Opie

The Lewiston maineiacs started doing this a couple of years ago. granted they are only QJMHL but I think it is a nice gesture by both the players and the team. They stopped doing it though because the kids got to Lewiston so close to the season it was hard to get all the tickets taken care of and still practice and "Study".

I just called up Illy, that is what I call Illitch, he calls me Opus. It is kind of a weird relationship. He said It is weird the other night he had huge baggy jeans on and he took me to a 5 star resturaunt, he is taking his MTV make over way to serious!

hahahahahahaha I almost wet myself after this, I am glad you posted that after I was done eating lunch. Last week I lost 2 of my lunches in my nose because of the funny s*** people were posting around here!!

Wathcing this man make up his mind is like watching a tennis match: In OUT IN OUT IN I..OUT..N

I wouldn't call it loud or silent more of a Squishy, however the details were very juicy and the conference had to be cut short for clean up "doodie"!! wow back to 3rd grade for a minute!!

Seriously that is like me holding a press conference at work because I farted in my cube!!! WTF

This is the problem with Halls of Fame. How do you look at the player? Do you compare him to other greats that are already in the hall? Well if you do that you aren't accounting for changes in equipment, rules etc..... Do you look at the player in a bubble compared to others in his era? If you do that you are looking at a situation were a guy like Pierre is unfairly put in a class of centers that few will ever live up to. Do you look at him in basis of what he did for his team? Well then you would punish guys, for instance if the wings never were successful and they were the Dead things for Yzerman's career isn't that unfair to him. It is so hard to look at a guy like Pierre and say yes or no. I think he should go in, probably on a second or third ballot. But then again what if he goes up against Yzerman, Hull, Robatialle type guys on the ballot, again he is probably not going to make it. And whether the writers like to admit it or not, the longer a guy gets the snub the harder it will to get in.

Not to jump into an argument that I have nothing to do with but walking up to a guy who has a concussion (suffered one myself) and running your trap is: A) useless, he is still trying to get his barrings. B) classless, the guy left with a concussion, yes he got to his feet quickly, but so did I when I got mine. I got kicked behind the ear diving for a ball in soccer. I was a goalie and dove hands first into a teammate who was trying to do a scissor kick in practice, and he kicked me right behind my ear instead of the ball. I even kept practicing. But everyone told me afterward that they could see in my eyes that my head was some where else. C) to me is a ***** move. Now does it make him a *****, no but use this analogy: If you see a woman dressed like a ***** does that mean she is, no it just means she wears the uniform, but if she dresses like that she will be treated like that 9 times out of 10. Alzner may not be a ***** but that was a ***** move. Sutter exacted his own revenge for the slue foot and did it very well there is no need for Alzner to do a damn thing. Think about if you were on the ice for the Russian team and your teammate just got absolutely smoked and then some one comes in after the play that had nothing to do with the hit or the slue foot and starts pushing your teammate around and running his trap. Would you seriously sit there and think, hey it is hockey and he is just talking s***. NO you would think he was an ******* or a s***bag and want him away from your teammate.

I think he goes in, but not a first ballot guy.

OK so now lets take a look at this from the POV that he is retiring. They still have a formidable Defense, arguably still one of the leagues best all-around D's. Schneider will not help too much on the defensive side of things but helps their pp greatly. Now you have two proven pp qb's in Pronger and Schneider. However the offense is greatly diminished. Do the ducks spend the 6.75 they had tied up in Neidermayer or do they stick to the self imposed cap? Are the Ducks now players in the Markov sweepstakes? What impact does this have on Selanne? Do the Ducks now beg Selanne to come back? Who is out there that can fill their offensive Void? Do the ducks make a play at Forsberg or give Feds another shot? Do they have enough young talent to make a trade and not deplete the club? Discuss- This team is by far a lot worse than they were last year, especially if they do not sign a top 6 forward. After thinking about it they need a top 6 worse than the wings do. They have no proven top 6 scorers besides MacDonald and Bertuzzi and I am not so sure Bertuzzi has top 6 numbers in him unless he can go back to be a physical force on the ice or he gets a play making center. At least Det still has Z-Dats-Homer all proven guys that can get it done in reg season and post season. BTW if Pronger gets a Norris nod this year I would have no problem with it unless some how he ends up not being their #1 d-man again, but I don't see anyone on that roster being better than him. And if they make it to the finals again and he is one of the driving reasons, I will take back all that I said about him, but he has to prove it to me. Like I said before he took a mediocre Oil team and made them a little better version of mediocre and they had a great playoff run, and the Ducks last year was more a reflection of Niedermayer.

