Dabura

I once hit the ice chin-first. It wasn't pleasant.

I guess that'd be the bright side of a brutal loss/losing streak.

I'm ok with Cleary and Bert in the lineup. But Sammy...

Food for thought

I have to say, I've grown to like Ott as a person and as a hockey player. Yes, he's a bush league pest. But he's also not. Which is cool. He's got one year on his contract, and though he says he loves being a Sabre, no one actually likes - let alone loves - being a Sabre. Except Ryan Miller, but he's emo and stuff. Anyway, I hope we land Ott in a deadline trade or snag him through free-agency in the summer. I'm actually being totally serious. /blasphemy

Destroy.

Blame Canada.

Bottom line: they need him, badly.

So. Is it safe to assume he never really had any super-tempting offers on the table? And that, in addition to wanting to remain a Wing, he didn't want to face the embarrassing, potentially career-screwing prospect of being released from a PTO? Or is it just that he waited so long that the only thing his non-Holland suitors - who had, perhaps, truly offered him truly tempting deals earlier in the offseason - could offer him by that point in time were PTO dealies? I guess it's just weird to me that he was all "Well, I deserve more than what Ken offered me, and I've got these great offers from other GMs, so I'm off to try out for the Flyers now, kbai."

http://www.freep.com/article/20130930/SPORTS05/309300077/detroit-red-wings-gustav-nyquist sigh

I highly, highly, highly, highly, highly, highly, highly doubt Babs is seriously considering bumping Tatar up to the 1st line. But anything's possible, I guess.

I can't speak for Babs, obviously - but if we just look at it on the surface, what do those three guys have that Tatar doesn't? Experience (seniority), size, and pretty well-rounded games. I imagine that last one might be the main issue re: Tatar. And, really, it's no big secret that the biggest knock against Tatar, besides his size and his personality/attitude, is that he's a rather one-dimensional player. Which is a nice, euphemistic way of saying his defensive game sucks. Not that I really think that should be a huge issue (it's not like the team as a whole isn't very, very strong defensively and couldn't compensate. And, besides, hes a young goal-scorer. Show me a young goal-scorer with a great two-way game.) But, meh, whatever.

I was going to make a post here earlier today saying that anyone who thinks Tatar is on the same footing as Cleary, Samuelsson, and Bertuzzi in Babcock's (and Holland's) mind hasn't been following this team for very long. Bingo. As I've been saying all along, the "youth movement" is a lie. It was born of necessity, not preference.

Which is kind of weird, because wasn't he all "I dunno, Ken, I mean, these other offers I have are REALLY REALLY GOOD"?

I have a couple funny stories, one re: Lidstrom, the other, Bowman. But I think I've already told the tales...(?) Its gotta be Yzerman. This is one case, I think, where being a slightly younger fan of the game (26 going on 27, i.e. someone who wasn't in or out of college in the mid-90s) is/was a really big deal. The role-model/hero/guy-you-look-up-to thing. Yzerman was my guy. I wasn't obsessed with him, I didn't have posters of him all over my bedroom walls...there was just a very strong feeling of respect and admiration and "Hey, this guy makes sense to me. I like what he does and the way he does it (e.g. leading by example)." Would be honored, thrilled to meet The Captain.

Zetterberg Datsyuk Cleary Franzen Weiss Alfredsson Bertuzzi Andersson Samuelsson Miller Abdelkader Tootoo Opening night lines?

Actually, Glendening wouldn't help either of our problems, would he? His cap hit is bigger than Emmerton's (unless I' mistaken), and he's another body. Please no Cleary on the top line. For the love of all that is sacred and holy.

Glendening wouldn't help the too-many-players problem. I fear this means Cleary to the top line, with Abdelkader centering the third or fourth.

Coach Q is dreamy.

http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/2013/0/red_wings_say_joining_they_won.html

So pretty much these guys just talk about the Leafs and random s***.

A CLEAN SHOT ON NET! AWESOME!

edit

We are teeeeeeeeerrible. Except for Mrazek.

Reimer's not looking sharp. Gotta shoot that, Iron Hook. Pulkkinen the water bug. We're having real problems driving the net - but at least we're trying.