kipwinger

I think the term "doorknob" used above is about right. I've always got the impression that Smith was the epitome of a dumb jock. Lots of talent, nothing between the ears. We've been lucky over the decades that our team has been full of pretty articulate, ambassadors of the game. So we tend to forget that a lot of athletes are dumb as s***. Brandon Inge was dumb but athletic. Matthew Stafford is dumb but athletic. And sadly, I think Brandon Smythe is dumb but athletic.

I agree with half your point. Boudreau did use Maroon and Pely-Smith on the PP more in the playoffs than he did during the regular season. My guess is that he was trying to match power with power against Los Angeles, and so he decided to ice a bigger group. You can argue the validity of that coaching decision all day, and I'm sure you'd have very legitimate points. After all, Anaheim lost, so it's not like the ends justified the means or anything. As we know, it didn't work. But because it was ineffective doesn't mean it was illogical. Maroon did out produce Selanne during the regular season. And that was with less even strength AND PP time. So it's not like Boudreau was basing the decision (wrong as it may have been in the end) on nothing. He was basing off of current levels of production.

You are correct sir.

Understood, but no coach is going to give you playoff icetime without considering regular season production. Like any other intelligent coach, Boudreau's going to look at how you've performed all year long and allot your playing time based on that. Giving Selanne icetime based on what he used to do, is a lot like giving Dan Cleary 53 games based on the past. Selanne had done very little (or less than others), with more opportunity, last season. If he wanted more playing time in the playoffs he should have produced more during the season. He was benched BECAUSE of ineffective play, which is the way it's supposed to go. He seems to be arguing that he should have been given ice time DESPITE ineffective play. I would understand if he was producing well and got his icetime cut. But he wasn't. So I don't know why he's bitching.

They said he was going to get a look on the powerplay, and we had about a million powerplays yesterday, so it doesn't really surprise me his totals are that high. But I wouldn't expect that to continue. That's getting close to Kronwall levels of ice time. And even with pp time I don't think Smith will see #1 d-man minutes. It's an anomaly skewed by the number of powerplays we had. I'd imagine he'll be somewhere around 19-21 minutes a game most nights.

I think that Quincey and Dekeyser will be the second pair. Just like last year. Kronwall-Ericsson Quincey-Dekeyser Smith-??? I don't necessarily agree, but I think that's what will happen. Babs likes Quincey a heck of a lot more than LGW does. Look at how he used him all year last season. There's a reason why he played all 82 games while guys like Smith, Kindl, and Lashoff where scratched at times. In Babs' mind, Quincey is a top four defenseman.

That's true, and I don't want to downplay it. But it also should be pointed out that Kindl and Dekeyser (or Lashoff and Dekeyser) is nothing close to a top pair. And yet were forced to play as one against one of the better top six teams in the league. And we still only lost 2-1 in OT. So while we should definitely not make excuses for anyone. We should put it into context. Kindl was bad. But not so bad that it kept us out of the game. Hell, if Pulkkinen does what he's supposed to and buries that open netter we win the game in regulation. So there's that.

Selanne was fourth among forwards in powerplay ice time per game, behind Getzlaf, Perry, and Bonino (all of whom massive outproduced him). He did get used. He didn't produce. Should they have given him more time? And if so, at who's expense?

Can we please just stop trying to make playmakers into scoring wingers? For every one success, there are about a million failures. If we've got so many centers, and not enough wingers, that we need to use them interchangeably then why don't we trade some of them? Heaven forbid we actually slot guys based on a skill set they currently have, rather than one we'd like them to develop after 5-10 years in the league.

Lol. Did either of them even throw a punch? I think you're jumping the gun a little bit. Those pairs last night will never play in real games together. Kindl with Dekeyser, only to be replaced with Lashoff and Dekeyser? You've got about a 0% chance of seeing those pairings outside of the preseason unless there are MASSIVE injuries again.

