Opie

What legit top line Winger was that again, I have such a hard time keeping them all straight since there was so many of them this off season that were available.

So you agree with the statement that Tootoo was "Great" recently? Also were you feeling that way at the end of the 1st or 2nd period, or is this all revisionist history?

I love how Tootoo can do absolutely nothing but run around like a freight train off the rails and he played great! But if Sammy or Miller don't pot a hatrick and a fight they are useless!

So a guy who saw 10:43 of ice time was the big mistake Babs made? Really?

One more thing you may not have noticed in your rush to post how you would be a better coach than Babs: the Wings are in first place, granted after 9 games, but remember this was the team that was going to get dominated by the East(according to many on here). Lets all breath deep and enjoy the long season, just because the guy you like best was on the pine, or in the press box does not mean it was a mistake. If the Wings had won none of you would be posting about this, but it gives the negative Nancies a chance to come out and complain!

Let me answer your question first, because he is your #1 and your starter, you get him out there and back into game shape ASAP! But the bolded part was all I needed to read in order to ignore the rest. (edit, bolding your quote didn't work so I only left the part that I was responding too) Vokoun/Fluery really? Luongo/Schneider Double Really? Seeing as the Vokoun-Fluery tandem was out of necessity because Fluery is horrible sub par, and the other two teams you mentioned that "keep winning with their backups in net and their starters watching" no longer have the backups you mentioned, and Vancouver barely played Luongo last year and the B's tandem one was on a personal hiatus, while they kept winning. Come on during the B's Cup, Thomas was the reason the B's won, the tandem had very little to do with it, as Rask was not ready to be the man. And when he did play more games his stats suffered, and he was predicted to take over for Thomas, Monster will not be anyone's replacement as he will be lucky to be a career backup. And what happened this past season when the two finals clubs both had a definitive starting and back up goalie with no tandem. And the B's were one of them. It was game #9, this is not game 69 where the Wings are fighting for a playoff spot. This entire thread is knee jerk reactionary to a loss in game 9 of an 82 game season. Monster doesn't just have history of getting injured, he is and injury waiting to happen, he is injured more often the Dipietro. You do not overload a guy like that, he played back to backs this week, a guy with his history you give a night off even if he is coming off of back to back 50 save shutout games. Other wise you end up with him on IR, and a guy who should be eating minutes in GR sitting pine. But your post was more about the 2011-2012 season anyway, as that was the last time the two winning teams you mentioned even had those tandems! Double Edit: Oh yeah, and the #1 d-man for the team was out, so you put your #1 in net and hope for the best, because Monster has proven himself to be nothing more than a backup, he is not competing for the starting job with anyone, he is there to spell Howard, if he gets hot or not he is the backup!

[sarcasm] I can not believe this team is not going undefeated GRRRRRRRRR [/sarcasm] Seriously, it is one game against the Coyotes, after just beating arguably the best team in this infant season. Bab's overrated?????? It is hard to be overrated when you are in fact one of, if not, the best coach in the sport. All coaches make decisions that work or don't and judging them purely in hindsight is great for you reactionary, knee jerk, arm chair quarterback post, but in real life, it was one game of 82. Monster has not proven he can take the reigns over, Jimmy has proven he is the netminder of the future, you put him back in because if you don't how else does he go from cold to warm to hot? Much like a call to the Bullpen in baseball, when the player fails to perform it was a bad coaching decision, the player performs and it is his success, not the coach. Oh we beat the Avs with Monster in net and Sammy in the box, lets play the entire rest of the season that way, I mean hey it worked for one game why not all of them, amiright!

When did Pronger ever have a sub-par D Partner, or someone who wasn't at least as good as he was? In ANA it was Rob N, STL it was MacInis. The man was good don't get me wrong, I would have loved him paired with Lids, however to credit him with making the teams he was on great is misleading in my opinion.

Which unlike retiring actually saved the Flyers money. If he retires his cap hit is back on in full!

As someone who craps all over Franzen any chance I get on this forum: He has impressed me so far. I know the 2nd line is still feeling each other out and the numbers may not be as high as we all would like. But his stats were never my issue, it was his effort, and seems to have it every night so far in this young season! ATTA BOY MULE!!!

Man, the Flyers either have mismanagement issues or injury issues. One of the two seems to always bite them in the Arse. Every time they look poised to make a run at the cup they lose a big part of the team, and then overpay for a replacement.

While Smith may not be the second coming of Rafalski, he is light years better than Lebda.

You people make me chuckle. How many years left do Sammy, Bert, Alfie, and Cleary ACTUALLY have left on their contracts? Next year you will be complaining that all we have left is youngsters and why didn't Holland go out and sign more vets. Just like we all knew (once the Perfect Human retired) last year was a bridge year, this year is sort of a wait for contracts to expire year. Next year there will be plenty of room for Tatar and Nyquist, they just need to exhibit some patience. In the case of Tatar I know that has got to suck, but he will be better for it in the long run, and even though the Wings make it tough for prospects to crack the line up, look what happens when they do, unless they demand a ton of cash they are kept around for a long time. And in most cases end up with multiple chances at the cup.

Really the best third line in the league, really? Are you being a little hyperbolic?

