Outsider

I didn't post the facts to illustrate that he was an "extra bad person", only to refute those who laud him for voluntarily forfeiting half his salary. That wasn't how it went down. It's similar to the way in which the story about how Dom became a Wing in the first place has evolved from the truth, which was that Dom had his agent call the Wings and tell them that he was leaving Buffalo, and that he wanted to play for Detroit - but that if Detroit didn't want him, then he'd sign with the Blues, to "the Wings pursued Hasek." There's quite a bit of difference between the two scenarios, but it's the false scenario which is "remembered" now as the truth. That's unfortunate. Because by this time, most of the "links" have been taken down as outdated. The only record of the truth of the matter lies in the actual written, not the electronic, version. That's kind of scary, if you think about it.... You're kidding, right? C'mon, you don't remember the flap that caused in Buffalo, when he made that statement during his retirement speech after the Cup Win in 2002? Once again, unfortunately, the links have all been taken down. Can't even find a youtube clip of his retirement presser anymore. I suppose that presser must never have occurred, since there's no "link" to it.... There IS this, though: From a Fan Blog after the 2008 Cup Win In discussing Dom's retirement after the Cup Win in 2008, it reminisces about his less than ideal departure from Buffalo, and his retirement speech after the 2002 Cup Win: It was forgotten, almost as if it never happened. Dominik Hasek was seated on a dais in Detroit's Joe Louis Arena for a news conference to announce his retirement Tuesday. Only when a reporter asked The Dominator about the Buffalo Sabres did he acknowledge his old team. Hasek finally found his Holy Grail two weeks ago when he and the Detroit Red Wings won the Stanley Cup. He had won six Vezina Trophies as the NHL's top goalie and two Hart Trophies as the league's MVP -- all with the Sabres. But the Stanley Cup completed his spectacular career. "I am and I will be a Red Wing forever," Hasek read in his opening statement. And just like that, the Sabres were rendered the same discarded fate as Chuck Cunningham on "Happy Days." For those unfamiliar with the sitcom: The oldest child of Mr. and Mrs. C was eliminated from the show's consciousness as if he never existed after the first season. -The Buffalo News, June 26, 2002 There's a link in the blog post to a rather scathing article in the Buffalo News. Unfortunately, that article no longer exists in cyberspace. It's been taken down. The only place to find it is in the public library in Buffalo. Or perhaps that article never existed, after all, either....

There are no "links" remaining. The closest thing to the truth is here: From the Ottawa Citizen - June 06, 2006 "....Hasek later agreed to forfeit $3 million U.S. in salary...." Go to your local library and look at the HARD COPIES of the local newspapers. The story is there. I'm not "making it up". And once again, yes....he COULD have said "I'm keeping it." But do you really think his ego would have allowed him to be vilified in Detroit, after his "In my heart, I'll always be a Red Wing" speech? Come on....

Funny. Most people tend to forget, (or do they), that Dom didn't voluntarily forfeit a portion of his salary for the 2004 Season until AFTER Ken Holland "met" with him about the matter. Had he NOT done so, he would have been burned at the stake in Detroit. Period. Funny how history gets "revised", isn't it?

I've been watching the replay of Round 1 against the 'Yotes all week. Tonight is Game 3. Anyone who thinks that Howard's rebound control was not a factor in losses this Season needs to re-watch the Games. Seriously. A lot of people talked all Season long about how the Wings Defense left Howard out to dry many nights, "allowing" 30-40 shots against consistently. What they failed to mention was the dead cold fact that most of those shots were terrible rebounds which should have never been let up in the first place. If Howard had better rebound control, the shots against would have seemed more "Wing-like". It wasn't the Defense which left Howard out to dry, it was Howard's rebound control which made the Wings Defense look bad on many nights.

Wow. I've kept silent for awhile now, (well....along with the whole "virus" thing on this site....hope THAT is cleared up!), but I HAD TO respond to this gem: "Clutch" is not a skill, it's a state of being. And it is absolutely what separates a "good" Player from a Champion. There is NOTHING more important in any must Win situation than being Clutch. Billy Smith was a TERRIBLE regular season goalie. He made a Hall of Fame career out of being...... Clutch.

From an Islanders fan.... Dan Blackburn was the real deal. As an Isles fan, it made me vomit a little in my mouth to think that he was going to be a Rag, and worse....that I actually liked the kid. Both as a person, and as a goaltender. As much as I hated the thought of him in a Rags jersey for decades..... I'd have much rather that, than to see him go out the way he did. Shame. Damned shame. For the record, had they both panned out? DiPietro and Blackburn? Dan would have been the better of the two. No boudt adout it. ***Edit*** Oh...and the blogger makes me laugh. "Restoring" Rick "to glory"? Huh? What? Exactly what "glory" was this guy hoping Ricky would be "restored" to? Or was he referring to that ever present glorious "potential" that Deeps been struggling to live up to since Draft Day 2000?

