Red Wings Addict

Hawks might be interested in bringing back Ruutu to Chicago. How much better does that make them if they pull that off?

"HE HAS BEEN CHOSEN!"

Lidstrom opted out like how Zetterberg did last year. And Pav has to be within the first 4-5 picks. Plus with the way Pav's injury is going maybe he won't attend after all.

I despise crowds and I'd rather not have to navigate around Ann Arbor. Plus, the sight lines will probably suuuuuuck but nonetheless I would love to be at a packed Big House. I've already warned all my UM alumni family and friends that if they don't hook me up to that game then I get to shoot a standard NHL rubber puck at them. Maybe multiple pucks. Dead serious. I'm aware that I'm a joke compared to a mundane shooter like Filppula let alone Shea Weber but I still think I can make it hurt.

How is it that the away team has won the Winter Classic 4 out of 5 times? What, the Hockey Gods don't like the city that hosts such an event for a day?

Downey was up and down from GR to DET.

Damn... I was not expecting that at all as I read that. Props.

Yeah it was pretty stupid but I'd rather look at it as something that can really piss off the Wings in a good way.

http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/2012/01/red_wings_henrik_zetterberg_st.html

According to Khan's comments on that particular tweet, Babs was joking. Kind of like, "Yeah I know. I only got Nick Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk... But oh well, that's what I got to work with."

I'm sure his current players loved hearing that, haha. Actually, here's a little context: Winghead19 Carrie Hampton @ @AnsarKhanMLive Is Babs complaining? Seriously? 9 hours ago AnsarKhanMLive Ansar Khan @ @Winghead19 No. He was being somewhat facetious in response to a question about Wings having only five fighting majors. 9 hours ago

I know. His confidence took a huge step forward from the Chicago game for sure. Too bad he probably had to take a step back because the team in front of him was in Stage 1 sleep.

Good. The Wings should be ashamed and embarrassed.

Tough to blame Conklin when the whole team has no idea they're supposed to put in work too. At the very least.

Joke.

You should demand your money back.

What's really upsetting is that they knew going into this game that they had a tendency to take a team like the Islanders for granted and said they would try to safeguard against it. Well what the hell kind of attempt is this?

Such a ******* joke. They give the Islanders no respect at all. For a team filled with smart players they turn into bumbling morons with their game approach to "lesser" teams.

So much for that. Ridiculous.

This is why you can't really look at teams as bottom feeders.

Boylen: Valtteri Filppula steps up on offense for Red Wings “The next guy they have there who’s going to be like that is (Valtteri) Filppula. He’s getting there; he’s like a young Pav. I don’t think he has the same offensive flair, but he’s young and he’s learning from the right guy.” – NHL scout, 2009. Valtteri Filppula, now in his sixth full NHL season, has long been regarded as a mini Pavel Datsyuk in the making. Though the young Finn didn’t have the high-end offensive chops possessed by his Russian teammate in the past, the comparison held due to his responsible two-way play. But something has changed. Filppula, 27, is suddenly scoring and already only five points off his career-high mark of 40, set in 2008-09. So what does Datsyuk, always the joker, think about his young comrade finally excelling in the scoring department? “I tell him be quiet, I need the glory. Be quiet.” Filppula’s ascension as a scorer is the best development the aging Wings could have hoped for this season. For years Detroit has been able to remain a consistent powerhouse because of its ability to regenerate with its young players and to have new stars rise to the fore as the older ones are phased out. The Wings are once again close to a point where rejuvenation is needed and the question has been asked multiple times: Who is capable of stepping into the shoes of Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg? To be sure, the Wings have a collection of intriguing talents. Darren Helm and Justin Abdelkader have been depth-line staples for a couple of seasons now, while 23-year-old Cory Emmerton is off to a good start. But while those players have clearly been brought up in a Red Wings system that is all about two-way, responsible team play, they are lacking in the scoring department. The offense has to come from somewhere and Filppula is looking like a good bet. “He has more confidence and he plays well,” Datsyuk said. “Every season he plays well, but sometimes he doesn’t score and without points people don’t realize how good he is. Now he has goals, points, more confidence and everybody can see him.” Of course, as always, Detroit has more talent waiting in the wings. Gustav Nyquist (drafted 121st overall in ’08) and Tomas Tatar (60th in ’09) are 1-2 in scoring for the American League’s Grand Rapids Griffins, while Riley Sheahan (21st in ’10) is still with Notre Dame and Calle Jarnkrok (51st in ’10) is taking a familiar route developing in Sweden. But with the organization still loaded on the pro roster, and its past penchant to bring along players gradually, who knows when these players will be “Wings-ready” and put in a position to be major contributors on the club. Playing on a line with Zetterberg and Jiri Hudler, Filppula has been the leading point-getter among the trio (14 goals, 35 points) – and with 14 points in his past 15 games, he’s still trending up. Whether or not he turns into the second coming of Datsyuk is another story. Surely it’s not fair to hold a player up against a generational talent, but Filppula’s potential to be a leader is there. For a Red Wings team that’s getting closer and closer to needing a new face to step up, Filppula’s season so far is everything they could have hoped for. In the meantime, Datsyuk’s influence on Filppula can only be a good thing for the Wings. The two are friends off the ice and Filppula helped out at Datsyuk’s kids camp in Russia in the summer of 2010. Even though Filppula didn’t make it out to the camp last summer, No. 13 says the invitation is still open. Though he gives him a hard time about being absent from the last one. “I still give it to him every day,” Datsyuk said. “I say, ‘Tickets and room I already pay for this. Give me back.’ ” His newfound production is surely payback enough. http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/44061-Boylen-Valtteri-Filppula-steps-up-on-offense-for-Red-Wings.html

I know. What made you think I didn't know that?

Does Abdelkader have a little bit of a Umberger-itis?

Those games aren't money in the bank by far but at least they're not as dangerous on paper as teams like Chicago or Boston. Like I hate how games always seem to be close between the Wings and Blue Jackets. I don't know why or how but whoever has seen that games decided by one goal statistic between the two know what I'm talking about. The Wings have had some no so great games against those other teams too.

Well yeah but they have franchise talent up the wazoo.