Learn2LuvIt

As Babs would say, "we need to start on time tonight". I want to see physical, intense Wings. In front of their net. No 30 foot wristers from low percentage angles..
Also, Blash has got to be in sort of a panic....right? I mean, first year here as coach, first year coaching in NHL, and he's in jeopardy of breaking our playoff streak. Got to be some sleeplessness going on.
Let's do this!!

Petr didn't have a very strong game last night. IMO...I thought Seabrooks goal and Kane's goal were stoppable. For the life of me, i don't understand why Petr played last night. There were reports that he's had/has a sore groin. If that's the case, why wouldn't you play Jimmy who has been really, really good as of late?? Give Petr time to heal properly. I don't get it.

Petr didn't have a very strong game last night. IMO...I thought Seabrooks goal and Kane's goal were stoppable. For the life of me, i don't understand why Petr played last night. There were reports that he's had/has a sore groin. If that's the case, why wouldn't you play Jimmy who has been really, really good as of late?? Give Petr time to heal properly. I don't get it.

Do yourself a favor while in Grand Rapids area....remain (or become) a fan of awesome beer and breweries, and you'll be in heaven. Ohhh my are they spoiled in that regard.

^ the double OT goal was what made Stevie my fav player- his popularity skyrocketted.

This D group is working through issues. No one in the group has been great. In fact, just a few that have been good. I'd say Mike Green is one of those guys that has been good. He'll get better as the season rolls on. Not even at the half way point of his first season with a new coach to him, and new coach to the team.
Fact is, we need him. His cap hit isn't crazy, and we've been screaming about a RH D man for years.
He's the type of veteran player that is a difference maker in big games (playoff's, etc...).

This D group is working through issues. No one in the group has been great. In fact, just a few that have been good. I'd say Mike Green is one of those guys that has been good. He'll get better as the season rolls on. Not even at the half way point of his first season with a new coach to him, and new coach to the team.
Fact is, we need him. His cap hit isn't crazy, and we've been screaming about a RH D man for years.
He's the type of veteran player that is a difference maker in big games (playoff's, etc...).

We have to get bigger. I don't mean big like height, but we need a player or two that plays big. We all know E has size, but he pays like he's 5'9". We need a player who plays 6'5". Whether he actually be 6'5 or if he is 6' and plays bigger, we need him now. Everyone is tired of hearing trade scenarios or players that can be traded, but its time, we went from winning ROW's to losing OT, to losing. It was a slow pregression, but it got there. It's time for Holland to make that deal that gets us the top line defender (if one is available) and/or a bigtime legit scoring threat.
I still maintain that E, Smith, K, Helm, Andersson, Jurco, Pulkkinen and Howard are ALL expendable/replaceable, and I am a fan of Jurco and Pulk, but any of these guys can be replaced within the system or with whomever is acqured. Throw the 1st round pick out there and a prospect or two in order to get what we need. Of our 4 D kids, we aren't going to be able to keep all of them, there's just no room, especially if we get that top guy in a trade, so throw one of them in a deal. I know the goalie tandem is doing fine, but trade Howard now while he still has #1 value. It's time for Mrazek to take over playing 8 out of 10 games now. We cannot just sit back anymore and hope things turn for the better, they have gotten worse. The only reason we are anywhere near MTL is because Price is hurt.
I suppose if things don't get any worse, we could wait until the deadline, but I really wish they wouldn't, they seem to be going downhill a bit, I hope they trend up very soon. I don't know what it would take to get that #1 defenseman, but I am sure, even with the names I listed, Holland could offer a package of any combo of them and get what he needs.

I remember on several occasions when we'd sign a guy that could drop the gloves (Tootoo, Comodore) Babs would seem to commit to some value of having this type of player on the team by stating his usual term of ..... "someone to keep the flies away". Almost like clockwork, that said player would play game 1 of the regular season and get into a fight (of course...right??). As Wings fans we'd be pumped that we have a player who will stand up and throw down....then all of a sudden, that player would play less and less and eventually not get any ice time. I never understood this. Why'd Babs seem to support this type of player/grit signing (he and Kenny assuredly conferred on player acquisition) then when they played like they've ALWAYS played, he'd rarely use them. People have always claimed that some of these guys got into Babs "dog house", but it seemed like more of a pattern and bias against their style of play. I mean, part of Tootoo's value is his toughness...not all, but if you were going for a pure point producer there were other options (in this particular case, especially considering some perceived off-ice baggage that Tootoo carried - Not my opinion, but he does come with a stigma of some things that have happened in his past). Just never got that about Babs.

I remember on several occasions when we'd sign a guy that could drop the gloves (Tootoo, Comodore) Babs would seem to commit to some value of having this type of player on the team by stating his usual term of ..... "someone to keep the flies away". Almost like clockwork, that said player would play game 1 of the regular season and get into a fight (of course...right??). As Wings fans we'd be pumped that we have a player who will stand up and throw down....then all of a sudden, that player would play less and less and eventually not get any ice time. I never understood this. Why'd Babs seem to support this type of player/grit signing (he and Kenny assuredly conferred on player acquisition) then when they played like they've ALWAYS played, he'd rarely use them. People have always claimed that some of these guys got into Babs "dog house", but it seemed like more of a pattern and bias against their style of play. I mean, part of Tootoo's value is his toughness...not all, but if you were going for a pure point producer there were other options (in this particular case, especially considering some perceived off-ice baggage that Tootoo carried - Not my opinion, but he does come with a stigma of some things that have happened in his past). Just never got that about Babs.