I'd say that's a pretty fair estimate. Two extra shots per goal mouth scramble, two goal mouth scrambles per period, plus the one or two he routinely kicks out to the slot every period. That puts my count at 6 extra, totally unnecessary, shots per period due to nothing more, nor less, than poor rebound control. Three periods per Game? That totals out to 18 shots per Game that could conceivably be directly attributed to rebounds. Perhaps YOU need to take off the "Wow! Look how many shots he faces! Our Defense SUCKS!" T-shirt, and start to realize that it's not the Defense that's leaving Howie out to dry. It's Howie making the Defense work twice as hard as they have to.

The classics never die, man.

Pfffft. Amateurs. The both of you. "You're the Best" from The Karate Kid.

It's a well documented fact that Yzerman didn't talk much. About anything. Ever. That's why the rare occasions when he DID speak had that much more of an impact. Think 2002 WCQF's against Vancouver, down 0-2, and Steve Yzerman taking questions at the post-game PC, head down, staring at the table, saying in a barely audible voice: "I guess this Series might not go seven Games after all." Pause....pause....pause.....then a look up, directly into the eyes of the guy who had asked the question, with eyes black as an abyss, and saying in an even QUIETER voice: "That doesn't mean we're gonna lose, either." Stevie picked that Team up and carried them on one knee. And he was right. The Series DIDN'T go seven Games. The Wings won in six.

There. Fixed it for you.

How well did they play last Season? They didn't play well at all. They OUTSCORED opponents. They were atrocious, defensively. They ALSO had a HUGE problem with "showing up" in Games. ALL last Season. They didn't come together until the Post Season started. Or had you forgotten that, too? How much do YOU think Chris Chelios was respected in that lockerroom? How do YOU think it sat with the Players to see him treated like he was treated? Yes, he was old. Yes, he wasn't as effective as he once was. He was ALSO a guy who'd been a huge part of this Franchise for a decade, a Hall of Famer, and one of the hardest working guys in the history of the Game.

LOL.... Once again, keep telling yourself that.

I never stated that Steve's feelings were hurt. Steve wanted one more year. He wanted 8 more goals. He was gently "shamed" into leaving. His Pride was played on, "You're just not good enough anymore, Stevie. You know it. Let it go. Step aside." Yes. Y knew it. What he, personally, wanted was to stay on to accomplish that last bit of PERSONAL glory for HIMSELF, after all the years he'd given for the TEAM. He was made to feel guilty over it, and was reminded that he'd become more a liability than an asset on the ice. "Take one more for the Team, Steve." While it may have been true, it wasn't necessarily the right thing to do. Period. And, once again, you keep fooling yourself into thinking that the fact that the people "in the know" who let these things slip when they're in their cups makes it any less true.

LOL..... Pay attention. First it was Yzerman. And Shanahan. Then it was Chelios. And Hudler. Now? It's Osgood. These are not the types of Players who are "Meh.....take 'em or leave 'em." guys. All of these guys were universally respected, and universally LIKED, (on a personal basis), by everyone in the Room. How many good Team guys have to get thrown under the bus before the Players who are left in the Room start to wonder if THEY are next in line for the s***ty "Thanks for everything. Now get out." treatment? You think these guys aren't human?

If that's what you got from my post, then perhaps you should take a reading comprehension course at your local community college. Lids was the ONLY logical choice to follow Yzerman. Period. It's not Stevie's absence which is the problem. Yzerman being ever so gently shown the door is the problem. Shanny feeling "unwelcome" is the problem. Cheli being FORCED OUT is the problem. Osgood being treated like s*** is the problem. Again....to YOU these guys are just numbers on the roster. To the guys in the Room, they're "brothers". Some they've known for nearly their entire adult lives, AND their entire careers in some cases. You can think to yourself that your brother is a douchebag all you want. You may even proclaim it to him to his face on a daily basis. But when someone ELSE ***** slaps your brother, that just ain't gonna work.

You missed the point, clutch. As you most often do. Stevie reportedly wanted one more year. He wanted that 700. He was made to feel "guilty" for wanting to accomplish such a thing when there were other, younger Players, who were waiting in the Wings, (literally and figuratively), for their turn to be the "face of the Franchise". It was subtle, but it was put right out there. Shanahan? Done? He scored 40 goals, and had 41 assists that Season, clutch. Shanny wasn't "done". He was disgusted. He left. Period. Cheli didn't get any ice time because Babcock wouldn't GIVE HIM any ice time. Or had you forgotten that? I'm sure you've probably forgotten the flap over J.R. comments that it was personal, and that Babcock "hated" Chelios, too. JR has big fat mouth, but what conceivable reason could he have for making a comment like that without SOME type of truth to the matter. Again....you've MISSED the point. These men, while "done" in YOUR eyes, were well respected TEAMMATES to the guys they played with. And if you think these guys form NO attachment to Teammates they've gone to war with, Season after Season, over the space of a decade and more..... Than you know little to nothing about the Team dynamic. And when they watch their TEAMMATES and FRIENDS being treated like s***, simply because "time passes", they're thought is..... "Time's passing for ME too. Will I be thrown under the bus once my best days are behind me, too? f*** THAT! I've given everything I HAD to this Team." Where do you think the concept of Team Chemistry comes from?

