egroen

When your top two defensemen combined make over six times as much money as both your goaltenders together, it's probably not best to call the goaltenders underachievers when your team is 25th in goals against. Even the 4th defenseman makes twice as much as your starting goalie. The Wings do not pay Osgood to steal games, but to hold down the fort.

I find myself wondering what Pronger would get if he punched Elisha Cuthbert in the face....

I completely disagree. If Osgood was playing like he is right now in the playoffs last year the Wings do not make it out of the first round. Hasek last year proved that "anyone's grandma" would not look good in goal on the Red Wings, and Osgood is proving it right now. He has sucked, and his numbers suck. If he does not start playing better, the Wings are not winning the Cup this year. I have faith he will turn it around.

I personally think it is simply because Avery is almost universally hated. He could have flicked a booger at a reporter, been suspended for life and a lot of people would think it wasn't enough. He's getting a bum deal because he is a jackass and no one wants to come out and defend a jackass. I would honestly have a tough time defending Pronger if he was suspended for a legal hit. I'd probably think "he had it coming" at first. Most people think the suspension is apropriate given Avery's past actions, but that bothers me as well. What exactly has he done that is so bad, asides from being a jackass no one likes? He has never been suspended by the league for anything, in over 6 NHL seasons. He is not a dirty or cheap player out to injure anyone. He called Iginla boring. He called Brodeur a fatso. He has yelled back at heckling fans. He challenged the NHL's marketing. He got into a pre-game, on-ice altercation with Darcy Tucker. He stereotyped visor-wearing, french canadians. He screened Brodeur with his hands. (I did not list the accusations of some of his on-ice insults, because they are unsubstanciated and his altercations with teamates are best handled by the team, not the NHL.) "So what?" is my reaction to all of them. The NHL obviously felt not a single one of them warranted a suspension, but I think it is apparent he was on "probation" because of them. There is no way another player in the NHL, without Avery's past, would be met with such a stiff punishment. I'm sorry but none of those incidents, or all of them combined, warrant the pile-on Avery was just given. Looking at them objectively now, I would welcome a player like that in the NHL, just to spice things up a bit. Unfortunately, that player hapens to be pretty unlikeable as a person and a teamate and I think that has more to do with his current suspension than the actual incident itself, or his past infractions. Bettman wants to pile it on because he feels Avery degrades the NHL. Dallas wants to pile it on because he is a bad teamate and they want to get out of signing him to a bad contract. Fans want to pile it on because he is a jackass. This is not someone like Chris Simon or Ron Hextall with serious issues who could be a legitimate danger to others on the ice, and requiring anger management classes is ridiculous. It just really bothers me, and I hope the NHL does not start coming down on other players who have been known to speak their minds and make things interesting. That is not the NHL I want to see, and I will defend a repugnant pig like Avery so that it does not happen.

Did you see how close Crosby's skate came to his face on that dive? Yikes.

The difference in even strength time on the ice is about 80 minutes between the two. At around 15 minutes a game, Hudler has produced the same amount of even strength points as Filppula in essentially 5 less games.

It essentially forces the NHL to dole out suspensions. If given the choice of: 1) A fine of $2,500 2) A one game suspension I think Avery deserved much closer to the one game suspension.

One thing that is clear to me is the NHL needs to be able to fine players and coaches more than $2,500 (I had no idea initially they had such a tiny limit). That's just stupid and barely even a slap on the wrist. This suspension is essentially a fine for close to $300,000.

Red Wings are furiously memorizing the scripts provided to them: Well, obviously _______ is a great player and you knew the ______ were going to come out motivated tonight. ______ set me up realy nice on that play. Things got a little chippy out there, but we just have to play through it. The refs have a tough job and are going to make those calls. I thought ______ played a really great game. Gary Bettman is not short at all. We have to give 100% effort out there for all 60 minutes.

Jones almost puts Bergeron in a hospital bed for life and gets 2 games. Sean Avery says dumb things and gets 6 games. The Wings just made sure Holmstrom never sits in front of a camera again.

Unbelievable. Man, I hate the NHL some times.

If this team can put it all together they will tear the Sharks and the rest of the league apart in the playoffs. I hope they can, because it's the last time we will see a team like this in quite a while. The amount of talent on the team, for the amount they are being paid is staggering.

WWIII

The Stars approached the Manitoba Moose about potentially taking Avery and they said they would never take him under any circumstance. And this was PRIOR to the latest incident. http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=258453&amp...topRelated_main Personally, my opinion of the Stars is really going down through all this. I don't care how much of a dick Avery might be, he is a teamate and he is not the sole reason that team is suffering. They are completely throwing him under the bus and scapegoating him here. Turco and Modano are such whiney *******.

That's awesome, way to go Nik!

Datsyuk and Hossa has definitely grown stale. I'm ready to see some Euro Twin Power Activated. Hossa would do fine with Franzen and Hudler.

You're even further away than you think -- you only have 20 players on the team and need at least 2 more.

Saying f*ck to the national media is not worth a suspension, but sloppy seconds apparently is. The league will typically come down hard on someone who has a history of suspensions (ala Simon, though Pronger does not count), yet this is Avery's first suspension. He should not have been suspended (he should get a hefty fine), but a suspension for numerous games is a complete joke. An article I agree with: http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/2072...s-ackwards.html

What sort of horrible bet did I lose? I hope the possible payoff made it worth it.

Yes. Whether it is earned or not.

We are legitimately looking at losing our #1, #4, #5 and #6 top point getters right now who also happen to be 4 of our top 7 goal scorers. I don't give a rat's ass about Filppula's potential and defensive play if keeping him means we can't keep at least two out of those 4 (Hossa, Franzen, Samuelsson, Hudler).

Yes, but did Tortorella have a history of suspensions already from the league? Oh wait... neither does Avery.

Avery has a no-movement clause (limited). Ouch! Avery can not be traded or waived. Hull really screwed the pooch on this one.

So true. I have a feeling Turco is probably he biggest detracter... anything to get the attention and blame off his shoulders. Stars fans are singing a different tune though, and think Avery has been one of their better players, and one of the few actually playing with heart.

Wow, he has turned his team fully against him quickly this time: http://tsn.ca/columnists/james_duthie/?id=258309 Maybe they will send him to the minors and hope a team might claim him on re-entry? Hull could lose his job over this.