haroldsnepsts

Whatever it is, rating sure isn't the reason unless they replace him with a girl in a bikini or something. But otherwise it's a pretty obvious excuse for something else. Murph would hardly factor in ratings being down, particularly coming off yet another lockout. If alcohol were involved it seems like without some awful on-air incident, they would just let his contract run out this season rather than fire him mid year, in order to avoid any potential legal complications from letting someone with alcoholism go. Because it's a long time Red Wing, I also would think they would've handled something like that much more discretely.

As far as I know it is all unfounded speculation. Murph stumbled on his words a lot and people seemed to take that as drunkeness when really I think he just wasn't very good as a broadcaster. I've heard no substantiated incidents about his drinking. It just became a running joke because of his constantly mangling words. But the reality is, being an on air broadcaster isn't easy. Think of how most hockey players sound in interviews. The mid-season firing is unusual but until I hear otherwise I'm giving Murph the benefit of the doubt.

My only question is WTF did Abdelkader have for breakfast this morning? Not just scores a hat trick but does it like a goalscorer. Going hard to the net from the corner. Nice wrist shot top corner. Then goes down on one knee for the one timer??

I guess we have different ways of looking at it. To me, happening to touch the puck right before an opposing player shoots it into his own net is a lot luckier than actually shooting the puck at the net yourself and scoring the goal. There's not many goalies who can get a shot off quick enough, fire the puck that far with any accuracy, and have a chance at an open net. It's not surprising there haven't been many goals scored that way. But that doesn't make it just luck.

I disagree that anytime a goalie scores it's luck and would argue this was luckier than several other goaltender's goals, as Marty didn't even shoot this one. He was just last to touch it. On his and other goals, like Osgood's and Hextalls, they at least actually shot the puck at the empty net and were trying to score. Not really surprising Marty would score again given his puckhandling ability. I just wouldn't have guessed it'd happen this away.

The OP posted a mathematical example on the likelihood of making the playoffs. If you want to discuss the topic, great. If you don't like the topic, don't post in the thread. Pretty simple. I've deleted posts. Any further personal attacks will result in suspension.

You don't hate to say I told you so. Seeing as how usually only show up here after a Wings loss, it's exactly what you hope for. Apparently you didn't get all the taunting out of your system over on hfboards. If you have a point to make about the game, make it. Keep appearing just to stir things up however, and your stay will be short lived. A pre-emptive warning, let's everyone just stay on topic about the game.

So your determination of what constitutes a #4 versus a #1 guy isn't determined by what they do on the ice? Your perception of what constitutes a #4 or a #2 guy also seems very attached to the Wings defensive pairings of the past. And also seems based on a #1 defenseman that comes around well, really only a few times in the history of hockey. Very few teams have a #1 guy of the caliber of Lidstrom. Holland is very set in this model, replacing Scheider with Rafalski, then trying to replace Rafalski with White, but that's not the only way it has to be. Willie Mitchell, for example, was the #2 guy in LA and he's not exactly a Brian Rafalski. And that was a championship team. Plus Scuderi, who by your system would probably be called a #4/5 guy was actually #3 on LA. The "type" of player a defenseman is doesn't determine if they're a #2 versus a 4, 5, or 6 guy.

Ericsson is logging more ice time than anyone not named Kronwall and is the #1 PK defenseman. He's not the #4 guy. I wasn't sure he'd earn his contract but the Wings are getting their money's worth out of him already. And I never really understood why people think his potential was so high. He's a converted defenseman taken dead last in the draft. Great size. Booming but slow slapshot. Great first pass. But he's mostly a stay at home guy, not some offensive juggernaut. Ericsson is already a win for the Wings. Kindl is the one who is well below his potential.

That's not boneheaded. Boneheaded is icing the puck when you only have to take one more stride to cross the redline. That's quitting on a play because you're tired/lazy.

