jroc86

Well, after tonight the Wings will be 0-3-1 without Datsyuk ... 0-4-1 if you add the game Lidstrom sat out. 1 of a possible 10 points because of the absence of a superstar. I think this really illustrates 2 things. 1) How superb Pavel is and how his presence elevates the play of those around him. 2) How granola the rest of the team is despite the name value of a handful of guys. Colorado is playing like a possesed team - Quinceys unprofessional remarks about the organization and the state of their room surely have stoked them (Downie has 3 points already). Regardless - losing 1 goal affairs top Vancouver and Chicago while down your franchise player is understandable. This is horsesh*t tonight - but thats the way a season goes. If they lay an egg against Columbus then Im going to be severely rattled.

I agree - but Cleary is just a temporary patchup until Pavel gets back and Hank centres that line again. Regarding our regular top 6 (Bert, Franz, Pav, Hank, Filp, Huds) Hudler really is a guy that cant get the job done with any consistency. For a guy thats so small his skating is just terrible - I mean, if he has half the wheels Martin St Louis does he would be so much more of a threat. But because hes slow (and gutless) is makes him weak on the forecheck, hes useless off the rush, and is defensivley weak and cant go from the half-boards to the point quick enough to keep dmen from shooting on net. Filps play has slipped lately ... hes hacking the puck square be fumbling and overhandling it and he hasnt been skating with the puck nearly as much. That being said, when Filp is on and Hank is on they both have the skating, tenaciousness, and skill to be effective as little men. Hudler - despite his goal scoring ability is purely opportunistic and dependant on his linemates for chances. At his best Hudler is not a top 6 forward on an elite team because for a small man hes so 1 dimensional ... hes basically a crappier version of Heatley that gets bumped off the puck easier.

Apparently Grabber and Pav are good friends off the ice and the offer Holland gave Burke was almost entirely contingent on Burkes ability to land Nash. If the Leafs can swing a deal for Rick Nash maybe they unload Grabovski to free up cap room and get something for him to avoid him walking as a UFA. Apparently hes asking for 5mill a year next year - and the leafs think thats too much.

Filpula. He has approaches with speed and had quicker hands than Hank or Huds when he decides to deke.

Hudler is absolutley the weak link. He can pick corners if you put the puck on his tape 20 feet out from the net - but THATS IT. He might be the slowest top-speed scoring winger in the game right now... Incredibly 1 dimensional player that is too small and immobile to be effective on a regular basis. Want skill on that line? Throw Hemsky on it. Want grit? Let Gaustad crash and bang for Z and Filp. Trade Hudler for a washing machine and a carton of chocolate milk.

Samuelsson > Hudler all day long. Bigger, faster, and also has a good shot. If this guys healthy (havent seen him since Van traded him) and its the best option out there - do it.

This one sucked ... I live in BC and am surrounded by homers with their algae colored shirts/jerseys/car flags and am always the token Wings fan that eats chirps from these tools. These last few years the bandwagon has gotten so full its sickening. I missed most of the game because I had to train a hockey team but got to my car just in time to turn on 1040 and hear Burrows score in the shootout. Anyone but him or Kesler ... I think I would wear his face like a Hannibal Lecter skin mask. Deep breath. Okay. So, its time for the boys to cowboy up and put together another streak to end the year strong. 20 games to go ... likely another 5 without Pavel. If we can get 3 or 4 wins in this stretch (against fairly weak opposition) when hes back for the stretch run hopefully the boys are ready to finish up well. Couple days left till deadline - Id really like to see Kenny add a forward. Either another skill guy (Grabovski/Hemsky) because Hudlers inability to outskate ANYONE really makes me struggle to not kick a hole in the TV when he gets sprung every game but can barely ever get a decent shot because dmen mow him down like grass. Or a big mean sob like Gaustad or Moen wouldnt hurt either. Did I mention I hate the Canucks (not really, just Kesler, Burrows, and 90% of their fanbase)?

I will probably get ripped for saying this but screw it. A friend of mine who currently plays in the AHL is good buddies with Shea (teammates in Jr). They went for lunch last summer (after the arbitration fiasco) and Weber literally said he "wants to be a Red Wing". Theres a reason Nashville is trying to deal for deadline players and get their team good enough to contend this year ... because they embarrassed themselves in front of the entire hockey world by offering the best all-round defensemen in hockey 4.75 million and are dearly trying to make a run for the cup this year to show their two prized horses that they are going to be a contender/cap team going forward. Lets not kid ourselves - Weber got 2 weeks of the Red Wing experience at the 2010 Olympics with Babcock as coach and Holland and Yzerman putting that team together. Guranteed some wheel greasing went on there.

My roomate is a massive Canucks fanboy so Ive got a case of beer and bragging rights riding on this game ... Pavel out is a HUGE blow, but f**k it, get it done boys! Really got a gut feeling this will be a playoff series this spring. This game could be the deciding factor in home ice advantage.

Im a BC boy and have been a fan of Bertuzzi since the Canucks got him from the Isles in the late 90's ... hes not as big, as fast, or as mean as he was in his "prime" but how many big men in the league today have hands like this guy? Hes evolving as a player and really doing his best to be a team guy. If Bert stays healthy this move will pay off. I really hope this guy can lift the Cup before he hangs'em up.

Tough break - but hey, its up to the other guys (especially Filp and Z down the center) to up their games, get their feet moving, and make these top 2 lines remain effective. This could likely cost us the conference lead against Vancouver (way easier teams in their remaining schedule) but id rather have him firing on all cylinders come April.

