CMatt89

Intent to blow the whistle? Bertuzzi intended to score, does that mean he gets the goal?

not an intentional knee. he's the best player in the league, if Crosby did this exact same thing, they would see it for what it was. Ovechkin going kamakaze (sp?) to make a big hit, his usual, and Gleason trying to evade the hit, unfortunately their knees made contact. Wrongfully suspended.

i suppose which ever lineup we put out there, if Ken Holland and Babs approve, we'll always have a chance at a cup. IM more a fan of the bumb and grind first, finesse second. As long as we have speed, we can dominate.

terrible? hmm, well, Cleary scored what, 8 goals last year while Holmstrom d on was out and playethe Line with Datsyuk and Zetterberg while both of them were producing. DHE is a terrible line? and the 4th were running now is terrible? How are these lines terrible when, if you've watched any Wings hockey, you would have seen that 3/4 lines i suggested have all clicked. In past years that we've won the cup, we've had the ability to muck it out. I'm not saying Miller, and Abby will allow us to hoist the cup. I'm just saying, to have a balanced roster, you gotta have some lower tier role players. If every line is set out to score and make fancy plays, It's going to be easy for other teams to take liberties and dirty up the game land there will be counter attack. I've won 2 Jr A championships and I've never seen a team rack up more injuries than one thats built entirely around finesse.

^ okay, Leino has been a good addition to that line...but, put Datsyuk on that line. Then you have Cleary going in the corners and screening the goalie while Datsyuk sets up Zetterberg for shots. It worked every time they used it last season. It will help Datsyuk out in the scoring department. You can't have Bertuzzi and Holmstrom together on a scoring line. Maybe Bertuzzi of a few years ago, but not now. And the point i was making with Abby and Miller was that they are hard working lower skilled role players. Give the younger legs a chance. At least they throw the body around. Having guys like Helm, Eaves, Draper, Miller, May and Abby on the roster does nothing in the scoring department. But, its the small things... Going into the corners, finishing checks after the opposing player gets rid of it, numbing some of the cheap shots and hacks, dump and chase to wear out the other teams 3rd and 4th lines, getting garbage goals. If you've played hockey at a high level, you know that when a team sits back and isnt on you, hitting you, the second you get the puck...you have time to make the play that you want to make and less chance of turning the puck over. When you take out those guys from a lineup, It makes you work much harder on defense thus, creating less offense.

^ my lines are stupid and terrible? Well lets see, the first line was used through out the season and some of the playoffs last year and did fairly well. the third and fourth lines i had are what we currently see while watching Red Wings hockey. And the second line is a mash up. So I don't know what you are thinking. Its the most balanced forward lineup we can have. Bertuzzi, Williams, Leino..they're just not getting the job done. And now Williams took 4 steps back when injured. You can't expect a team that has been gelling to transition smoothly when 3 players come back after long stretches of being injured. It doesn't work that way. It will take time for them to find a rhythm. 1st two lines score 3rd line is energy 4th line grinds you can't have 3 scoring lines, one energy line and no toughness. know your hockey

the only way we miss the playoffs is when our full healthy roster comes back and we all see that there is no chemistry. Three Forwards coming back means our 4th line will not be on the Wings roster to finish the season and playoffs. Can we afford to lose a fighter, a rookie who's learning to throw the body around, and a guy who works hard and plays a moderately physical hard working grinding/defensive style...NO...because thats what a fourth line is supposed to be! Our 3rd and 4th lines at the moment have built strong chemistry...minus Maltby. Bab's can't break the Helm Draper Eaves line...he'd be silly to do that. And the 4th lines that's been running has been strong as far as 4th lines go. Bringing back Williams will have no positive effect on this team. Bringing back Filpulla and Franzen will only complicate and push some of the hard working role guys off the team, and possibly mess up all the chemistry the team has built in the last 3-4 weeks. When our three forwards come back...I can't see this team going far if Williams, Holmstrom, Bertuzzi, Maltby, and Leino aren't the guys that must sit and rotate in occasionally. Cleary - Zetterberg - Datsyuk (unstoppable) Franzen - Fil - Holmstrom Draper - Helm - Eaves May - Abdelkader - Miller With that lineup, the chemistry in the 3 lines will be there...and the second line can build once healthy. I think that is our toughest and most balanced lineup we can hope for in order to make a playoff run There better be no Wings dressing up for the Olympics either.

Everyone knows that our toughness level is at it's season high right now, sadly. As the injuries subside, the North American players are going to be benched, sent down, and not used again. When Franzen, Fil, and Williams come back..May, Abdelkader, and Miller will be gone. Those guys skate, go into the corners( all three) , play defensive (miller), and police (may). FIlpulla Franzen and Williams do not go into the corners hard and battle for pucks. They dont stick up for our skilled players because they are skilled players. Our defense has zero toughness outside of Stuart and Kronwall, and with a vastly declining Lidstrom and Rafalski, guys like Lebda and Erricsson will not cut it. No team can make it with only skilled players.

Bear, haha

^^ that was Miller

I really think this lineup is the toughest we're going to see this year. I mean, 8 of 12 forwards are North American and 3 of 6 defenseman.....that's unheard of in Detroit haha. But really, Miller, Helm, Abdelkader, May, Eaves, and Draper make up the 3rd and 4th lines...they all have speed, they all hit, they go into the corners and are responsible, or getting better at being defensively responsible. Whats going to happen when Williams, Franzen, and Fil come back..This current lineup has great chemistry.

Abdelkader...I've only heard bad things about this dude when he's spotted at bars.

