Doc Holliday

Milan Lucic, go?

And nobody on the Wings roster. And a number of other teams who don't even have a 30 goal scorer. The Bruins had only one with as many as Franzen, the Hurricanes had zero, Avalanche had zero, Panthers had zero, Kings had zero, Wild had zero, Predators had zero, and the Blues had zero. These are teams that are either not playoff teams or play a more defensive style. This shows that we need more than one player who can challenge for 30 goals if we want to be more of a threat offensively. Not on Franzen. Franzen scored 35 goals with a stacked lineup and a much better Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Hossa, etc playing and providing space. If you think the guy is capable of 40+ goals even with effort you are out of your damn mind. Hull and Shanahan are hall of famers. Worth a lot more. Hossa is a great goal scorer. Also paid more. So what? His injury is what set him back the most. Before the injury he was playing amazing and contributing well offensively. First no-show he was injured. Second no show the entire team other than Zetterberg, Datsyuk, and Miller didn't show up. Effort or not, it isn't all on him. Pretty much the point of the article in the OP.

Radulov and A. Kostitsyn out for game 3. Looks like they broke some team rules and aren't allowed to play. http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/alex-radulov-andrei-kostitsyn-violate-nashville-predators-team-164400745.html;_ylt=AjzOutqlD4jCb13q5U3D3DuRbcp_;_ylu=X3oDMTFja3NwYTFmBG1pdANCbG9ncyBJbmRleARwb3MDMQRzZWMDTWVkaWFCbG9nSW5kZXhUZW1w;_ylg=X3oDMTFvcGs0cnBnBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANibG9nBHB0A3NlY3Rpb25zBHRlc3QD;_ylv=3

My face after watching the game:

If the Big House sells out before non-season ticket holders get a chance to buy tickets, I'll be floored. I'm going to that damn game.

Ripple effect for the surrounding economy, is what I read from that. Same reason big cities enjoy having sporting events there.

The main issue is the team doesn't have a buyer, they can't bring in a high number of fans due to the location, and the team loses money every year. It's a growing problem.

Nobody is saying it is a big deal. In fact, I agreed on that very same post we have a lack of goalscoring on this roster. Yet hasn't scored more than 20 goals since 2006. The point is Datsyuk doesn't make his linemates score at will. What is your point? That Cleary would score 30 goals with Datsyuk? I'm not saying his effort is the problem, but the fact is Franzen is the only bonafide goal scorer we have. Zetterberg has declined due to back issues, Hudler may be moved, Filppula and Datsyuk are playmakers, and Cleary is too injury prone to really be a consistent offensive provider. If you don't rely soley on Franzen to drive the net and put the puck in, his lack of effort isn't as big of a hot button issue. And all in all this entire conversation started from a quote that was purposefully misinterpreted by the OP to incite a hate-fest. And this happens to a lot of Wings players. Cleary, Osgood, Hudler, Lang, etc.

I think we are getting exposed more than Nashville at this point.

Isn't the point that he scored 29 goals and led the team in goal scoring? And shouldn't Bertuzzi's goal totals be a bit better considering? His goal scoring has been pretty constant the past few years before even coming back to Detroit. In fact the only thing that has really improved is his +/-. Datsyuk helps, but it isn't like Franzen would only score 10 goals without the guy. Besides, I think the entire issue with the blame game is Franzen shouldn't be counted on to lead this team offensively. Holland sure has the cap hit to sign a bonafide scorer and allow Franzen the ability to be a damn good complimentary player.

Cheers to that.

He isn't calling the team out. How does saying the team lacked the confidence and lost momentum at the worst times due to timely Nashville goals equate to calling his own players out? They struggled. He struggled. The team in general got into funk and Nashville took advantage of it. There is nothing hypocritical or wrong with what Franzen said.

You crazy. Also, Radulov is getting ripped by the media right now.

It only exemplifies the problem with the Detroit Red Wings roster.

Good thing nobody is saying that. Also, I feel dirty cheering for Doan. Lame.

