haroldsnepsts

Not just working, but in the Cup finals. So he's apparently the best of the best. I'm rooting for the Kings but yeah, I can't believe that goal was allowed. The NHL has zero standard when it comes to goaltender interference. This playoffs alone it's been all over the map. Price can intentionally jump into a player and get a goal disallowed, but last night's counts? I don't get it. On top of the goaltender interference, last night's officiating was pretty terrible all around.

Wooohooo!!!! Kings pull it out again. Next time it'd be reaalllly nice if they didn't dig themselves a 2 goal hole before they decided to start playing. My heart can't take this.

If there's a record for most total minutes of hockey by a team in the postseason, the Kings have to be closing in on it.

It's kind of unbelievable that O'Halloran of all people didn't wave it off. The guy loves to insert himself into games by waiving off goals. Did they rule the Rangers D-man was forcing King into Henrik? It just goes to show the sad state of NHL officiating when O'Halloran makes the Cup finals. I miss McCreary.

I don't understand why so many people are eager to get rid of Lashoff. He's 23 years old with one full NHL season under his belt. He won't set the world on fire, but he's big, pretty physical, and has a cap hit of $725,000 for the next two seasons. Lashoff will likely improve and will look better when the whole blueline gets more stability. He's worth keeping around for a couple seasons to see if he at least settles into a big physical bottom pairing guy. Kindl however, needs to go. The bummer is he's signed for three more years at $2.4 millions.

That's why no Cup win by the Wings will likely compare to the one in 1997 for me. After watching them through the 80s, to get so close then get crushed by the Devils in '95, it just felt like they were never going to win one. Thinking that Yzerman may become one of those great players who never get to hoist the Cup. It's what made that one so special.

It absolutely has something to do with your post because I was trying to clarify your point. You said apples to apples comparison to Franzen, but then went on to list a bunch of guys who all produce at a higher level. I didn't understand what you meant. And Franzen isn't just streaky. Most goal scorers are streaky. Franzen plays some nights like he doesn't give a rat's ass. Not to mention everyone defending him continues to ignore that he has 12 points and is -11 over his last 32 playoff games.

For the millionth time, it's not the contract. His contract is mostly used by people who are content with his mediocre effort. It's about an extremely talented player with great size and ability who half asses for long stretches that seem to be getting longer each season.

Are you saying those guys are an apples to apples comparison to Franzen?? They've all produced at a level Franzen never has, and many of them are significantly younger.

The Penguins really botched this one. Fire the GM, then leave Bylsma swinging in the wind for a while as he misses out on job opportunities and they miss out on Trotz being available, then fire Bylsma anyway? Well played Pittsburgh.

Exactly. It's been well established that because of his cap circumventing contract his production, even though half-assed, is worth the cap hit. That makes him a poor candidate for buyout, but he's still become increasingly bad for the team. More and more he's a guy who you desperately hope will show up, but can in no way count on it. Particularly come playoff time. Unless Holland makes an uncharacteristic move and packages Franzen in a huge trade, we're stuck with him. But that doesn't mean I have to be happy with a player who consistently underperforms, no matter what his AAV is.

You're cherrypicking his single year AAV to compare it to other players signed under extremely different circumstances. It's not really an apples to apples comparison to Franzen's contract because it ignores every other single variable about their situations. But just to be clear, you're saying when the Red Wings gave an 11-year contract to Franzen, the second longest in the 80+ year history of the franchise (the longest being to the current captain and one of their franchise players), they didn't intend for him to be a core contributing player to the team, second only in importance to the likes of Datsyuk and Zetterberg? And it's not just about this last playoffs. Did you see my last post where I mentioned Dan Cleary has more playoff points in the last 4 postseasons then Franzen, even though Clearly didn't play this postseason. Let me say that again. Dan friggin Cleary, whipping boy and scapegoat for all that sucks about the Red Wings, has more playoff points over the last four seasons than Johan Franzen. Think about the size and talent level of Dan Cleary. Now compare it to Franzen. Franzen is superior in every way. Yet Cleary the human zamboni has 4 more points in 2 fewer games. Again, I don't understand the great lengths you're going to make excuses for the guy.