I like to think my only bias is toward the red wings, and I have no interest in either of these players that would impact my pov. Having said that, Sutter's elbow/forearm was not used deliberately in that hit. Just before he hits him he tucks his arm into his body to absorb the hit. The reason his elbow smashes Cherepanov in the head is because Sutter left his feet to make the hit. So while the hit may not have been dirty based on the elbow, it was definitely a charge. It was a revenge hit because he had been slue footed by Cherepanov at the other end of the ice. I saw a Youtube were a ranger fan was trying to say that Cherepanov did not slue foot him that he was just skating by. However if you watch that clip he happens to let his back foot drag behind him for a little bit and it just so happens to clip Sutter's foot. Either way great hit, Cherepanov needs to put his head on a swivel if he thinks he can just slue foot someone and not get smashed especially on the same shift.

dude I think you answered your own question. it is the hunger that keeps a guy like Cheli playing until 45-50 whatever he plays until, or hunger that makes Yzerman destroy his knee even further. However in this case it would be the lack of hunger that is driving his retirement decision.

If you check out the front page of TSN they have a video of him explaining why he said what he said. I guess that could take the guess work out of it, except for the fact that I can not get the stupid ass video to play. he said he meant, they will make the playoffs and that they are not viewed as a favorite for the cup, but other teams have won the cup not being the favorites. Petty much saying that the reporter turned his words around.

Jerm, I think Grig's injury history is a little different than say a guy like Kronwall. Grig's injury came from a car crash, not saying it couldn't cause a repetitive injury issue for him, but Kronwall's injuries are all hockey related which scares me a whole hell of a lot more than Grig's does. I agree with you about Franzen and Cleary and that is why I want them on the same line, and Babcock to tell them "your job is to wear teams out physically as best you can. Hit guys, play physical and tough in the corners, use your body to push people around." I don't want them looking for the type of hit Cleary put on Phanuef every shift that would only get him caught out of position, but if the hit is there take it, if Mule can get in scrum and body his way around, that will wear on teams. I think this year Babcock will have a younger more aggressive checking line. Not the Grindline of old but with Cleary and Franzen you have to guys that can use the body and have some really good offensive upside. A guy like Kopecky (who is supposed to be mentored by Drake) or like Flip, Huds, or even Grigs (great offensive upside) would make that line click, and be a great secondary line for the wings.

Normally you would say you never want to be the guy to follow a legend, you want to be the guy who followed the guy who followed the legend. For example in the D, Babcock followed Lewis who followed the legend. I think Lids was the interim so that Zetterberg didn't have the pressure of following Yzerman. However the difference in this situation is that Lids was already a legend in Detroit when he got the 'C'. And much like his predecessor he leads by example and doesn't do a lot of yapping. He goes out plays his best and expects the same from his teammates. But Yzer19 raises and interesting point. Lids doesn't have to deal with as much crap as most Captains. He is on a winning team that has been winning for years. Last year and this year are considered "Rebuilding years" in Detroit, and to paraphrase Rodney Pete from Best damn when talking about USC, Detroit doesn't rebuild they reload. So my point Lids has it easier than most captains yes, but it is still not an enviable position to be in. The way the man carries himself on and off the ice make a huge difference but having the org, he has in front of him and having Stevie still around help him, just like having Bowman around helps Babcock. Yzerman and Bowman are not doing their jobs for them, but helping them and advising them. He is still a very good captain, but it is definitely an easier path than the one Yzerman had to take.

Cough * http://www.letsgowings.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=45197 * Cough

If anyone can get a transcript of this or a run down of his answers a guy like myself who lives in NH would love to read what was said. Do they ever do podcasts or webcasts of that show? Maybe I could listen to it at work, just don't tell my boss.

I look at this from a couple of different points of view: 1. Yzerman (imo the captain to compare all captains to) would never have said anything like this in the media. He may have said it in the locker room or on the practice ice or on the bench but never in the media. As much crap as the NE pats get for their "Belichek Coach speak" where no one really says anything to the media, Stevie had that same approach. In the media you say things like, "We are going to go out there and take it one game at a time, there are 8 playoff spots and if we can grab one of those anything can happen." Did I hint at the fact that this team is not a contender yes, but never did I actually say it. 2. Media- the media asked this question of him knowing that they were not contenders, in most people's eyes the top 4-6 teams are contenders the rest are pretenders. So the media set him up, we don't know maybe he just got done with the most frustrating skate of his career, maybe he just got his ass reamed by the coach, and happened to let out a poorly timed vent. 3. Honesty- Maybe Saku after all if these years of getting no where with Montreal, seeing guys like Alexi Kovalev overact and lose a puck for a game winning goal, or loaf his way around the rink, while Saku himself busts his ass night in and night out. And when the question was asked he gave his honest answer. What ever the reason, it was a bad judgment. He should have given some canned answer that had a positive tone. I mean how are the younger guys supposed to feel about the season now. Their Captain has given up on them and they haven't even started the season. On a side note, maybe if they are as bad as Saku thinks a guy like Roman Hamrlik, Brisebois or Ryder become available.

