Behind Enemy Lines in CO

I'm trying to figure out what type of player the Red Wings want him to be, and also the type of player he wants to be. When you have a Franzen - Datsyuk - Bertuzzi line you have a sniper - playmaker - grinder on the same line. When you have a Zetterberg - Filppula - Hudler/Cleary line and you say that Filppula is the playmaker then you are asking Zetterberg or Hudler/Cleary to be the sniper or grinder. Not sure that Hudler is an effective grinder (although Cleary can be at times) and Zetterberg has not proved to be an effective grinder; as others have stated, he either gets stopped immediately when entering the offensive zone or keeps the puck and circles around behind the net and turns the puck over when attempting to pass through the slot/high slot. Or if you are asking Zetterberg to be a sniper then he has not shown the skating ability to get open/cut quickly to the middle to get a decent shot.

Avery was probably the last locker room disruption.

I actually did the same analysis on the night the realignment was announced. Here is what I posted: So for fun I did a quick and dirty comparison of the 2010-2011 season's final standings and re-grouped the teams into the new conference format to see how the playoffs would have developed last year. Conference 1 Vancouver 117 pts San Jose 105 Anaheim 99 Phoenix 99 Los Angeles 98 Calgary 94 Colorado 68 Edmonton 62 So - first round has Vancouver vs Phoenix (because Anaheim & Phoenix had the same points I was not sure who would be higher so just went with this) and San Jose would play Anaheim. 2nd round would probably be Vancouver vs San Jose. Conference 2 Detroit 104 pts Nashville 99 Chicago 97 Dallas 95 St. Louis 87 Minnesota 86 Columbus 81 Winnipeg 80 So - first round has Detroit vs Dallas and Nashville vs Chicago. 2nd round would probably be Detroit vs Chicago. Conference 3 Boston 103 pts Tampa Bay 103 Montreal 96 Buffalo 96 Toronto 85 Ottawa 74 Florida 72 So - first round has Boston vs Buffalo and Tampa Bay vs Montreal. (Again I did not know the tie breaker system so just placed the teams as is). 2nd round would probably be Boston vs Tampa Bay. Conference 4 Washington 107 pts Philadelphia 106 Pittsburgh 106 NY Rangers 93 Carolina 91 New Jersey 81 NY Islanders So - first round has Washington vs NY Rangers and Philadelphia vs Pittsburgh. (Again I do not know the tie breaker system so just placed the teams as is.) 2nd round would probably be Washington vs Philadelphia. Now comes the reseed: Conference 1 Vancouver 117 pts Conference 2 Detroit 104 pts Conference 3 Boston 103 pts Conference 4 Philadelphia 106 pts If you reseed based upon points, then you would have Vancouver vs Boston and Philadelphia vs Detroit for the semi-finals. Finals could have been Boston vs Detroit! Interesting to note the following: Conferences 3 & 4 (mainly eastern teams) appear in the playoffs with no change from the current format. Conferences 1 & 2 (mainly western teams) are the same EXCEPT Los Angeles (conference 1) does not make the playoffs in the new format, while Dallas (conference 2) did not make the playoffs in the old format but does under the new format. Detroit would have had a drastically reduced travel schedule which would have been the same as the 2008 Stanley Cup run. What this realignment essentially means is the first 2 rounds of the playoffs will have a shortened travel schedule with only the semi-finals and finals requiring cross-country travel. A hugh plus for the Red Wings.

So for fun I did a quick and dirty comparison of the 2010-2011 season's final standings and re-grouped the teams into the new conference format to see how the playoffs would have developed last year. Conference 1 Vancouver 117 pts San Jose 105 Anaheim 99 Phoenix 99 Los Angeles 98 Calgary 94 Colorado 68 Edmonton 62 So - first round has Vancouver vs Phoenix (because Anaheim & Phoenix had the same points I was not sure who would be higher so just went with this) and San Jose would play Anaheim. 2nd round would probably be Vancouver vs San Jose. Conference 2 Detroit 104 pts Nashville 99 Chicago 97 Dallas 95 St. Louis 87 Minnesota 86 Columbus 81 Winnipeg 80 So - first round has Detroit vs Dallas and Nashville vs Chicago. 2nd round would probably be Detroit vs Chicago. Conference 3 Boston 103 pts Tampa Bay 103 Montreal 96 Buffalo 96 Toronto 85 Ottawa 74 Florida 72 So - first round has Boston vs Buffalo and Tampa Bay vs Montreal. (Again I did not know the tie breaker system so just placed the teams as is). 2nd round would probably be Boston vs Tampa Bay. Conference 4 Washington 107 pts Philadelphia 106 Pittsburgh 106 NY Rangers 93 Carolina 91 New Jersey 81 NY Islanders So - first round has Washington vs NY Rangers and Philadelphia vs Pittsburgh. (Again I do not know the tie breaker system so just placed the teams as is.) 2nd round would probably be Washington vs Philadelphia. Now comes the reseed: Conference 1 Vancouver 117 pts Conference 2 Detroit 104 pts Conference 3 Boston 103 pts Conference 4 Philadelphia 106 pts If you reseed based upon points, then you would have Vancouver vs Boston and Philadelphia vs Detroit for the semi-finals. Finals could have been Boston vs Detroit! Interesting to note the following: Conferences 3 & 4 (mainly eastern teams) appear in the playoffs with no change from the current format. Conferences 1 & 2 (mainly western teams) are the same EXCEPT Los Angeles (conference 1) does not make the playoffs in the new format, while Dallas (conference 2) did not make the playoffs in the old format but does under the new format. Discuss.

