krsmith17

I think Nosek has been good, but his lack of production is likely due to the way Nelson is utilizing him. He's strictly using him as a shutdown center, getting lots of penalty kill minutes, and virtually no power-play time. Also, it probably doesn't help much playing every game with Cleary and Campbell... He's not the fleetest of foot, but he's not slow either, he has a decent shot and is an underrated play-maker in my opinion, sees the ice very well. If nothing else, he would definitely be an upgrade over Andersson in my opinion...

Richards has been playing really well and he needs a spot in the top 9. With what we have available to us right now, I'd like to see... Nyquist - Zetterberg - Abdelkader Larkin - Datsyuk - Richards Tatar - Nosek - Jurco Helm - Sheahan - Glendening That's a deep, well balanced lineup in my opinion... I don't hate that Mantha remains in GR, but what happens when he and Athanasiou make the jump over the next year or so? We simply have too many forwards. A great opportunity to make a trade to bring in some help on the back end...

LW, I'm all for giving Jensen a shot, but at the same time, I wouldn't mind seeing him remain buried in Grand Rapids for the remainder of this season. I think the chances of a team claiming him next season is much lower than Ouellet or Sproul, especially if he still hasn't played a single NHL game at the age of 26. I'd personally like to see Ouellet used in some sort of trade package. We have too many waiver eligible defenseman coming up next season, not enough spots, and Ouellet would definitely have the most value on the trade market. At this point, I'd much rather see Sproul get some games in. He's been playing great down in GR of late, and I really hope he can crack the lineup out of training camp next season, because if not, he will definitely be claimed off waivers..

Tom, you and I are not watching the same games (assuming you're actually watching the games to make such a statement). Mantha is not at all shy about going into the corners and he more often than not, wins the battle and comes away with the puck. He's been playing great, and I would have liked to see him called up. However, I'm okay with him staying down and continuing to dominate in the minors. I was a little surprised with Nosek being called up but I would like to see him eventually take Andersson's spot in the lineup. I wish he were in tonight, but maybe he'll get a shot on Tuesday...

If Ericsson is in, the pairings will likely stay the same, if he's out, the top pair of Kronwall and Green will stay in tact, Smith will be moved up with DeKeyser and Kindl will be inserting in with Marchenko.

Athanasiou played last night and is expected to play again tonight. I'm thinking he'll likely get the call again, although I'd love to see it go to Mantha. He's been one of the best players down there all season. For those that point to his early struggles this season and still wonder which Mantha we're going to get, his game hasn't changed one bit this season, other than him now finally getting some bounces go his way. The kid is playing with a ton of confidence right now, and when he's at the top of his game, he's a very dangerous player. I'd love to see what he can do for a couple games on Datsyuk's wing. Callahan took another puck to the face in practice yesterday, and will be out for another 4-6 weeks. Sucks for Cally and the Griffins and he's no longer an option to be called up. The only other option would be Nosek and I think he's still a bit of a long shot, especially with Athanasiou and Mantha being available. I haven't been all that impressed with Bertuzzi so far this season and it's not just his point totals either. He hasn't been playing with the same fire we seen from him late last season. Hopefully he overcomes it and gets going soon.

Kip, I agree with most of what you're saying and I do believe that this is still a little premature. People still seem to forget that we are STILL in somewhat of a rebuilding phase. This is the youngest team we've had in forever and we're going to continue to get younger over the next few years. There are going to continue to be some growing pains. However, I truly do believe that in a year or two, without making any trades, just continue to develop the homegrown talent, this team will be at the top once again. The one thing I will disagree with though is the notion that Blashill is accustomed to laying back to protect leads. He's never resorted to a defensive shut em down style of hockey. Even when he coached in the American League he always stressed going after them. Don't sit back, go get the next goal type of mentality, whether his team was down by a goal, up by a goal or up by 3... That's what I've always liked about him and one of the reasons I was so excited to see what he could do with the Wings this season. I do believe he still has that same sort of mentality, it's just taking a little longer for the whole team to buy in. I think they'll get there, and when they do, look out.

It looks like the Wings are going to call up a player prior to Sunday's game against Calgary... Athanasiou is still out and may or may not be ready to go for the Griffins games this weekend. I think it's a very good chance we could see Mantha get a call up. Unless of course Blashill is just looking for a player to play on the 4th line (in place of Andersson), he may elect to call up Callahan...

Make it 12 straight! Franchise record. Mantha with another very good game.

