Icesurfer

No one said Bertuzzi is THE reason why the Wings are losing. This thread is about the FIRST LINE not producing like Babcock expects them to produce. (Take out the power play points and power play shots and you will see). Basically the second line and third line are skating better overall than the so-called "first line". Forget for one minute that they are the first line...... if you would put Datsyuk with Abdelkader and Maltby I will bet anything that you would see more time spent in the offensive end of the ice with more cycling, more races for the puck, digging the puck out of the corner and holding on to the puck. WHY??? Very simple...... Abby & Maltby skate better than Homer and Bertuzzi. Call them whatever line number you want.....first, second, third.... it doesn't matter....... it would be a better skating line. I know Bowman wouldn't be afraid to mix it up and make changes instead of "trying" to make Bertuzzi a player he "use to be"..... Waste of time. Does anyone remember what line Bowman put Homer on????....... It was the fourth line...... even though he was in his office on the PP.

Interesting..... Sharks just got a goal against Philly that was very similar to May's no-goal. The puck was resting on the goalie's leg near the post and the intelligent ref (as opposed to the incompetent Screw-You LaRue) RUSHED over to the net to see where it was and then the puck fell back into the net. The ref went TO the net instead of blowing it dead. THERE YOU GO! GOAL!

That description is great for a FOURTH line player..... which is where Bertuzzi belongs. RIGHT NOW the Wings need scorers on the first line!!!! Not someone who takes ONE weak shot at the net from 50 feet away with 17 minutes of playing time. Bertuzzi is getting knocked off the puck and is turning it over... he can't even get it into the zone cleanly. Wings have enough backcheckers and forecheckers.... with Datsyuk being the best one on the first line..... we NEED someone who will take the puck to the net and shoot, shoot, shoot. I mean Babcock is saying that every single day...... shoot the dam puck.

Bertuzzi is done. The top line spent very little time cycling the puck or keeping it in the offensive end like the DHE Express Line or Z's line does. At this point I would rather see Maltby on the first line rather than Bertuzzi......LOL.

Mike Murphy stated this on a pre-game telephone interview. I can't speak for other Wings' fans but personally I will not get over the non-goal call until: 1) The rule is changed. 2) Screw-You LaRue is NOT on this year's eligible referring list for the playoffs.

Ref didn't want to look incompetent.... so he makes another bad decision to cover up his mistake. What really looks bad is when the four of them got together to talk about it. Puck went right into the net on the shot. They just didn't bother checking. What's wrong with reviewing every goal???

Zetterberg credits his linemates: FROM MLIVE: “We’re finding the plays in our line,†Zetterberg said. “Ville Leino came in, he can make plays and create room for me and Bear (Cleary). And Bear’s the same way, grinding a lot, creating a lot of room, middle drives all the time, in front of the net, holding onto the puck. Give a lot of credit to those two.†Zetterberg Surge So I guess that means Williams may no longer play on the second line. Williams in no way can keep up with any of the DHE Express line skaters either. So IMHO Williams may just end up on the fourth line when he returns. Williams really seems to handicap the lines.

But my contention is that it is because of WILLIAMS!!!! I keep telling peeps that Williams is the one dragging down the lines but no one seems to listen ... LOL. Filppula was making up for what Williams lacks! Put Filppula with some fast skaters who have grit and his tools would be better utilized.

The day Filppula went down he was STILL the team's worst minus 6!

Filppula has been moved around on different lines with so many different players and Babcock was still trying to find out who he meshes the best with. We already know he will never be paired with Datsyuk because both of them don't shoot enough. Babs tried that combo for about 3 games last year and scrapped it real fast.

In 11 games played Filppula had 5 giveaways and 5 takeaways. Using "adjusted giveaways" for the number of games played that is WORSE than: Helm Cleary Lebda Leino Draper May Eaves Abdelkader Maltby Using "adjusted takeaways" for the number of games played that is worse than: Zetterberg Datsyuk Bertuzzi Stuart Maltby and even Drew Miller had 2 takeaways in 2 games. Is 80% a number you actually looked up or you pulled out of your head? Filppula is a team worse minus 6! Filppula's 2 goals in 11 games is not what management was expecting.

Drapes skates faster than Fil and Draper has regained a scoring touch playing the wing. ..... that's an added bonus to the DHE Express line. I think Filppula can get knocked off the puck easier than some other guys. Fil tries to play like Datsyuk. When you think about it in four years Filppula has not meshed with anyone in particular.... what does that tell you???

3rd line: Bertuzzi-Filppula-Moen or Bertuzzi-Filppula-Ruutu or Bertuzzi-Filppula-Upshall or Bertuzzi-Filppula-Dupuis In 8 weeks TRADE WILLIAMS PLEASE for any one of those 4 forwards... Any one of those lines would be one heck of a physical checking line that would dig the puck out of the corners and agitate the other team. They may not score as much as Williams..... the Wings have the first 2 lines for that. Those 4 have very similar cap numbers.

