b.shanafan14

Oh yeah, forgot Sakic is laid up for most of the season, for me that makes Lidstrom a lock. Definately a veteran for the East as well, but this poses another important question: how does the coach effect the all-star team? With Babcock as the coach is Osgood more, or less likely to make the team? With the Sens coach in the East, is Alfredssen more or less likely to be captain? If it was up to Babcock, I don't think he would put Osgood in the all-star game, what do you think? Cause I want Ozzy in there!

I think that there could be some minor hickups, nothing too major but its one of those single incidences which cause some contract negotiating problems. Though everyone relizes this a single-player charity, I don't see much happening, not like when a player signs for much less giving a GM right to say "you aren't as good as so and so, so you will make even less" Still sucks, the Ducks are a joke this year, literally.

Reviving careers works with your Chris Chelios and Dan Cleary guys with work ethic, and Detroit has a great ability to find guys who punch the clock and sweat, give them a chance and make them better than ever. This same equation doesn't work with guys like Samsonov, Yashin, etc. because of they extreme hype and sad work ethic. What you do with these guys is take passengers on a ship already set and sailing fine, throw in their baggage, pay check, and inability to pull the load, and next thing you know, s*** ain't steering right.

Please, no more Sid the Kid, they will and SHOULD give it to a veteran like Sundin, much like they did Shanahan last year I think Lidstrom for the West captain is a great choice and should happen. Of the names that you mentioned I think only Sakic could challenge, Thornton and Iginla, no way

good article

Yeah, I actually like Selanne, sucks he is Busch leaguing with the Ducks just to come back and hopefully make the playoffs... man the Ducks are a sad organization....

Contenders: Detroit, NJ, Calgary, Ottawa Pretenders: Pittsburgh, Anahiem, Dallas, Colorado On a side note: does anyone else have NHL08? Notice how Busch league the Ducks are somehow having every player from last season and new acquisitions, along players like Bertuzzi being rated like it was 6 years ago. Schnieder, Neidermeyer, Pronger, Bertuzzi, Penner, Getzlaf, McDonald, Selanne, Perry haha and apparently if Teemu touches the puck its a goal no matter what haha

^^ Great avatar redwings56 ^^

quite possibility my favorite Samuelson move, usually he either runs outta room and loses the puck, or end up blindly waffling the puck to noone, or if those don't work, he'll go with the "old standby": firing an errant shot off a stick, up and into the mesh out of play

Never been a Sharks fan, and as they say "playoffs build rivalries" and after about game 2 in the 2nd round last year I was thinking their physicality had swung more into the goonery category, but I've always admired them as the high-scoring, physical team they were always toted to be. Can't say I'm not happy to see some of their "superstars" who I have always thought to be overrated and benifitting purely from a Thornton, are now doing laughably bad. I've always known Nabakov was a solid goaltender, as someone had said, with the guys they have on the back end, your goaltender better be the best player on your team. This whole situation is a charicature of many questions I'm asked in the past, but now maybe has grabbed the attention on more: Q: Are the San Jose Sharks really the team they are made out to be, or have they always been "paper lions"? A: They have been favored for a while now, because of size and scorers, but consistency has never been there, and yet the names on the box score sheet have decieved many into believing the Sharks to be a powerhouse. Q: Is the "high-flying, score on a dime" Cheechoo really just a flash in the pan winger who has benefitted not on skill but on the back of great set-up men? A: Cheechoo has a scorers touch, but outside of being a more accurate version of Samuelson (that is to say he is basically good to shoot), Cheechoo has always relied on a great set-up man and without one, he is rendered useless. Q: Are the San Jose Sharks capable of the perserverence it takes to win the cup, do they have the character within their core to overcome set-backs? A: No. While there are two players wearing 'A's and one wearing a 'C', their are few players carrying the leadershio roles, Thornton and maybe J.R. being the exceptions. But when the going gets tough, I don't believe that is enough to motivate a struggling Cheechoo or Bernier or Marleau. And with Thornton We have already seen shades of the Sharks level of perserverence in the games against Detroit this year, it basically turns a bad stiuation worse when the second half of the game becomes "Tantrums on Ice" and they stop playing and focus more on gooning. Overall, though they have been a tough team to play against for a while now, when the season began with so much hype around the Sharks, I was never a believer. Sure, they were tough in the playoffs and nearly had the Wings number, but as a repeat, consistent team I didn't see it there. And unless their "elite" players start producing like it in the second half of the season, I see a first round exit almost definate.