Pretty boy might get a bruise. Roller hockey is no checking. He's all of what 145 lbs? As I recall, every semi decent roller hockey player could dazzle with cool moves like this. He's nothing but a little boy. Crosby could kick his ass.

Kopecky should have gotten a goal. The glove clearly was over the line.

The reason you havent found him on the internet is because you spelled his last name wrong. OulahEn. Now you should be able to find him easily.

Well, if you didnt expect to see this comming...than you were too caught up in something else.. This is not a year where the Wings go for it all..Do they have a chance? Of course. While you see other teams bulking up the roster, they are also thinning out their wallets. What the Wings have in the next three years, is homegrown talent replacing our "new era founding fathers". Instead of Holland breaking bank by making trades and signing guys us fans think would be a perfect fit..He's using this year and the next few to let our rookies settle in and get acquainted. This is Detroits rebuilding. The core is set: Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Franzen, Cleary, Kronwall, Stuart. ( Yzerman, Fedorov, Lapointe, Shanny, Lidstrom, Chelios) And then we got young guns ready to play: Helm, Abdelkader, (Daper, Maltby) Erricsson, Howard..And after next season and maybe the next one after that we'll see Emmerton, Kindl and others replacing Lidstrom, Draper, Holmstrom, Maltby, and Osgood. Dont panic because we lost a group of expendibles. In order to clear up space for the future you have to weed out the guys who are replacable ( Sammy, Hudler, Kopecky). Losing Hossa is big, but it wont be the reason the Wings win or Lose this year. Be excited for what the future holds. Stop being negative because we didnt make drastic changes.

What if Crosby had a penis? What if Yashin panned out and Pronger didnt? What if Michael Jackson was still black? What if Phoenix had money? What if the Wings selected Barrasso or Cam Neely instead of Yzerman? What if the Wings were healthy throughout the entire playoffs? What if there was never a lockout? What if Fedorov didn't hold outthe first part of the season in 96? What if Lance Armstrong never got testicular cancer? What if Dan Heatley and Dan Snyder switched fates? What if...What if...What if... Drake wouldnt have scored 40 goals in the regular season. Drake wouldnt have scored 6 goals in the playoffs..Nor would he have prevented the injuries the Wings suffered..Drake wasnt the answer, yes he brought another dimension to the team..but he did not win us the cup and most likely wouldnt have been the deciding factor to this years outcome..

Theres a reason why Ken Holland is our GM and your wearing street clothes in the Wings locker room with a camera in your avatar. I think he knows a little bit more than we all do..

Take it back another year, the wings scored an combined 252 goals. No Hossa, Sammy, Hudler and, Kopecky had a combined 29 goals, 65 assists and 74 points. The team overall had 37 less goals than this previous year, but, had a stanley cup. We really only going to miss the points from Sammy and Hudler. Hossa was just an add on to an already stellar, well-off roster. Abdelkader, Leino, and Helm will most likely provide the Wings with 15-30 goals and expect Datsyuk, Zetterberg, and Franzen to get more ice time and theres goals will likely hit 40-50. The Wings will be fine. I dont know why everyone is panicking. I'm more worried about in 2 years when all our vets will be gone. And its a total rebuild. This is the beginning of a new era for the Wings. Im excited.

Its the starting of our rebuilding. This year we are dropping guys and replacing them with young, homegrown talent. Helm and Abdelkader are like the new era Draper and Maltby. Zetterberg and Datsyuk are the offspring of Yzerman and Fedorov. Next year we'll be even better and then in 3 years we'll see the old guys like Draper, Maltby, Holmstrom, Lidstrom, Osgood, Rafalski..Chelios just left..Leino, Ericsson, Howard are here full time, we've got a replacement for every guy we've lost and we didnt have to shop the free agent market to do it...Theres even more talent being brought in ..soon Kindl, Emmerton could be regular names....It just shows that Ken Holland and the Detroit Red Wings are the best in the business, and will continue to grow and stay on top for many years to come. Guys like Hossa and Conklin will come and go..but success is really found in your minor league development.

I say lose Hudler and Sammy too. We lose McCarty, Downey, Cheli, Hossa, Kopecky, Conklin,..thats 8 guys. And then in the next two years, we could lose 5 more guys.. Holmstrom, Maltby, Draper, Osgood and Lidstrom. Thats 13 players in 2-3 seasons. Bring in some young tough American/Canadian kids

We dont need a veteren who will provide us with a spotty performance. We can spend 3 million elsewhere, for someone younger, less skillful and we would be just fine. Someone who wants to work hard and win. Guys like Kovalev need more ice time than the Red Wings can give him to shine. Sure, he could be along side Datsyuk and they would be a scoring threat to any team in the league..but, with all the controversy surrounding him last year leading to him agreeing to not go on the mid to end of season road trip to find his game..I'm sure thats not healthy for a locker room..when your top star is not allowed to join the team on a road trip because he's playing the worst hockey of anyone on the team. The Wings dont need that. I say pray for an offer on Hudler, Let Sammy go, Hossa can sign elsewhere for the money he deserves and that will free up room for Leino, Helm, Abdelkader and Downey can rotate in and Ken Holland can do what he does I dont know much about these guys, what are they like: Travis Moen, Joel Lundqvist.

its not like in video games where no matter how old the player is, he's always in his prime. He's a cancer.

Kirk Maltby for Alex Ovechkin + 5th rounder

Zetterberg has a Conn Smythe, A gold medal, and a stanley cup ring. Dastyuk has 2 cup rings, and a few im the biggest ***** in the league awards. Im pretty sure they are equally as valuable to any team they ever play on. Two different styles, both a master of their craft. Neither is better nor worse.