kipwinger

We are third in opportunities, and we don't suck on the PP. You need to get up to speed, we've been really good on the PP for about 10 games now.

Aren't we third in the league in power play opportunities? Why are you complaining?

That was one hell of a pass by XO. Atta boy kid.

Goals by Weiss and Mantha so far for the Griffs tonight.

Reread my post. I was talking about the playoffs. When none of those guys you mentioned ever fought. That was the whole point. People don't fight in the playoffs and it's still an intense, physical, game.

That's true, but it takes a lifetime of being a miserable prick to leave a phone message like that. This dude was not an "entitlement generationer". He was a middle aged dude that ought to know better than to behave like a bawl baby. Reminds me of this guy. Who coincidentally is also Canadian lol.

Before I make the following statement here's my disclaimer: I am not saying Dan Cleary contributed to scoring. I am saying that it seems like Cleary's presence allows Babs the flexibility to put guys together who CAN score. Cleary has played five games. The Wings won 3 and lost 2. BUT in those five games they scored 3,4,3,5 and 4 goals. This coming from a team who couldn't score more than two for the first 10 or so games. Maybe something else is causing it. Maybe it's better line combos. Maybe it's a statistical anomaly. I don't know. But we're scoring goals right now with him in the lineup. I wouldn't change anything until the opposite is true.

Hahahahahaha. How do you become that miserable of a f***? Seriously. Absolutely nothing on earth could make me throw a s*** fit tantrum like that. Nothing. Let alone a weather report. Sad thing is, I've actually met people who are on the way to this. "Morning Bill"...."What's so good about it?"..."Alright, then go f*** yourself Bill".

How do teams respond to dirty hits in the playoffs? They don't. And nothing bad happens as a result. The Wings have made the playoffs for 23 straight years. We never fight in the regular season, let alone playoffs. Surely somewhere in those 23 playoff appearances a few of our guys got hit questionably. At which point we didn't respond. And nothing else happened. Nobody's career was ended. Our team didn't fail to have success. None of our guy opted to hit someone with a stick instead of a fist. Nothing happened at all. Well, except we did a ton of winning.

We already have a model for what intense, physical, fast, aggressive, win at all costs hockey looks like. It's called the playoffs. And they rarely fight.

Snow rules dude. I miss it so bad. Everybody in Michigan ******* about the snow, but I honestly dont' know what they'd do without it. Snow makes Northerners tough. You've got to be tough when the world is dead for half a year. And we thrive on that. You'd go absolutely crazy if you had to listen to these Southerners whine about a 50 degree night in dixie. All of the best things happen when it's cold. Hockey, hunting season, dark beer, flannel, snowmobiles, ice fishing, and heavy set girls. What's to like about warmer climates? Flip flops and Jimmy Buffet? Ewww. No thanks.

It's already happening. The salary cap and the influx of European players was the death knell of fighting in hockey. It's just taking a while for it to work its way out. More than fines, suspensions, etc., the thing most necessary to get rid of fighting in hockey was a change in the "fighting culture". By which I mean, a change in attitude away from fighting from the people that are in a position to do something about it. The salary cap and Euros already have accomplished that. More and more first rate players aren't fighting because they're European, and beyond that, they can't be goaded into fighting either. Add to that the fact that because there's a salary cap each dollar and roster spot is more valuable than ever so GM's and coaches aren't willing to give a spot (or a paycheck) to a fighter who has fewer opportunities to fight, and generally a smaller skill set. If you're like me, and you want fighting gone, just wait a while. It's an inevitability. Nothing else needs to be done to make it happen.

There's got to be something to it. When I went to Central I thought that my buddies and I could drink, and we really could drink...a lot. But then I visited some friends at Michigan Tech. Jesus Christ. It's really hard to explain the kind of drinking they do. It's like nothing I've ever seen. Natty Ice might as well be water up there. So I strongly believe that the colder it is, and the more isolated it is, the harder people drink. Which is why everbody in DC drinks for s***.

I got my master's degree at Georgetown, which is why I live in DC now. But to be honest, I probably had waaaaaaaaay more fun in Mt. Pleasant. Nobody drinks like they drink in cold weather climates.

Like he and everybody else did in last year's playoffs? Why single him out for that miserable excuse for a series? He'd disappeared much worse in years previous.

Look man, I agree with you. I hate fighting in the game. I think it's a side show. I do not find it redeemable in any way. I view it EXACTLY like the penalty it is, and nothing more. Nevertheless, I don't think Smith was acting any more irresponsibly than he would have been if he'd been called for any other stupid penalty. And I don't think that anybody would really be too awful upset if he's taken a slashing or crosschecking penalty there. The game was out of reach, so it didn't cost us much. Had he not been injured in such freak way, I don't think anybody would even have remember it happened. I offer this up to you...I've typically got very little good to say about Brendan Smith. Everyone knows this. When he's not scoring I think he's bad, and when he is scoring I think he's slightly above average. So if I could criticize him I would, or at least I wouldn't defend him unnecessarily. But he really didn't do anything worse than take a stupid penalty, far after it mattered to the game, because another (equally stupid player) hit him borderline dirty in game that was out of reach.

Just watched the highlights from the game... 1. Chris Osgood is the absolute worst commentator. He's obsessed with "big bodies" and called Byfuglien, Bu-fug-len. Bring back Murph! 2. Justin Abdelkader is having an awesome season. He directly contributed to three goals last night by being strong, tough, and hard working. 3. Jacob Trouba is awesome.

Haha, I got the least important of my degrees at Central yes, but I have no special affinity for the school or its sports teams. As a matter of fact, I don't have half a f*** to give about college rivalries in general. But I do think it's funny when others get riled up about it. Thanks for the reminder though, I really should change my location in my profile.

I wasn't able to catch the game last night. How did Ouellet look? Also, Tatar twice huh? Is that 8 goals for him? Anybody who still wants to trade this guy is nuts.

Per usual on LGW, both "sides" of this debate are correct at the same time. Smith wasn't being negligent, or selfish. But he also didn't do his team any favors either. This would be a footnote in an otherwise dominant game if not for Nick Foligno's dirty monkey germs. Without this weird infection setting in, NOBODY would care that Smith fought or that he was put back on the ice afterward. It would have been like every other thing that happens when you're beating someone 4-0...meaningless.

Haha. This is very close to being my favorite post of all time. Absolutely hilarious. T.Low once posted something totally awesome about his wife being superior to Elisha Cuthbert, and that still takes the cake. But this is soundly in the 2 spot.

Exactly twenty minutes ago I said the EXACT same words about Rihanna. And now I'm reading this...and I'm conflicted. Who is the real national treasure I ask myself? If Nicolas Cage lays a single greasy hand on Piper I'll tear him down.

3rd in the league in powerplays? I thought the refs had it out for us?

Close. Keep trying. I'll buy a whole round of kudos for anyone that can place it.

Let me ask you a question, Brett. Let's just say you have these millions... and you want someone to teach you how to manage the money. So, you hire someone to teach you, someone you think you can trust. References, work experience — it all checks out fine. But then how do you really know for certain... that your millions are safe with this stranger? I mean, can you ever really trust another human being, Brett? No. The answer is, you cannot.