Somethings you were unaware of or simply forgot in your rant: Tatar was in the AHL (tearing it up mind you) during the push for the playoffs at the end of the season. His last game with the Wings was 3/10. The Wings offered Brunner basically the same offer he signed, but they offered it to him before Free Agency even began, and BRUNNER TURNED IT DOWN. Him not being here has nothing to do with Holland and Babcock! Also the biggest reasons the Wings still made the playoffs was the TWO WAY play (yes offense and defense) of guys like Dats and Z, you know vets, and the other was the play of Howard. Brunner scored 5 points in the month of April, you know the stretch run, in which a vet by the name of Dan Cleary had the same Point Total? Nyquist put up 4 points in the month of April, the same as Flip, a vet who plays a two way game, yet was just let go for under performing and the money he wanted. For contrast purposes Z had 13 points in April and Dats had 14. So other than stating facts that are simply not facts and/or ignoring the contributions of the Vets, your post was spot on!

[sarcasm] But those are the only two youngsters the wings have[/sarcasm] People act like this D doesn't have guys with less than a full season of NHL experience or that Andy isn't a youngster who got a chance. Maybe it is because young guys like Dekeyser and Andy play a great defensive game. I mean I know Smith is not the best defenseman on this team, but he plays solid D at times as well. Players who are not defensively responsible, especially when young, are going to get passed over for a vet who plays solid in both ends every time in this org. Not saying Tatar and Nyquist won't or can't eventually be that, but right now the org thinks there are better options.

When Yzerman was being protected by these players did he know then what he knows now? Maybe the new revelations about concussions in sport have changed his mind. Maybe now that he is a dad his mind has changed. None of you changed your mind after thinking one way for 20+ years, then discovered/learned something you previously were unaware of? Do you think maybe the research and studies down on CTE and concussions have changed his mind? For instance players used to smoke butts in the locker room before and after periods, should they still be doing it? No because they realized the impact it has on their breathing and abilities, so players for the most part stopped smoking, and all of them (due to laws) no longer smoke in the locker room. Also can we stop using the Blood feud as evidence we need to keep fighting, when was the last time a rivalry was that strong and had that much bad blood. No fight in the past 15 years has as much reason to be had as those fights. IF every fight in the NHL was in the same vein as the ones between the Wings and Avs, I for one would have no issue with them. But most of the fights are over clean hits, scrums at the net, or because a couple of goons are on the ice. Even when Matt Cooke ended Marc Savard's career, how many of the big bad bruins kicked his arse?

Yeah I know if only Kenny had offered him a deal before the trade deadline, maybe even two offers and one of them being the exact offer he ended signing with NJ. Then it would be EPIC WIN! In "Reality Land" the nose turned down the offers he got from the Wings to test free agency, oh but don't let the facts get in the way of a good rant!

No hip checks??? Really is that how you see things? A cup winning team is boring????? You are an all or nothing type of guy/gal I am assuming. And you realize Yzerman is not asking for fighting to be abolished? He is asking for stiffer penalties. But hey who cares if getting punched in the head led to players killing themselves as long as you are entertained. And if Athletes are so willing to accept the dangers why are there class action suits in the NFL and NCAA because the leagues did not do enough to prevent long term damage from concussions?

I was listening to the B's on the radio last night, so I didn't get to see what led to Thornton and Labrie going at it, but from the radio broadcast it did not seem like the scrum at the net(previous shift) was that bad to need a fight. And if it was that bad, wasn't McQuaid's cross check something worse that should have led to another fight? Was last night's fight "necessary" (need a better word than that), was that protecting anyone? Was Labrie really going to town in the scrum in front of the net? Again I was listening on the radio so these questions are honest!

And the MMA world is scared to hell that CTE and concussions will be the demise of the sport. But fighting is the sport in MMA, not Hockey.

Ok, but the other argument brought up is: Severe depression brought on by CTE can lead to drug/alcohol abuse and other generally bad habits for your heart, body, and overall well being. Some people turn to drugs because they have addictive personalities, some due to peer pressure, and others to just have a good time. But in cases of untreated depression many turn to drugs for help!

Taking a slap shot, like Gregory Campbell, has no long lasting affects, a fight with or without a concussion can cause life long issues. Including the depression that took the life of Boogard and others. That is why your argument, while a valid point, loses me. Hitting when done in a reckless manner, and when targeting the head does cause more damage than fighting, but the league is also trying to eliminate those things. Sure a good Kronwalling or other clean play can lead to a concussion, but eliminating dirty or unnecessary plays can help reduce the numbers. I can walk outside trip over my own shoelaces and get a severe concussion, you are never going to totally get rid of the risk, but why not try to prevent them where you can and where they fall outside of the normal realm of play. Note: fights take place outside of "play" the whistle stops play and this is happening during stoppage time. I know fighting happens in game and not in the locker room or somewhere else.

I HATE THE INSTIGATOR RULE!!!!!! They need to add a D-bag clause where if the person is a total D-bag (like the ones I mentioned) remove the instigator penalty!!

Repeated trauma to the head, even when no concussion is sustained, can lead to CTE. When was the last time you saw a sanctioned bare knuckle boxing match?