jroc86

With this likely being our last game with this skeleton crew it would be MONSTROUS to hit the road with a fuller lineup and another 2 points separation from the Preds. Lets go boys!

Lets go boys - Nashville, Vancouver, and the Blues all got the job done tonight - so this is a big 2 points on home ice. LA lost to CBJ so their going to come into this one desperate and with something to prove. Everyone better be ready to play 60 minutes.

Man, you must have been the last picked kid in gym class growing up eh? The back to back to back replies in this thread on another teams forum just screams "Validate Me!" ... so I will. Yeah bud, the Blues are among the best teams in the NHL right now but until they've won a cup or at least reached the finals the fanbase really shouldn't get that excited. You don't have to go back too far to see that a stellar regular season doesn't necessarily translate into a deep playoff run. The Blues have made the Playoffs with pretty good regularity - unfortunately they have never won the cup which puts them into that hazy lump of teams (ala Vancouver, Buffalo, St Louis, Washington) that have been good, bad, had great regular seasons - BUT, manage to consistently let their fan bases down again and again.

Id prefer to see him in the top 6 (Franzen, Helm, Nyquist?) - but at least he should get decent ice time with this line. I hope he gets a fair shake to play his game. Pav and Z had to get their start somewhere - I think hes shown hes ready.

We are missing 4/6 player from our typical starting lineup (Pav, Bert, Lids, Jimmy) and 2 steady defensemen in Kindl and Ericsson ... and we are ONLY 2 points back of St Louis. Within a few games well be getting our starters back (if Jimmy is a little longer fair enough - groins on a goalie can be a career altering injury if recurring). A 1st or 2nd seed would be nice but a 4th wouldnt break my heart. If San Jose and Chicago end up 7/8 I could see either of those teams being a huge pain for whoever they face ... a healthy Detroit vs Nashville isnt a matchup that has me that worried.

At least last night we got some help from Vancouver, Nashville, and Chicago all losing ... in a few games we will likely have Jimmy, Lids, and Pavel back - essentially our 3 headed MVP for the season thusfar. Thats a massive hole. It does suck that weve gone 2-4-1 since Pavel went under the knife but at least we were seeded high enough to survive a rough patch. Id imagine Bert cant be too far off in his return either. We are only 2 points back of St Louis - but getting first or second seed in the conference might not prove to be the best scenario. A first round matchup with San Jose or Chicago (despite their recent struggles) certainly is less attractive than facing Nashville with home ice advantage. After that we'd likely give up home ice until the finals (if it were to happen and the Rangers were waiting) but all it takes it typically takes is 1 win away from your own barn a series to win. Detroit was the best road team in the NHL 10 months ago - its hard to imagine they couldnt figure it out come post season given the experience in that locker room.

To be quite honest a first round matchup with the Preds (assuming weve got a full line up) is a much more attractive one for me than a Chicago or San Jose who suddenyl becomes hot. Those are teams full of world class players with playoff experience and have the ability to make the top 2 seeds really work for a victory. Nashville is a 3 manned team with relatively small and soft forwards and not a allot of post season experience. A healthy wings team with home ice takes them in 5 or six games IMO

Hopefully the boys get a streak going into the playoffs and win 9/10 or something - because mossing these key guys is really taking its toll. 2-4-1 since Pavel went down. FML

Head was primary point of contact - could have "minimized" it seeing how this was a head on shoulder check as opposed to Kronwalls usual Rob Blake ass-check style. Beautiful praiseworthy hit- a year or two ago. 2 games is my bet.

There goes Kronwall for 2 games ... localized novacaine injections got Kurt Angle through the olympics with a fractured c5 and c6 veterbrae - Lids should do this and get back in the lineup. Sure would be nice to have Commodore in a game like this. No Ericsson, Bert, Commie and this group looks scared s***less out there now. Ian White works hard and has a hard shot - thats it. He has hands of ocean cement. Pathetic.

I heard a pretty good "Lou!!!" chant every time he made a save in the Canuck game a few weeks ago ...

This win would be a monster if the boys could pull it off. Philly appears to be righting the ship and Bryz is finally starting to earn his money - bucking a 15 year old winless streak in this barn with a skeleton crew would be huge. Man these injuries are concerning - even some of our "healthy guys" (ie. Cleary and Z) are fighting throw pain. Good things Lids, Pav, and Howie arent out too long and will likely all return within a few games of each other. Despite the flack E and Bert take - by the time their back theyll both be very welcomed additions. The first 50 games of the year we got off the hook compared to so many teams - I really thought this might be the year where we roll through the stretch with an intact roster. Theres my whine/rant .... good luck boys

Why the hell wont Holland call up Nyquist? Put him with Franzen and Bertuzzi - put skill with skill. Hes no Pavel - but hes no slouch either. This "over-ripe" philosophy is growing tiresome ... hes one of Detroits top notch prospects - not some mid round "lets hope he can mature with a few years on the farm guys". LEts not kid ourselves - Pav and Hank got the chance to play on great teams out of the gate and got to play with seasoned veteran winners that still had skill. A small quickguy with hands and brains feeding the puck to Mule or Bert - is it really that much different than Pavel setting up Hull? Bring up some skill and give them a chance for a top 6 spot while we have injuries.