Other forwards around the league with very similar (or exact) contract numbers to Williams (which only makes sense if the Wings try to trade him) and also similar stats are: Steve Ott -Dallas Mike Comrie - Edmonton Jarkko Ruutu - Ottawa Scottie Upshall - Phoenix Pascal Dupuis - Pittsburgh Jay McClement - St. Louis Travis Moen is still the best choice for me. The lines will look the best to me when Williams is traded.....LOL. Wings have 8 weeks to figure it out.... LOL. If Williams is no better than a third line player and only useful on the PP.... which is doing better without him btw..... why bother hanging on to him????..... he is a lousy checker.

These lines look the best to me except that in 8 weeks I wish the Wings could trade Williams for Travis Moen. Maybe Montreal would deal. Travis also has a $1.5 mil cap hit salary and his contract is for 3 years. Travis also has 7 points... in 20 games though. I wanted Wings to get him when he was available. At least he skates better than Williams.

EXACTLY!

So when Filppula and Franzen are back your third line is Bertuzzi-Filppula-Williams? If Williams couldn't skate well with Zetterberg what makes you think he will skate well with Filppula??? He was with Filppula early in the year but that line did not produce very many points.... although Babcock called them the best line..... I think only because everyone else stunk early in the year. Wings traded Williams away the first time because of his poor skating and inablility to battle for the puck. So Holland signed him basically to play the point on the PP??? We have Kronwall, Suart and Ericsson now for that.

Very well said.

Eaves is the new Red Wings poster boy ......LOL. Homer-Datsyuk-Franzen is a line that will produce big time! Cleary-Zetterberg-Leino is a good skating line..... has done very well since Williams left the line..... In fact Cleary finally scored once Williams went down. Draper-Helm-Eaves..... The DHE Express line..... love the speed .. they should stay together no matter what. Wiliams-Filppula-Bertuzzi ...... The Fil Out Line ..... the line necessary to fill out the roster because Holland couldn't find anyone else better. We are going on the fourth year on having Filppula on this team. He is paid way too much for what he has contributed so far. I think he will forever be a "potentially" good player. If you look at players like Leino, Helm and Eaves and think what they will be like in four years..... who would you rather have? I will tell you one thing ..... all three of them after their first 3 years will have more shots at the net than Filppula! After 3 years and 1 month Filppula has geled with NO ONE! One of the factors I use to judge a lines effectiveness is how long can they keep the puck in the offensive zone. Right now the DHE Express line is by far the best at doing that. It is not uncommon to see them spend the entire 45 seconds in the offensive zone. Whatever line Williams was on it was one shot and 10 seconds and you are done. And also Bertuzzi had the same problem. And Filppula is forever making very bad passes..... because that is what he mostly does..... PASS! And Cleary-Zetterberg-Leino have been the second best line in keeping the puck in deep for longer period of time.

Are the Wings planning on trading Howard and Meech for a minor leaguer and bringing up a goalie? Griffins sign Sebastien Centomo

SPEED... Can't teach speed..... but you can certainly teach everything else.

Can you say SPEED??? SPEED SPEED SPEED SPEED SPEED SPEED SPEED Holland does NOT have a distaste for physical players. The problem is that most fighters are SLOW!!!! And one of the reasons why there are so many injuries is because of SPEED. Miller provides the Wings with the TWO most important assets that others do not provide....... SPEED and a TWO-WAY contract. Wings penalty kill stinks..... Miller is a good penalty killer and a good defensive forward. It seems that all anyone cares about or pays attention to is goals...... Well, now that Datsyuk and Zetterberg don't have to play extra minutes killing penalties maybe they will be the ones to put in the goals that everyone so badly wants, since they can now spend more time on offense...... that's what they are paid for. Miller at $525,000.00 is not being paid to be in goals.

Christensen's $750,000 one-way contract would NOT have worked. The Wings' cap situation and return of the injured players at a later date has basically limited the Wings to 2-way contracts unless they plan on trading someone or waiving someone later.

Article about Miller written March 2009. At least help on the PK: Miller's Versatility Maybe this is Wing's year to revive some players....LOL. I think ii is a great move..... certainly more upside than downside and he didn't cost much.... you never know. After spending time with the Wings and learning some things he might do very well. Eaves certainly looks better. And the guy has speed!!!! Like the guys with SPEED!

Nice thing about Drew Miller is that he is on a two-way contract... so when injured Wings come back they won't have to trade away anyone.... but don't know if he is subject to re-entry waivers.