Seems like right now Bobrovsky is playing well enough to overcome their lack of goal scoring. They're good defensively (10th in GA and 4th on the PK) they just can't score goals to save their lives (30th). If they can even get to be mediocre offensively they could be a playoff team for sure.

Ansar Khan ‏@AnsarKhanMLive Red Wings' Jimmy Howard recovered from dehydration due to flu, ready to face Canucks http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/2013/03/red_wings_jimmy_howard_recover.html …

It should. It's a typo by Khan. I mentioned it in another thread but forgot to point it out here.

I'd be surprised it they gave it names that had anything to do with hockey traditions. Bettman is all about making the game easier to understand and more generic. So I'm guessing more like West, Central, etc. Though they'll need to come up with something creative to explain the idiocy of Tampa and the Panthers being in the same division as Ottawa and Montreal instead of with Carolina.

The only way it makes sense to trade Kronwall is in a package deal for a top #1 defenseman. And I don't see that happening.

Ansar Khan ‏@AnsarKhanMLive Babcock said he'll dress 13 forwards and 7 defensemen for warmups and the decide lineup due to injuries last night. Ansar Khan ‏@AnsarKhanMLive White is in for sure. Huskins might play too due to another unspecified injury

Ansar Khan ‏@AnsarKhanMLive Babcock thinks Quincey will need surgery. has no idea how long he'll be out. Ansar Khan ‏@AnsarKhanMLive Holland said White will replace Quincey in lineup tonight. Ansar Khan ‏@AnsarKhanMLive Holland said White has fractured cheek bone. Will see doctor Monday to determine if surgery needed.

I think that's a typo. He had several other tweets referring to Quincey's fractured cheekbone. Ansar Khan ‏@AnsarKhanMLive Red Wings fear Kyle Quincey's cheek bone might be fractured after he was hit by puck | http://MLive.com http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/2013/03/red_wings_fear_kyle_quinceys_c.html … Ansar Khan ‏@AnsarKhanMLive It is the cheek and not the jaw with Quincey Ansar Khan ‏@AnsarKhanMLive Holland said they don't want Quincey to fly in case jaw/cheek is broken.

True. True. It wasn't really intended so much as a slam on Mule, just wondered if I missed something else before the highlight. And that goal was 90% Datsyuk. The biggest thing Mule brought to that play was patience with the puck, which goalscorers tend to have more of then most guys.

On Datsyuk's goal? I only saw the highlights so maybe I missed something? But if you guys are talking about the pass at center ice that was something anyone on the team could've done. Great move and shot by Dats though.

He called it softest player but basically the criteria he's using he means weakest link or biggest disappointment.

4min 45 seconds in. Legal hits to the head.

It's becoming an oft repeated falsehood here when anyone says "look at the Kings last year. Just get in and anything can happen" as if they came out of nowhere. At the beginning of the season they were absolutely considered to be one of the best teams in the west. More than once I read about the chances for them to win the Pacific and make the conference Finals. Then they dogged it for two-thirds of the season because they couldn't score goals and close out games. So headed to the playoffs it's not surprising people picked Vancouver, the #1 seed in the West that also made it to the conference finals the previous season. People also forget that unlike Holland, the Kings GM made bold moves during the season to improve the team, calling up rookies like King and Nolan to add even more size and energy. They traded for Carter and Richards. And because of the teams constant underachieving, they fired their coach. The Kings didn't just get hot at the right time. They were a good team that underachieved, then made bold moves and finally started living up to their potential. They aren't an example of "anything can happen" if you look at their lineup last year and compare it to Detroit's current roster.

I didn't do anything to reporting criteria across the board. All I did was clarified that you have an unnamed "verified" source who is of the opinion that Datsyuk is definitely leaving when his contract is up. People can make their own decisions about what that's worth.

You mean it's the verified opinion of someone who thinks they know exactly what Datsyuk is going to do when his contract expires. It's hard for me to believe anyone not named Pavel Datsyuk knows for certain what he's going to do when his contract is up. And even he probably doesn't know for sure yet given that it's over a year away.