Stiffy

If this is true, he should go to the Islanders - lots of Russians in Queens and Long Island. If you are making 7 million or 70,000, if your wife is miserable it takes a toll. However, I think other mates be the source of his troubles and frustration - LINE mates.

Aw man, think of how hurt Sandra will be when she reads this! She may even cancel her latest project, a touching romantic date movie centered on a relationship with a hockey player. As for Lebda, it is a rotten shame that someone with that kind of speed can be such a liability. I think a few of you are on to things - his history of being matched with Chelios may be a liability in that Chelli was able to keep him smart and make up for many mistakes. It must have been a lot of work! Hell, I don't know, it's just a shame he can't match his speed with some intelligence out there on the ice. I'd like to believe that his raw skills can still be coached into being a better player, but maybe it is as simple as this - either you get it or you don't and there is only so much you can teach.

Freep Article News Article It's about time a veteran stood up and told this team to act like Redwings. That it was Draper is interesting. Not surprising.

Can someone post this in HD, I couldn't see the little birds they were talking about.

So what exactly is Babs doing to get up the work ethic? I am serious. Is complaining to the press it?

That is just plain un-American.

How much does a special teams and defensive coach cost?

I agree completely. Let's not confuse being a fan and supporting our team and recognizing reality. The Wings are not performing up to their potential as a team, as individuals in the majority of cases and in coaching. Beyond the injuries there are multiple indicators of things that must be improved. As Babcock said of last nights awful game, it is un-redwing like. Now, I see one positive to all this. This organization will not allow this to continue all season. In some ways we are lucky to have these break downs so early in the year.

If the NHL forced players to pay for their own sticks this kind of behavior would be reduced!

Now there is a worthy linemate for Dats. Dats needs linemates with a combination of hands, grit and speed. Cleary, Flip, Franzen... As one who used to say Dats made anyone on his line better I take it all back now with Bert. You have to bring something to Dats's line. I also agree with keeping the kids apart for now, but there is nothing like having them together. Too bad we don't have the bench to play with...

It will be a battle to make it for sure, but that will tell us what this team is made of won't it? In past years this was a sure thing. How many of us saw the season as a warm up for the 100% sure to come playoffs? I often had that attitude, so this is a wake up call indeed. This is going to be a long hard year, but for some of you young whipper snappers, and you have all heard it before, it wasn't always so easy being a Wings fan. Maybe there are a few blessings here in disguise. For so long the youngsters seemed held back by a Wings team that had no room for anyone who was not 100% ready for the big time. Now is an opportunity for some to step up. Coaching has not been this challenged for a long time, so let's see what they can do as well. I'm hoping the team attitude is that making the playoffs is essential.

There you go. That is EXACTLY what a real man does. Good for you.

The best was Robin Williams, he loves poking at the French. The quote doesn't do the performance justice, but in the last phrase below he struts around pretending to be a French general talking to his troops as they prepare for battle:

Every other line on the ice is parallel to another so OBVIOUSLY the trapezoid does not belong.

I have been really hard on him in my opinion and posts, but gosh darn it, only because I believed in the guy for so long. I guess than hanging comment is up there with Howard Dean's hooting - it was a little dumb, but we have all blown it out of proportion. Stil, I wish he would have been tougher about that. He had and maybe still has potential. I think many of us would pay dearly for the kind of back up performance he gave us in the past and to watch the guy warm up was fun. His glove speed is super human. We are talking Jedi skill level with that hand of his. So, good luck Manny, but stay mentally tough would ya?

You'd have to have your head in the sand to not know there was a shortage, but I would agree that this one can be chalked up to a bad decision by one or two folks and not the entire organization. Most if not all NHL clubs seem to do outstanding work for kids and others with serious medical issues and hopefully this will pass and they can concentrate on the good work. Still, I think it's a good lesson for all of us. Sometimes, no matter how much money or influence one may have, it simply doesn't mean you get the first spot in the line.

Can I ask a serious question please? We all know he is awful, but I haven't seen anything in the press to indicate Babcock or others see him as a problem. For example, Villy got a little sit down and Babcock kind of aird the laundry and told the reporters about wanting more out of him, but I don't see anything close to that regarding Lebda. Is he somehow a favorite or given more slack or does he give good head on the bench or what?

I think the odds are on your side about their potential greatness.

Absolutely, "high risk" refers to potential negative outcomes, not just getting it or not. As we all know, or should, the highest risk groups for H1N1 are children and pregnant women. Most hockey teams, like the Wings, do OUTSTANDING work for kids and children's hospitals. To hear of these punk Flames organization people using their money and status to circumvent those who need it most is disgusting. Hey, good thing their great grandfathers weren't on the Titanic, they would have been tossing little kids and women off those lifeboats left and right. Seriously, this is really low and just plain cowardly. Makes me sick.

So should he have more sex or less sex in order to heal quickly?

Well, the free October deal is soon to end and I called Comcast to seal the deal for the whole season. It's close to $200 and very few games are HD. I should get Comcast stock for free - I have paid about 2 grand to watch the Wings on TV since moving from Michigan. With this season not looking so hot and even getting words of caution from Jimmy Devellano... so what? It's my hockey team. I'll never stop watching the Wings. I watched them when they sucked, when they were great and whatever happens I will watch them now. Don't forget some of us can't just flick on a station and watch our team. We pay for it. Would you? Or for many of you, would your mommy pay for it? So, other out of towners, both pissed off end of the world fans or die in the wool homer fans, how about you? Are you buying into Center Ice (or an online source)? If you want my advice, I say do it, even if it drives you nuts all season long.

Teach us!

That's really interesting. Though I am no expert on preparing a goalie for the NHL, the idea that he needed sooooo much time in GR did not make sense to me. There are plenty of young goalies who come out and make it and plenty of others who don't. Maybe the answer is as simple as "either you got it or you don't" and no amount of experience will make a difference in the final equation. However, this kid was picked for a reason and played very well at the college level. So, do you think there is a way to "un train" him and reinforce better habits/style?

I am quite certain the proverbail hockey "facewash" is contributing to the spread of this virus. Will the NHL have the guts to stop facewashing? What's next, no more communal gatorade bottles on the bench? I never thought about this, but from a microscopic point of view hockey is a very "rich" sports environment.

I am not an expert in this, but which online video services offer a good deal and even HD? Can anyone post?