I remember on several occasions when we'd sign a guy that could drop the gloves (Tootoo, Comodore) Babs would seem to commit to some value of having this type of player on the team by stating his usual term of ..... "someone to keep the flies away". Almost like clockwork, that said player would play game 1 of the regular season and get into a fight (of course...right??). As Wings fans we'd be pumped that we have a player who will stand up and throw down....then all of a sudden, that player would play less and less and eventually not get any ice time. I never understood this. Why'd Babs seem to support this type of player/grit signing (he and Kenny assuredly conferred on player acquisition) then when they played like they've ALWAYS played, he'd rarely use them. People have always claimed that some of these guys got into Babs "dog house", but it seemed like more of a pattern and bias against their style of play. I mean, part of Tootoo's value is his toughness...not all, but if you were going for a pure point producer there were other options (in this particular case, especially considering some perceived off-ice baggage that Tootoo carried - Not my opinion, but he does come with a stigma of some things that have happened in his past). Just never got that about Babs.

This is nothing new. He's big and not physical, thus everyone sees him as lacking heart/intensity. He's a good pylon to place in front of the net and clear the crease, but that's about it.

I'll dedicate my loyalty as a consumer for life...to any company that buys all the Wings jersey sponsorship slots and makes them blank, and matches the same color jersey as they are wearing on any given night. Unless feminine/lady products, I will swear my financial alliance to this company. God help me if the company that did this is a horrible tasting beer...I guess I'd be drinking many for the "the team".

I realize he doesn't average over two goals a game. I was exaggerating for effect.
However, I'm not sure that we made a strategic decision to leave Ovechkin uncontested. And if we did, it worked. At least for now. So I'm not sure what else we should have done. Played him the way everybody else does? Everybody else he scores on regularly, that is.
There's no good way to cover him. But I don't think that means Blashill specifically chose NOT to cover him. He's just really really really good. And his whole team was feeding him, so get got a bunch of shots. Won't happen again I'm sure.

We got lucky that he didn't have at least two goals...that's what's wrong with it. PM stood on his head and that's the only reason he didn't score...that was an unbelievable performance by PM the other night. PM is really, really good...but expecting him to play like that every night is unrealistic. Most goalies on most nights, don't stop all of those. I would have like to have seen a body on him. I'll risk putting a shadow on him and take my chances on their other players beating us. He's that good. Also, notice that's a pretty common strategy for teams who play against Pav. They'd rather take their chances on e.g. Abby beating them than on letting Pav roam free or go uncontested.
No one could ever convince me letting Ovie take 8+ uncontested shots from 20 feet away is a good strategy. 40 footers, 60 footers (blue line)....maybe??. Not from the middle of the face-off circle!!! Ask Brett Hull or Shanahan if that's a good strategy...they'd kill teams....they made a living off of getting open at 20 feet out.

Maybe. But if the strategy is to let one of the most deadly shooters in the game take 8+ uncontested one-timers from 20 feet away....your strategy is broken. I get giving the goalie a good look at shots, but let's be real, on most normal nights when Ovie has that many shots, he usually has two goals.

I love me some Z...but the fact of the matter is that Z has never had great speed. At the beginning of his career he was a tad above average (NHL standards), but not so much anymore. I saw that he looked a little sluggish last night, but I'm not reading into it at all. He's matching up in the pre-season against much younger guys, whom a lot are headed back to the AHL soon, he tends to look slow(er). He's playing against guys who are fighting for a job, and this is playoff hockey to them. Some of these guys will actually never make it full time to the NHL and they realize this, so they are pushing as hard as they possible can. Z is likely to be int he mindset of getting in game shape, getting his timing back, working on line communication,....just another day of preparation for whent he real season starts.
Elite players aren't neccesarrily the fastest players on the ice, nor are he fastest players on the ice neccesarrily elite. Z is absoltuley and elite player and I don't use the word "elite" lightly.
Z brings so much more in terms of hard work, determination, hockey smarts, and both underrated passing and hands. At least he's not Larry Murphy (toward end of career) slow, or Homer (toward end of career) slow,...now they looked like they were skating in slow motion.

I'll dedicate my loyalty as a consumer for life...to any company that buys all the Wings jersey sponsorship slots and makes them blank, and matches the same color jersey as they are wearing on any given night. Unless feminine/lady products, I will swear my financial alliance to this company. God help me if the company that did this is a horrible tasting beer...I guess I'd be drinking many for the "the team".

Didn't you know!! Every great coach in history came out of the womb with NHL coaching experience and never had to get behind the bench as a rookie. "We all got a break and started somewhere"...that's not true for great coaches though. It's a genetically tested for trait. "Learning the ropes"...nah, not great coaches...these guys were SURE THINGS. Duh!!

What???!!!! Can you give me step-by-step, very detailed instructions on how he pulls this off? Just out of ....curiosity

What???!!!! Can you give me step-by-step, very detailed instructions on how he pulls this off? Just out of ....curiosity

Per Ken Kal's Tweat:
Babs comment, "there's a deli in MTL that he's dying to have a sandwich from" prompted me to make a dinner reservation there tomorrow night.
I love the swagger in the face of huge adversity.

Per Ken Kal's Tweat:
Babs comment, "there's a deli in MTL that he's dying to have a sandwich from" prompted me to make a dinner reservation there tomorrow night.
I love the swagger in the face of huge adversity.

Per Ken Kal's Tweat:
Babs comment, "there's a deli in MTL that he's dying to have a sandwich from" prompted me to make a dinner reservation there tomorrow night.
I love the swagger in the face of huge adversity.

My head says we've blown too many opportunities and not closing out last night on home ice was the death nail.
My heart says Wings win 11 - 1.
Gotta go with my heart on this one.