egroen

http://communities.canada.com/windsorstar/...eye-injury.aspx Look, the Wings had no business losing that game last night and it was not penalties which lost them the game -- obviously it was Samuelsson (I kid, I kid... the defense sucked last night; we all know it). But last night in the third period when the Wings were up 5-2, I literally said to my wife -- "Here come the penalties" and sure enough, two penalties called on the Wings within 5 seconds of play. Are you watching other games? It happens to almost every team that starts to run away with a game, they start getting called for a slew of penalties. Is it a conscious effort by the refs? In which case are we talking about an actual conspiracy to keep NHL games close. Man, I hope not... but it is tough to argue that there is not something going on. Maybe it is as simple that a team getting beaten has the ear of the refs when they are getting penalized and that the whining and "But you missed them doing ____" makes a big difference. Obviously the winning team is not going to be complaining much to the refs. The "make-up" calls have long been in effect. The refs call a questionable one or miss a blatant one, and they make it up with another call. This drives me nuts, but it has been going on for years. It does seem more like a recent phenomena with all these amazing comebacks, especially in third periods. Teams with a lead get called more. That is so counter to how you would think it should be; trailing teams are usually the ones playing desperate and taking risks or are out to make a statement. No lead is safe any more in the NHL, and I guess this could aruably make the game more exciting? There is just no way I buy that every game, the two teams playing each other deserve to have an equal amount of penalties. Some time if I get a chance, I should go through and actually draw a comparison, but I bet the majority of games called will show virtually the same amount of minor penalties called against each team (not counting majors and misconducts and the like, which can skew it). Just ranting a bit, but I just feel this has been taking away from the game. Sure comebacks are fun to watch, but not when they are artificially induced and it is also fun to simply watch a better team dominate a lesser team. Again, this is not why the Wings lost last night -- just a growing sense of frustration I have after watching games across the NHL this year.

Remember, those comments from Babcock came before last night's game. I also do not consider it whining or bitching because he was talking more about generally and league-wide than talking about a specific perceived bias against the Wings. To me he sounds more "matter of fact" than someone like Therrien. -- "It what it is, but I have noticed it."

Yeah, I'm definitely not implying this is a directed conspiracy against the Wings, though they have been hit harder by it than many other teams simply because they score a lot of goals. Obviously they need to play safe.... but Babcock also obviously knows this and I am sure the players know it as well. Babcock knows it enough to comment on it to the press, but still you see them lining up for the penalty box after taking a commanding lead. All this despite, what I believe is a conscious effort to deliberately play it safe. Which also might explain why they look so lazy at the end of a game - they are trying not to take penalties.

*Sigh* I suppose you can't properly address the problem until you have admitted there is a problem.

Any one else feel a little dirty after noticing all the weight loss ads?

They just look lazy out there - they are content almost 100% of the time to lay up in a puck chase and allow the opposing player to get to the board first (instead of taking a hit in order to make a play). The result is the other opposing players now have time to enter our zone, an ugly cycle around the boards where the Wings are not able to clear it and then the inevitable sloppy goal.

I can certainly live with Hudler not being on the ice for the last 5 minutes of a tight game -- just consistently Babcock rewards Hudler's good offensive and defensive play with less and less minutes. He was yanked from the second line after only two games of admittedly lackluster play (which ususally takes Babcock a long time to do), and then was later demoted to the 4th line after playing great. The whole Hudler hate and Sammy love completely confounds me.

Kinda sucks -- we've lost to every single team I was dying for the Wings to beat: Toronto, Anaheim, San Jose and Pittsburgh.

It will not end until every forward on the team is Steve Yzerman in his prime, every defenseman is Lidstrom in his prime and our goalie is Hasek in his prime.

There's been one key difference --- No Chelios! And some of you thought he was useless???

Babcock rewarded Kopecky with more ice time than Hudler that game -- I didn't even realize Kopecky was playing.

I'm frankly steamed at the handling of Hudler over the past couple years... he has done nothing but improve and do everything that is asked of him, only to be seemingly punished for it on a consistent basis. I'm suprised Babcock has not had him sit a few games already this year. But Samuelsson, now there's a guy we need to give more ice time to! I'm just pissy right now, but I do agree with you and I will be sad when Hudler is gone next year and putting up great numbers with a team and coach that will actually play him.