LOL. You keep right on telling yourself that, Broken. Keep telling yourself that the reason this Team hasn't played like a TEAM all Season, that the best Players on this Team haven't produced to nearly the level they should, that the reason they fail to show up in so many games and look disinterested in so many others..... Is because of the Cap. Or due to nothing more than injuries. Always, ALWAYS, in the past this Team has played for each other, as a Team. Now? They're a bunch of individual players, (note the lower case "p"), out there. Talented, but less in their "parts" than they are as a "whole". Keep telling yourself whatever it is that helps you sleep at night. Then head on out to the local "hang outs" around town and talk to the guys who ARE "in the know". Get 'em drunk enough, they'll sing like canaries. And they've got a WHOLE different take on the situation than that which you espouse.

Fair enough. Let's break it down, then. The message to Stevie was basically "You've been great. But you're not, anymore. Thanks for your years of service, but with you in the Room, it'll be impossible for D and Z to take over and make this Team their own. Your shadow looms too large, and they can't flourish in it. You're a legend. Everyone wants you to leave on your own terms. That would be the best case scenario." Exit Yzerman. Shanny, seeing this, decided that he too would "move on" to make way for the new generation. While he wasn't forced out, he most certainly didn't like the message that was quite clearly sent to his Captain, and very good friend. He thought it was BS that Yzerman was given his own sword to fall on, however respectfully done. Exit Shanahan. Cheli was forced out. Anyone who can't see that is either blind, or delusional. Babcock didn't want him here. Exit Chelios. You see these guys as "old" or "over the hill" or "past their prime". The guys in the Room? THEY see them as Teammates. Warriors they'd fought, and bled, with. Guys who'd helped paved the way for player, after player, after player, to have success in the Winged Wheel. The OLD GUARD, who had earned the right to pass the torch onto the new guard, after years of service and loyalty. The dynamic has changed. This is now a "what have you done for me lately?" Team. It shows. Enjoy it.

Nope. Not just Ozzie. But Ozzie is one of them. Why don't you take a look at what's happened to the veteran leadership in that lockerroom, going back to Babcock's first year in Detroit. Take a look at how it was treated PRIOR to it's oftentimes sudden departure from the Organization, up to and including last year..... Then tell me the balance of the veteran leadership which is still left in the Room probably isn't sitting back and saying "WTF......" to themselves.

Scotty Bowman "did it" by relying on his VETS, and trusting that they would come through for him....as they had in the past.....rather than on the shiny new toys.

Hey, remember when this Team had Coaching which put FAITH in it's veteran leadership, rather than throwing them under the bus when adversity hit? Remember when this Team had Coaching which realized that this is a marathon, not a sprint, and that the ones most probably best equipped to get you over the finish line AGAIN, are those who have been there before, so that when they TELL you what they need to be successful, you GIVE them the best opportunity to be successful, rather than a backhanded slap and a response of "You'll work with what I think you need, not what you're telling me you need, because I'm the boss. You're not the boss. I'm the boss. You're not the boss. I'm the boss. Get it? Get it?!?"

Oh.....you mean those Teams with all the great producers in the "what have you done for me lately" category, but not much there in the "what have you actually accomplished in your career" category? You mean those types of Teams where individual stats are lauded over actual career accomplishments. You mean those types of Teams where the Coach has lost his Players? You mean those types of Teams where everything looks fine and dandy while everything is, well....fine and dandy, but has a Head Coach who can't let go of his ego and make a change when adversity strikes? Are those the types of Teams you're referring to?

You'd should be more concerned with what Howard is thinking after hearing a goaltender who's racked up 300+ Wins and Won two Stanley Cups with the Franchise take a shot like that. Probably thinking: "Jeez. I've got NO leeway in this town. None. As soon as I slip, the "fans" will eat me alive."

What Babcock said was: ...."but, if you're Ozzie, you haven't won in awhile"..... What was it Babcock said after the Game last night? Something about "Winning is like losing. It's a habit. When you get in the habit of losing...." Now.....after he'd stated that Osgood hadn't won in "awhile", and then lauded him for being such a good mentor, and how he has no problem talking to Ozzie about "the situation, about what's going on" he states..... ".....but right now, Howard's had the opportunity to win more than Ozzie has, so it's a real simple thing for the coach - We need to win tomorrow, Howard's in net." Again, as you do with most things, you've taken it out of context. Somehow, I'm not surprised. Nothing you say really contains anything of substance. You just like to stir the pot. It's like you said: You can't resist.