kipwinger

Yeah I understand that, I guess I'm not explaining my line of thought clearly. It sounds like this lady had a one time, very heavy, trauma to the head, and as a result of the injury abruptly died in her sleep a year later. Conversely, with hockey players (or boxers) it is the accumulation of years and years of less serious trauma that causes the degenerative conditions I spoke of before. You don't hear of hockey players dying in their sleep, they die of substance abuse, or suicide, because they're battling serious psychological impairments which are no doubt caused by the repeated hits to the head over the course of their careers. I'm not trying to suggest that they aren't both the result of head trauma, but simply that the severity of the hit was noticeably different in each case. But again, I'm not a doctor so maybe this lady died as a result of complications similar to those of recently deceased hockey players (and nobody is saying it). Also, maybe hockey players would abruptly die in their sleep too if they were getting hit with the same impact that a racecar driver hits a wall. Certainly, Scott Stevens tried.

Wait, are we using Cleary's clutch playoff performances against him now? Do the playoffs not count? Also I fail to see your point about ice time. Everybody is supposed to produce more with more ice time, if Cleary didn't then I'd say he's not worth his money. Given more ice time, he produces more. That's what he's supposed to do. I'm not going to sit here and pretend that Cleary is as skilled as Nyquist, he's not. But he produces consistently, and when paired with quality linemates he produces pretty well. He's definitely worth his money. However, I do have a problem with those that think Nyquist is somehow entitled to a top six spot based on his skill alone. He has by no means shown (so far) that he's capable of producing even at Hudler or Filppula levels given third line minutes, and yet many are clamoring for him to get promoted to the top six.

I'm just about as much against fighting in hockey as anybody on this forum, but that said I'm not sure that the slow accumulation of head trauma has the same effect as the type of brain trauma suffered in an auto accident. From what I understand it's more of a degenerative effect in the case of hockey, leading to depression, mood swings, substance abuse, etc. I don't think hockey players are likely to die in their sleep after a hard hit or particularly gruesome fight. Then again, I'm no doctor so I could be totally off base here.

You're right, and he produces way more than Nyquist for slightly more money, so I don't see what you're getting at?

Ugh, the sad news is that Babs will almost certainly change the lines...but in some silly way that is arguably worse than what we've got now. Can't wait to see Sammy/Bert/Cleary in the top six. It's coming boys and girls, mark my words.

Haha, you'd rather have Clarkson than Weiss eh? Let me know when Clarkson finally plays a game this season.

We should be eating this schedule up. It's only going to get harder.

yeesh! That one hurt.

You mean like two time all star Keith Yandle? The man who I've been pining for for two years, and who most LGWers say "isn't very good defensively", yet who (when compared to our d-core) looks like a superstar? Yeah I don't know where we'd find a guy like that.

Didn't they hit the bar once or twice as well?

It's a good thing we're playing all these non playoff teams. I shudder to think about what would happen if we played like this against good teams...oh wait...I guess I did watch the Boston game.

Smith had to take the guy behind the net who started the play, Quincy was responsible for covering the guy crashing the net. Boedker was a forward trailing, and our forwards are responsible for picking him up. Particularly Alfie, who was the closest forward to the eventual goal scorer. Quincy and Smith suck, but that goal wasn't on them.

According to the rumor sites, Vrbata will likely be on the trading block if Phoenix isn't a contender at the deadline. Yes, please!

For once I'm going to defend Smith and Quincey, that was Alfie's guy.

Nice play by my boy Kindl there. Whoot! Ericsson get's one while I'm typing.

Well according to the Free Press Babcock thinks the Wings need to play "heavier"...whatever that means. So we can expect to have Tootoo in the lineup, since he's an actual fourth liner and "heavy" is the name of his game right? Oh wait... Heavy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I completely agree with you. Like I said, maybe a fine, but definitely not a suspension. But you're right, it is unnecessary to explode upward on a hit like that. Here's hoping Kronwall keeps hitting with his butt, because if this gets three games, Kronwall would get life.

Just watched Shanny's video explanation of the hit. The suspension happened because Stuart extended "upward and outward" on the hit, rather than hitting Nash squarely through the shoulder or body. Don't know that I agree it's suspension worthy, but figured I'd pass the info along in any case.

I wouldn't say outraged, but it's most definitely a bad call. A fine, at most, and only because he came a pretty long way to deliver a hit which was, at worst, borderline.

Dude, you said "take a run at them" and "knock them out of the lineup". You didn't say, "compete harder". You were clearly implying that they should injure the vets. No matter what you're saying now, that's what you said before. We all realize it, and now you're dodging it...poorly. You aren't nearly as clever as you think. Just own up to the absurd s*** you said and move on.

So you meant that the young guys should out compete the veterans, but you said "take a run at them" and "knock them out of the lineup for a bit"? Not buying it. Seems duplicitous to me. I'm not stupid and neither are you, if you had meant that they should outperform veterans, you would have said so.

How is that hit to Nash's head any worse than this hit Nash put on Kopecky and didn't get a suspension?

Ok, so what did you mean when you said young guys should "take a run" at veterans and "knock them out of the lineup for a bit"? Just curious, since I've obviously got it wrong and god knows you couldn't possibly have meant to say something so dumb.

But you'd agree that based on the numbers, Frank's assertion that "the Joe isn't as packed as it used to be" is probably not accurate, or even remotely true? Which was the whole point I was making to begin with. Edit: I'd also like to make sure you and I both understanding that yielding this point does not mean that somehow one or the other of us is right about the place of fighting in hockey, but simply that one of us is right when discussing the overall popularity of the NHL, and the Red Wings in general. Conceding that point simply means you see the evidence and believe it, not that you've somehow changed your tune with regard to fighting.

Ok, I'll read that when I've got a minute. But just for the record, based on the links I've provided do we at least now agree that more people attended Wings games (on average) last year than in 97-98 when they had their tough guy enforcers?