haroldsnepsts

It's now being accepted at fact that Babcock specifically was pushing for Cleary, and that's still a stretch. Other than him saying he likes Cleary I haven't seen anything that puts it on Babcock. But Sammy? That's a new one to me. Did I miss somewhere that said Babcock was pushing for Samuelsson on the team?

Don't forget the diving.

While we're on the subject of Neal, former NHL ref Paul Stewart uses Neal as an example of what a joke the NHL is when it comes to discipline. He also points out how by the NHL's own policy on diving, Neal should've been suspended for getting his third embellishment penalty. http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Paul-Stewart/James-Neal-The-Poster-Child-for-Whats-Wrong-With8230/196/58889

Agreed. Though I even have a little more disdain for Doan. When the Kings knocked them out of the playoffs a couple years back in a very heated series, he was whining about officiating and threw a mini tantrum. A lot of the Coyotes did actually (the series ended off a controversial hit from Brown) but I expected more from Doan.

Agreed. Frankly I kind of hate him because of how he plays when it's against the Wings, but he's the kind of guy who plays on the edge that I'd like to have on the Wings.

My favorite hockey blog breaks down the breakdowns that led to the Wings scoring three on the Leafs. Justin Bourne is a former minor leaguer who does a great job explaining the finer points of the game, often in hilarious fashion. I've been watching hockey a looong time but still find a lot of what he points out very educational. (emphasis mine on some of the funnier parts) http://blogs.thescore.com/nhl/2014/03/19/systems-analyst-red-wings-score-on-3-rush-chances-to-beat-the-leafs-whos-to-blame/

Last season Kindl was one of the only guys who could seem to get a shot through from the point. Now it's like he's completely forgotten.

Nice strawman you guys are building. Not wanting Kassian doesn't equal hating guys who play with an edge. Kassian hasn't "occasionally gone over the edge." He's been suspended for dirty plays multiple times in multiple leagues and he's only 23 years old. It's not like we're talking about players like Backes or Doan here.

Hall slammed the water bottle down on the bench. That would be pretty difficult to hit the coach intentionally doing that. According to Oilers fans Eakins benched Hall for 16 minutes and also came out in a new suit jacket in the third period. Ridiculous. Some Oilers fan threw another jersey on the ice and Scrivens used his goalie stick to hurl it back into the crowd. Pretty awesome.

I'm sure his defensive partner is a big reason. He can trust the guy next to him and focus on his own game.

There's nothing self righteous about not wanting the Wings to acquire a young player who has consistently shown the terrible judgment that Kassian has. We're not talking about one horrible incident like Bertuzzi. Kassian has got a lot of great qualities but so far doesn't have it between the ears. I certainly don't need the Wings roster to be full of angels but there's a huge difference between a player who plays on the edge and a guy who runs around like an idiot trying to brain people. You can throw around hearsay about Kozlov and Hudler and cling to old time hockey nostalgia but the reality is that's just not how the league is run anymore. A guy like Kassian is going to get suspended a lot (as he already has), draw a lot of the league's scorn, and be a constant distraction for the team. Barring a revolutionary change of character larger than even Matt Cooke's, the short answer is no he doesn't make the team better. Avery wasn't drafted by the way. The Wings signed him as a free agent. They also traded him during his second year on the Wings before he ever even played 80 games with the club. I've never liked Kronwall's "exploding upward" hits, but his were borderline whereas Kassian has repeatedly served up the Raffi Torres special. Even with those handful of questionable hits, Kronwall has never been suspended in his 9 NHL seasons. You can scroll back to my earlier post listing all Kassian's suspensions. It's not exactly an apples to apples comparison.

According to Khan, Nyquist leads the league in goals since Jan. 20th (which is a weirdly specific date)in great because he's changed to a shoot first mentality. http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/2014/03/red_wings_gustav_nyquist_seein.html

Legwand to the best of my knowledge has never been suspended in his 14 year NHL career. He gave an ill-advised cheapshot to one of the dirtiest star players in the league. Kassian has been suspended twice this season alone for a total of 8 games. 2 seasons in the NHL, 2 suspensions. Then there's the 20 game suspension he received for a headshot in the OHL. Then there's his 3 game suspension in the OHL playoffs. Then there's the 1 game suspension in the WJC. Then there's him being charged with assault after a bar fight in Windsor. The only time you hear about the guy is when he's done something idiotic. EDIT: Not sure I've got all his suspensions straight, but it's so many it's hard to keep track.

Fans of other teams are more than welcome here, as long as they behave themselves like everyone else. Let's stay on topic about the actual hockey game tonight.

Like a gif of Chelios cutting in front of the camera with Mick and Ken. "Subtle Interference!!"

True. I'm glad that moving him to forward wasn't some sign the Babcock had given up on Smith. If he's putting him the top pair, he must still believe in him.

That's a good point about Kindl. Last season I remember I was saying he's one of the best on the team at getting shots through, and I'm hardly his biggest fan. But it's why there's little hope for him developing into a solid D man. Every time he seems to take a step forward, it evaporates a few games later.

Calling him the third most talented skater is an overstatement, but after last season it was pretty clear Nyquist deserved time on Wings, especially after the playoffs. The only reason he wasn't was his contract status and the team's cap situation. Who knows what he would've done for the Wings during that stretch, but I doubt he would've done worse than whoever he would've replaced.

These still have the videos but the articles provide a little more background. http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/sharks-make-sam-tageson-s-hockey-wish-come-true-and-it-s-a-tearjerker--video-070219363.html http://www.mercurynews.com/sharks/ci_25367992/sharks-welcome-youth-heart-condition-practice

Babcock sure seems to like throwing the guy into the deep end.

Ansar Khan ‏@AnsarKhanMLive 1m Helm said he's had three good skates in a row after a bad day on Sunday. Still hasn't had a full regular practice. No time frame on return.

Very cool move by the Sharks organization.

There are plenty of existing threads to discuss this topic.

Then that's definitely a step backwards for the Wings blueline.