I agree chaps. From what I've seen from the Griffins over the past few seasons, it never seemed like it was in their game plan to sit back and try to protect leads, they always seemed to want to go out and get the next one whether it was a 2-1 game or 5-1 game. I'm sure Blashill is well aware that changes need to be made and is working diligently to implement that same mentality of his Griffins teams into the Wings system. It takes time, especially like you mentioned, the majority of the team has been coached by the same guy virtually their entire NHL career, be it two years or ten years. It's very easy to learn and understand new systems, it's a lot harder to execute these new systems without ever reverting back to the old system... There have been way too many blown leads of late and that last game really got under my skin, but this team is definitely trending in the right direction, and I have faith in Blashill and the players that they'll get it figured out sooner than later. I believe we're definitely in the mix this year, but still feel that we're either one or two moves or one or two years away from being a legit threat. At this point I'm not sure which I'd prefer, actually go out and get one or two big pieces that would help us now (and in the future - enough with the rentals), giving up some assets (players, prospects, picks). Or continue to develop the youth and wait another year or two and hope to have an extremely potent home grown team in a couple years time. Their are obvious pros and cons to both strategies but I'm thinking Holland will elect to continue to play it safe and go with the latter, which me personally, I'm fine with...

It took Cleary a couple weeks (5 games) to whip the team into shape.

What a f***ing game. Down 3-0, 3-1 with only a couple minutes left in the 3rd, 2 quick goals, tied it with less than a minute left. Ended up winning it in OT.

He played another great game and once again was one of the best players on the ice tonight. He was denied on a breakaway opportunity, used his speed to blow by a defender and made a nice forehand backhand move, but couldn't quite squeak it through the fivehole. The chemistry between him and Athanasiou is unreal. Unfortunately AA left the game in the third and didn't return. Hopefully he's okay and is in the lineup tomorrow night. Mantha now has 10 points in his past 8 games, and is looking better and better each and every game. It still shocks me when he puts it in full gear, he can really move. Extremely fast for such a big body. The win streak has reached 10, which I believe ties the franchise record. They could break it tomorrow night in Iowa.

Yeah, Russo has been quietly going about his business and has been making strides each game I've seen. He has never really stood out much to me in the games, which isn't a bad thing, and he's been putting up points, which is great to see. He's been paired with Ouellet for most of the season and they have definitely been one of the steadiest pairings. I still say Sproul has been the best defender down in GR so far this season, but Russo is definitely making a name for himself.

If Cleary still wants to play the game, and is offered another contract, he should absolutely be able to play without fans insisting that "he shouldn't be playing"... I bet some would b**** if Cleary was "taking up a roster spot" in Toledo... Holland offered the guy a contract that was by all intents and purposes structured for the AHL, if Cleary still wants to play, who are you to say he shouldn't?...

Mantha has been one of the Griffins' best players every single night, only bested by Athanasiou (and Jurco when he was down). He's been keeping his feet moving away from the puck, making smart decisions with the puck, and has just been snake bitten. Early on in the season, he just could not catch a break, every opportunity (many were self created, using his speed and body to shield the puck) was negated, whether it be a huge save by the goaltender, or hitting the post, nothing was going his way. You can tell lately he has been second guessing himself, and a few grade A scoring chances, he has passed the puck off to a teammate. He had at least four 2 on 1 / 2 on 0 breaks with Athanasiou over the past few games and Athanasiou would have the puck and try to set up Mantha for the goal, but Mantha would immediately send it back, and Athanasiou scored on a couple but also missed on a couple, one in particular, he just didn't look like he was expecting the pass back. So the only thing I can think of which would be somewhat of a logical reason for Nelson to scratch him, is to put Frk on that line, who he knows isn't shy about shooting every opportunity he gets, and maybe send some sort of message to Mantha, that he needs to be the finisher on that line, not the passer. Athanasiou is a great playmaking center, when he sends it your way, you better bury it... I still don't like the decision because he could have taken Mantha off that line without taking him out of the lineup by simply taking Cleary or Campbell out. Either way, I hope whatever the reason, Mantha gets back in on Saturday and keeps playing the way he's been playing all season. The points will come for sure...

HelmFan, Charles Hudon is making his NHL debut tonight... He's all but guaranteed a goal tonight...

There's a Griffins thread in the "Minor and Pro Team Affiliates" section. But yeah, Mantha was a healthy scratch last night for Frk (who ended up scoring the game winner). Nelson was asked after the game if there was any particular reason Mantha was scratched, or if he was having a setback from his concussion symptoms from the fight a couple weeks ago, and Nelson said he was fine, just a "coach's decision"... Seemed very odd to me, especially with how well Mantha has been playing of late... I still think Nelson is a bit of a moron, but the team is finally clicking with 9 straight wins...

I'd agree that their utter disdain for certain players (mainly Glendening and Miller) is a little off the wall, but to say that they're a trash site is a bit much in my opinion. For the most part, they're fairly knowledgeable Red Wings fans / writers. Sure there are some opinions and viewpoints that I disagree with, but that's no different than any other site out there, including this one... Anyway, I don't think either Glendening or Miller are half as bad as WiiM make them out to be, but I do think both are replaceable, Miller more so than Glendening. Our penalty kill has dipped to 60% in the two games Miller has been out, but I'm not so sure Miller would have done a whole lot to stop those three Weber blasts in the game against Nashville. And only giving up one last night in five opportunities to a highly potent offensive team like Washington actually isn't all that bad. We'll see how we do for the next month or two while Miller is out, but I do hope we let him walk in the offseason and get some younger, faster legs in the lineup to kill penalties...