While it is true that this team is nowhere near the most physical or toughest team on the ice, I think that is a direct reflection of the front office more than the coaching staff or the players themselves. I think the front office sees that Bettman is slowly taking fighting out of the game and is building towards that mold of NHL while still staying competitive. I think if Babs had his way he would have a grueling d-man and a forward that could go out there and just wreak havoc. That is not the case in Detroit, and whether or not I think a guy like Hartnell, Asham or whomever would be good for this team. Holland, Nil and others have seen success with this "soft" European team (I don't think they are soft, to call a hockey player soft is to disrespect the game IMO) They are starting to tweak that a little bit, and find some tougher Euros, like Franzen, and grab a couple of N. Americans that play a hard style of game, Cleary. I for one would love to see Cleary hit like he did Phanuef a lot more, but my biggest desire is for this team to win. And in order to do that all of the guys have to play their game. If you all of the sudden asked Zetterberg (not that this would ever happen, exaggeration) to be a physical brute out there and just run around hitting people, you would see that his game would suffer dramatically. The team needs to bring in one maybe two Tougher guys to add to team toughness. Having said that, I believe the addition of Drake could very well be that addition needed. He plays a tougher game, albeit dirtier at times, (the two seem to go hand in hand) and according to Babs he is to be Kopecky's mentor. Two tougher guys for the the league min maybe. Either way I am excited about this season, the wings should be a lock for the central which gives them a chance to do some different things with different players. I for one would love to see the following line up, even if only for a game or two to see how the guys do with it: Sammy- Z- Homer (Proven line) Huds - Dats - Grigs (Come on with Dats, this line is so Money, just wanted to use the swingers quote) Cleary - Franzen - Flip (My favorite line combo in my head) Kopecky - Draper - Drake (this could be a very good checking/d line) And even in these lines I think anyone on that third line could swap with grigs and huds. Hey Jerm- Thanks for the compliment, from time to time around here some good debates not arguments find there way through!!!!!

I will continue to say this, it is my opinion but here it is anyways. Tthe wings lost the series to the ducks because the PP s*** the bed. Two 5-3 pp that were not scored on, I will agree with you that this team is not physical or is not tough enough, but that series was one goal from going in Detroits favor, if the 5-3 scores one goal the series swings momentum. If Anaheim beat Detroit all over the ice and detroit never got anything going, then yes I would agree but that is not what happened. The wings pp sucked a bag.

I agree 100% but I am telling you now when I posted a thread about it looking like Maltby was beng replaced or weeded out by the people bringing brought in a got a s*** storm from it. Don't get me wrong I appreciate everything he DID for the team however he is not the sam eplayer he was. Now I know stats aren't everything but stat wise he was the worst wing last year. Obviously some of the things he does go beyond stats. But he is no the same agitator he was nor, is his defense where it once was. I think Babcock is the type of coach that would not have a problem benching a guy like Maltby if it looks like his game is slipping, not that it will but if it does.

Being a Red Sox fan I have been pretty much eating up any interview or video I can see of the Clay Buckhholz no no. Then I started watching videos about another Sox rookie who is having a rookie of the year type year: Dustin Pedroia. The kid was born in Woodland CA, went to school at Arizona State and is having a huge year. You may find yourself reading this and asking why in the hell I posted this, if you check out the clip I attached at the bottom of this post you will see as the video starts he is wearing a Detroit Red Wings T-shirt. You can only see the logo as the interview starts and you only see the top 1/3 of the T-shirt but it is unmistakable, that is the winged wheel. Pedrioa Interview Interesting to me that a baseball player born and raised on the west coast is a wings fan.

Yeah he either makes the team or he is back to Mother Russia with love. He has an open contract in Russia just waiting for his signature and I don't think he wants to play in the AHL.

He probably was just saying to him "Hey jackass next time you try to slewfoot a guy make sure you skate around with your chin up and your head on a swivel!" Which I am not sure Cherepanov heard because the tweetie birds flying around his head were making too much noise!!!!!

As for teams same old story San Jose, Calgary, Anaheim and St. Louis will play the wings tough and they will be great games. As for internal struggles, getting the young guys into the flow of the game, there is the sophomore slumps, plus grigs being a rookie. But my biggest fear for this team is similar to want GMRwings is saying, 2nd line scoring!