Mckinley25

The slant is terrible, diagonals are visually unsettling, it's a very poor design choice. The winter classic jerseys were perfect, horizontal is pleasing to the eye and the muted colors were a nice touch.

No, I think the dissenters are just very vocal.

It won't go away, the desire to be the best is what created advanced stats, it's a direct result of the intangibles you mentioned.

I haven't watched an All Star game in a while, do they still score 9 goals a game? It might be difficult to tell the effects with a sample size of 1.

There is a correlation between being the only team that "over ripens" and the only team that has made the playoffs for 25 straight years.You mention Chicago's success, but that was largely built around several bad seasons that allowed them to draft low and snag Kane and Toews. Detroit could be back in contention if they tanked and had a few NHL ready picks out of the gate, but they've instead competed every year and developed (over ripened) prospects better than any other team. Detroits biggest downfall, in my opinion, is that they haven't been able to acquire a franchise defenseman with their draft picks. That's easier said than done, but Subban and Weber were 2nd rounders I believe, I just wish we had found one in either Sproul or Oullete. As far as free agents, there are a lot less of them, and only one team in 30 gets any individual player. The only big names Detroit missed out on (Parise and Suter) had Detroit at number 2, so Holland is at least the 2nd best GM in the league. Though it's not like the Wild have rocketed to elite status since that acquisition.

I guess the question is, if you had swapped Quenville for Babcock, would the results have been the same? I don't know how to answer that but even pointing out that they both had stacked teams doesn't truly do the argument justice as there are plenty other factors that weigh in the outcome of a Stanley cup victory. So many in fact I would say it's very difficult to conclude who is better in a purely scientific fashion, instead we can only rely on the somewhat crude data of wins. So short of exhaustive analysis and likely impossible empirical testing, Quenville is the better coach, and given their respective situations I don't believe that judgment will sway in favor of Babcock anytime soon.

Young Floating Jeff Blashill. There's a picture of it earlier in the thread, it's a continuation of the Young Floating Mike Babcock picture.

Game time is 7:00 p.m. EST.

No one's feelings are hurt, they're just pointing out that the thread doesn't promote constructive discussion.

But when you condition your opinion with "folks need to realize that" it is nonsensical to leave out the information that supports your claim of "folks" ignorance.

Is it just that we don't have enough of the right type of wingers to create four effective lines? Im not good at the line combination thing but it seems like after the Z, Larkin, Abby line, all of the 2nd and 3rd line players are same.

Why are you single now?

They don't seem to be in sync with one another, but part of it is there's a lot of standing around waiting for the puck and when they get it because they're not moving, the puck is easily taken away. You don't have to skate the puck out of the zone, but you have to pass it to players who are moving otherwise it's entirely too easy to defend.

Why is it when Vancouver is on the penalty kill there is constant pressure on the puck carrier without consequence and when the Wings are on the kill they're in a tiny little box within a stick's length of the goalie allowing the Canucks to maintain possession unchallenged? I understand they're trying to cut off the most high percentage passing lanes, but a successful kill requires possession.

The transition game is still terrible, if this team could figure out a way to skate while leaving the zone instead of being flat footed the outlet passes will come easier.

With Quincey and Green out I think we'll see Kindl and Marchenko.

The new benchmark. The team looks like they're hesitating about every decision, which could be the result of adapting to a new system they're not yet comfortable with.

You do, but because they have universal afterlife everyone gets into heaven. You just have to wait a really long time.

Why do you think his uncle was his grandfather?

Do you have a source on these?

He was only compared to Maltby because he didn't make the cut and refused initially to report to grand rapids, exactly like Maltby. Him sticking around too long is an entirely different situation but I'm not even going to touch on that.

Helene St. James to "cover" Red Wings as result of Journalistic void in southern Michigan.

I'll take the 31st against Ottawa.

I think there's another before the end of the month too.

Do you think Jimmy is better suited to face Montreal tomorrow? I was thinking about this yesterday and couldn't really decide who I would want, it's such a huge game.