Stu in Israel

Dear Leftwinger, Both your gutter language and your ill-founded logic need some serious help. I won't waste my time defending Ken Holland whom most people agree is a great GM. Does turning in your card mean that we won't have to read your vitriol again?!

Dear SouthernWingsFan, You're one of my favorite posters. Your comments are always cogent and incisive and I always learn things from you, so I hope you won't be offended at a correction. The expression is "couldN'T care less." Think about the difference in meaning and you'll understand why. By the way, occasion has one "s." (and) Yes, we have been blessed in goaltenders this year!

For those of you who appreciate Wings&Beer's eloquent language about "s*** happens," I'd like to refer you to the following site: http://www.thejaywalker.com/pages/s***_happens.html

Detroit is indeed fortunate to have Ken Holland, Dave Dombrowski, and Joe Dumars "managing" its sports teams, and I'm not angry at Matt Millen because I don't remember him dropping a pass or missing a block. Here's a quote on a "two for one" signing, from a blogger at TSN: "Ken Holland locked up Nicklas Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk for less per year than the Caps paid for 'Alex the Great.' "

With Lidstrom apparently heading for another Norris, and the duo of Hasek and Osgood aparently heading for a Jennings (which Osgood and Mike Vernon won for the 1995-1996 season), and Datsyuk practically a lock for the Lady Byng, I really don't think ANY Red Wing will win the Selke; a Red Wing might be a nominee, but probably not the winner. By the way, Frank Boucher of the New York Rangers won the Lady Byng seven times, a string of 3 consecutive times and then 4 consecutive times in the 1920s and 30s (the 1931-32 winner was Joe Primeau of the Toronto Maple Leafs). Considering Datsyuk's play as of now, I don't think it's unreasonable to think that Datsyuk will break Boucher's record, and maybe even do it consecutively. Barring major injuries of course.

H. L. Mencken, an American intellectual of the early 20th century, once said, "Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public," and in our own time, Gore Vidal once said (similarly), "Never underestimate the ignorance of the American electorate." However, regarding the topic itself, I tend to agree with Wing_Nutt that an "NHL Europe" would probably mean a major cut-off of Europeam talent to North America.

Very strange indeed! Altho (intentional misspelling!), as one poster noted, he was great at using his elbows in those corner scrums. I began watching the Wings in the "Howe era," and distinctly remember him saying that he doesn't fight because "scoring hurts them more!"

Is there a misspelling here? Perhaps "ProfessorLidstrom5" meant: It's sad that he has to end his career like this but I'm glad we won't get him now for sure.

This thread is not to be confused with Aflac's great game-day thread. This thread is for PREDICTIONS ONLY, leaving Aflac's thread for meaningful discussions about players, tactics, etc. whatever substantive topics there are to be covered.

In a discussion with some other posters we came to the conclusion that "fantasy people" should have a thread for predictions, and then "reality people" will have a separate thread for meaningful comments and discussion of specific issues.

When Gordie Howe first came to the Red Wings one of the hockey magazines noticed that he was an ambidextrous shooter, particularly by observing his warm-up "figure 8s," and predicted that he would lead the league in scoring. Howe finished his career by being in the top five scorers for an incredible 20 years.

"Since so many seem to not like predictions, and so many do like them, what would the mods think if we started a seperate "predictions for tonight's game" thread. Then those of us who like them could have our fun and those who don't wouldn't have to see them. Mods?" 55fan, I think that's a great idea! As soon as I see Aflac's next GDT I'll register a Game Time Predictions thread.

"p.s. your post didn't contribute anything" You might be correct "Lets Go Pavel," but does 10 or 15 people giving their prediction contribute anything? Is it informative or explanatory in any way?! How about discussions centering on players, tactics, records etc. instead of someone's fantasy of what's going to happen. Here's my latest prediction: a hat trick by the fat guy in row 17, section 7 - that's as worthwhile as all the predictions I read here: NOTHING!

"wasteful posts that don't contribute anything. Please limit talk in the GDT to constructive opinions and observations on the game at hand - that's what the GDT is for." I really don't think that your interminable and idiotic predictions fit the guidelines mentioned above! CONSTRUCTIVE OPINIONS AND OBSERVATIONS, NOT SOPHOMORIC SLOP! Take your predictions back to the schoolyard and leave this site free for substantive matters.

"P.S. Piss off. this is not a useless thread, it sparked alot of conversation over wings retired numbers. and who are you to say that anyways, your barely even active in these forms." I surf the News, the Freep, MLive, and a lot of other sites on a daily basis, so my interest in the Red Wings is unquestionable. I may not be as active as you in posting responses because I think many of the threads and responses should be told to your high school friends and not take up space here. P.S. "a lot" is two words, the "your" you wrote is "you're," and these are "forums," not "forms." Your inadequacies in English grammar are a clue to the "depth" of your intellectual abilities. Sorry, I forgot to say that "wings" are on birds and airplanes; our favorite hockey team is a proper noun, not a common noun: "Wings!"

I surfed the Internet for a while trying to get the answer, but was unsuccessful. However "Never Forget Mac #25," you've made a terrible mistake in your title. "Infamous" is the opposite of "famous," so Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison (for example) are famous, but Adolph Hitler and Osama Bin Laden are infamous. Perhaps Holmstrom's quote was noteworthy, humorous, poignant, significant, interesting, etc., but definitely not infamous!

Zata40 asks, "Do you think it will happen?" Lidstrom is presently a five-time winner of the Norris Trophy and intends to retire as a Red Wing. Isn't it a foregone conclusion? Tell me Zata40, do you think the sun will shine tomorrow? or better than that: Do you think other useless threads will follow yours? Yeah, sadly they will, just as sure as the sun will shine tomorrow!

How many of you paid attention to the notice at the start of this thread? Tell your stupid and worthless sophomoric predictions to your friends and save Aflac's great thread for substantive issues!

"Bykov was terrible. I was glad to see him go, I really didnt think anyone liked that guy." Sorry Detroit #1 fan, but you're wrong. Bykov played with the Wings immediately, just like Franzen (who's a forward of course), and was praised by the coaching staff. Detroit wanted to get him back, but the price for prying him away from his Russian team was just too steep. True, he may feel more comfortable in his native land and tongue, but the Wings DID want him back.

QUOTE(Stu in Israel @ October 17, 2007 - 11:53AM) By the way, CCCP is the Soviet Union (Union of Soviet Socailist Republics) which no longer exists! Or so Putin would want you to believe. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus, and all the former southern Moslem republics (which all end in "istan") all of which were once a part of that "CCCP" are all now independent countries!

Grigorenko accepted being sent to Grand Rapids (instead of immediately going back to Russia), so maybe that means that he'll try and get himself into better shape physically. While his physical shape is a big issue, Babcock and others were impressed by his "hands" and his on-ice "vision," whatever those two terms mean. So let's have a little patience with him, and maybe come summer he'll go to the conditioning camp that Cheli goes to in southern California, which was also attended by Hudler ths past summer. By the way, CCCP is the Soviet Union (Union of Soviet Socailist Republics) which no longer exists!

Absolutely no one picked Chicago to win the last time around, and as far as I know, mine are the only predictions to be 100% correct: Goals will be scored, penalties will be assessed, and one of the two teams will win. Now how about someone dealing with substantive issues?!

My prediction: goals will be scored, penalties will be assessed, and one of the two teams will win.