eva unit zero

He's sucked every game? He's been named one of the three stars once or twice...how bad was the rest of the team those games then? Hudler has not been as good as he is expected to be, or as good as he has the skill to be. He has been better than his numbers suggest. But a big part of his slow start is the fact that Modano is about the worst type of player for Hudler to play with. I have been over this before in other threads. Hudler has excellent chemistry with Filppula that has displayed itself since the two entered the league. Although they don't have the same skill level, they might even click better than Dats and Z - Flip and Huds were both in a slump until Babs put Huds on Flip's wing. Immediately that line took off because of the connection between those two. I've been saying Flip and Huds should be paired together since the summer. It's a natural fit. Ignore it if you will, but it just plain works.

I can tell ya who Kenny wants to bring up if the Wings need an injury replacement; Doug Janik or Derek Meech. Or Joey MacDonald. Hmm...I see your point.

Hudler on the wing opposite Cleary with pretty much any center the Wings have except Modano is a better fit than Mo. So while this sucks for Mo, it's a great opportunity for Rex; he'll get more time and play with people he has better chemistry with. It's a twofer.

He doesn't mesh with Modano. I've gone over this in depth. Modano and Cleary fit well together because of their speed, and because Cleary's natural style is to pick up rebounds, which Modano might produce more of than anyone else on the team. Modano and Hudler don't work because of the speed difference, and because Modano is big on keeping the puck through the neutral zone while Hudler's style is about puck movement. In the offensive zone Modano's style is to put the puck on net any chance he sees, while Hudler's is a much more patient style. As I have said a hundred times, Hudler and Flip complement each other greatly. Flip is an excellent puckhandler who has a similar, patient mind in the offensive zone and allows Hudler to excel, and Hudler's offensive talents have been shown over and over in the past to bring out the best offensive ability in Flip. Why you WOULDN'T put them together is the bigger question. It's not a Dats/Z situation where you are questioning whether you have to have them split up...they simply should be together. And that's it.

1) Fedorov left Detroit before there was a salary cap. 2) Fedorov was offered a five-year contract by the Wings, and asked for some time to think about it. When he returned to accept, he was given a four-year contract worth $40m. He wanted a five year deal, and management, which had originally offered him one, told him it was not going to happen. Fedorov left Detroit because he was disrespected by management. It was not Fedorov that slapped the Wings in the face; it was the other way around. Fedorov left for a five-year deal in Anaheim worth $40m, basically playing a free year compared to the offer the Wings had given him. Hudler didn't spurn Ilitch. Hudler filed for arbitration on day one of free agency. ensuring he would have a contract with Detroit if the Wings wanted him. When negotiations with Holland were slow, and he was offered the KHL deal, Hudler signed it, with the exception that he had an option out after the first year. This wasn't a "screw you guys, I'm going home" move or he would have demanded a trade instead of coming back.

Yes, a player should always be keeping his head up. But at the same time, if he does have his head up and is going to get hit, he shouldn't be hit in the head. How many guys do we see go for the head with a shoulder or an elbow, blindside or not? Those kinds of hits are what the NHL is trying to eliminate. Hitting to hurt is one thing. That means that you are laying hard hits, clean hits, that are painful and make the opponent remember it. Hitting to injure is a completely different thing. The NHL is doing away with the second one, and if you disagree with that, you should go watch some UFC or something.

Although the Wings do have lines set up with regional origins, the line chemistry really clicks based more on player style than anything else. Hudler works with Filppula better than he works with Modano not because Flip is a Euro and Mo is American. It's because Flip is a good skating two-way center who has always looked to pass the puck first. Modano has always been a high-speed offensive center, with his primary thought being to keep the puck and create an opportunity with the puck on his stick. Hudler is a good skater with average speed, whose game is based primarily on positioning and puck movement. Hudler can't keep up with Modano on a rush, and Modano has a tendency to take whatever shot he has even when he has a trailer. Cleary works much better on the rush with Modano because he can keep up with him, so the wasted rush situations don't happen. And Hudler works better with Filppula because Flip's offensive game is much more similar in the puck possession style, although Hudler is more likely to take the shot and will do so from anywhere he has a good chance. It's not a matter of where you're from. It's a matter of how you play. Bertuzzi worked well with Flip and Franzen because he served the same 'swingman' purpose Hudler does. He has a good shot and is a good passer. Gretzky played with various combinations of Mark Messier, Dave Semenko, Glenn Anderson, Esa Tikkanen, and Jari Kurri. One reason that line worked very well because he was always playing with at least one extremely talented defensive forward and he was always playing with at least one winger who had a very good shot, but it also worked well because he was always protected from hitting and cheap shots by big, strong players on his line as well as guys on defense. Justin Abdelkader centering Drew Miller? I have been asking for that since Miller was picked up. Why? Abdelkader centered Miller on what was arguably the best line in the NCAA during their time together. Proven chemistry plus player development is definitely worth exploring at the very least. If I had to guess, chemistry might have been a factor in keeping Miller on the roster. Bob Errey being brought to the Wings at the end of his career to play on Yzerman's wing might be another good example of this.

Fixed.

Eurotwins v2.0; Hudler and Filppula dominate this one.

You have to remember that Hudler has been getting about a minute less ice time than he did in 2007-08, when he scored 42 points. He's been playing well and his offensive presence has been noticeable; it's just a matter of time until the goals start coming in. Also; Hudler has received a lot of slack for a lack of offensive production this season. To note: Hudler has not gone more than three games without a point this year.

It doesn't really affect the outcome of the hit, but Robidas should have been called for elbowing. He led into the hit with an outstretched arm.

