Firefighter4WingedWheel

I am excited to start this. Once work slows down and I have some free time I am going to get started on this little project. Stay tuned.

You said Holland and Babs are perfect for each other in the fact that they want a softer skills game. True. However, my point is if they want the soft skills game then the team they have on the ice isn't it. If they want the skills game they need to find players that fit those roles.

That's great and all, but that's not the team we have on the ice.

I think Babs is set in the old Detroit ways, where the vets dominate the playing time because of their longveity. Like frankgrimes said the youth will make mistakes, but they will learn from it. Whereas the vets who make the same mistakes aren't learning from them because they aren't mistakes, it's the way they have been doing it for years. The classic "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." The vets need to move aside and let the youth get some ice time and Babs and Holland need to realize this. If not then it is time for a change.

Hopefully I do this right this time so I don't get flamed. My apologies for the confusion prior. They list Bertuzzi for the Wings. Basically they are saying he will have 8 goals and 20 points in the second half of the season. I think Bert will need to step following the Olympic break. And honestly I think he will. Players are going to come back from Sochi tired and hurt and I think Bert will be able to create some space and find the net. Like the article says though, he is going to be 39 and missed a season due to his back. Thoughts? Bleacher Report

No. Just a subscriber.

Yeah I agree. We haven't been able to put a fully healthy squad on the ice and that worries me. Especially with the olympics coming up. Guys will need a morale boost from the games and make a strong push, but that will all fall short if we continue to be plagued with injuries. If we make the playoffs it will be as a wildcard at best.

The whole not having a fully healthy squad worries me. Especially with the olympics coming up. The Wings are one of the teams with the most players selected for the olympics. The games are long and grueling and take a toll on the players. I think that we get back players that are tired, and hurting. Those who were hurt prior to the games will come back in worse shape. This feels like the year we don't make the playoffs, but I know that Babcock will work his magic and the boys will get their stuff together and make that playoff push. I hope.

From Bleacher Report: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1922244-5-positive-signs-for-the-detroit-red-wings-2013-14-playoff-hopes 1. Jimmy Howard For a while there, it looked as if Jimmy Howard might have been the first Detroit goalie in recent memory to not be second-guessed and scapegoated after every loss. Then came this season. Howard is in the midst of the worst season of his NHL career with an 8-10-8 record, 2.67 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage. Still, there is reason to hope Howard can regain his form moving forward. Howard is off to a substantially better start in 2014, going 2-1-1 in his four January starts and posting a 2.00 goals-against average and .926 save percentage. Additionally, Howard has delivered two 44-save performances against the Dallas Stars and Los Angeles Kings, respectively, the latter a true game-stealer. Four games may be a small sample size to go on, but if Howard continues the rest of 2014 as he’s started it, the playoffs will be a given. 2. The Red Wings Are Playing a Simpler Game With the Red Wings depleted by injuries, playing the kind of slick, East-West, puck-possession game they’d like to hasn’t been an option for most of the season. However, that hasn’t stopped them from trying to play that way on many nights, resulting in turnovers, failed offensive breakouts and miscues. The snow-covered ice the Red Wings played on during the 2014 Winter Classic forced them to focus on moving the puck up the boards and limit their pass attempts through the middle. It essentially forced them to play a simpler, more conservative North-South style; a style they seem to have stuck with after they left the Big House. Of late, the Red Wings have exhibited a smarter, grittier style of play that seems to be working for them. When the injured players return, perhaps they can once again try their hand at East-West hockey. For now, the team seems to understand that earning points is better achieved with a North-South approach. 3. The Penalty Kill Remains Strong Detroit’s power play, currently ranked 20th in the NHL at 16.7 percent effectiveness and 0-for-21 in the past five games, has been brutally victimized by the injuries to power-play regulars like Pavel Datsyuk, Johan Franzen and Daniel Alfredsson, as Ansar Khan of MLive.com points out. However, their penalty kill has remained impressive, working at 85.1 percent effectiveness and ranked sixth overall in the NHL. Defensemen Niklas Kronwall and Danny DeKeyser, along with forwards Joakim Andersson and Drew Miller, have provided the Red Wings with the steadiest foursome when down a man. However, young center Luke Glendening is emerging as a solid penalty-killer in his own right. With special teams often the difference between victory and defeat, a strong penalty kill is one reason to think the Red Wings’ playoff hopes might be buoyed moving forward. 4. The Kids Are Doing Alright The Red Wings’ depleted roster has allowed some of the organization’s young talent to emerge into more prominent roles. While players like Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist can be counted among the “overripe” players making an impact in the absence of veteran stars, the aforementioned Glendening, Tomas Jurco and, more recently, Riley Sheahan have been allowed to contribute more regularly than they would had the team been healthy. A healthy roster of proven veterans would be preferred over one dotted with first-year players. However, the experience these players are gaining now is invaluable to their ability to contribute to the team moving forward. These young players are helping the team earn wins it desperately needs. What’s more, they’re proving that they can be counted on down the stretch to contribute when needed. 5. A Loss to the Best Proves They've Got What It Takes to Win Against the Rest The Red Wings' trip to California was mildly successful when looking at the 1-2-0 record that resulted after facing the San Jose Sharks, Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks. While the first game was utterly forgettable and the second game a well-earned victory, it was the Red Wings’ last game against the NHL’s best team that might be the highlight of their trip. Even without forwards Daniel Alfredsson, Pavel Datsyuk, Darren Helm and Johan Franzen, the Red Wings still managed to nearly match Anaheim’s offensive push, firing 22 shots to Anaheim’s 23. While that single additional shot ended up being the difference-maker for Anaheim, the Red Wings played one of their better games of the season. If not for a couple of posts, the Red Wings may well have upset the Ducks yet again at the Honda Center. Had they lost 6-0, it would have been expected, even understandable, given Anaheim’s dominance and Detroit’s diminished roster. Still, the Red Wings managed to hang tough with the league’s best team. One can bet that that will be something they won’t forget as the season continues. Should the Red Wings continue to play as determined and as gritty as they did against Anaheim, they will surely have enough success against lesser foes to make the playoffs for a 23rd consecutive year.

Just like the other thread I was not trying to pass this off as my own. I was in a hurry and threw the article up without the appropriate link attached. I just wanted to get them posted as I thought they were interesting and would generate good discussion. Sorry for the confusion.

I apologize, I wasn't trying to pass the thoughts off as my own. I was in a hurry so I threw the article up without linking to it. I was not trying to pass this off as my own writing. I apologize for the confusion.

Call me an optimist. Or just plain crazy.

Thanks I appreciate the info. I'm looking at destruction conjuration restoration smithing enchanting and one handed.

I know it's an older game and has had some DLC come out, but I just recently picked this up and plan on building a battlemage. Anyone here build this particular character? If so, what was your build like? I'm trying to get as much input as I can. Currently only level 5 in the game. Thanks in advance.

I think alfie stays put due to the relocation as stated before, but I do see some other potential roster shifts. But why are you putting the bad juju on us? Howard learned how to play goalie again so that is great for us. Don't sell us short quite yet.

Quincey/Smith Lots of potential in the younger smith. However, if Colaiacovo can stay healthy he will be a force to be recokoned with. Cola has great vision and moves the puck extremely well.