Dabura

(Salo and Timonen are both Finnish. So maybe they'd like the idea of playing on the same team, maybe even the same pairing. And we could bring up Pulkkinen and make all our Swedes feel uncomfortable.)

One name I'm not sure I've discussed before: Sami Salo. Holland has shown an interest in him before. Granted, that's because he's old and incredibly injury-prone, which is what Holland likes. But he's on an expiring contract, he's right-handed, fairly big, can play top-four minutes (can't be any worse than Quincey), is good on the PP (great shot), and we could use some veteran savvy and stability on our blue line. I don't really see the Bolts parting with him this season, though. They're happy with what they've got going on, and, honestly, they probably need all the good defensemen they can get. Still, it's some food for thought. I almost feel like that's actually the way to go on the back end next season - a couple of good, old, proven, reliable stop-gaps to hold down a couple spots while Ouellet and Sproul continue to develop on the farm at a pace we're comfortable with (rather than throwing them into the NHL fire, which I'm not entirely sure they're ready for. Certainly Sproul still has some growin' to do.) So, yes: I'm suggesting adding the very thing we DON'T want any more of. This is why I am awesome. Obviously these wouldn't be rentals, so I guess I'm veering off-topic and talking about this summer. But humor me. What if this summer we cut loose most or all of the dead weight up front and go young with our forwards, and then on the back end we somehow lure a Cup-hungry Kimmo Timonen away from Philly (see: Alfredsson, Daniel) for his final year and ****** up Sami Salo for a year or two? Niklas Kronwall Jonathan Ericsson Kimmo Timonen Danny DeKeyser Brendan Smith Sami Salo Lashoff Actually, looking at that, I now realize it'd be too old and slow. So, fine, pick one of Salo/Timonen. And maybe even give the other spot to Ouellet. lolz wurd fillter (rhymes with "catch")

I also mostly agree with this. I mean, you know me, I bang the we-got-no-bridge! drum 20 times a day. I guess the big thing is, it can't be a rental. It would make almost no sense. I've tried to figure out a way to make it work, but it's hopeless.

Agree with all of this except the Smith/Ouellet + Jurco + 1st for a rental thing. With all due respect, that would, I think, be monstrously stupid. Unless we'd have some kind of gentleman's agreement that the rental in question would sign with us in the offseason. And even then, I don't think I'd be willing to give up Ouellet or Jurco, never mind both.

That's Girardi's current hit, if I'm not mistaken. So Dickie's saying he'd trade for him, I think. Which kinda surprises me. Who and/or what would we be giving the Rangers, Dickie?

We're going to be up 3-1 with fve minutes left in the third. The Canucks are going to tie it up on a Quincey blunder and a Kronwall penalty. Then the Canucks are going to win it in overtime. I'm glad Smith is scratched, though. I was ready for him to be traded four months ago.

Oh, I know, but I think my point still stands. All he ever talks about is where the focus need to be, and he's made it clear that it's scouting, drafting, player development, our homegrown youth. Our kids. Granted, this one quote in question has been taken out of context somewhat. But, even so, it's a weird thing for him to say. He's made a conscious effort to "go young" with our D corps. Nyquist was a stud in the playoffs, and, either way (whether he and Tatar are destined to be studs or duds), he's made it incredibly clear that he doesn't want to fight for UFAs or swing any big trades - so, as our aging core inevitably declines, what's the compensation mechanism that will keep us competitive? Wouldn't it kind of have to be kids? Isn't that kind of what every GM in the league has figured out? Doesn't he say as much in every interview he gives? And didn't Yzerman, Lidstrom, Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Kronwall et al. start their NHL careers as kids? *shrug*

And yet all he ever does is talk up the importance of the draft! development! homegrown talent! building from within! because that's how you have to do it in the cap era! but we wouldn't understand that! because we're morons! but he gets it! Have you learned nothing???

The Wings have to know the situation. This is a pre-Superbowl NBC broadcast, starring Alexander Ovechkin, in DC. The perfect script sees them neck-and-neck, tied up at five apiece after 60 minutes, with Ovie sealing the deal in OT. That's what everyone wants to see. So there's a good chance the refs are going to do their best to make it happen. That means you have to be that much safer, smarter, more disciplined, more on-the-ball. You know what their PP can do, and you know they're going to get a boatload of opportunities, especially considering the way our last game against them was called (in our favor). At the very least, we could look like we pre-scouted the other team and know how to run an actual NHL PK. At the very least, our all-star olympian starting goalie could give up less than six goals. At the very least, Kyle Quincey could not throw that puck over the glass and suck all the wind out of our sails for the rest of the first period. The refs are the refs. You have to assume they're going to job you every night. The worst thing our players could do is pin this loss on them. This loss was a team effort.

Guys, this isn't on the refs. We spotted the Caps three goals in the first by playing the absolute worst "hockey" we have ever played. As always, we do it to ourselves.

I was gonna say earlier, What happened to our great PK?

It needs to be said: we are a disaster. Yeah, five goals, great. But six goals against. Remember when a game against the Panthers didn't feel like Game 7 of the SCF?

With the first period we had, we're lucky to get a point. We play three periods, we win in regulation.

Quincey and Smith continue to kill us.

I think it suggests our legs may be shot. Which wouldn't bode well for tomorrow.

It's time for a stupid Kronwall penalty.

This must be a hell of a good time for non-Wings/Caps fan viewers.

Darth Kader redeems himself. Somewhat.

He's overrated around here. He's good for several boneheaded mistakes a game.

This team.

No question.

Ah, cool.

Nyquist has to be one of the NHL stars of the week/month, no?

Gustav Nyquist shall henceforth be referred to as Arby. Or Curly. Or Fries.

It's funny - I don't know if people here realize this, but a fair number of 'hawks fans were swooning over Nyquist during our postseason series. When he's on, he's one of our best players, period. That's why sticking him on the farm at the start of the season was such a farce. He might have 20+ goals at this point. We might've gotten some lost points back. smh.