I was not a fan of Filppula's contract and think that is the first place to go to trim salary space. Helm, Leino and Abdelkader combined are still less than Filppula's salary right now. That fact should be taken advantage of. Cleary's salary is not looking so hot right now either.

Fogarty was the most talented of them all. Broke Orr's records in juniors (and they still stand today). Unbelievably talented... Sundin once said Fogarty could outplay them all, drunk. "In 1987, when he was eligible for the draft, I brought him to Detroit. We took him out for lunch in Windsor. Just to see what kind of 18-year-old he was. It didn't take me five minutes to know he wasn't someone we were going to draft. He kept banging his fork on the table. I could tell he was a very nervous kid." -Jim Devellano, former Detroit Red Wings GM and current senior VP

Love Larionov and am so happy he is going into the Hall of Fame (deservedly so). Could read the ice better than but a select few in the history of the game.

Boucher is amazingly inconsistent. Can steal a game or totally give it away on any given day.

I would think they would be more desperate for a center - not another winger.

Sundin just seems like a huge flake. Detroit had the same offer for him on the table as they did for Hossa - and Sundin did not ****** it up. He would not waive his NTC to help the organization, because he didn't want to win a Cup as a spare part. Yet this year he seems content to sit back and join a team at his leisure. Detroit and Montreal had serious offers to him - Montreal I can understand him hesitating, but Detroit was an excellent chance at the Cup and he would not be "betraying" the Leafs. -- In fact, I was reading Leaf forums at the time and many of them said they would be rooting for Detroit and Sundin to win the Cup. With Vancouver he would be "the man", get a huge paycheck and could be the impetus of a strong playoff run for them. Does he want a Cup? Does he want a fat paycheck? Does he even want to play hockey? I think the answer to all of them is no, and that he just does not care.

Laraque is a terrible "enforcer"... he enforces nothing and will only fight legitimate heavyweights who are willing in a pre-meditated bout. He is a gentleman pugilist and not the type of player who would cold-cock a pest/dirty player like Lemiuex ala McCarty.

I am pretty sure Marchant has a NTC -- that contract is really an albatross.

Yes, I think it is as simple as that. Gordie was a skilled (extremely skilled) player who was not afraid to rough it up - probably who we think of as "the original power forward". I think it is an honor to Howe to have it named after him, and it is an honor to any hockey player to earn one; yes, even Crosby. I'd agree in that yes, he only had two... but I would argue 'till I am breathless against anyone who really thought the name should be changed. It fits the bill and the "Brendan Shanahan Hat Trick" does not have the same allure to it. Agreed. Sort of like Robinson, he proved he could go toe-to-toe with anyone in the league and so as a result of that, he did not have to "prove" himself too often. He was also so valuable to the team that long trips to the penalty box were counter-productive. I find it is always a bit disappointing to go and look at someone's actual fight history -- Probert and Kocur have a ton of losses, when they looked completely unbeatable to me at times. I think ultimately, with only 30 second bouts at most, on skates, even the best fighter is only going to win 60-70% of the time when there is an actual winner - and the majority of them will be draws.

Howe had at least 22 fights and 2 Gordie Howe Hat Tricks and they were on October 10, 1953 and March 21, 1954 -- and I think my source is better than yours: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/blogs/2008/10/the...gordie_how.html EDIT: link above as well! Has anyone else heard about this one? From what I hear, someone was pummeling Marty while he was down and Gordie skated behind, reached over the guys head, stuck two fingers in his nostrils and yanked him off his son by the nose. Urban legend?

I think it is pretty obvious Shanahan wants to stay close to New York, though I bet Toronto is not out of the question. I do not buy that for a second, either. There are rumors he did not get along with Babcock, which is not hard to believe at all; his wife had a lot of NY ties; his executive aspirations -- all lead him to New York. "Weighing down the team" did not factor into his equation at all, I feel safe in assuming. He still took a hefty salary from NY, and was coming off a 40 goal, 81 point season -- I highly doubt his opinion of himself was that low.

Though I think Babcock might play even me more than Hudler, if I just shot the puck in the general vicinity of the net every time I touched it.

The Hockey News has Shanahan unofficialy as the leader with 9. Gordie actually had two, it turns out (though until recently it was thought he only had one).