"Rex" is Hudler... not sure how he got that name, just kinda picked up on Rex=Hudler after being on the boards for a while

Pretty decent, quick fight. Crosby got a good 3 punches in to start with his gloves still on, which is pretty Busch league, but after that it was a good scrap. But as all good things with hockey surrounding the Kid, the media made it out to be a damn hockey revolution, thus ruining the small moment for me. Watching PTI on ESPN yesterday, one topic was literally who had the biggest night Gaborik with 5 goals and an assist in a game, or Crosby with a fight (didn't even mention it being a GHHT, just cared about the fight). Thank god both guys picked Gaboriks 5g-6pt night as the better of the two, but its just another example of how the media has killed Crosby for me...

I agree with all above opinions that call for Samuelson's departure. He has a powerful shot, but it comes with neither accuracy or good timing. This season is more disappointing than any of his others with Detroit because to me he seems to be skating better and added some stick handling to his game. Unfortunately, this hasn't paid dividends in the scoring department. And yet, he still plays on the second line, with rare promotion to first line due to injury or spiltting Pav and Hank. He still plays point on the second powerplay unit where I think we would be better served to have a speedy defenseman like Lebda or a heavy rebound shot like Chelios. I'm also a bit suspect of Samuelson's ability to hold the zone on the back end, as he seems to often miss passes or not hustle to keep the puck on the right side of the blueline, this is another thing Lebda or Chelios could help with. Even his poor passing has made his emproved skating and stickhandling useless. I believe that Kopecky is beginning to come into his own at the NHL level, and even he is playing better than Sammy so far this season. Its times like this when players who are doing more with less like Hudler and Fillpula aren't promoted as Sammy stays on the top units, when I start to question Babcock's conviction on playing the producers vs. who he thinks can produce.

I agree that losing Lang, who's floating style and inability to dig along the boards, and Williams/Calders streaky, play decent then play completely horrible styles has the Wings much better off. This year they are faster, hungrier, and work harder, and it shows night in, night out. I don't agree that Markov fits into that category however. I liked Markov on the backend and was disappointed they didn't resign him. He was a great stay-at-home defenseman with a physical edge, the kind of player some people say is the missing piece on the Wings blueline this season. Better off without Lang, Williams, or Calder. Could definately use Markov. Either way, the Detroit Red Wings are dominant this season and hopefully can keep pace, of course, not breaking stride as they move into the post season. Hate to say it this early, but could you imagine a regular season record like '95-'96 only this time with a Stanley Cup?! shh shh... its too early....

Ovechkin is the man! I've always liked the guy, and honestly, with his personality and wit, I think its amazing how compared to Crosby, he gets next to no attention. Everything is always Crosby this, Crosby that, but Ovechkin is just as good, more physical, and is funny as hell. I vote A.O. as the new face of the NHL. His enthusiasm on the ice is ridiculusly contagious

This is impossible. By missing half of the season, Niedermeyer has pulled himself from the running for Norris. No matter what the Ducks do, Lidstrom will have played better for a whole season. I agree Neidermeyer will get all the credit for every Ducks win from here on out, which is ridiculus in it self. But Lidstrom has always been a far better defenseman then Neidermeyer, and the fact that he'll have twice as many games assures the Nick is a shoe-in for his 6th Norris. Don't worry, I can guarantee that...