I would like to reiterate that Weiss is playing with Abby and Kevin Porter. So even if he has no points and is a minus 4. It's still not really indicative of anything.

Best way to ensure that Weiss gets his confidence going and starts making plays? Make sure he plays with quality wingers. Check.

Hmmm, good question. You take a stab at answering it and then I'll do the same lol.

Cool. Thanks for the recap. Sounds about like your typical preseason game. Still a lot of rust to shake off.

Say what you want about how bad the Pens announcers are, blah, blah, blah. They called the Marchenko penalty as it was...a fantom call. Can we please not start the "everybody in the league has it out for the Red Wings" crap so early in the season?

So I just caught the end of the second. How are things looking?

I wanted to put this in its own thread but decided to post here instead. I just wanted to comment on how awesome it is that the organization has fully embraced social media, and particularly the "all-access" philosophy they seem to have developed. Between the Red Wings and Griffins Youtube channels I've watched behind the scenes videos of last year's playoffs, development camp, the prospect tournament, and now main camp, along with individual profiles of many of the up and coming guys as well as Wings regulars. In each case the footage was more insightful and better made than the hyper-dramatic, scripted, crap that we were fed on 24/7 last year. No B.S., all hockey. Exactly what I want. Kudos to the organization for giving fans an absolutely massive amount of media to help get them through the long offseason.

Agreed. Marchenko is a righty, but he's not going to be expected to score so the side he shoots from matters a little less. And while he and Quellet are probably better all around (right now) than Sproul, they got to compete with each other plus Quincey, Dekeyser, Ericsson, and Lashoff for a spot. Sproul just has to be better than Kindl, or Smith, and he's got all the best attributes of both. He's as big as Kindl, as fast as Smith, a better shot than both and his only noticeably shortcoming is one that the two of them share as well. Plus, as you mentioned...he's a righty. Edit: Lol. Just saw this. Check out Fischer at 2:09..."We bring him to development camp...he puts on some weight...he is a man now".

The three guys I'm looking at tonight are Sproul, Frk, and Athanasiou. If Sproul can score some points he's got a wide open path onto the big club. While not the best all around defenseman out of the young guys, he's got the least competition because of his skill set. With Frk I'm just interested in seeing where his confidence level is after a poor showing last year. And I'm dying to see whether Athanasiou is really "Helm with Hands". Which is actually a misnomer since he'd be "Helm with Hands Plus Three Inches and 15 pounds".

And Mike Keenan won a KHL Championship. So what? Stanley Cups are harder to win that Olympic Golds, World Championships, KHL titles, AHL titles, or Nintendo Blades of Steel tournaments. And by that measure Babcock's ring fingers are a little light. Boudreau's not a great coach. He's decent. But if people are going to use his lack of success in the playoffs to denigrate him, then they're saying the playoffs matter more than regular season success. And if that's true then Babcock isn't the best coach in the NHL. He'd be tied with about ten other guys for third best. So pick your poison.

I like G.I. Joe as a nickname. I really do. But I think we can all agree that Joe "The Cricket" Hicketts is more apropos.

This.

For the second time, I realize that. Which is precisely why I'd need for him to prove it, this year, in training camp. Because it hasn't ever been true before. Even in the past, when the rule was "tie goes to the veteran", the ostensible rule was that in situations NOT TIED, the best player would play. But that wasn't the case either. So for all of posterity, I get it. Babs says the best player will play. Prove it.

I think we all agree that's what he's saying. Our point is that "actions speak louder than words". I'll believe it when I see it. Additionally, it's a little bit of double speak by Babs anyway. In years past he's said "tie goes to the veteran". But there was no tie when they kept Nyquist down a year ago. He was legitimately BETTER than any number of forwards on our team. Likewise Jurco is currently BETTER than any number of forwards. So even if Babs hadn't "changed philosophy", those guys should still have been (or be) in the lineup because they're not tied with guys...they're already better.

Which will only lead to more media speculation, since nothing was finalized. Which was my point.