haroldsnepsts

Don't believe the hype from Ducks fans. Corey Perry is 6'3" 210 lbs. Jonathan Ericsson is 6'4" 206 lbs. That's a fair fight. It just looked like a mismatch because people have never seen Perry get into it with someone who was actually as big as he is. Which is why I'm pretty sure Perry didn't know that Ericsson will actually fight.

That's kind of an oxymoron. Winning a meaningless preseason game where both teams won't have their best guys in the lineup hardly constitutes revenge. Mainly I'm just interested in getting to see these young guys for the Wings play some more.

you don't want four guys out there trying to block shots at the same time, or it's too easy for them to get caught out of position. as for the pk in general, I think it was a lot of things people have mentioned. Ozzy wasn't sharp. lack of discipline and focus among the pk'ers, honestly all season whether shorthanded or even strength, I think it was way too easy for opponents to hang out around the crease. They should have to earn that real estate, and it was often given to them.

Not a great fight, but what I love about it is I seriously think Perry had no idea that Ericsson would actually fight. In spite of starting it, he looks completely caught off guard when Ericsson drops the gloves. Ericsson needs to improve his balance while fighting. He's big enough that he can rag doll guys, but if he can do a better job of keeping his own balance as he pushes his opponent around, he should be able to land some bombs.

Ruh roh. http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/story/12269080

He contacted the Wings and requested a tryout. If memory serves he has some connection to at least the Michigan/Detroit area, so it may have been a personal favor. Like others have mentioned, I think he just wanted a shot for teams to see him and get his career back on track.

since we're talking about hockey fights, does it really matter? The point is a lot of enforcers have taken one on the button.

wait for it...

True, it's not based purely on size. When people use the phrase heavyweights, I usually think of the biggest, meanest, baddest enforcers the league has to offer. The top echelon of fighters. Downey wasn't afraid to take on those guys, but I wouldn't really include him as one. Like I said, maybe a light heavyweight. I figured someone would bring up the Tie Domi example. Domi is by far the exception to the rule (depending on where you look he was basically the same weight as downey but a couple inches shorter). That dude was a freak of nature with a cement head. Aaron Downey is nowhere near the fighter Domi was. Even putting size aside, when Downey goes against legit heavyweights, the most he usually does is hold his own. To me he's basically a middleweight, but realizes that fighting is what he has to offer and has done everything in his power to make himself a heavyweight through his fearlessness and work ethic. But I don't want to get bogged down in semantics. Like I said, I do actually like the guy. But I don't think there's a league-wide conspiracy here. Downey has extremely limited abilities, and even his ones as a fighter are getting outclassed these days.

Maybe he was a heavyweight when he started his career. Today Downey is maybe a light heavyweight, at best. In today's NHL 6' and 215 lbs isn't gonna get it done as a true heavyweight anymore. If you can't do much else on the ice, which Downey really can't, you better strike fear into the hearts of your opponents. Orr 6'3" 220. Koci 6'6" 238. Brashear 6'2" 235. Laraque is 6'3" 235. Godard 6'4" 200 lbs. 6'5" 220 lbs. Parros 6'5" 232. And of course Boogaard is ridiculous at 6'8" and 258 lbs. He was strong enough to usually keep from getting his ass handed to him by the true heavyweights, but that's about it. Like I said, I love Downey's work ethic, his spirit. He seems like a great guy. But he's sort of in a no-man's land. not enough skills to keep him on the ice very many minutes, and fits somewhere between middle and heavyweight as an enforcer.

Of those teams that have guys like Downey, I'd venture to guess that most of them are more skilled or are heavyweights.

He wasn't a very good fourth liner, though he was a pretty good enforcer on a team desperately in need of one. The reality is his hockey skills are extremely limited. And in the new NHL it's hard to take up a roster spot with a guy who plays 4 minutes a night for half a season.

I love Downey. He's all heart, always made a huge effort on the ice, and sounds like a great guy. That being said, let's be serious. His game does stink. Homer can't skate, but he can skate a ton better than Downey and has way more offensive skills. Downey can't do the things Homer does in front of the net, or in the corners. Holmstrom's skating seems bad because he's on the top line. Downey would look ridiculous with top linemates. Downey's skating did hold him back. I loved guys like Kocur and McCarty, but Downey had more limited skills than all of them. In a cap world, it's hard to justify giving a roster spot to a guy like that. It'd be nice to see him catch on somewhere, but it's not surprising he hasn't. That being said, I wish Holland would dedicate more resources to guys who do actually have some skills, and don't hesitate to drop the gloves. So we'll see them playing more than 4 minutes a game for less than half a season.

