Opie

Yeah but I also think he knows how the fan base would react to that kind of comment!!!!

Well seeing as I always s*** on people who post threads with out looking to see if there already is one, I figured since I was going to create a new thread and reference this one, I might as well just pull this one back up!

I know the write up is about the game in Columbus but they make many references to the season and I like reading bab's quotes: http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/recap;_ylt=Amn...229&prov=ap He manages to pay homage to a man that is helping him a lot in Scotty Bowman and pay a little respect to Holland with the Salary cap comment here: A little shot at the TV coverage (imo) Asked if the Red Wings, with more wins and points (106) than anyone else in the league, should be the prohibitive favorite to win the Stanley Cup, Babcock bristled. Here he manages to keep from putting bulletin board material up and not put down his team! Yet he also lets his team hear that no one is talking about us, a little motivation for his guys. And then he lets his team know how he feels about them: This bit is from Dats but I love the personality he seems to be showing a lot of this year: Then Z just lets us know he likes playing with D: I know it is all "Coach Speak" and player speak, but it sounds like as a collective whole the group is on the same page!!

I just spit amp out my nose!!!!

I would say try this, your boyfriend/husband/girlfriend/sig other may not like it but he, when it comes to hockey they will have to deal!

Well if you are going to take away all of the fun you get no answers. Bearded Clam!! Sorry had to do it!

Just wanted to bring this topic back to the fore front seeing as he was so completely wrong it is not even funny. Should he get credit for firing up the troops, was it really all just misrepresentation, what are others thoughts now that his team is #1 in the east? Granted by 1 point but still #1 is #1. I have a feeling Pit will take it over, but I watched the Habs bruins game this weekend, these guys look like a bunch of high energy grinders. They work hard and play like they don't know that they are not supposed to be good, well except Kovalev who I have never been a huge fan of.

Yes sir, with 2 kegs of homebrew. Right now I have a Red Ale with Oak chips (brewed with oak not oak still in the beer) and and IPA that is my own little taste of heaven, !! EDIT: EDICUS< Lilja looks like a bad ass cowboy gun slinger in that, almost like Kevin Costner's Wyatt Earp, not Kurt Russell's Wyatt!

The other part is I have red hair (hence Opie) and it takes me the better part of a month to grow what looks like dirt on my face!!!!

UP2here I hope that is not a pic of your 360 in your avatar, I unfortunately had to deal with the dreaded 3 lights of DOOOM!!

WOW, while I am old enough to have been able to grow a beard before the first of the recent cups, I still can't. Damn patchy beard with hair not growing in, in places.

I think Markov's days as a wing are done, I wouldn't be surprised if his days in the NHL are done. Mainly because no one wanted to touch him with a ten foot pole or their respective wallets. Unless he drastically drops his asking price I have a feeling he is in Mother Russia for a long time. Even if he dropped his asking price I would still rather have Stuart over him, but as you say the chances of that are slim to none, and none is in the lead right now. For some people being away from their family is not a big deal, for some moving their family for a job is not a big deal, but personally I think that if this guy wants to be close to his family, doesn't want to move them more power to him, I have to respect that, but he has to realize what he is doing will impact the way teams look at and pay him. As long as he is OK with that than fine. I just hope some how he realizes that Det will more than likely be a winning org for the next 5-10 years and he could have a shot at a cup everyone of those years that he is in Det. Then when he looks at the west coast and sees the teams he could play for have a lot of defenseman (ANA), rebuilding (LAK, PHO), or shipped him off (SJS, granted for a top 5 player in the league, but some guys take that personal), leaving him with Cal and Van. He went to Cal after Bos, and has never been to VAN. I still see him playing of the west coast just not sure where?