Saves them zamboni gas. How else do you expect Ilitch to pay for Fielder's contract?

Meh, doesn't exactly embody the idea of "classic" to me.

You used a crappy article to make your point. For starters, you took quotes that implied the team just didn't have the confidence and took it to Franzen saying "I want to have more fun out there." The article itself is about the team having issues up and down, but you used it in a thread to say "Franzen has a terrible attitude and this article shows why." It's crap. I'm not using it as a pardon. I'm using it to emphasize the fact Franzen has been an easy scapegoat all season to point fingers at for the team's play during the season. You cannot deny that. Also, I always thought Lang was a pretty easy scapegoat as well (of course the fact he signed for $4 million in Chicago doesn't help as far as Detroit's cap constraints were concerned), so I can understand the comparison. And in the first page I wasn't opposed to moving Franzen to make an identity change with the team, so nobody is pardoning his play. Just putting it into perspective and providing context. Even if we keep his crappy ass on the team we can be guaranteed 25-30 goals with a reasonable cap hit. And LGW will be griping all along the way. Maybe we should sign semin and trade away Abdelkader and Helm for him. Throw in Sheahan just in case.

Yeah, then you lose a 25-30 goal scorer for nothing. Great strategy, LGW. Also, regarding Babcock and Franzen: “I don't think we scored even-strength at all (four five-on-five goals in the series),'' Babcock said. “I don't think you want to point at the Mule. I think you want to point at all of us.'' The team was the problem. Franzen's quotes represent a team problem, not an individual problem. Franzen doesn't talk about lack of interest in this article. He talks about an apparent and obvious lack of confidence through all four lines and the defense against a team that capitalized on that. "Get some joy back, believing in ourselves, knowing that we're a good team, and play for each other.'' “We got a great team. We just got to realize that.'' Don't let the silly quote changing in the OP keep you from looking at an article objectively.

We didn't challenge him enough.

Nobody other than three players on the Red Wings roster did. He was asked a question, and mentioned what he noticed of the team, himself included. You guys make it seem like he went to the media and started to cite reasons why he specifically played poorly. He knows he didn't play up to par. Everyone knows that. The team played terrible. Everyone knows that. People just want to read what they want to read and use it to knock down or prop up players they like or dislike. It's nothing new. Franzen isn't exactly a burden on our cap (in fact we may have an extra couple million or so that could sign a Parise or Suter this offseason based on the cap decrease), so I'm not sure why people are getting grumpy. Nothing stopped Detroit from signing a dynamic scorer other than the market last year. Do you think any of his less skilled linemates could match his numbers with the increased defensive pressure and ice time? I understand the desire to put Nyquist up there but there is a difference between being slotted into the first line for a temporary period and doing it consistently over an 82 game season.

40 goals for a $3.9 million cap hit?

Because you are talking about Franzen as a scorer and comparing him to a Franzen that was scouted, drafted, and developed a defensive forward in his first two years in the league, up until he was put into a scoring role due to injuries in early 2008. In all honesty, I don't know why Babcock relieved him of his shorthanded duties once he saw Franzen had a scoring touch. Did his defensive abilities just disappear during the 2008 offseason?

Franzen was a third liner who was just coming into the league in his first two years. Not sure why you mention those. Also, from that same article: The coach who was brutally honest about what he wants out of Ken Holland now decides to defend Franzen? Let's be honest here. Franzen is an easy scapegoat (how can you not be when your quotes are changed up purposefully to bring a more negative story?) when the entire team was flat, unprepared, and outmatched by a better opponent. He isn't complaining to the media here. He is pointing out a reasonable fact regarding the team. They were slow, unmotivated, and didn't seem to have much faith in themselves. Also, Lang's last year with Detroit saw him not even score 20 goals. Yay.

Yeah, I remember all the praise Hossa got during the 09 finals got for his defensive play. Especially in game 7. And the team needs a shakeup, obviously. If Franzen moving helps that, then by all means. I don't think anyone on the team was having much fun the past couple months.