No, it was Philly's s***ty coaching. Boucher should have been put back in over Leighton but because Leighton had a couple good games while Boucher was out, Boucher got the bench. Even though he is like five times better than Leighton.

Goaltending on the whole is probably better now than ever. But this is more a result of the fact that over the past 25 years goaltender training, both style and conditioning, has evolved immensely. In 1990, beating the goalie with a good hard slap shot from the point, unscreened, was not considered a "soft goal" by any means. Sometimes the shot would just beat the goalie. Nowadays, the goalie is expected to make that save every time, and pretty much that is what happens. There have been two major changes in the NHL since Gretzky's prime. Goaltenders started playing at a level comparable to everyone else, and teams around the league began to put a focus on defense as a priority.

I didn't start this topic, and the only post I put into it before this one was a response with regards to the fact that I "had been silent" because I couldn't post from my work computer, and I also included my opinion that Hudler and Filppula is a good combination for both players and would result in further production (check the scoresheets, please) but man, I'm clearly doing nothing but tossing out lures for pointless arguments. I'm the one who wanted to argue about Hudler, just because I've been the most "famous" Hudler supporter on LGW and have gotten all kinds of s*** for preferring Hudler to, say, Downey.

You lose. Niemi is not as good as LA's backup, Jonathan Bernier. Niemi is a backup goalie who played behind a stacked Hawks team and posted decent numbers. Now he is backing up in San Jose and is being exposed for what he is. The Sharks must feel really lucky they picked up Niitymaki, given that he's been one of the league's top netminders this season. Almost makes that Niemi thing bearable.

Iginla could be acquired, but you would probably be looking at one of these three scenarios: 1) Trade Brian Rafalski (NTC) and perhaps another player making ~$1m 2) Trade a forward (one of Val Filppula, Jiri Hudler, or Dan Cleary) and a defenseman (one of Brad Stuart or Nik Kronwall) and perhaps another player making ~$1m. 3) Trade two forwards (two of Val Filppula, Jiri Hudler, or Dan Cleary) and perhaps another player making ~$1m. None of those options are likely scenarios.

Meech and Lebda play a similar style of game, except that Meech actually knows about the defensive zone and can play defensively if necessary. The main reason Meech never took Lebda's spot is that the two were so similar, and the two were always close enough that it wasn't going to just be handed over to Meech. As for Quincey; Meech did lose us Quincey, but only because Meech outplayed Quincey consistently while they were together in our system.

Salei actually makes $1.1m, but that's still less than Lebda. A few names from around the NHL with sub-$1m contracts who are better than Lebda. Entry level contracts are not included: Paul Mara Mark Giordano Nick Boynton Kyle Cumiskey Andy Greene Ryan Parent And from the Wings: Jonathan Ericsson Jakub Kindl Derek Meech Doug Janik There's plenty more out there making less than a million who are above, at, or close to Lebda's level. Lebda being signed for that much is an atrocious overpayment. He's getting probably more than twice what he should.

Think about it this way. The glass is attached to the back side of the dasher boards and goes well below the top of the boards. When a player hits the glass, the force is received and dispersed as the glass flexes back against the boards. If the same force is applied from the other side, instead of receiving the force and being held in place by the boards, the bottom part of the glass can break free entirely of the boards, as the only thing preventing the glass from coming off by being hit from the outside is what is holding the glass on to begin with; in other words, not much when you consider the amount of force we are talking about.

Lilja was not perfect, he certainly had issues. But he made a great deal of improvement in his time here and was a solid third pairing defenseman, who is certainly capable of playing in the top four. Did you ever see Devereaux play? Even once? You sit there saying he couldn't skate. Skating was about all he could do. He was a decent backchecker and he showed glimpses of real skill, but he never put it together. Lang's style didn't match the Wings' style. Adjusting was difficult for him. When he wasn't as productive playing on the second line in his first season in an unfamiliar system as he was playing top line in a system built around him, fans turned on him. Hatcher's biggest problem was not the expectations or the injuries; it's the fact he was never really that good to begin with. The expectations were already more than he was able to deliver before any kind of failure on his part occurred.

The coefficient of friction for steel on ice is .01.

If two goalies have similar save percentages and similar GAAs, guess what other number is similar? That's right, shots per game. That's the main stat people look to in regards to how good a team's defense is. So if Howard has a great defense, and Price's defense is comparable... Hmm...is that smoke I smell?

They clearly didn't make it before the season; Byfuglien is listed on defense. Regardless, those players don't belong on the All-Star ballot whether it was made before the season or not. Umberger would be fighting for a third line spot in Detroit at best, he's plays a part-time second line center role in COLUMBUS. Detroit has probably six forwards who would be better choices than RJ. and the four defensemen I listed would be no higher than fourth; perhaps even lower. This is with Kronwall and Stuart not on the ballot, as well as guys like Ian White, Alex Edler, Christian Ehrhoff, Tyler Myers, Lubomir Visnovsky, Keith Yandle, Adrian Aucoin, Dennis Wideman, or Pavel Kubina. Take note that Jovo is the #3 defenseman in Phoenix behind Aucoin and Yandle (and was last year, also) and McCabe is the #2 behind Wideman. Hamhuis is the #4 defenseman in Vancouver behind Ehrhoff, Edler, and Kevin Bieksa. Byfuglien is the only player who isn't really an obvious mistake when compared to his current team. He's the #2 defender behind Enstrom (also listed) and he's playing well this season. I don't think he deserves to be listed ahead of most if not all of the guys I mentioned earlier, but he's not an absolute joke like the other four. I just mentioned those five because they stood out to me as far as players who didn't belong.

Hudler has scored plenty of clutch goals in his career. Being a favorite whipping boy kind of takes recognition away from that, much like it did for Mikael Samuelsson.

Fixed.