TheBadOne

Yeah, I think that Melrose's points were a bit weak (Redden and Phillips over Lidstrom and Rafalski? Please!), but I guess it would be boring to watch 60 seconds of two guys pretty much saying "Go Wings" who aren't Mickey or Kenny. Side note: I miss Ken Daniels' style out here; him screaming "GREAT STOP OSGOOD!!! " or "PUT THAT IN YOUR HIGHLIGHT REEL!" to the point where the microphone clips for one reason or another never gets old to me. We do, however, have Dave Strader and Darren Pang here in Phoenix, so I can't complain too much (they had a interview with Yzerman during the last Detroit-Phoenix telecast, that was nice.) I do, however, think Ottawa's the best in the East and both teams have a solid roster. I think that the best thing that could happen for the sport, the league, and for the entertainment of hockey fans everywhere is if Detroit and Ottawa ended up facing off for the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals.

I understand Koci's the enforcer for Chicago, but its not like Chicago couldn't have sent out either Vandermeer or LaPointe to handle the rough stuff for a minute while the guy let his broken nose heal. I can only hope he and Chara willingly had a go at it. Good for Koci for going out there and doing what he does anyway. He defies the stereotype that Euros are soft and aren't fighters. I hope to see him back in action for the Hawks sooner than later.

Nice

It's too bad players couldn't voluntarily opt out of waivers. I think the only way you can is if you're a Group III Free Agent who signs a two-way deal.

I thought you had to be at least 20 to play in the AHL. Is there something I'm missing, or does that only apply to drafted players?

At the same time, you've got Kyle McLaren running around and playing rough with the players, even injuring Drake in the process. Last years Red Wings would have played a more timid game, giving SJ the opportunity to use their roughness to affect the mental game of the guys on the ice and subsequently win. This year's Wings, however, had Downey tell McLaren to STFU with his fists, sending the message to the SJ bench that they aren't having any of it. Is a guy going to resurrect a 6-1 game through fighting to change the score to 7-6? I doubt it. But in close contests, when the other team is going to resort to cheap tactics to try and get two points, then they gotta be set straight or your star players will worry about it.

Lucky goals or not, the guy still scored. Don't hate him for putting the puck to the net and having good things happen as a result. Goals aside, he's still got two assists and has shown that he isn't a defensive liability with his positive rating, something that further accentuates that work ethic, not luck, is the reason Ellis has been working out. He's not Pavel or Hank, but at a $475,000 salary, I believe he's doing well for himself.

All I gotta say: Dom, take it easy and get some rest, man. Ozzy and Jimmy, have fun for a while. Go Wings!

My sentiments exactly, sir.

If memory serves correct, he played last night on a line with Kopecky and Samuelsson when he scored that goal. Neither one of them strike me as grinders. No skill? Yeah, guys with 4 pts and a +5 rating get there by being luck, right?

First off, this is precisely the reason why I liked seeing Matt Ellis make Detroit's roster. His goals aren't pretty, but he puts the puck to the net and can make something happen. He's always been a great competitor, one that supposedly wouldn't have that show on the stats sheet but is somehow carrying 4 points and a +5 rating after 8 games. Its unlikely, but he's on pace for a 20-20-40 season. He was a hard worker in GR, a hard worker in Detroit, and will probably assume Draper's role once he retires. Kopecky is doing better on a line with Ellis. I think him and Ellis have remarkable chemistry together and I'd hate to see them broken up. As for Grigorenko, I hope Pavel, on behalf of the team, can start to talk some sense into him because I doubt his agent is. I can understand if he's having money problems, but it would be nice if he'd be willing to take the I-96 shuttle a few times this year so he can get top 6 minutes in the minors while working on his game with the Wings whenever injuries occur (which there will be) and collect portions of his salary from both deals. I don't want to lose the guy, but I can't put on rose-colored glasses at this point and say he's our best option. I hope he gets on the stationary bike for a bit, that would only help him out. I like Downey's enforcement style. He doesn't go around looking for a fight or have a bad attitude when on the ice. He simply identifies who's screwing things up for the Wings and addresses the situation. His bravery gave his team the momentum to score two unanswered goals against SJ and win. That's not something I think the Wings should (or would, looking at the team's new outlook on toughness) readily give up on.

I agree. The more I watched the fight, the more I realized it was goons vs. dudes who just don't fill that role. My question is what was the motivation of the coach to send his goons out against another team's star line?

I was reading an article and I saw this quote from Babcock. Truer words never spoken:

Here's the deal on Aebischer from this side of the world... Statistically speaking, Aebischer was the weakest goaltender of the preseason, while Auld was the strongest followed by Tellqvist. Apparently he hasn't shown at practice why he should be the number one, so they're going to send him to San Antonio (where there's 8 games in the next 12 days) so he get some starts and get back on the Coyotes roster. They want to get him some playing time, even in the minors, so he can have a second chance to reestablish himself as a starting goaltender. Considering the Coyotes are still working with LeNeveu and Tordjman as their minor league goalies, I don't see Aebischer being down there for long.