I saw the video -and as annoyed as I was, I cant help but think theres a grain of truth. Don is now 78 years old and even more of a rambling incoherent mess then usual - but lets not kid ourselves, hes knows the game. He isnt a Red Wings hater - he has rooted for them in many a playoff series and supported on on CBC many times. I think he sees the lack of sandpaper that used to be filled with the likes of Mcarty, Kocur, Malty, Downey, etc. This is why id love to see Gaustad or Moen - so if were up 3 goals with a minute to play the Joe Thorntons of the world arent going to try and mug Hank/Pav/Nick. With another big body in the lineup should sh*t hit the fan I think we could throw 5 guys out there to handle business with the best of them. Bertuzzi, Adbelkader, Gaustad, Ericsson, Commie ...

Its no secret that NHL players fire it up and party hard ... by no means will I name drop future HOF'ers who I know for a fact hit the friendly slopes occasionally - but its a reality. Theres a reason guys use coke. Firstly its a helluva drug haha - secondly, it clears the system very quickly which makes it more attractive when you might be subject to random drug tests. You just need to go to the Roxy in Vancouver whenever basically ANY team in the NHL end their western swing and has a travel day the next day and see how hard they go. The blackhawks are practically royalty there haha.

Thornton is a turd and a spot picker. Id like to see a guy like Milan Lucic go Eric Lindros on his fragile face again and collapse his jaw and orbital with a single blow ... resulting in wearing the birdcage for the rest of the year ... again. Thornton gets tough with guys he knows he can beat up, Kesler, Lidstrom ,Hank, Sedin, Toews ... meanwhile, hes a gutless perimeter player and nowehre to be found when theres a guy above 200lbs that can shed the mitts and throw'em. Outside of him fighting Getzlaf this guy just has just oozed big softy his entire career.

And we are all over Hank for only having 10 lol

Any word on Clearys injury? Hopefully not a concussion - or anything of a serious nature. Eager blew him up pretty badly though them Belanger hit him from behind.

San Jose, Pittsburgh, and Colorado (just for nostalgic purposes). The way the West is shaping up this year its imperative that we win the central and come 1 or 2 in the conference. This would likely set up the following first round matchups: Detroit (1) Colorado/Minnesota (8) Vancouver (2) LA (7) San Jose (3) Chicago (6) St Louis (4) Nashville (5) It would really be nice to exercise the demon that in San Jose this year enroute to the cup. If the series starts and finishes at JLA I think this series could look completely different from the last 2 years in a hurry. Not to mention San Jose/Chicago and St Louis/Nashville would both end up being drawn out dogfights likely ending up with a few injuries on both emerging victors.

I live in BC and the Sportsnet pacific panel seems to think that Semin is headed to Detroit. Ive been hearing the "Pavel Datsyuks borderline demigod of Russian hockey status, on ice work ethic, and off ice easy going good nature etc etc is the perfect situtation to turn Semin into the guy his skillset would suggest he should be". Im not a Semin fan by any means - but if this trade were to happen without giving up too much I'd be pumped initially at least.

If anyones counting Nabby just earned a shutout against the Flyers and made 45 saves in the game and won the shutout. The old boys still got it ... hopefully they start tanking now, because their still "sorta" competing for that 8th playoff spot.

Bring in Nabakov. End of thread. This is a team that barring further injury and some slight tweaking should be in the midst for contending for the cup this spring. Even if Jimmy makes a speedy recovery nothing ensures that he doesnt get hurt again ... especially when its now more clear than ever that Detroit doesnt have an NHL calibre backup tender. Jimmy will be getting bumped, slashed, and snowed yet again this post season. Is Nabby can provide a steady presence while Jimmy has a few nights off down the stretch and is able to compete if need be in the playoffs I think he could make a valuable tandem option while we wait for Mrazek to become the stud we all hope he is.

I think he isnt playing at 100% (in the NHL who really is nowadays?). But when your a small skilled player you need speed to be effective. Take a look at Scott Gomez and Martin St Louis ... a decade ago they were both premier "little men" (obviously St Louis was always on another level) - but today the stark difference can be attributed on an individual level to a couple things. Firstly, St Louis can f*cking cork the puck. Secondly, he still skates like hes 25 years old. Gomez was never a good skater but he certainly had more jump earlier in his career. When you a little guy odds are you arent going to put pucks in the net via leaning on defenders on net drives or taking punishment in the crease and slamming home garbage goals. Three step quickness and good top-speed is what imperative to create oddman rushes, win footraces, and find lanes before a defender gets a bead on you. Hank is playing just fine within his means - but watching him out there he just doesnt look to have that explosive stride anymore. His stride has always been somewhat of a wide-tracker variety (similar to Fedorov) and hes always been great as picking up speed coming out of turns (similar to Crosby). Lets not forget he hurt his knee in the last week of the regular season last year - if that has become somewhat of a nagging/recurring issue but isnt serious enough to warrant surgery I wouldnt be suprised to find out that hes been nursing it on and off all year.

Id trade Conklin for a Big Mac and a used home pregnancy test.

Unfortunate that Burns is hurt - but no chance in hell Hemsky did that intentionally. He was following the puck the entire time and he didn't throw his leg out there. Incidental contact in a very vulnerable position. What is more shocking is that Burns got hurt and Hemsky didnt.

Im a BC boy ... and will be 14 rows behind Luongo for the first and third s***faced sporting my Lidstrom jersey. The Canucks are on fire right now - hopefully Detroit comes to play and sets the tone early. woo!

As long as he keeps skating and competing the way has has he deserves to be here. His speed alone creates at couple of odd man breaks a game and his puck protection is suprisingly adequate given his pint sized frame. Hes caught my eye every game hes played thusfar, I hope he sticks around.