b.shanafan14

There are already like 4 of these threads....

Can anyone post this gem?

.... you're alright by me, Richards.

I appreciate all these "relax, look at history" threads that keep popping up, but history has no bearing on the present. We're not doomed, but we're not in great shape either. All we can do is hope they get it all together soon.

Blaming Osgood is getting old. The GWG was uber weak, but like others have said, it should have never gotten that far. The Wings used to be built around defense with great offensive upside, that was 2008 when they won the Cup After bringing on Hossa, and everyone hitting stride in the scoring department, the Wings seemed to abandon defensive responsibility, opting to win games 5-4 instead of 2-1. Almost taking a 80s Oilers-esque strategy. Same defensive and checking personnel as the year before, vastly different result. And now here we are, eventhough we have roughly the same defense and checking personnel that we won the cup with, minus Sammy, we can't score more than 2 goals a game and we lack the defensive responsibility we used to have to make up for it. I'm sorry, but if you're going to let the Coyotes outshoot you, you better not blame a loss on your $1.6mil goaltender.

And the FSN Detroit system shows exactly why the fans don't select the the 3 Stars officially. Fans are always going to pick favorites instead of being objective. Thats why every night the text voting reads something like this: Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Osgood, even if all of them have an off night, what the lower tier players need to do to get votes is staggering But maybe I'm just being pessimistic, and maybe this guy will only accept votes after the midpoint of the third instead of pregame and maybe the fans will be uncharacteristically objective.

Weird indeed... Griffins better at molding prospects/kicking a has-been in the ass? None of this really makes sense....

I saw this poll this morning and the first thing I thought: WTF, no Osgood bucket and cage?

hahaha.... nice movie reference....

I'd switch Williams and Cleary, Draper and Helm, then I think they would be just about perfect. Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Holmstrom Cleary-Filppula-Leino Williams-Helm-Bertuzzi May-Draper-Maltby (Abdelkader) There you go, Babs. Please stop trying to force chemistry with players who don't have any, also, keep Cleary in the top-six.

yikes....

All the way up until the league realized Sid stood a better chance if they expedited things.

The thing that really pisses me off is that there seems to be a lot of holes in the schedule, like the Wings being off for 4 days randomly, and I think the Leafs have like a week off right around now too. With the Olympic break putting a jam on the NHL season as it is, I can't help but think we'll be seeing some hellacious 4 game in 5 night kind of trips later in the season. That and being sans hockey a couple times a week has been irritating.

Wait, was the question to critique the Hawks or the Wings?

This is my biggest concern. No one is really putting the puck on net. That line, Filppula and Leino especially, hold onto the puck so well and can really skate circles around the opposition in the offensive zone at times. But if no one is going to shoot the puck and seize the scoring chances, thats all they're really doing: skating in circles. Sometimes watching the Finn Twins control the puck, I wish I had the NHL10 ability to tap the right bumper and make them put the puck on net.

This. And when everyone was tagging him immediately as the next Dan Cleary, I knew it was doomed to fail. I thought he was going to be the better of off-season acquisitions, but he has been almost completely invisible.

Osgood thus far has had glimpses of briliance and peeks of mediocrity. I believe he has the abililty to become consistently the former and rarely the latter. And as soon as he becomes so, and I believe this regular season is the year, he will be considered the HOF worthy goaltender he is. You have the tools, Ozzy, now get to work!

Based on what? Are you watching the same games as I? One good backcheck a game doesn't make up for 5 instances of fumbling the puck instead of doing something with it. Funny you went straight to idiot though, you Bertuzzi's dad? Everyone is praising Bertuzzi when he has done exactly dick.

Exactly the lines they should have had to start the season, but preferred to continue the failed split-up Z and Dats experiment, as well as the failure that is the Bertuzzi experiment.

Good thing, because he really has played incredible so far. Sad commentary, because he is one of few who looks like they came ready to play.

Williams went from playing like the equivalent of Samuellson's understudy and I wasn't thrilled at all about getting him back, but I have to admit, he makes some pretty heads-up plays. Thing that surprises me the most, he actually looks good on the PP blueline so far, actually better than when he is skating down low. He still needs to work on his boardplay, but so does everyone but Cleary and Filppula at this point. I'm pleasantly surprised to notice myself saying "wow, nice play, Sammy would have definitely fired that off a shinguard and chased it back into his own zone." But its early, and Williams looks good *knock on wood*

Part of me says "cool", other part of me says "thats the best they could do?"

How anyone could think Bertuzzi has looked decent, let alone great is completely beyond me at this point. Holmstrom is slow and clumsy, but at least he tries out there.

did anyone come into this season in game shape and prepared?? seriously... between all of our skilled players being next to invisible and the injuries left and right, i'm actually starting to worry, and i usually don't.

THIS x 1000 for everyone who says "its only 5 games"... try 87 regular season bouts.