Dabura

I apologize if this has already been discussed, but I was reading this: http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic...1128/SPORTS0103 ...and I was surprised to read that Babs plans on dismantling the line as soon as everyone's healthy again. I suppose I can understand his argument (although I question whether we're truly deeper than we were last season, and why that would necessitate hacking apart the line), but personally, I think this is a case of "If it ain't broke...." Maybe if we had another top-6 scoring winger.... Anyhow: Thoughts?

We're pretty much screwed on the trade front.

It's kind of a moot point, though, because we all know the league never truly does anything for the sake of parity. In all likelihood -- and I don't mean to sound bitter or spoiled or anything -- this is all about Homer. God only knows how many complaints have been filed about him.

I wouldn't really call it a conspiracy. The league wants to make a statement about goalie interference, and caling Homer for everything makes it look like they're taking it seriously. Really, it's more laziness than anything else.

Good. I never wanted him here, and I knew it was a pipe dream anyway. He could be pretty scary in Ottawa, though.

I think it's secretly every hockey player's dream to have a pro team by the balls like that.

Stastny knows how to light the lamp, no question, but I don't think that's enough to warrant calling him the best player in the league right now. He's a newcomer and it shows in his all-around game. That, of course, is to be expected from any offensively-gifted young guy, and in three or four seasons, after he has refined his play away from the other team's net, he should be a real force to be reckoned with. But at the moment, Hank is the real deal, a bona fide elite NHLer. The big difference between him and Stastny is that he's not only scoring like a madman, but also doing all the other "little" things right (e.g. backchecking, setting up plays, working as hard in his own zone as he does in the offensive zone). That kind of stuff doesn't get you as much press and hype and fanfare as a hat trick does, but as Stevie Y demonstrated, it elevates you from being a great offenseman to a great player, period. Barring injury (knock on wood), he should vie for the scoring title and the Selke this season. Can't say that about many players.

Why do we always have problems with the ducks? They're the anti-Wings -- big, strong, nasty, cocky, consistently strong in net, mostly lacking in morality, etc. They know the only thing they need to do to beat us is to simply play their game, and they're going to keep doing that and giving us a hard time until one of these two teams experiences a sea change of some sort.

The correct answer, whether you're a Wings fan or not, is Henrik Zetterberg.

Let's not get carried away here, folks. I understand a lot of people are disappointed, but to start trashing the guy's whole career because he looks out of place in the early goings of his first stint in the Big League is lame.

FIRE KEN HOLLAND

I can't believe he gets paid to write garbage like that.

The Central's still pretty much a fascist dictatorship.

You generally make very intelligent posts, eva, which is why it surprises me to see you making a statement like this. If you know anything about hockey (and I know you know a thing or two), you know that scrapping and fighting can give an entire team an intangible boost. I didn't watch last night's game, so there's only so much I can say about this specific case, but I suspect the fight counted for a little more than what you're giving it credit for. Also, I think it's pretty silly to call Downey fans "anti-skill."

2.5 at the very most, IMO.

Truth. Honestly, saying we'll miss Schneider's shot on the PP is provincial, as working that part of the umbrella is about much, much more than just winding up and slapping (and like you said, Schneider isn't even especially good at choosing when to wind up and slap). Rafalski has a much better feel for his functions at that position, and is better equipped -- both mentally and physically -- to do what's necessary in just about any given situation. If he can become as comfortable with this system as he was with the Devils' (and there's no doubt in my mind that he can and will), and if we can snag a scoring winger at the tread deadline, our PP is going to be absolutely devastating -- for the other team, that is.

I've been saying so since the day he signed. It will probably be a little while before he's 100% comfortable with the Wings' style of play, but that's only because he's played NJ's system for so long. His natural inclination is toward our system, and once he gets totally accustomed to it, he's going to be even better than he is now.

This Wings team will not win the Cup.

Just got home. Can't watch the game, so I checked the espn.com box score.... Holy god almighty, have there really been that many penalties called?

Sweet, thanks.

I can't watch the game! WHO'D THE DRAKE FIGHT????

Terrible news, but I'm happy they're saying he should be OK. My prayers are with him and everyone close to him.

WHICH WAS GLORIOUS. :siren: But yes...hockey. Something something Versus something.

Suddenly and unexpectedly, we have a somewhat meaningful game against the 'hawks. Expect a clobbering.

I'm bored. Humor me. (Note: This is not a panic thread.)