haroldsnepsts

Just an update. And not a good one. Ansar Khan ‏@AnsarKhanMLive 29m After skating for several days, Bertuzzi said he's making no progress. Back problem saps strength from left leg. Can't push off. Frustrated

i know! Good on Cleary, not so much for scoring the goal but making me look like I know what I'm talking about.

couldn't have happened to a nicer guy in Perry, but wtf was Kindl doing??

Wings are gassed from that PP.

holy cow that call was even softer than the one on Kindl. Are the refs getting bored or something?

Before the night is over it feels like Perry is going to try and run over Jimmy.

I think so. Tootoo had no reason to engage him there other than to try and justify his roster spot Miller! Nice of Hiller to lift up his pad just in time to let that through.

Wow Perry went right around Kronner. Lashoff down. High stick on a follow through? EDIT: deflected puck to the face. looks like caught visor. hopefully.

Makes sense. I think the most he's every played in a season was 50 games and it couldn't have been at the pace they have this lockout shortened season.

Franzen gets in Datsyuk's way on the turnover and then is the very last man back on the backcheck as the play goes the other way.

I think that makes him 4th on the team in goals. Tootoo giving the Ducks a good opportunity to change the momentum.

Looks like the tip by Cleary.

Nice quick shot from Kindl, with Cleary proving my point!

Mule doesn't hang in there screening the goalie like Cleary does.

I doubt he added it for fun too. But the reality is he signed yet another former aging Wing, to boot on a 35+ contract with a NTC. Just because Holland couldn't pull it off doesn't automatically mean no one else was available. It means he didn't get anyone else. That's all. I didn't mean literally on the ice with Lids every minute as a partner. It'd be crazy to expect Smith to jump up from the AHL to playing 20+ minutes a night. I'm guessing he could've gotten PP time and some other shifts. I was mostly referring to Smith being around Lids in the lockeroom, at practices, and being on the team if not on the ice with Lids every shift.

Sammy was a bad signing not just because of being injured and demonstrates Hollands lack of imagination for any other type of lineup. He prefers to go out and get a player very much like the one he lost or if possible same the exact same guy a few seasons later. Even if he has to throw a NTC on a 35+ contract. Like I said, he's all about patchwork to the existing model. And Lidstrom has preferred right handed defensive partners for a long time. I'm not sure what that has to do with anything I said.

Your sarcasm would be more effective if the Wings hadn't just beat the Ducks 5-1 in which Ericsson, Lashoff and Smith got in fights. Admittedly I'm no Tootoo fan though. He brings energy but is overpaid and a defensive liability. And his staged fights aren't worth a whole lot to me.

Pretty much this. I don't hate Holland either. He's done some great things as GM, but the team has changed and he seems unwilling to work with any other model than the one he's had. He's become like Homer or Maltby in their final seasons for me. It's not that I don't like him, but it's starting to look like he's outlasted his usefulness and ability. Not signing Sammy, or guys like Jason Williams would be a good start. Holland's infatuation with former Wings used to be a running joke, now it's a sad but true joke. And not letting kids rot in the minors would help too. Smith could've been further along in his development if he had stayed with the Wings last season. Would've been nice to get him some more minutes with Lidstrom. And without the injuries, Lashoff likely wouldn't have played a shift this season.

Clune's stick is straight up over his head, he follows through with his left arm like he's throwing an elbow, and Anisimov ended up bloodied. In the end Clune did hit him in the chest, a little late. But I'm guessing the refs were (over)reacting to those other factors.

I'd be happy for Stevie to go through his growing pains as a GM with Tampa and learn about building a franchise there. Then maybe come back to Detroit and replace Holland, who seems to have run out of ideas now that the sportscar he inherited has gotten beyond repairing through tweaks.

Tortorella is overrated by a coach. He's the newer version of Mike Keenan. And honestly that's an insult to Keenan.

Agreed. I think that's why the only way is to do it by video review. Some dives will still be borderline but there's a lot you could tell were complete dives using replay. Fine those players and suspend them like the NBA.

That was pretty late for an open ice hit. Along the boards and if you let up a bit, probably ok. It's not surprising Edler got suspended because GM's told Shanny to protect goalies more after Lucic hit Miller. It's unfortunate that it happened on an incident with Smith, who seeks out these situations and makes ridiculous dives to draw calls. This will only reinforce that behavior from him. And I think Kronwall deserved a high sticking penalty. He got very lucky with that hit because he barely caught body. Coming in backwards like that if he were just a bit more off he would've gotten all head and be sitting games.

Exactly. It's hilarious that they stopped the replay before you could see he wasn't really tripped and just took a flying leap. I also agree that in clear cases like that even if it was a legit penalty, the diving should negate that call. Just call the dive. I don't really worry about hitting being taken out of the game, the league and player will adapt. But I do worry about crap like this becoming acceptable.

I only saw highlights too but I'm pretty sure he did it twice. Knocked Ryan on his butt, later Ryan tries to redeem himself and hit Smith. Smith knocks him on his butt again.