The sad truth ... Hossa was a whipping boy for those playoffs and Franzen appeared to be enroute to becoming a premier power forward in the NHL. Hindsights always 20/20

I got a sentence into my reply before reading this - and really cant respond to this thread more appropriately. Throw a 25 foot hoola-hoop around the oppositions goaltender - because anywhere outside of there Hudler is useless. This is well documented, hes a tiny, slow, gutless player with decent hands and a quick/hard release on his shot, nothing more. Regarding Bert - for a 220lb plus 37 year old with a handful of knee and back surgeries a few years in the rearview hes busting his ass out there every game. Todd is still a first line NHL player - if hes a complementary peice on a line with a Datsyuk calibre player (as hes shown this year). Franzens inconsistent efforts certainly are frustrating but none moreso than Cleary who really looks to have aged 5 years over last summer. Hes battled injury issues since training camp apparently and its showing. His zone entries are terrible and he turns over the puck way to much. Whats sad about his circumstance is I dont attribute it to a lack of effort - not everyobdy is a Lidstrom or a Chelios and can play top notch hockey until their 40's ... I think Cleary has lost a step and I wont be surprised to see him not get re'upped next year so we can get Nyquist/Tatar on fulltime.

Lets not forget the 4 goal posts. These injuries are getting f'ing ridiculous - Lids and Pav better be back soon. I missed the start of the game, what happen to Kindl? You guys thinking concussion or a shoulder from a hit or something? Franzen needs to learn how to pick pucks up off the boards ... how many times rimming pucks hop his sticks on breakouts or opposition clearing attempts is beyond me. Big effort is needed against Philly while we are even more shorthanded.. uggghhhh

Jesus Stuart ... hes such a workhorse and doesnt make many mistakes - but when he does they tend to be of the "on the tape goal scoring giveaway variety" ... Man oh man I hope Jimmy isnt hurt too seriously. Gota be a knee or a groin - and being this time of the season this could be the brick that breaks the camels back. I hope such a good season isnt spoiled with these injuries

Thats not Hanks ring. The 2008 rings are the Ruby encrusted ones surrounded by gold - this one is a replica you can buy for a couple hundred bucks. This guys just trying to trick some poor meatsack into giving him a couple grand.

Everyone can learn to how to fight - but not everyone can brawl. It seems that Abby tries to go Wanderlei Silva apesh*t everytime a fight happens, tossing elbow punches and defending poorly, then ussually ends up eating a shot and falling, or losing his balance and falling while missing. Some guys naturally excel using the "beserker" method - while other guys just naturally never seem all that confortable wrecklessly gunslinging. He would be well served to practice on the ice - after pracy, just wrestling around with the likes of E and Bert working on maintaining balance and controlling arms. Abby is a strong kid - he should use more of a grapple first, contain, then counter punch style. ALA, like Barnaby except hes bigger/stronger and hopefully wont be fighting nearly as tough of guys nearly as much. All it takes is one clean one from any Clowe type of guy to concuss you into 2013 (ask Lilja) so he should improve his skills and pick his spots carefully.

4 regulars out of the lineup and Joey Mac in net ... this will be huge morale booster if the boys can win this one on the road with this skeleton crew. Even short a few studs we SHOULD be able to get 2 points from CBJ and Minn. In the 5 games this year that Lids or PAv have been out weve gotten 1 point thusfar - time to take accountability and raise the compete level. Id like to see Bert throw up a few points tonight.

Gaustad to Nashville pisses me off - especially with Vancouvers moves. Fool me once - shame on you, fool me twice shame on me, fool me three times shame on ...? 100% healthy our team is capable of beating any team in the NHL in a playoff series. But when was the last time we were 100% healthy in the playoffs? Gota hope for the best - but I cant help but feel a bit let down right now..

After 5 decades of being a part of the NHL the Canucks have finally managed to assemble a respectable elite team - and their fans are severe attention whores who have been starved of success for so long that posting on other teams message boards with the identity of a Canucks fan fills the void of years of hearing parody songs mocking the Canucks on Rock 101. If the Canucks won it would have only been a 3 point lead by the way. Doesnt matter - Canucks will win the conference anyway, their in the training wheels division of the NHL - much smoother end to the season and all their big guns are healthy. Wings biggest focus should be on St Louis and the Central - they can steal a few games in Rogers arena if they happen to meet in the WCF.

Franzen reminds me of a smaller, slower, weaker version of "Monster-Bert" back in the 2001-2004 time period when Bert was 250lbs and the leagues best power forward - as a kid growing up in Vancouver at the time it was painful watching him playing because aside from a few explosive plays a game mixing brute strength and butter soft hands (ussually into a highlight reel goal or setup) he would coast around, lose defensive assignments, and never win foot races. 10 years later, 25lbs lighter, a few serious back and knee surgeries and Todd has finally decided to try and play a team game to try and win a cup before he retires but I cant help but think - if he bought in and tried to be a more responsible player a decade ago, imagine the career he would have had. If Franzen can be packaged as part of a deal for a Parise kinda of player sometime in the future Im all for it. That being said, Pavel will be back in 3 or 4 games - so that should help light a fire under his ass.

No Canucks on that list ... utterly shocking.

Heres what I wouldnt mind seeing - some of our youth future skill guys (Tatar, Nyquist, Mursak) get the odd shift or period with a skilled veteran line. Pav and Hank got their start as quick footed work horses for Hull ... why not see if some chemistry like that exists somewhere here in games where we need a shakeup anyway? Glad we got Quincey now with E out. Look around the league - weve got it pretty good. If we lose against Columbus ill probably s*** the bed. Pav should be back in a few games and all will be well in the world again. If we get anything less than 110points this year it would be a huge disapointment given the spot we were in last sunday. These guys have been here before - Im confident theyll step it up.