Red Wings Addict

It's a good idea for the most part. Miller is just very inexperienced in faceoffs though and those are huge when it comes to the playoffs. But in regards to all the other duties for a centerman I think he can do a solid job. I wouldn't expect any shred of offense from him though in that role.

They would have to move Franzen or Filppula (probably Franzen) to 3rd line center. The idea deserves a little consideration at least. Though if Emmerton isn't doing a good job then Babs won't play him that much.

In all seriousness, I would not be the least bit surprised if that player and its organization got no consideration from the NHL when it comes to anything. Season schedule (somehow they get the most back to backs in the league), not one favorable whistle, or somehow their ticket sales gradually go down and down. And that's probably just the tip of the iceberg.

How about "(Something) Bett-man (clap)(clap)(clap-clap-clap)"? I mean sure you could chant "Fire Bettman" but that's not enough for me personally. Castrate? Torture? Or "Bett-man ******-bag"? Could just go with the classics: Red-Wings, Bumaye! Red-Wings, Bumaye! Red-Wings, Bumaye!

People really shouldn't expect class on any internet message boards. It would be nice but really it's probably a supreme luxury than a necessity. I mean, come on, you get to say whatever you want and not to someone's face. How do people NOT indulge in that? Not saying it's right, of course, but it's at least somewhat understandable.

I just realized that Tortorella got fined $20,000 for saying controversial things. And then Weber gets fined $2,500 for targeting someone's head. I'm sure in some other universe that's fair. Still not surprising though.

Of course in my heart I wanted Weber to get suspended but honestly I didn't even think Weber would have gotten a fine. I actually am surprised that he got punished at all.

Helm's just had a bad luck kind of year. I look forward to him bouncing back hard next year. They've got to move Filppula or Franzen to third line center. Nyquist-Datsyuk-Bertuzzi Filppula-Zetterberg-Hudler Miller-Franzen-Cleary Holmstrom-Abdelkader-Conner

So any chance that Zetterberg will miss any games? My internet was down and I couldn't watch the game. We really shouldn't be surprised if Weber doesn't get a suspension. It's just the way it is.

Yeah. Of course Cleary will say he's ready to go. He's just being selfish and he's not looking out for the team's best interests right NBC?

One of the worst moments of the OP's life?

I agree. At the same time, top end talent is much more difficult to acquire because it commands large contracts with huge long-term implications, the biggest of which is a pretty high cap hit. The dmen corps needs top end talent for sure with Lidstrom's retirement looming. In regards to the forwards corps, it seems like the Wings have a lot of faith in Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Franzen and Filppula so that they'll be Red Wings for a while. And really, that forward corps is pretty good. Of course it can be better just like anything else and if you can make it better in the long-term under all these cap restrictions than you should. Top end talent can definitely provide a huge jolt into the Wings team and if you have an opportunity to acquire a Parise or Suter then you jump at the chance. At the same time I'm not really sure if the Wings have a 'major' issue. They're a good team that can be that much better if they make significant improvements to the quality of the team's depth. I think if the bottom six had more speed then it could really do some clutch damage that can take the pressure of the top six. For one, they could definitely get to pucks faster and increase the team's puck possession time. If the Wings acquire top end talent, then of course they'll be a better team and fans will be excited. In this cap world, however, I would also be excited if the Wings made cap-friendly improvements elsewhere because those can be pretty significant. If Nyquist continues to defy major bumps in his development, he will add youth, talent and a cheap contract for next few years.

You should have at least good speed and/or size and good speed. Ideally. Unfortunately Cleary has been way too injured to perform with good speed and play bigger than his size. That's the way I'm used to seeing him at least. When he's 90-100% healthy he's a great player to have on the bottom six. I just can't remember the last time he was at that level. Maybe last year when he was the hottest player on the team in the goal scoring department with the line of Cleary-Modano-Bertuzzi. Holmstrom doesn't have either of those attributes these days. The only thing he has going for him is his competitiveness and willingness to really bang his body around. He just can't get there fast enough to do it. I'd really like to see how Mursak performs in a bottom six role. He doesn't have size but he is really fast and has good skill to make things happen. Ideally I would want a line of Abdelkader-Helm-Mursak but then you need a legitimate center for the 4th line. The prospects who are next in line for that role are Emmerton and Andersson. Emmerton really isn't anything too adequate even in regards 4th line standards and Andersson simply isn't ready. I wish the Wings would acquire one this off-season but that means they would have to forgo the loyalty that makes players love the organization and muster up the willingness to drop some players like Holmstrom, Emmerton and probably even one of Miller/Eaves. The likelihood of that to happen seems very low.

Don't really need much of an effort to stop the latter one in a playoff style.

I hope Backes punks Thornton out big time. f*** Joe Thornton.

It's like DraperFan with Bertuzzi.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZr0_ic1304

I hope those in attendance at Nashville get to see Carrie Underwood as she witnesses her husband lose the match up to Datsyuk/Zetterberg.

The only thing I'm rooting for is for both of these teams to beat on each other and wear down on each other so much that the winner has next to no chance at a significant cup run. Hope this series reaches 7 games that each go to triple or quadruple overtime and that we hear a lot about "upper body injury" or "lower body injury," etc. Pens and Flyers... f*** y'all both.

The Wings always give their veterans an opportunity, for better or for worse. It's not the perfect comparison but they let Hasek play those games out until he was hopefully convinced himself that he wasn't helping the team. Uwe Krupp f***ed up in the two losses against Vancouver in 2002 and then they benched him. I don't know if I would follow that protocol myself but it's just the way they do business. Hopefully he can contribute. Looks like he's going to play Game 1 no matter what. If he can't be effective then hopefully the Wings rest him.

Niiiiiiice, bro.

Well to be fair, I'm sure a lot women play hockey without the need for that level/kind of drama.

Hmm... Interesting theory.

Crosby said he's not sure what provoked Milbury's tirade. The 24-year-old former MVP has been limited to 19 games over the last 15 months due to concussions. "I don't know what he's looking for, if he's looking for attention. I don't know what it is," Crosby said Tuesday before the Penguins' game in Boston. "I really don't know where that came from. He's pretty good at twisting things around, that's for sure." http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/story/2012/04/02/sp-nhl-mike-milbury-sidney-crosby-penguins-flyers.html