energy when he changes direction so that all that power doesn’t spin out when he changes direction anymore, he’s capable of solid bursts of speed to get back and cover up defensively when necessary, and again, his ability to protect the puck once he digs it out of a scrum is superb, absolutely superb, especially as he can instinctively stick out a free hand, his shoulder or rear end to simply deny his opponent the space to even try to get around him. His defensive awareness is excellent as well, and while he’s not a shot-blocker per se, that big stick blocks passes and shots quite nicely. When he does get going the other way, again, he knows well enough to put the puck on someone else’s s stick if he can’t power it through the middle, he’s a superb forechecker and he excels along the boards in every zone, and he’s become more detail-oriented as time’s passed… Because he’s grown up. I’ve attended prospect camp for each of Oslund’s three years as Red Wings property, and for the first two years, he was up there with the far-more-talented Brendan Smith in the hot-dogging and not-paying-enough-attention departments, on and off the ice. Oslund was much more professional in his approach to this camp, and he really did do his best to take Nick Jensen under his wing and, in his own way, show quiet leadership. That was incredibly impressive. Minuses: Oslund’s a big power forward who projects as a big power grinder because he doesn’t quite have the hands or hockey sense to play an elite offensive game, and when he’s focused, on his game, and accepts his role, he’s very, very effective. When he’s not focused or not ensuring that he plays to the utmost extent of his skating and technical abilities (i.e. paying attention to defensive details and keeping things simple), he’s either invisible, or, occasionally, a liability. Mostly invisible, and that’s both hard to believe and incredibly frustrating to watch given his raw strength, power, and at least ability to excel in his role and really give the Wings something they don’t have in a huge defensively-minded forward to compliment their staple of speedy, smallish grinders. I don’t know if it’s a lack of focus or what, but Oslund at least has the ability to become a very solid professional player who comes up to the NHL on short stints and makes a solid living at the game knocking the hell out his opponents at the AHL level, and that player only appears in fits and spurts. Potential “upside”: As stated, a grinding 3rd or 4th-line player who can fill a defensive role, killing penalties and mostly playing a no-frills game in which his size, strength, and speed stifle scoring chances against and create havoc on the forecheck. If he can’t put it together completely, and doesn’t continue to improve his skating, he could very easily become an effective and useful AHL player, or he keeps appearing in fits and spurts, I really don’t know. It’d be disappointing to see him not make it because it’s been a pleasant surprise watching him grow into himself as a player and a person.

Oslund a force to be reckoned with by Todd Abeln Thisweek Newspapers Go to a Burnsville boys' hockey game and you will notice Nick Oslund. He is tough to miss. He is the big center who likes to throw his weight around, score goals and agitate the other team's players. Oslund, a senior captain, for the Blaze is the main force behind Burnsville's recent winning ways and Burnsville's main offensive weapon. So far this season, Oslund has 32 points (15 goals and 17 assists) in 18 games. In the last three games for the Blaze, all wins, Oslund has four goals and two assists. He scored a goal in their 2-1 victory over Apple Valley on Tuesday. The win prompted Apple Valley's head coach Jerry Hayes to say, "that's what good hockey players do, they score big-time goals,î when asked about Oslund's goal. Oslund, who has played varsity since his sophomore year, is the prototypical power forward. He is fast enough skate he can skate with the quickest, big enough to be an effective intimidator and has good hands to score. Just ask his coach. "He has a few ways to hurt you," Blaze interim co-head coach Josh Hoekstra said. "He can hurt you physically with the body and wear down the defensemen, he can put the puck in the net and he can make plays. He has good vision as well." With that combination of size and strength, you would think that college scouts would be excited about having him on their team. Hoekstra said a few Division I hockey programs have shown some interest, but that Oslund likely will have to play in the junior leagues for a year or two before he goes to college. "Right now, I'm going to juniors unless something comes up," Oslund said. A year or two of juniors may be good for Oslund as it will allow him to get even bigger and to get a little quicker on the ice. According to Hoekstra, Oslund's biggest asset is his work ethic. "I can't think of one game that he has taken off," Hoekstra said. "He is here to win every night and he is going to do whatever he has to to make that happen." Oslund loves to throw his weight around and get under the opposing players' skin. He goes out there to hit people and score. When that happens, it frustrates opponents. "I just play," Oslund said. "I know when kids get under my skin it bothers me, when they are physical, so I just try to be physical all my shifts, every game. I just try to bring it all the time, in every game." It wasn't until a year ago that Oslund started to make a name for himself. After playing sparingly as a sophomore, Oslund came onto the scene last year and gave the Lake Conference notice that he was going to be a force. Oslund scored 29 goals and had 18 assists as a junior to lead the Blaze in scoring. That led to playing in the high school hockey elite fall league and big expectations for his senior season. So far he has delivered. "What makes great players great is that they show up every game not every other night. He brings it every single night," Hoekstra said. http://www.thisweek-online.com/2006/january/27oslund.html