Agreed. After 7 career regular season starts and nearly a whole 8 hours of gametime in his NHL career, he's been given more than his fair shot at playing in this league and completely worn out his welcome. Sometimes Holland carries this loyalty thing way too far.

Agreed. It'd be hard for me to be excited about adding Perry to the team, because he's suck a gutless puke, but I would absolutely love to have a Red Wings team like the Ducks of a few years ago that beat you on the scoreboard, and just plain beat the hell out of you. Getzlaf - absolutely. Perry? meh. He's not a Duck anymore, but I'd take Pronger in a heartbeat too. I started watching the Red Wings faithfully the year that Yzerman was named captain. And those mid and late 80's teams may not have had a ton of talent, but they definitely played with a chip on their shoulder after years of being the Dead Things. It's not like Detroit has always been this "classy." A Red Wings team that has jaw-dropping moves, Norris-caliber defense, bone crushing hits, and will also drop the gloves and beat the snot out of you. Who in their right mind wouldn't want that??

Definitely. But Phaneuf was lining him up before his teammate knocked him off balance. It's an unfortunate hit because he was off balance, but it happens so fast I can't really expect Phaneuf to change his plan because of what his teammate did a second earlier.

It's not like we're talking about the all-star game here. I'm not a big Phaneuf fan, but that was a clean hit and in the pre-season, though the games don't count for points, there are guys fighting for lineup spots and ice time. They do have meaning. I don't think Morency deserves too severe a punishment given they were changing lines, especially considering what the league lets go, but I'm also sick of all the fights that break out after a clean hit.

Maybe Rob got his bell rung one too many times? I'd be surprised if he jumped ship for the KHL. Seems like he could latch on with some NHL club, just not at his current salary. I'd guess that the Ducks offered him something and he was insulted by the number.

That's because you're basically a troll, dude. Troll's posts tend to have that effect. I think it's hilarious though. You're the top notch, A1, gold star example of an internet tough guy. I think your posts are entertaining, actually. (Like it's offending Holland that's gonna keep Tardif in Grand Rapids. ) Keep up the good work! On topic: This has more to do with Lappy's hit on Lidstrom and residual hate than anything he actually did in the fight with Tardif.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but Williams is like Sammy-light. As much as he infuriated me with shot selection, Sammy was much harder to knock of the puck because of his size, had a heavy shot (when it wasn't aimed at the goalie's chest), and played with edge. Unless he's changed remarkably in his time away from the Wings, Williams brings none of those things, and is becoming injury prone.

The poor judgement he sometimes shows is a little worrisome, but hopefully that'll be corrected with experience. It'll be great to shed some smaller guys like Lebda and Meech and have a decently-sized defensive corps. Even if Kindl isn't overly physical (yet), he'll still be able to use that size in front of his own net and battling in the corners.

agreed. I think we're talking about the same thing here. Often Kronwall explodes up into his hits at contact, which can look like a charge, but he doesn't go flying until after he's hit the guy. There are, however, times where he's left his skates well before the hit.

It's a mystery why hockey isn't more popular in the U.S.

It is not the right way to hit someone. It's charging if it's before contact. Kronwall has definitely been guilty of it several times, even when he hasn't been called. He's a great open ice hitter, but he needs to get better at keeping his skates on the ice and his elbows in. Stevens was one of the most devastating hitters I've ever seen, and only a couple of his biggest hits were even questionable. EDIT: More on topic, I'd put Brown over Kronwall. Kronner has had a few highlight reel ones, but on a nightly basis, Brown is a much bigger hitter.

some corrections. I get that you don't like the way the Europeans play the game. That doesn't make them *******. They played a different style of hockey there, so these guys grew up playing that style and brought it with them to the NHL. Speed and skill were cultivated in those leagues, not hard hitting or fighting. Now that there's more euros in the NHL, more kids grow up playing more of an NHL style. Looks like your euro-hate has reached Cherry-like proportions. Don't get me wrong, I like physical hockey. But Wings fans should be more thankful than anyone for the bias like yours against Euros, as it's whats allowed them to remain dominant for so long. After all, who would want a skinny Swedish defenseman who doesn't play physical, no matter how good his hockey sense is?