P. Marlowe

It looks like that once again Wings are bored with the regular season. The first time they had good energy during the third period was when the game was already (most likely) out of hand. Still they are 8-4-1 in their last 13. During the regular season its the big picture that matters.

This is the time during Wings games when LGW becomes more entertaining than the actual game.

OK Wings, time to start the good old playoff flush.

Actually, me too. I didn't except it to be that one-sided. I guess Wings had some scoring chances there too, but Sharks' chances got more attention.

Sharks are playing great. It doesn't necessarily have to mean that Red Wings suck when they are down in a game. Sharks scored a pretty PP goal and later in the period dominated for two minutes. Still Wings outshot them 12-5. Jesus...

"Well, it's Detroit."

Nice try, but... This reminds me of visiting local Chinese restaurants and listening the employees' broken Finnish.

He has a NMC which means he has to play for NYI the rest of his career. He also must live in Long Island for 15 years (until he's 50 years old). These are the terms that he himself chose for his contract with Red Wings, but now he's an Islander. All this has already been covered in numerous articles about this Nabokov incident during the last week or so.

Tatar's been sent back to GR along with Pearce. Emmerton is the fourth line's left winger now. MLive

Reading LGW you'd think it was 2-9-5.

Poor Lebda. I feel bad for him. It's not his fault that he's not good enough for NHL. I wish he didn't have that big a contract so Leafs could trade him somewhere with less mean fans.

Lidström swearing? It can't be. Are there any other words that look like that? "Fun"?

I understand. The first reaction for most would be to check if your friend is OK or to attack the person who attacked your friend. I often make myself sound too analytical while I like many others wonder why Abdelkader didn't give Kostopoulos some feedback if he really was on the ice. I admire Wings ability to stay cool no matter what and that's the best way for a skilled puck handling team to win games. When something like this happens though it leaves many people disappointed.

The part I bolded really popped out for me. I can't decide what to think about that. Funny thing this game of hockey. No one likes to see violence on the street or at home, but most people who watch hockey wants to see two clans of cavemen clash. I enjoy watching hockey fights, especially the ones from the rivalry with Avs, but I'm not sure I'd be able to convince myself that what the players are doing is manly. What's manly in hockey changes all the time. I think it was Sami Salo who wore neck protection for a short time, but stopped 'cause his teammates were ripping him. I wouldn't be surprised if in twenty years everyone in the league would wear neck protection and visors. Could it be that "a man" is someone who denies his animal instincts and the pressure of the crowd, teammates and traditions and just doesn't choose to hurt another person because what they're doing is just playing a game? Professional grown up hockey players are allowed to live a kid's dream in front of huge crowds and get more money for it than most people. Acting like an adult is quite far away from the situation they are in, at least when they are away from their personal lives. I really don't know and I admit that I'm thinking too much. Hockey is about fun and childishness and definitely not about philosophy. Entertainment is best when it makes us forget our lives and now I'm mixing normal life with hockey. Normal life doesn't count inside a hockey rink. Still players can't completely forget how they act outside the rink and just mindlessly attact someone. I'm not surprised that the most violent players usually have problems in their personal lives, while you really couldn't imagine Lidström, Yzerman or Larionov in a bar fight. One thing is for sure: if I ever met Kostopoulos, I wouldn't shake his freaking hand.

Let's blame something :clap: :clap: Let's blame something :clap: :clap:

Awesome. Now we can have Lidström and Doughty both. Imagine that.

I think Kopecky proved he has decent hands when he got some top-6 time with Wings in '08-'09. I always had a soft spot for him, but I wouldn't swap him for anyone in current Wings roster, 'cause I have soft spots for them too. I'm a softy sometimes. Besides I don't think Kopecky would be an upgrade over anyone. He's not good enough offensively to be a top-sixer and not gritty enough to be a bottom-sixer. Stats don't tell the whole truth, but somehow the best players usually lead the +/-. There are instances when player gets plusses and minuses when they don't deserve them, but these things tend to even out when enough games have been played. I think player shouldn't be -9 when playing with the likes of Toews, Kane, Sharp, Keith and Seabrook. 15 of Kopecky's 18 points are assists and that has a lot to do with who he's playing with. Anyway, he's not that bad to get that ice time with Hawks. That takeaway stat is impressive. I'd still rather have Eaves or Miller in the Wings' top line for a short period of time in case another plague of injuries hits the roster.

CHI/PHI: 4-3

SJS/CHI: 4-2 PHI/MTL: 4-3

Where can I see a bigger version of the Staal and Crosby picture?

As many have pointed out there isn't much space left for another 4th liner. I've understood that with this Holland wants to have competition in the training camp and the one whose left out will be waived and if not claimed will play in Grand Rapids. A bit like Kris Newbury and Jeremy Williams a year ago. It's a reminder for players that they have to earn their spots in the line-up every season and every game. Bertuzzi and Holmström will probably be back so there's those two, Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Franzén, Filppula, Hudler and Cleary who have quite secure spots. Now there's four spots left for seven players: Helm, Abdelkader, Ritola, Draper, Eaves, Miller and the unknown new UFA signee. I'd say something like this: Franzén - Datsyuk - Holmström Filppula - Zetterberg - Hudler Bertuzzi - Helm - Cleary Eaves - Abdelkader - Miller + Draper and Ritola

This time they played quite fine for 59 minutes.