evilzyme

Datsyuk got trainwrecked by Doughty. Tootoo this is your time to let em know that s*** isn't acceptable.

what the hell you doing emmerton? you just wanna watch them skate it through? jesus...

i supply both sides of the argument, i said it was for the sake of debate. i'm not one to sit here, put my fingers in my ears and scream, "nah nah nah I can't hear youuuu." the first article goes through and shows that goalie equipment hasn't been the biggest influence in the reduced scoring.

Oh wow, with talks of him starting this weekend I thought we would've kept him around but i'm also happy to see that the franchise has their eyes set on Mrazek and Monster. Obviously Mrazek is going to go back down to GRR so he can keep developing, but that trio is going to be great to push one another.

here's an older article that captures why goalie equipment isn't the reason for the drop in goal scoring; http://brodeurisafraud.blogspot.com/2009/11/why-goalie-equipment-was-not.html take a gander, he makes some great points and here's one from nightmare on helm street explaining why it isn't necessarily the size of the pads, but rather their length and the butterfly position taking over the game. just alittle more flavor to the sauce to get a better debate going http://www.nightmareonhelmstreet.com/2010-articles/june/2011-goaltending-equipment-changes.html

and that's what i'm saying. the playing field needs to be even. while I can agree that pads may be too big nowadays, it's within reason. you could throw a 100 mph clapper down range back in the day like Al McInnis, but it's a clapper requiring one hell of a swing back and accelerated weight transfer. nowadays, i can sit on the circle and release a shot that rolls 80+ mph with ease. now it just becomes my shot against your reaction speed, which like I said, there's been numerous reports and studies that show that within the slot area, goalies don't have a chance to save a puck going at the speeds they are in todays day and age. humans simply don't have that reaction speed. so now you give these players that have outstanding accuracy (not saying back in the day players didn't have accuracy, but to say our development programs and over the ages that players get better and better, is silly), sticks that help continue their success accuracy wise, and ones that promote wicked speed shots from close distances that require a slim to none throw because you can just flex it and throw it down range in a sling shot type of fashion. it just doesn't make sense to me to give players advantage over advantage, and want to promote giving them a better chance at the game, than goalies (whom I strictly believe already have the hardest job on the ice). if we want to start complaining about how big goalie pads are, we might as well start complaining and making a size requirement too, because goalies are just going to keep getting bigger and bigger, regardless of pad size...

Apparently to mlive Howard is slotted to play which is gonna piss me off. Mrazek played a solid game and deserves another go at er

then what, you want to complain about goalies getting a better advantage while the skaters get more of an advantage? listen, it evens itself out. the league wants to promote scoring, so i can see your argument with goalies having too big of equipment, but at the same time, why allow the skaters to have such an advantage, and seriously it is... with the sticks we have nowadays, i can rip a shot that was unbelievable in the early days, it's just that easy. wooden sticks to not have the same flex as composites.... composites can have flex that allows them to seriously bend within 50+% and release with uncanny amounts of velocity, unseen by earlier day shots that were just flexed within barely any amount. sticks nowadays are adopted to take in the flex, and excel with insane amounts of velocity, which is why we see players nowdays with sick releases, because they can exibit uncanny amount of speed, while bending a stick within a toedrag. If I can drag a puck along my toe, while expanding within the crease, tell me how fair it is for the goalie to have a chance when I target a corner with accuracy and release it with such speed? there is no human that can adopt to that. plain and simple. while I also agree that goalie pads have expanded to give them such an advantage, there should be something done to the players at the same time. it's unfair to allow the skaters to play with such an advantage through natural skill than giving a goalie some type of chance to giving them more of a chance to save these insane in-the-slot shots coming off of 90+ mph with ease. i'm sorry, but i just can't agree with this, even with me playing as a skater in my days. skaters have always had the advantage with the technology.

then what about players? equipment allows for better speed, velocity, more protection while sending more of a danger to others. while goalies may have expanded their gear, skaters have expanded theirs also. I just think it's wrong to say that goalies have gotten the advantage when skaters have gotten the same treatment. especially when within the slot area, with todays velocity. it's nearly humanly impossible to save some shots within close distances at the velocity composite sticks can deliver, especially at different flex variants.

let's not get it out of perspective. when the fans were complaining and using big rig as the whipping boy, it was understandable. to say, "well why were the fans complaining" is alittle uncalled for. it was understandable for when we were complaining. he didn't want to use his body, he had rookie mistakes, and it all added into the equation of his overall game. over the past season and this current one, he certainly has improved and it's been the overall judgement of this forum that he has improved. the whipping boy has moved from big rig, and you can see that. don't hold the past, towards the future. a player can always advance their game, it's whether they do so or not. luckily, big rig stepped up his game and took a bigger role, don't use it against the fans that saw his horrible play to begin with. nowadays you don't see the hate, because it's not called for.

he's got a point, but at the same time, players have composite sticks that have been unknown to earlier days. one piece composite sticks that are made of carbon fiber that result in high velocity shots. you want to give players advantage after advantage, giving them equipment to increase shot accuracy, and velocity but yet they want to complain about goaltenders? I just don't see the point. If skater equipment wants to evolve, well so should tendy equipment. it would equal out the playing fields, not just give the players an advantage without giving the tendies a chance to get back at it.

