seeinred

I'll be doing no such thing. But there are definitely people who have said, and continue to say that getting this team a legit enforcer is/was the missing ingredient and would lead to success.

I'm not sure that anyone's blaming the team's performance on the increase in toughness. It is fun to see the correlation rubbed into the enforcer slappies faces, though, especially the ones who think enforcers magically win games.

Good post, though I don't necessarily agree 100% with your assessment of previous teams. But yeah, there's something really fun about knowing that your team is a team in every sense, especially in that I-got-your-back kind of camaraderie. As for reasons, I really do think losing more has a part in it. If you're winning, you really don't care if you get pushed around a little bit. But if you're consistently losing, or at least not winning as much as usual, you have to take pride in something else. Or try anything to jump start the team. I think another thing is guys being baptized by fire. Meech with a FM, and he probably realized that it's not so bad to get hit. Cleary dropped them again because he had to, even though he could have turtled because of his shoulder. I think just seeing guys like Cleary, Meech, Eaves actually drop them has an impact on the team. Guys may think, "Hey, I'm at least as tough as them." And each time, they may get a little more confidence to stand up for themselves or their teammates. Ooooor, I could be talking out of my ass. Edit: reasons

Really? It's lower than winning it back to a defenseman, who then takes a shot? I think the old breakaway alley-oop or change a guy from the far entrance to the bench plays have a higher rate of success. Whatever though. It's cool when it works, but it doesn't work often because teams don't try it often, and teams don't try it often because it's not a good move strategically. And @ "unneeded retaliatory jab," considering your "since you were born" comment.

A double post where I quote my own post? Odd. I haven't double posted in ages, maybe ever.

It's pretty damn low. And I don't see a problem with trying it maybe a few times a season other than the desperation tries, but it makes a lot more sense to just win a faceoff.

The reason they don't try it is because it's an astronomically low percentage play, and it's an automatic faceoff loss to boot. Except they do try it if there's not enough time left to win a drag and get a shot off.

The Caps also basically got away with murder in the last 90 seconds or so. Which is typical of the team in the lead in the waning moments of a 1-goal game.

I don't mean this in a dickish way, but have you seriously never seen that happen before? Guys try it all the time on faceoffs with only a second or 2 left.

You're crazy if you honestly think the 2nd goal was all on Ozzie. I do think he should've made the save, and a goalie has to make some of those bailout saves if your team's gonna win consistently, but it's just as much on Stuart as Osgood.

Haha, sounds good to me. I can handle Seppo And I think you know what I mean about it being fun. Not in the traditional sense for most people, but I'm enjoying it, and I know other people are too. I don't care if people hate it, I just can't stand people giving up on the team. I won't be giving up until they're mathematically eliminated (which won't happen).

Harold knows what he's talking about. Even scarier when kids troll on a messageboard for a team they're supposedly fans of.

Dear Lennart, I said winning 50 games a season is exciting too. This is exciting in a different way. You know that feeling you get in OT in the playoffs? It's like that, to a lesser extent, every game right now. And it's exciting. It's fun, in a torturing-yourself-fun kinda way. Very sincerely yours, SeeinRed

As much as I loved going into games knowing the Wings were going to win for more than half my life, there's definitely something exhilarating about being in a playoff race, about making every point count, every battle for the puck, every shot, every save, every penalty.

I see what you did there. That's definitely not what I said, and it's not what anyone else has said either. You can call players out, you can call the team out. They deserve to be called out right now. It was a dumb penalty by Bert tonight. Ozzie didn't play as well as he should have. I love Leino, but he needs to step up. Pavs and Hank need to play better. But to just give up on the team and cast these aspersions is ridiculous.

I didn't say we need them back, though I do think that will obviously be a gigantic boost. I just think it's funny how much everyone has given up on this team. Obviously we're spoiled, it's been a given to make the playoffs for 18 years now. Do you think that for the past 18 years, fans of teams in 9th place, only a few points out of 4th, with 30+ games to go, just give up on their team? It's not what we're used to. It's weird, it's frustrating, but it's also exciting. Have some fun with it.

I love all the doom and gloom right now. When the Wings start to string some victories together again, and especially when everyone's back, everybody will be back on this team's dick. f*** every last one of you fatalist "fans." (OK maybe that was a little harsh, but seriously, have some faith.)

Caps got away with motherf***ing murder in the last couple minutes. Wow... I'm not displeased TOO much with this game, but I really wish Ozzie would've gotten that Backstrom goal. It was a great move, and it wasn't necessarily Ozzie's fault, but your goalie's gotta bail you out sometimes if you're gonna win games.

Clappy hands emote for you, sir.

Bulls***, Zetterberg was interfered with. And WHAT THE f*** is Meech doing on the ice?

Let's go Wings, you can do this!

GOTTA score here. And FWIW, that was a horses*** goal for Ozzie to give up on Backstrom. Great move, and it's not all Ozzie's fault, but that's what the goalie's there for.

Like FinWing said, you don't know that we could have. Just because he was available and signed for the same amount of money doesn't mean we could have gotten him. Could the Islanders have gotten Hossa for 7.45 last season?

Wings win 14 to 3. Val with 6, Pavs with 4, Hank with 4. It's gonna happen. Let's f***in' rage. Wings Will Win!

Get it done, Kenny?