Helm was coming off an injury and was off to a slow start out of the gate. I think he has looked great the past few games though. His timing is still a little off and he'll never have hands but for a bottom 6 energy guy, there aren't much better in my opinion. If he's all but guaranteed to go to Winnipeg, why would they want him in a trade package? And what does CapGeek have to do with anything? We have plenty cap space to re-sign Helm if we want him back. You ask how Jurco is worth more to us than in any trade package and then follow it up by answering your own question... He's worth more to us because he has a ton of untapped potential but still hasn't been able to crack our lineup... And f*** right off with that YouTube bulls***. If you think that's where his value lies, we have bigger issues. What does replacing Sproul with any of our other top defense prospects do? It's still massive overpayment, even if you remove the d prospect all together... It is massive over payment in my opinion. So I'll say it again... Holy F***ing Over Payment!!!

That is huge overpayment and I guarantee Byfuglien on an expiring contract doesn't go for anything close to that. Care to give me the link that says that Helm already has his bag packed for Winnipeg?... So many are so quick to trade Jurco, but he is worth waaaay more to us than he is in any trade package. Sproul is far from being labeled a bust. The kid still has a ton of potential, and again is worth waaaay more to us than he would be in any trade package. Howard may not have a ton of trade value but he does have trade value, and to trade him away in a package that big for one player on an expiring contract would be asinine...

LW, holy f***ing overpayment... Winnipeg would take that deal in a heartbeat, and Holland would be crucified if he made it... McCollum has been decent. Nothing close to great. Coreau has actually been the better goalie of the two for over a year in my opinion. By far better so far this season...

Cleary is getting 3rd line minutes, time on the penalty kill and no power-play time, exactly the way he should be being utilized. He started out playing on a line with Zengerle and Campbell but has recently been playing with Nosek and Bertuzzi. He hasn't been playing great by any stretch but hasn't played nearly as bad as some people would make it seem. It blows my mind how much people want to hate on Dan Cleary, I just don't get it... He has a goal and three assists in 13 games, which really isn't that awful for a 36 year old that has had some major injury issues over the past few years. So why not s*** on Hoggan? A guy that is the same age, the captain of the team, and has one goal and zero assist in 19 games, and is a -3 compared to Cleary's -1... Cleary is down there for one reason, and that is to help "coach" all these kids, and from everything I've heard, he is doing just that.

The way this team is playing, I'd be shocked if we don't finish top 2 in the Atlantic. Overtaking Montreal will be tough for sure, but as of right now they're only 7 points up, and we have the game in hand. I see Ottawa and Boston falling off way before Detroit, and Tampa could turn it around but they'll be in tough trying to catch us, the same way we are with Montreal. They're 5 points back, and we also have the game in hand on them as well. We survived a pretty grueling early schedule, with back to back games virtually every weekend, and it should only get easier from here on out (in regards to the schedule, not necessarily the competition...). We have our Western Canada road trip out of the way, but we still have our California trip coming up in January. There's no doubt that Blashill is a great coach but regardless of who was going to be behind the bench this team has been a team on the rise for a while, and I don't see us slowing down going forward. It may look genius to have Nyquist and Tatar clicking, but they're two really good young players, and they're just entering their prime now. I don't really think it should be that much of a surprise that they're playing well together. I do still think they'd benefit from playing on separate lines but as long as it's working, I guess it's not much point in mixing things up. If we do end up finishing top 2 in the Atlantic, you'd have to think Blash would be in the conversation of Jack Adams candidates. He definitely has a shot at being the first Red Wing coach to win it since some guy named Scotty Bowman exactly 20 years ago...

It blows my mind that people still keep saying that Jurco has been given fair shot. He hasn't at all. Not even close. I guarantee 100% that if Nyquist or Tatar were treated the way Jurco has been, they still wouldn't be scoring goals in the NHL. Neither of them were expected to play 4th line duty whatsoever. What makes Jurco any different? Because he's bigger? Bulls***! No skilled winger should be called up to the NHL (especially still being able to play in the AHL - referring to last season) to be molded into a grinder (something he's clearly not). Like has been said over and over again, Jurco hasn't had a fair shot since his rookie season when he, Tatar and Sheahan formed one of the best 3rd lines in hockey. Coincidence? I doubt it. I am and always will root for the Red Wings as a team first, but I am focused on Jurco because there is no way such a young, skilled player should be managed the way he has over the past couple years. Sure the Tatar - Sheahan - Nyquist line has been great, but coaches break up good lines to get other players / lines going all the time. Why should it be more important that we get a veteran like Richards going than a young player like Jurco? I think the short term and long term success of the Red Wings would benefit from getting Jurco going far more than a player like Richards that in all liklihood is gone after this season. Jurco has never been a liability on the ice, so it's not like we're going to lose games waiting for the offense to get going. The skill's there. Give the kid the shot he deserves...