haroldsnepsts

He wasn't his usual self, but saying he's horrible is overstating it. I'd say he had an average first game back. I'm sure he and Cleary don't have their game legs back quite yet. What I liked from both of them is that Zetterberg was taking the puck down the middle a few times like he always does. I love that he's not afraid to go into high traffic areas. this team needs that. And Cleary's goal came from crashing the net. Something else this team desperately needs. Too many nights they make goalies look like Vezina contenders because they take wrist shots from 45 feet out and there's no one around to whack at the rebound, especially now with Homer out.

Agreed. It's great to get the two points, especially when they didn't deserve it. I think the GDT is also an appropriate place to talk about why they looked like boys among men out there, and not just celebrate the win.

It's pretty funny when there's a 26 year old hockey player standing next to a 47 year old hockey player, and it's the young guy who looks soft and out of shape.

I don't really get the fixation here on who is the "#1 goalie" during the regular season. Because Detroit almost never has a clear number one, so all it means is that the guy who's currently starting is the #1, until he isn't. Which could be next month, next week, or next game. I can understanding discussing who should be starting the next games, but the label #1 goaltender is a meaningless title in Detroit until playoff time.

I think I saw him twirling his mustache when Jimmy went down, then he shook his fist at Howard when he realized he was okay, then he scurried off to tie a damsel to the railroad tracks.

True. though I'd prefer to see them doing that in a game where they gave up 17 shots because they blocked so many.

That's a good point. It's easy to look at that money under the current cap and market conditions, but at the time Lid's contract signing was a hometown discount, and Rafs was at the least market value.

No worries. I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but even I couldn't give all the credit for a stolen game to the defense that gave up 52 shots.

How about you unbunch your panties and read what I actually wrote before twisting my words. I wasn't saying they saved him the whole game. Obviously you don't give up 50+ shots with great team defense. If you actually read my post (or the one above it where I say he stole that game) I was just talking about the few times when the puck was bouncing around the crease and the whole damn team piled in the blue paint to keep the puck out.

Raf has been up and down this year, but even as a "down" year for Lidstrom he's still playing like a top pairing guy. Just not the Lidstrom we're used to seeing.

Absolutely. Several times they saved his bacon when the puck was bouncing around the net. They stole two points for sure.

Great performance by Howard tonight. He still sometimes makes it more of an adventure than he needs to with his decision making on loose pucks around the net, but wow, he stole that game.

Agreed. I'll give Z a pass this game because he just got back, but Datsyuk I've been hard on because as a star player who scored 97 points the last two seasons, he's nowhere to be found most nights when this team needs him more than ever. He's still good defensively, but he looks so uninspired offensively. It's a totally different personality we're dealing with, but honestly it's shades of Fedorov out there. Last game the one shift he looked like he was hussling, it immediately led to a Wings goal.

Honestly I think they're among the better announcers in the league, and less homers than Mickey for sure. And speaking of which, Mick did the "shutout" thing very recently when calling a Wings game. Though he was more subtle, but he still managed to say "shutout" like 15 times in 2 minutes.

Jimmy ******* Howard!!!! I said recently in a thread that he'd played well, but hadn't stolen a game as some had claimed. He sure as hell has now! He had help a few times with the five teammates piling into the crease, but still the Wings had no business coming out of this with two points. They were outmatched the whole game. Wow.

You've already been busted for being in Pennsylvania. we know you're a Pens fan, troll.

Uh, quite the physique for a pro hockey player. Someone needs to cut back on the bud lights.

It's like all the accumulated hate from fans of other hockey teams is finally having an effect. This is beyond ridiculous. Did one of the players pick up a tiki doll on a trip to Hawaii or something?

Let's hope putting the ZDH line back together lights a fire under Datsyuk. Wings win 3-1.

Who's the ****** in the middle? And man, has Cheli never heard of sunscreen?

Babcock's thoughts on starting Jimmy again: I find it a little hard to believe he thinks Jimmy played well against the Ducks. Either that shows just how deep in the doghouse Ozzy is with Babcock, or he doesn't want to come out criticizing his rookie goaltender. Either way, let's hope the Wings get out to a better start and Howard controls his rebounds better. Even the Ducks announcers were pointing out how he needs to get his stick on some of those low shots so the rebound goes airborne and doesn't just bounce off his pads flat along the ice. EDIT: Linky http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/20...n_cleary_t.html

To be clear, he failed his physical with Dallas because a herniated disk on his MRI, not because he was out of shape or anything. It also could've been just a way for Dallas to back out of the trade, as the herniated disk didn't keep him from playing 72 games last season, so it couldn't have been that bad.

It's like the weight of that ridiculous contract crushed him.

Well, there's different expectations from May than Leino. Leino is supposed to be a much better finisher than May. And honestly it's his lack of hussle and how easily he gets pushed off the puck that seems to put him in the doghouse with Babcock. One of his strengths was supposed to be his ability to cycle the puck. That combined with his lack of production has been a bit of a disappointment.

I know. It's the "online persona" that you allegedly have created and think is so hilarious. You're like the guy at work who thinks he's really funny. People laugh along and tell him he should be a standup comedian or in an improv group, mainly because they want him to stop talking so they can get away. But I don't want to drag this thread off topic because of you. I've unfortunately been giving you the attention you crave so much, en lieu of actually talking about hockey. Fare thee well drama queen.