I would whole heartedly agree with you if this was another team, can you imagine what these boards would have looked like had the wings not had Cheli, I am not talking about the injury bug, I am talking about with everyone healthy Lilja, Lebda, Meech, Kronwall, Quincey would all get dogged on. Making mistakes is not tolerated in Det, hell look at Lilja, Sammy, Lebda, anyone not named Lidstrom or Zetterberg at some point in time was critique for not shooting when and where they should, for giving up the puck, for passing when they should shoot, all the other crap (I might add all of this critiquing is done by people who have a better shot a Pro's VS Joe's than they do playing in the NHL). Mistakes at the blue line is one thing that I think this team stresses on, when this team has been great in recent history the D was a big part of that, in years when the D wasn't as solid (either due to injuries, lack of Chem or lack of skill) the team has been ousted early in the post season. I think the only reason Cheli is around still is that Defensively he is still better than the options. He may not be the fastest, but the fastest (Lebda) is not as good defensively, he may not be the biggest (Lilja) but he is better defensively, so on and so forth. I am torn with the Cheli situation as well. I would love for him to be a tutor/mentor for the young guys, the only way to do that with Cheli is to have him playing here, he won't retire, and won't except a coaching position yet. Maybe things change if the wings win the cup, maybe they don't. But I think until one of Lilja, Lebda, Meech, Quincey, Ericsson, Kindl can show that they are better in their own zone, Cheli will still be in the winged wheel. Det is more concerned with winning than with making sure that Kindl or Lebda are happy with their ice time with the big club, Not that they are unhappy just saying the wings wouldn't care. They will find a way to fill the void missing, and make sure they are a winner every year, because that is what the org wants. If Cheli at training camp is the best option he will be, if someone shows to be better (and the contract situation works out ie waivers, FA, whatever) I have a feeling the wings will let Cheli know their plans and if he doesn't mind being a part time player (which I think he would not want to do) then he will probably stick around. Because for every Dion Phanuef (Legit #1-2 ) there are 10 Maxim Kuznetsov's(busts) and 5 Brett Lebda's(Servicable #5-6) that come along, but there are very few Cheli's, guys who can play a very smart (Greg Maddux, bad analogy I know) heady game at an older age when they used to be a more physical and offensive of a player. Either way I am torn, but I don't see the wings abandoning him soon, but if they do he will be picked up quickly, especially a team like the Panthers (not that Cheli would go there, or that I know some inside info) a young team that could really use a veteran smart D man, on the Leafs who could use at least one defensive defenseman!

100% perfect use for him. Sign Stuart, let Lilja walk, sign Cheli. Put cheli on the 3rd pairing with Ericsson(probably still in GR, I would rather see him up), Meech, Quincey, Lebda, which ever of them are still around. Lids Ralf Kron Stuart Cheli and whomever! Him mentoring Ericsson really excites me, I think that would elevate that kids game, then the year after you pair him with Lids, and this kid could become gold, same said about Kindl!

Does it surprise you, their capt came inches from getting away with stomping a dude's calf, then gets a light suspension. This team, especially Burke, is feeling bullet proof right now! That is a scary thought going into the post season, they actually may be dirtier than last year! Edit: Just being dumb

Nice article!

0 points for a loss, with a tie completely impossible in the NHL now why on earth should the losing team get a point. You win, you win and you get 2 points. You lose, you lose and get 0 points. Pretty basic right. If I am not mistaken the one point thing was put in to prevent teams from playing for the tie or giving them something (the extra point) to try and get. But now with no tie possible they should change that again so that if it does go to OT the teams will fight for the points especially at the end of the season. But then again what do I know!

I had so many jokes for this, but it is so lame that making jokes about it is lame. sigh! Best LGW one liner, EVER!!!

No but I heard Jiri Slegr has nothing to do right now! LOL

My thoughts exactly, if this was a situation where the wings need him he would probably splint it up and be on the ice

Here is my question people always say that signings like the Briere and Gomez signings last off season will drive up the FA price. Well what about the opposite? Campbell is a UFA after this season with the Sharks. He has turned down 5 mil a year I think it was from Buffalo, do you think he is looking to make upwards of 6-6.5. That is more than Rafalski and I will take Ralf any day of the week over Campbell.

A little off topic, but I love that friggin website!!!!

Do you mean after the 2 year extension he just signed?

I know trading away a locker room cancer and P.O.S for a pp QB with a great shot, what in the hell was LA thinking!

The SJ hit wasn't as bad because Grier wasn't going for the hit, he was trailing Datsyuk, the Kopecky one, it looked like both guys were going to try to sandwich him and then he was not there, like the piece of ham that gets too much mustard and slides out from between the bread!!