This brawl is beyond ridiculous right here. Total goon hockey from Quebec...

Hell, if we're getting into fictitious enforcers... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6wKapwxh-w Though to be honest, there's a guy out there who's probably a better match... Say what you will, but if this isn't proof that fights can be used to win hockey games, I can't help you...

Phoenix's home crowd is even more embarrassing... of course, if they put a winning team on the ice, I think thing's would be different...

I can't believe there's actually people against the idea of locking Cleary up. In case you've forgotten, the dude was 20-20-40 last year. For a guy considered a 3rd liner, those aren't bad numbers. I don't think he's worth more than $1.5, though, because his success is as much about his abilities as it is him playing in a system that he's comfortable playing in. I'd say a 3 year/$3.3 M deal would be most fair.

I'd like to have another name for the sake of variety, but Zetterberg thus far has been the best player in the league...

The Good Decisions: - Chelios for Erikkson - Finding Datsyuk and Zetterberg using late-round draft picks. - Assembling the 01-02 Detroit Red Wings. That was one of the best hockey teams in the history of the league. - Letting Devereaux go. - Getting Ozzie back. - Keeping a defibrillator near the bench. - Letting Legace go (great goalie, but his mouth with the media would have gotten them in trouble.) - Finding Cleary and Samuelsson in the bargain bin and turning them into important pieces of the puzzle. - The Matt Ellis project that turned him from an undrafted junior to a player worthy of a spot on the Wings roster. - Getting Downey and Drake on-board to reinforce team toughness. - Most important, getting Mike Babcock as the head coach. The Bad: - Acquiring Ranford, Clark, and Ulf F---ing Samuelsson at the 99 trade deadline. Great players, but way past their prime and ineffective. - The Cujo/Hasek fiasco. - Trading Avery. - Signing Dave Lewis as the head coach instead of Mike Babcock, where Babcock took the Ducks to the Cup finals that year. - Losing three intriguing goalie prospects (MacDonald, McIntyre, Liv) within a year to have that go from being the team's deepest position to their most shallow. - Not giving Lang the minutes he deserved. In retrospect, he was never truly appreciated in Detroit. - Not keeping an effective enforcer around for the past two seasons. - The Bertuzzi trade. We lost a decent prospect for a rental player that couldn't stay healthy and didn't re-sign. - Locking Maltby up to a long-term deal. He's just not the same player he used to be since the lockout. - Not lowering the ticket prices after realizing games weren't selling out in the playoffs.

Actually, Gratton's in the minors right now on a rehab assignment because he broke one of his fingers. Admittedly, he didn't break his finger playing the piano, if you catch my meaning However, Weller, Carcillo, and Boynton are willing combatants, so there still could be some rough stuff (Carcillo Vs Drake would be a good fight.) Yet Phoenix, for being a team with fighters, doesn't really get into goon hockey that much. Add the fact that Coyotes Management kisses Detroit's ass whenever they come to town and I doubt you're going to see anything too crazy on Saturdays game. One never knows, though...

Babcock's the most underrated coach in the league, IMO. I don't think any one goalie is getting preferential treatment more than the other. Dom's the guy on the $2M salary, Chris is the one on the $900K salary, therefore the guy with the $2M salary is the starter and the other's the backup. If Chris plays in more games this season, its entirely because of Babcock's philosophy that he who wins plays more. The Wings might not be loud about their love for Ozzie, but considering they brought him back after being claimed from waivers, that to me shows that they've always liked the guy. If anything, I don't think Bowman's ever gone to the media and said Ozzy should be grateful he plays for a team that's great defensively, unlike other goalies wearing a Winged Wheel. I do feel this should be Dom's last season though. Age is starting to catch up with him for one, and the other being that a Howard/Ozzie tandem for next year is starting to look better and better as the season progresses.

Certain sentiments have been echoed here, certain haven't... 1. I think Waddell should have lost his job before Hartley. de Vries and Tkachuk take off, Mellanby retires, and who replaces them? The dude was boasting how his team was going to the playoffs 05-06, only for them to finish 9th! They've made the playoffs once and this guy's still around. Shouldn't ownership have taken a clue from Columbus? 2. Lehotnen's nickname is 'The Hamburgler" and he didn't get that name because he eats salads. If he looks lethargic, maybe he should switch to Chicken Parm and Pasta instead of Big Macs and Fries. 3. The Thrasher's have been too busy drinkin' the Crunk Juice cuz this guy's been hanging out in the locker room.... ... and that may be the closest anyone in an Atlanta jersey gets to the Cup.

I say let more than 10 players try them out, but do have them try them out just the same. If that works to the players advantage and doesn't significantly increase injury, then I'm all for it.

Lamothe never reported to camp so out of weight that he was assigned to the minors, as seen here...