Sucks for those of us who live here in the Denver area as we have to watch the game with the Avs announcers. I think I will just turn the sound off. SPeaking of the Avs announcers, I recently noticed that they have changed the way they pronounce the name of the Avs goalie, Varlamov. At the beginning of the year they were saying Varl -a-mov, now they say Var-la-mov. Either way it sounds ridiculous the way they say it.

Translation: If you are going to pay Ericsson that much money then you are going to have to open up the checkbook and write a huge check or I will move closer to my family.

Even though I have NHL Centre Ice the Red Wings feed is always blacked out for Red Wings-Avalanche games here in Colorado so I am forced to listen to Haynes and the other idiot. My God it is like going to the dentist! I was laughing hard however as late in the 3rd period when the Wings were ramping up the pressure and Varlamov was the only thing keeping the Avs in the game, the Avs announcers were saying "Varlamov makes the save" over and over and over again. If I hear the name Varlamov one more time I will puke. On a positive note however was after the Zetterberg goal the Avs announcers actually started giving the Wings credit for playing a good game.

Hi - was wondering if anyone can help direct me to where I would be able to obtain a video copy of the Friday night opening game. There was a camera shot late in the game of Ericsson skating backwards basically one on one and breaking up the rush. The camera angle was from behind the end glass and showed really well his positioning and crossover skating skills. I have some high school hockey players that would benefit from seeing this video. Like an idiot I accidentally erased my NHL Center Ice dvr copy after the game last night. Thanks in advance.

Thanks for the download link.

Why not remove the team logos on the side of the helmet and replace them with numbers. Then you would have numbers in 3 places on the helmet. Forget the numbers on the front.

CRIKEY! As I sit at home here in Colorado watching the game on TV my wife is in Detroit for the auto trade show and staying at the Marriott close to Joe Louis. ANd she even took a picture of the arena with her iphone and sent it to me.

At least the Wings did not give up a goal in the last 2 minutes of the period!

And suddenly we are reminded of the s***ty play of the 2010-2011 Red Wings. Apparently they have not flipped the switch.

Not sure if anyone else has posted this - Nick Lidstrom was on the Jim Rome radio show this morning and said the following: When asked how long he would consider playing, he indicated that he would be interested in playing as a top 4 defenseman, however he was not interested in playing as a 5/6 defenseman because there is the chance that one would sit an occasional game. I have never heard him say that before. This tells me that even though he is only signing 1 year contracts, he intends to play as long as he can remain a top 4 defenseman. The wild card here is how his son is doing in Sweden with the family still in Detroit (Nick did say the situation is progressing very well) and also how much the Red Wings are willing to pay him if he is relegated to a 3/4 position defenseman.

I second that - always a huge amount of Wings fans here in Denver at the games. Last year I went into the restroom and it was completely full of Wings fans singing away, and then some Av's fan tried to start an Avs chant and we all drowned him out. Fun.

Was watching the Wings - Bruins game last night and it suddenly occurred to me that the Bruins coach looked very much like these other NHL coaches:

Well, at least it's nice to post on the game day thread during the game - technology is truly amazing!

Well, I am at the game (Christmas present from the wife) and I wish I could just go home. Sitting here with Avs fans who are getting more obnoxious is not my kind of fun.

So here is the question: if I. Filppula gets called up will his jersey name be I. Filppula or just Filppula?

I'm all for cheerleaders in hockey as long as they are in their uniforms sitting on the couch next to me watching the game.

Hard to believe when I played high school hockey in the mid '70s (yes i am that old) we did not have any face protection. So when I started playing adult league hockey a few years ago I bought a cage because everyone else was wearing one. Hated it, so now have a visor. In a game last year while playing defense I put my stick out to block a shot and the puck deflected up right into my chin. 8 stitches later I still wear the visor. So who is the idiot?

I have Center Ice through Direct TV, and what is interesting is that the Direct TV guide does not list the wings game tomorrow night however when I go to the Direct TV website and look and the Center Ice page it lists the wings game on 2 channels and says it is a free preview. All of the games through Sunday October 24 are listed as Free Preview, whatever that means. So I have no idea if I will be able to see the game or not.

Was watching the Ducks pre-season game Friday night and noticed the new mask of Jonas Hiller - all black with no design. Found this article about the mask along with pictures. It looked ok with the Ducks black jerseys, not sure how it will look with the white jerseys. http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Stare-into-the-dark-abyss-of-Jonas-Hiller-s-murd?urn=nhl-272685

Just a heads up to anyone who was able to get NHL Center ICE for free last year from Direct TV due to their contract negotiation breakdown with Versus - Direct TV will automatically bill you for the package THIS YEAR unless you call them and cancel. No need to incur unnecessary costs if you do not want the package this year.

Hi everyone - I need some advice. I purchased a Red Wings Winter Classic jersey from SportsK a few weeks ago and had it customized to add the Chelios name and 24 number to the jersey. I received the jersey yesterday, and while the quality of the materials used and the sewing is excellent, I noticed that the numbers are not aligned on the back of the jersey. Attached is a picture showing the probem: the 4 is higher than the 2. I looked at some of my other jerseys and they do not have this problem. Should I complain to SportsK or should I just let it go. Anyone else have this problem on their customized jerseys?