The Mule

Maltby has played well lately, but he's not getting any younger, so some rest may do him some good. However, with that said, I hope he heals quickly and returns to the team, as he's a fantastic penalty killer, and can provide the Wings with a burst of energy at the drop of a hat when he's on his game.

Great goal. Meech has been an admirable replacement for our team, but I still look at him as more of a depth player, as opposed to a staple in our lineup. However, I consider myself a big fan of his, and I'm happy he's doing so well.

Looking forward to this game. The Hawks have a good team, but if you ask me, their skill doesn't even compare to the Red Wings, both on ice and on paper. With that said, Detroit will take this one 5-2 on goals by Hossa x2, Homer, Flip, and Mule. Conks will rebound tonight from his dismal outing against last time, and the Wings will play a strong game both offensively and on the back end. Also, Hank will be flying tonight. Mark my words. Lets go, boys. EDIT: Sharp and Byfuglien will pick up the only markers for the Hawks.

If I met Datsyuk, I'd ask him to pronounce a handful of very complicated English words.

We all love Ozzie, but his play has not been up to par this season. Yes, our defense has been downright awful the majority of the time, but sometimes Chris needs to stand on his head and bail us out, and that has rarely happened, if at all. It's already been said in this thread, but I support taking steps to spark his play, fire him up, and force him to play better. We all know Ozzie can stop shots with the best of him when he's on his game, so why not try to force that out of them? He's been lacking consistency, which is something a contending franchise needs from their goaltender.

Well, that clears that up. Thanks for the summary.

I read it, but I don't know if the topic you're trying to discuss was worthy of it's own post.

He's an incredible hockey player, there's no denying that, but almost everything about him irks me.

It's a good thing it's December, then. I'd much rather worry about this in April, as opposed to before the new year when we're sitting on a 17-4-4 record with sub-par play. Just imagine how good we'll be when these kinks get ironed out.

Well, it was a close one by the looks of things, but as per usual, a win is a win. I didn't get a chance to catch this one on TV, but I saw the highlights, and I'm curious about a couple of things I noticed. How was Ozzie? It's obvious five goals against isn't anything to write home about, but the Canucks seemed to catch some lucky breaks, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt before someone chimes in. Was his play below par tonight, or were there an abundance of defensive collapses again? Would someone care to summarize the game for me? On another note, it was great to see Hudlum keep the ball rolling, and we should all love seeing Cleary getting back on track. They are both very underrated players in their own right, and in my opinion, crucial parts of this team's success. Well, that's all for now. I'm looking forward to Saturday's game.

No. The only jerseys I wear have Red Wings logos on the front.

Really? We dominated the Ducks last game, and despite the tight margin, we played excellently, which included hitting two or more posts and a few extraordinary saves by Giguere.

We should be well-rested for tonight's contest, and I'm hoping we can build off our strong performance against Anaheim and move forward. The Canucks have given us some trouble early this season, but I think we'll see a stellar performance from the Wings tonight. With that said, Detroit takes this one 4-1 on goals by Zetterberg, Cleary, Lidstrom, and Hudler. Is it confirmed that Ozzie is starting tonight? He was much better in his last outing, so if that's the case, consider it fine by me. Lets do it, boys.

I, too, will be watching this game with a hangover, but I could not be more stoked.

Absolutely, but the difference is that Maurice failed to motivate his team and produce any sort of admirable results, which eventually led to his firing. However, I'd argue that Babcock, for one, can get quite hot-tempered on the bench, and I'd be surprised if that attitude didn't transfer over to the dressing room when necessary.

In certain situations, yes, but at other times, I whole-heartedly disagree. If your team is being completely and utterly dominated on the ice over and over again, there comes a time where a little emotion is needed to kick your team into gear, and that is something Maurice failed to provide the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Judging by his time in Toronto, I never thought Maurice had what it takes to be a coach in the NHL, which is to say he never seemed genuinely upset or displeased when his team lost close contests.

I don't know if I'm alone on this or not, but I can't wait to have Cheli back in the lineup.

I disagree. Ozzie should get the start.

I think a suspension, regardless of how long, is a bit overboard. We all know Avery's a drama queen, but the NHL needs to pull their heads out of their asses and realize he's a marketable (albeit arrogant) player that the media thrives upon, and isn't more league-related coverage exactly what Bettman is crooning for?

Howard is being outplayed by Larsson in the AHL, so if anything, now is not the time at all for his next chance.

I've never spoken ill of Sammy. He's a steal contract-wise, and he consistently puts up decent numbers.

I get a kick out of the absurd things he says sometimes, but I can't stand the guy.

Great article. Thanks for sharing. Lucic is a beast, and he sure is gaining steam popularity-wise.

I'd much rather wait until this season has wrapped itself up before I start thinking about next year's team.