Went to a Wings-Jackets game in Columbus two years ago, Detroit controlled the game pretty handily as usual I believe. Some of us from the U.P. were there with an Upper Peninsula flag hoping to get Mick to see it and say something, since he'll throw us Yoopers a bone every 8 broadcasts. Some couple, the very portrait of white-trashery were jawing the whole game to our section which I believe was mostly Wings fans. When s*** got really bad for Columbus everyone just started chanting the stupid OH-IO bulls***, as if to say, damn, this hockey thing has failed us yet again, hopefully this four letters bring me peace.... I'm pretty sure the majority of the crowd was Wings' fans, otherwise we are just a lot louder, because it seemed like a home game, and Fedorov was getting boo'd pretty loud in his own building

Definately a strange one. The Datsyuk penalty shot should have never been called, its was no different than any other hook on a player. Datsyuk needs to get back to dangling, he has done that same sell-the-backhand-stuff-the-forehand move just about everytime this season. You can't argue with Filppula's penalty shot, Vokoun threw the stick. Almost good Flip cashed in and Pav didn't, as Flips was earned, Pavs wasn't. As far as two own-goals off of the two Norris trophy winners in the games, thats just terribly s***ty luck. Bummer Osgood didn't get a shutout and it hurt his GAA, but he's a stand up guy who is prolly the best at shaking that stuff off, and he got the W and got to crack on Cheli after the game, so no harm , no foul I guess. Wierd game, definately.

looks like we finally have a good discussion about goaltenders that doesn't dissolve back to the Hasek and Osgood camps dooking it out over who is better or worse... liking it... I agree that in regards to close GAA and Save % at the end of the season, the player who keeps it up longer, through more games played should be the better player. However, right now Ozzy is the only player under 2.00 GAA and the Wins collumn is impossible to ignore. When you add on save %, which I see next to wins being the most important goaltending statistic, you can throw out the fact that the Wings allow fewest shots in the league, if 93% of the shots he sees he is getting to. I think the biggest thing to look at, or at leasst the thing the stand out so much to me right now is the Wins. It defies logic that a guy who plays half as many games is 2nd in wins! Alas, the NHL awards are as fickle and random as the BCS sometimes (outside of the Nick Norris trophy). And i know they will dismiss wins for playing on a great team, and GAA for not seeing many shots, and save % for not playing as many games. I KNOW Ozzy won't win the Vezina, not because he won't deserve it, but because the powers that be will dismiss a half-time goaltender for a big name, even if that guy does everything possible right. Does this remind you of the BCS in college football most years? A team who wins all the games they are given, does everything right, still doesn't get a big bowl game. I could go into how much I hate the BCS, but this is a hockey forum, and we have a good discussion going

Babs was talking about right now, in the recent stretch of games, not overall on the season, and I agree with him. Datsyuk is playing out of his mind, dangerous, dangerous hockey. He has always been incredible, but in the recent stretch of games, he has been scoring goal, setting up plays, playing defensively, at an entirely other level. He started the season with decent point production, all off of assists with only 2 goals in the first chunk of 15-20 games, and since then he has been producing near a goal and an assist a game, not to mention his superb defensive play. I agree with Babcock that RIGHT NOW, Pavel Datsyuk is the most dangerous forward in the game.

If he keeps pace, which on one hand, his composure and confidence suggest, while on the other hand the numbers seem TOO incredible, and he doesn't WIN the Vezina I would be pissed. Not that I believe Osgood is the hands down best goaltender in the NHL with names like Luongo and Brodeur, but the proof is in the numbers if he keeps pace. That pace being 37-3-3 with a 1.76 goals against and a .930 save percentage... the pace seems impossible to maintain, but if he achieves it somehow, he will have by far the best numbers in the league and should be a runaway for Vezina. Unfortunately, as much as I love Ozzy and think he is playing the best hockey of his career, the numbers SEEM unreachable....

I'm in the same boat, can anyone help?

wow... sorry folks! I had posted this, but it didn't load the page afterwards and didn't show up right away in the forum so I just figured it was lost and was too lazy to repost it: Osgood seems pretty unstoppable right now, at least as far as finding a way to win everynight. After the win against Florida last night, his record is 15-1-1. That puts him among the very top of the league in wins, while the other guys being night in, night out starters for other teams have around 10+ more losses than Ozzy. My question for the board was: Is there an existing record for WINNING PERCENTAGE or first to 20 wins in the fewest starts or something? Because from this start, I believe he could be on some record pace, am I wrong?

i read that too, its obviously wrong, and the last one before that was '95 i believe, not '92

According to the fantasy watcher on Center Ice online, Ozzy saw 35 shots tonite. Its a shame his own D-men pwn'd him twice Oh well, great win, crazy game.