SidAbelsSon

Having watched the Wings since about 1955, even during the dead years, I consider myself to be a fan. But I am first of all a fan of Hockey. That being said, My favorite team is the Red Wings. If the wings aren't playing, I will still be watching a game and rooting for one of the teams. If that means I'm not a "true" fan, so be it!

What's your guess for number of games?

Start making the calls for diving a double minor. That way the penalties do not offset if a player is stupid enough to dive. Just gotta get the Refs to call them though.

Another thing that bothers me about this is the appearance that nothing would have been called if it weren't for a commercial timeout. It gave the refs a chance to find something. What a crock.

After watching hockey evolve for over 50 years, I'm disgusted with where the game is going. The league is becoming a joke. Intentionally grabbing a players head and smashing it into the glass, no problem. Open ice hits= suspension. I'm sick of the inconsistency.

I started rooting for the Wings because they were the team that won the Stanley Cup the first year I started watching hockey. If that makes me a bandwaggoner, so be it. Oh yeah the Cup I saw them win was in 1955 so I guess that makes me a Connestoga waggoner. No matter how bad the posters of today think they are, they are by FAR better than the dead wings era.

I look at it differently. I do not see it a a drastic decline in the Wings, but rather, an improvement in the competition. The salary cap era was created to gain parity in the league, and I think it has done so. For a lot of those years prior, the Wings had an open checkbook and could dominate the league in paying for talent, and it showed. Unfortunately, it has caused a lot of spoiled fans that are now longing for the return of those days. Well, people, those days are over.

Problem with this team, and it's fanbase, IMO, is too much success. We've come to expect it. If we stumble a bit, we fans are looking to immediately dump the vets and bring in the young fresh blood. If we had that happen and they make their rookie mistakes that put the team in the same position win/loss wise, then we'd be calling for trades to get vets for "leadership". Kind of a good position to be in, either way.

Good Stuff!!

IMO, hits are a part of the game, that historically were punished if the hit were dirty. Nowadays, it seems that all hit's cause an altercation to be at least threatened. Two reasons as I see it. One is to take away from the flow (momentum) of the game a hit may cause, the other is the player that was hit feels a need to save face. Save embarassment... I tire of the attempt to fight after EVERY hit.

Kronwall has learned over time. Early on he left his feet before contact, now it's after contact is made on the follow through. If he kept his feet on the ice, he would generate even more leverage making his hits even worse. However, I think he does it to lessen the impact. Not on the guy he's hitting, but rather on himself. Notice he made the year this year without injury? I believe this is the first year. Perhaps his elevating after contact has something to do with it.

My complaint on officiating is the APPLICATION of the rules. For instance, if one player slashes another and no call is made, the player that was slashed gives a return slash, the call is made because of the retaliation. Why is the exact same act not enforced equally? Also, when you are a fan of a team, your focus on the game is on watching your team more than the other. That is why you see more possible calls missed on your team than the other. Game the other night. I guarantee not one Nashville fan complained about Legwand covering (picking up) the puck in the crease while every Wing fan thought there should have been a call.

Bettman deemed the punishment appropriate, saying the situation was “blown completely out of context.” Sorry Gary, the situation wasn't the only thing Blown...