Apparently according to Eklund;

We talking about the same Justin Schultz? The one that during the lockout lead the AHL in scoring? The one that is playing 20+ minutes a minute for the Oilers and doing a damn good job at it? The one that has played 10 NHL games and has 6 points? That Justin Schultz?

Going to be a good game, St.Louis just coming off of a horrible game against Nashville (1-6) and Detroit coming off of two horrible losses to Columbus and Calgary. Blood is out there for the Blues as they had the game changed on them due to a horribly called match penalty on David Backes. Look for St.Louis to get their home game stand on the right track and be ready to show us what they're made us. On the other spectrum, Detroit has much to prove along with a rookie goaltender debuting in the NHL. Going to be a rough game, but hopefully we can make something of it. I got a hometown friend coming over that I haven't seen in awhile, so worst case scenario i'll be drinking away the pain with him, haha.

The beauty of it is the arguments when they bring up "elite" goalies that "steal" games for their teams, yet apparently Howard isn't capable of this. None of them except Quick so far has lead their team to the cup. So... elite goalies "steal" games and are capable of it, but Howard, isn't "elite" because he hasn't taken us to the cup; but yet only one of the "elite" tenders has done so. Can someone tell me what the hell the difference is?

Absolutely, but he still is young so we may see some antics out of him, I remember watching the World Juniors and everyone was getting on his case because of his "crease" dancing. What else do you want him to do? Everyone else on the team is over there hugging and telling each other good job while the tendy just chills in his zone celebrating by himself. Like you said, at least he shows emotion and heart

atleast one thing is for sure; the kid can celly hard

Unfortunately, it doesn't exactly seem that way currently; from: http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/2013/02/red_wings_give_jimmy_howard_a.html

Unfortunately, MacDonald is already due to be cleared and ready by the weekend, which would shove Mrazek back down in the minors. This may be his only real chance to give Jimmy a break before MacDonald is back.

To say that he didn't absolutely hold us in most games, and in general the series is uncanny. Did he steal the series? No, but it doesn't go that way when your offense can't score any goals. Last season, Howard kept us in the series with Nashville, the only reason why we lost? We couldn't get it past Rinne and their defense. Give Howard a defensive system, valid defensemen, and he sure as hell would be considered "elite." Unfortunately, we don't play a defensive system, so he hasn't had the luxury that others have had. I suppose Vancouver, Phoenix, Philly, Calgary, the Rangers, Nashville, Buffalo and Montreal have won numerous cups because apparently to you, those goalies can steal games. The only goalie you listed there, that took his team to a cup was Quick, inwhich he had a defensive system in front of him and numerous hard working grinders.

where'd you two train at?

Babcock said earlier that he was going to see how Howard felt and evaluate the situation. I'm sure he doesn't want to look like an ******* either way, but he'll look like an ******* either way if we don't win tonight on these forums. I can already see it now; "OH MY GOD IF WE PLAYED HOWARD WE WOULD'VE WON!", "OH MY GOD IF BABCOCK DIDN'T OUTPLAY HOWARD AND GAVE MRAZEK A CHANCE, WE WOULD'VE WON!!". You can never win here. Realistically, he made the right choice. Jimmy just looks overwhelmed, drained and frustrated, he needs atleast one game to just watch from the bench and know that someone IS there to take his spot if needed. Hopefully Mrazek doesn't fall on his face and get Jimmy thrown in there right away. I got faith in Mrazek, but unfortunately i'm not sure how much faith I have in him against St.Louis in his first NHL game. Luckily, he's been playing in the AHL and it isn't starting up a cold lawn mower like MacDonald.

Is he showing off his latest fashion line?

Outstanding, but nothing like getting thrown into the fire. Luckily, some personalities excel when given the chance like this. Hopefully Mrazek can live up to his hype, and his performance during the WC and in the AHL. I agree that our boys will be motivated to play in front of him, but St.Louis just came off of a 6-1 kicking from Nashville, they're just as hungry as we are. We better come out battling hard, they a.) want revenge for that match penalty that turned the course of the game, and b.) they just came off of a devastating lost at home to start their 4-5 game home stand. I was really hoping Mrazek started tonight, just because MacDonald is talking like he's ready to play come Saturday inwhich it would've been unlikely that we saw Mrazek then. Hopefully the kid can prove something tonight when given the stage for the very first time.