No, you're still playing games with contract amounts. You can't compare AAV on a single year basis as a barometer of what the expectations are. These contracts are handed out at different times with the cap at different levels and the team in very different conditions. A UFA signed on short notice in 2013 to fill the hole vacated by Flip is a very different situation than re-signing a roster player in 2009 that the Red Wings drafted. You're completely ignoring that the Wings gave Franzen an 11 year contract. The second longest contract in the history of the franchise. You only do that with a player you want to be the core of your team. If you look at quotes from the time I bet Holland says as much. Again, it all gets back to the point as to why people are content with someone with his size and ability underperforming. Frankly I don't care what he's paid. I'm not footing the bills. If the Wings want to win more than one playoff game they need guys who compete night in and night out. Franzen has the size and skillset to be much better than he is. Or more accurately be as good as he is at times more often.

Now you're shifting your argument. Franzen was absolutely meant to be the #3 guy. Not someone who helps out for stretches during the year. Yes, Holland's cap circumvention keeps it from being an awful contract as long as the cap keeps going up (which it likely will). But that doesn't change the expectation of him. During the regular season he is somewhat of a lower tier Datsyuk and Zetterberg. During the playoffs however, Franzen is nowhere close anymore. Over the last 4 playoffs, Dan Cleary has more points than Franzen. That's with Cleary not even stepping on the ice for a game this last postseason. (Cleary has 16 points in 30 games. Franzen has 12 points in 32 games). I just don't get how people are content with a 6'3" 225 lb guy with the skill of Franzen who floats around, disappears for long stretches, and seems content with his performance. Against Boston the Wings needed the Mule more than ever, and he was once again a no-show. Buying him out doesn't really make sense, and Holland doesn't make the kind of bold moves that would involve Franzen in a package deal, so we're likely stuck with him. But he's become a passenger, which is increasingly bad for the team.

He was supposed to be guy #3. He was given $43 million dollars. the cap hit argument uses the car payment sales trick. They don't ask how much you're looking to spend, they ask how much you can afford per month. If you finance a $43,000 car for 11 years, the monthly payments don't look half bad. That doesn't mean you're happy when it drives like a Chevy Malibu because the payments are the same size. The fact is the Red Wings don't hand out 11 year contracts to players they only expect to help out in stretches during the year. As far as I know the only player they've signed for longer than Franzen is the captain of the team. And Z has more compete level in his beard than "Mule" has in his entire body.

His 11-year contract does.

Only 5? Gary's showing some restraint.

I know. One of the announcers was talking about how Doughty was getting emotional and he's usually so composed, which isn't true at all. Doughty's biggest problem is he lets his emotions get the best of him at times. Dustin Brown was just saying the other day how he and Greene and other vets sometimes have to get him to settle down and channel that emotion in a positive way. It'd be nice if they more games where they didn't dig themselves a hole first.

Which is why you probably should have figured out I was in no way insinuating something that stupid.

You assumed wrong. I wasn't insinuating it had any conspiracy implications. It's the difference between keeping a player out of a few more regular season games to "send a message" versus keeping him out of Cup games. As soon as playoff games become a factor, suspensions get shorter. Carcillo is a moron and he gave a ref a forearm shiver. He should sit 10 games, no matter which ten they are. Play like an idiot, sit out of the chance of a lifetime for being an idiot. Bettman caved.

I'm sure he wanted to wait and see if the Rangers would win the series. If they lost, you know the suspension wasn't getting reduced because it'd be regular season games. But Gary found a loophole and reclassified what Carcillo did under a different violation so he'd be able to play in the Cup Finals.

If it were anyone but the Kings in the finals I'd probably be pulling for the Rangers, but now GO KINGS! What's crazy is the Kings have already played more games than when they won the Cup in 2012. Going through some of the best teams in the league in the process. I hope they haven't used up all their mojo just to get to the Finals.

He is apparently 7-0 in game sevens, with a 2 PPG average.

As nerve racking as it was, it's extra sweet that they beat them in OT, game 7, in Chicago. It's also nuts that the Kings have played three straight 7 game series and won them all on the road. They have defeated three very good teams.