krsmith17

Or we can say f*** the untalented net front player, and go with a talented player in the high slot... Nah, that would never work... NEED MORE GRIT!

How are Green, Kronwall and Frk lumped into the same type of player? How does 3 + 1 = 5? Having more skill on any line is never stupid. We need more grit though right?... Abdelkader is our only hope to retrieve pucks... No one else can outmuscle players... Mantha shouldn't be used as a net front either. His best asset is his shot. Let him use it. Not to mention the close call a couple games ago when he was inches away from serious injury after taking a Frk shot to the mid section. There's nothing wrong with the system. 15% is pretty good. Don't change anything...

You really believe Abdelkader is better (suited for the power-play) offensively than Nielsen or Daley? I don't. The problem with the power-play isn't Abdelkader. The problem with the power-play is that we try to run it through (Abdelkader) the net front presence. Of course he scores some goals on the power-play with the system we run. But that doesn't mean that's the system we should run, or even that he should be on it. I'm not bashing Abdelkader. Hell, I've even advocated having Abby move up the lineup with Zetterberg and Nyquist. I just think Abby is better suited on the penalty-kill than he is on the power-play. Ideally for me, Abdelkader would play 14-16 minutes at even strength and 1-2 minutes on the penalty kill.

Lines stayed in tact tonight. Great to see. The Athanasiou - Larkin - Mantha line looks great. I'd still like to see the other three lines shuffled a bit to spread out the offense though. The Abdelkader - Nielsen - Helm line looks terrible. Move Abdelkader up with Zetterberg and Nyquist. Put Tatar and Frk on Nielsen's wings to form three offensive lines. Wilson - Helm - Glendening would be a great shutdown line. Ericsson has looked great with Daley. One of our better defenders these past few games in my opinion. I'm liking all the pairing right now. Howard let in a couple he might like to have back tonight, but he's been great as well.

What a call pregame by Eliot...

The future looks bright with that line.

That was sexy.

I quoted you because you said the PP system is not going to change. You're likely right that it won't, but I think it should. I didn't say anything about Abdelkader.

My point was that we should try something else. I thought that was spelled out clearly... I don't care if Abdelkader is on one of the units. In my opinion, the system is more of an issue than the personnel on each unit. Although, Abdelkader probably wouldn't be on either of my units, because I'd prefer to use him on the penalty kill. To answer your question (although not directed at me) I'd go with something like... Zetterberg - Nyquist - Mantha Green - Nielsen Athanasiou - Larkin - Tatar Frk - Daley Nyquist (or Mantha) and Larkin (or Athanasiou) playing high slot (not net front).

Not sure if serious?... Do you think all power-play setups have a net front player? Or do you think the only successful power-play setup is to have a net front player? Neither is true. We don't need to use the net front presence. I'd much prefer to use a wide spread (2 men on the point, 2 men down low, and 1 in the slot). The high slot is just as, if not more effective than the net front in my opinion. Regardless, the system we use is not the only system there is to use. It hasn't been working, so why not change it up? Because it worked so well in the past? We don't have a Lidstrom or Holmstrom anymore.

That's the problem. Like Dickie said, it's not working. Change it. Of course we won't though. Because Blashill... err Red Wings...

http://frozenpool.dobbersports.com/frozenpool_linecombo.php?period=ALL&situation=EV&chkTeamFwd=checkbox&selTeamFwd=DET&games=2017-2018%3AR%3A1&Submit=Show+Line+Combinations&sent=go Those lines were together for 58.9% of even strength time on ice. Individual players range, but like I said, most are anywhere between 50-60%. Some much less, some much more. Athanasiou and Mantha both spent close to 80% of their time together along with Larkin. A team that is not line shuffling, usually spends at least 80% of the time with the same two line mates. So, good to see he's not messing with the kid line too much... yet. I think Blashill is headed in the right direction in limiting line shuffling, but I'd like to see him stop the shuffling altogether. I'd also like slightly different lines, but whatever...

When players only spend 50-60% (much less for some) of even strength time on ice with the same players, I'd say the line blender was going. No he wasn't juggling the same as he usually does, but for someone that said less than 24 hours prior that he's "done playing with lines", I think it was a bit excessive.

I was impressed by Rasmussen in training camp / preseason, but I'd still like to see a lot more out of him in junior. He should be dummying that league right now. He's not at all. I've become a huge Cholowski fan, but I'd like to see more out of him down there as well. We've been had / have defensemen that put up great numbers in juniors. Sproul was unreal in juniors 5 years ago at the same age, and Hronek put up similar numbers last year, a year younger. If all goes well, Cholowski should be in Grand Rapids next year, and Detroit the year after. Really hoping this kid develops into a top pair defenseman. We sure could use it... Also hoping Rasmussen develops into a number one center, but unfortunately, I don't see that happening...

Meh, I don't really have much interest in Shipachyov. I'd do some sort of trade involving Nielsen, but that's about it for me.

I said from the beginning that I didn't believe what he was throwing out there. However, he did say that he was done line shuffling and the lines would stick. They didn't. In some cases, it was for a shift or two after a power-play or penalty kill. But there were also instances where he shuffled just to "shake things up" or "get players going". Which, by the way, I don't believe actually works. What I believe works is putting a line together and keeping them together for a period of time, to allow them to gain chemistry. Constant line shuffling does nothing in my opinion. We did see Wilson - Helm - Glendening together for a couple shifts, which looked like a solid 4th line. Keep them together. The Athanasiou - Larkin - Mantha line looked good. Keep them together. Separate Nyquist and Tatar, they don't work well together in my opinion. Nyquist - Zetterberg - Abdelkader have worked well in the past. Keep them together. Tatar - Nielsen - Frk could work well. Try them together... Just find something that works, and stick to it for longer than a f***ing period...

Meh, I'd love to see Svechnikov up with the big club, but I'm quite content with him down in GR for now. He scored his first goal (point) of the season tonight. He should be dominating down there the way Mantha was at the beginning of last season. He's only played 4 games, and he's coming off a neck injury. Let him get back up to speed, and see if he can put together a string of games where he can dominate. 20 games in, I'd like to see him at or close to a point per game pace. See how it goes...

I'm happy he says he's going to stop shuffling lines. I don't believe it though. I don't like that top line with Nyquist and Tatar on it. I don't think they work well together. Love the kid line. Not a fan of the third line, but I guess it's a decent "shut down" line. Frk should be in the top 9. He can't help that line and that line can't help him. Like many before him, it's setting him up to fail. It's only a matter of time before he's scratched and possibly even waived in favor of Witkowski...

Ericsson has actually been really good these past few games. One of our better defensemen in my opinion. Unfortunately, it probably won't last much longer...

Makes sense. I've only had the "Hot-N-Ready" once though, and again, I was drunk... We bought a bunch for my buddies bachelor party. Every time I've had it other than that time and at the Joe, I've ordered the "Half-N-Half Deep Dish", which is always a 10 minute wait, aka fresh. Great pizza though in my opinion.

Athanasiou is going to score tonight. Book it. Unfortunately, I'll be delayed starting this one. Hoping to catch up by the 3rd...

... which is precisely what I said...

To be fair, I want to trade him at the deadline, and then re-sign him again in the offseason...

http://www.cbc.ca/m/sports/hockey/nhl/red-wings-fan-maple-leafs-raise-money-charity-1.4372393

For sure. And I think GR is best for both Bertuzzi and Svechnikov right now.