Ratbastrd

ROFLMAO I hate it when the Refs determine the outcome of the game. You'd think that they wanted the Sharks to win

WOW! A voice of reason on this board. I have read and posted in a handful of threads, all relating to whether or not the Wings need an enforcer. Two observations on this: 1. The Wings are only 8 points removed from the best record in the NHL, which by the way is the best record in NHL history. What is the ******* problem? 2. Having an enforcer means giving something or someone up, who is that going to be? What will be the cost of that exchange and how will it affect chemistry etc. You have a good mixture right now, why fix what isn't broken? Also, instead of posting two responses, I will condense. The author of this article really needs to find a day job. If Shelley was the cure for the teams problems, why didn't they make it farther then the second round last year? Where was Shelley when Marleau was getting clothes lined? Where was Shelley in the Dallas series when Michalek got crushed and did not return? Sorry but this watchful eye bit is bulls***. Shelley has toned down his thug antics from last year and is actually starting to show some hockey skills and is contributing more on the forecheck then he is by getting his ass kicked regularly as he did last year. If this guy is going to write an article about Shelley, which makes little sense to me, then why not talk about the success of his 4th line this year, which has been a factor in a number of victories?

Actually one record that is probably only important to Sharks fans, which is probably more relevant then the 50pts. The Sharks have not lost in regulation at home since mid February last year. Something like 28 games in a row. I believe they only have 3 OTL's during that period. That rocks in my book. Going to a Sharks game at the Tank is always a blast. Great place to see a game if you have never been.

LMAO They did last night

HUH???? Boston is monstrous! They would crush teams like Nashville and Calgary. Chicago could probably stand up but not over a 7 game series. Boston is the real deal this year. I hope the Sharks don't face em in the cup,,,if we get that far.

Nope, and Yep!!! Feb 10th 2009 in beantown. The house'll be a rocking that night.

Sorry to drivel on, but the more I think about this, the stronger I feel about it. Did you see last nights game between the Sharks/Ducks? I admit I was really pumped to see Shelley/Parros go at it. First period, just like a bad "B" movie, out skate the two warriors, no plot just gratuitous violence "Hey" "you talking to me" "yea" "your a *****" "oh yea" "yea"... So they beat the s*** out of each other for a minute, essentially a draw. Then they skate off, and I am sitting there thinking what the hell was that all about? In the end it had absolutely no bearing on the game. The two teams still ran at each other all night long. The rest of the game was a f'ing snooze fest, completely worthless. One of the most boring games I have ever watched. No flow, chippy, lots of bodies flying and yet utterly useless from a hockey entertainment perspective. The Sharks won 2-0 but could have easily won 6-0. They were far too interested in trying to prove they were tougher then the Ducks, when in reality it didn't really matter. If they would have just played their game they would have killed the ducks, and walked away with far fewer injuries and the same two points. It is all a distraction, and not a very good one.

I don't think I have wandered off at all. I agree with you that you brought up the stats trying to prove me wrong, but you are trying to prove to me that Parros is a good hockey player, which is rediculous. If Parros wasn't huge and couldn't fight, do you think for a moment he would be on that team? They didn't sign him because he can skate and is good on the forecheck. Maybe you are right about one thing, Parros isn't a pylon, he is a crutch, proping up a geriatric group of cranky hockey players who aren't very good anymore. Either way you are missing my point, instead choosing to insult me rather then consider what I am suggesting to you. I am not saying the Wings need an enforcer, I am suggesting quite the opposite. I don't like the enforcer role. I think it is a waste of resource. I think that in todays league a team of tough skilled players willing to stick up for themselves will play better without an enforcer. The Sharks are ironically a good example of this. Last year the Sharks brought Shelley in because the team wasn't considered gritty enough to win it all. The team didn't stick up for themselves, predominately against teams like the Ducks and Flames. Shelley was supposed to instill a killer instinct and or defend those who wouldn't defend themselves. All he did last year was run around getting his ass kicked by Parros, Laraque, Boogard etc. It was embarasing and did little to help the team, that still lost in the second round. Shelley was completely irrelevant in the playoffs, he was such a liability, RW rarely played him. This year, Shelley's role as an enforcer has diminished significantly, fortunately he is playing better on the 4th line, which is great, but I would hardly consider him the best player for that position. The team is doing a much better job of sticking up for themselves individually. There are far fewer fights, which means less distractions, and amazingly enough the team is playing much better, which the stats seem to support. Shelley clearly wasn't the answer to the problem! Do you understand me now?

Don't want to start a battle of wits on someone elses board, but you clearly have no idea what you are talking about. If you want to collect stats from NHL.com and claim knowledge you should probably read all the stats genius. The guy logs 6 mins a night, the lowest ice time of anyone on the team. One of the lowest in the entire league. Slightly more the Jody Shelley and Boogard, so I will give you that, but that was sort of my point. It is a waste of space on the bench. To say that he takes a regular shift, I think you meant to say he takes a regular shift a period. More often then not the guy is on the ice to fight or prevent a fight by sending a message. That is hardly a contribution to the actual game, unless it is a Ducks game or a circus you are talking about. 7 points in 26 games as a winger; impressive. Again, slightly more then a couple other goons, but contribution to the game, in what sense? Oh and please don't quote +/- to me, the most worthless stat in all of professional sports. I believe the intent of this thread was to pose the question of whether the Wings could use an enforcer. I stated that I thought it was great if you can find someone who was not a liability on the ice. I will grant you the Wings have team talent to support a meat head on the bench, but that doesn't mean that they should. The real question is at what cost? My impression of the Wings is that they win cups, by outworking and outplaying the other team, which I believe is the intent of the game. The lack of an enforcer doesn't appear to have hurt the team to much in that regard now has it? Remind me never to offer a back handed compliment again.

Have to disagree with you on this one. The Ducks, Preds and a few other teams play on the line (could be read dirty) all the time. Sure if the score gets run up it is going to get worse, but in general you know what you are going to get from those teams. Regarding the s***ty argument about the value of a good power play as a counter to such play, consider the Stars/Ducks series in last years SC. The Ducks got spanked by the Stars because of the rediculous efficiency of the Stars PP. The Ducks played some of the dirtiest/stupidest hockey I have ever seen, yet the Stars refused to retaliate when things got out of hand game after game. Instead the stars scored something like 9 PP goals in their 4 wins, 4 of which came in the first game in a 4-0 win. The point I was trying to make is that an enforcer is great as long as he is not a liability on the ice which they frequently are. Parros is a ******* pylon with a porn stash, yet he is one of the most revered "enforcers" in the league. NO THANKS! I would rather have a handful of players that play the body and put points on the board, yet when needed, will pound the s*** out of the Prongers and Tootoos of the world. The Sharks Ryan Clowe is a perfect example.

From an outsiders perspective (Sharks fan here). The Wings have earned a lot of respect (read fear) around the league for not employing a prototypical enforcer. Seems to me that if you can find someone or a few guys that can command respect from a physicality standpoint, that are not a liability on the ice then great. However the most effective counter to cheapshots and intimidation is a killer power play. The Wings have been very effective at employing the later which is far more intimidating in the post season. There are a lot of guys on this squad who can throw the body around and who are willing to drop the gloves if needed to protect themselves or a teammate. From a "code" perspective this negates the value of the other teams goon. Meaning you have effectively eliminated a roster spot on the other teams bench. At the end of the day it is about who wins and moves on. JMTC