shadow47

"Best defenseman" means more than just "best defender". It involves everything to do with the position. Just like how MVP means more than just point-scoring. A high-scoring d-man who is pretty good defensively is "better" than a low-scoring d-man who is GREAT defensively. You take away all the fancy positional labels, C, LW, D, and it's just five men on a sheet of ice measured equally. Mike Peca plays defense probably as well as many of the defenseman in the league, much as Mike Green scores more than many forwards. It simply comes down to measuring "hockey playing" by position, and Mike Green has been the best hockey player at the position of D this year, no doubt.

Babs should give one guy (not Osgood) a string of starts bad play or not to try to get in a groove, lest the Wings turn into the 1996-97 Philadelphia Flyers circa The Finals.

Linda, Conklin a starter on another team? I don't think so.

I don't see the point forecasting a CBJ's matchup, Columbus is missing the playoffs. You heard it here first. 2 games against Nash, 2 games against St. Louis who is unbeatable lately, they've got it tough. Five points doesn't mean a lot when all your games are against those chasing you. btw OsBad=OsGod it's all the same isn't it, when you're up you're up, when you're down you're down. He's down, way down.

Hasek is a once in a lifetime athlete, this man was born to play goal. He is no Bret Favre, yawn, some human that decided he wanted football, came back and did absolutely nothing in one season before retiring for good. Hasek is a freak that used his physical abnormalities the best he could, and presses on and succeeds despite his injury hurdles. Forsberg tried, and failed. Yeah, at 45 Dom doesn't play like a 28 year old. But he can still play. In two seasons in Detroit the Wings made the Final Four and then won the Cup. For a man his age to be able to still be relevant in the NHL is mind-boggling for a goaltender. Slag his play all you can but his GAA has hovered around 2.10 since the lockout, when it hovers around 3.00 maybe you can tell him to retire but he gets the job done pretty well at an age most players are collecting pension. People tout Brodeur who had lousy save percentages his first ten seasons as the second coming yet Hasek, seven years older, the all-time career league-leader in save percentage, gets labeled "washed-up" because he can't get .910/.920 on a team where he faces 20 shots a game against on a regular basis. Show me any goalie on a team that gives up as few shots as the Wings that has had a decent save percentage...it just doesn't happen. People complain he had only a .902 save percentage in '08, a year he faced an average of 21 shots against per game, ridiculously low. In order to have a .920 save percentage, slightly below his career average, his goals against average would've had to have been 1.75. When was the last time a goalie had a GAA of 1.75? Yeah, once in 30 years? The guy loves hockey and in an era when scoring is up he has kept the goals against down with help but the fact is he has done it. Last time Hasek unretired (03-04), in his four seasons partial or otherwise his GAAs were 2.20, 2.09, 2.05, 2.14. How does that strike you? Save percentages of .907, .925, .913, .902. The man finished second in goals against average every season since the lockout. He puts it together, despite his shortcomings entering Senior Citizen status he makes up for it in cleverness. Yes, he looked like s*** at times in 07 and 08 but he has been one of the most consistent players in the league since '94 and his record supports that. 8 goals against San Jose, some lousy Nashville games. This player is a sure bet more often than not, when an ordinary person would be spent (see: Claude Lemieux, Curtis Joseph), Dominik is just business per usual. FACT: The last time Hasek had a GAA over 2.27 was 1995-96. This man can play in the league anytime he feels like it, much less the joke of a Russian league where North American fans won't see a game much less hear about it.

"f*** no" to Jagr? O...K. 71 points last season for the lousy Rangers. 96 and 123 points in 07 and 06. Played all 82 games the last three seasons. Quality player. Anyway the main reason I said that is he's buds with Hasek and isn't Omsk his team in the K? I dunno. Edit: btw I'm having a tough time with that translation hearing Dominik use the phrase "It was a hoot."

Ugh that was the worst call ever. The only thought is that the ref saw/thought he saw the puck BEFORE the push. But you can't see the puck on any replay and Gerber was blatantly pushed in...a shame. Gerber's reaction was pretty acceptable in my view. Lest we forget Cujo (speaking of) tackling McGeogh some years back with no consequences?

He should just come play for the Wings again next year, it couldn't be anything worse than this year, and it would be cheaper impossibly. Bring Jagr.

The play was fine until he skated backwards when he got near the goalline AFTER the pokecheck. The rule states that the puck/player have to be in continuous motion to the goalline (as in, always moving towards the end of the rink, not counting dekes). The puck AND player continued skating towards the goalline the whole time, the ref was just standing there and the player had to skate back (albeit only slightly) to make room to shoot the puck. But even though it was a severe angle, the shooter did an excellent job until the end when it should've been whistled. Lame call. The crossbar call should never have had to have been made.

The list should've been players playing TODAY. Including all-time makes it a little trivial.

The Flyers scored in the third and the ref washed the goal out because he was calling a penalty. It appeared to me that the penalty occurred after the shot had been taken. It was a crosschecking penalty. How can they wash out a goal when no Flyer touched the puck after the penalty was called nor did the penalty affect the goal i.e. a goaltender interference call. Just seemed weird, the Caps had a goal taken away too for goalie interference even though the guy was pushed. Just poor reffing, or...?

Neither Conks or Osgood have the capability to play "out of their minds"...their definition of playing that way would be to NOT surrender three goal leads regularly, or to NOT have the worst numbers in the league. We aren't talking about goalies who are middle-of-the-pack that might get on role or play beyond themselves. We're talking about a guy, Chris Osgood, who cannot stop a beachball this season and you think he's suddenly gonna get on a roll the likes of a Kipper/Luongo/Thomas?! I donna thinka so. Conklin is a glorified backup and yet has still bested Osgood. Detroit has the second worst goaltending in the league next to Tampa Bay and they're still the best team point-wise in the league. That's gonna make losing in the 1st/2nd round this year awfullly painful.

They're both situations a goal should be allowed but is instead disallowed. That is how they are alike.

I think Clemmenson is marginally better than Ty. Conks loses focus a lot, it is apparent with his see-saw play. Clemmenson is more even keel. The Wings could've had Clemmenson at the deadline for literally nothing but they didn't bite. That'll come back to in turn bite them.

It just seems kinda silly when the penalty didn't affect the goal. The puck had already been shot and was within feet of going into the net. I don't think it was in the net yet but it could've been. This reminds me of those "puck enters the net before the whistle but 'I was thinking of blowing the whistle' calls" that are no-goal. It just doesn't make any sense.

Chris OsGod might not have given up the most absolute s*** "from the corner behind the net" gift gaffe goals tonight but plenty of the goals were stoppable. Let's look at what a shot is. If the goalie can reach the shot, couldn't he have stopped it? The fact is, he just wasn't quick enough...several pucks found their way THROUGH Osgood tonight, or were within his reach. He could've stopped them but didn't. He is not good enough to do that. A breakaway goal? Every goalie has a chance. 7 pucks in 40 minutes? Not good enough. Babs left him in because there's only so much you can do for a player. Pull him. Give him time off. Talk to him privately. Talk about him publicly. Osgood hasn't responded to a single thing. He sucks, get over it and move on.

Neither Wings goalie is good Eva. It's just Osgood is worse.

Get this, NO ONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD EVER say Osgood's play has "thrilled" or that he has played "great" this year. In no sports column would his play be deemed even remotely acceptable. Horrible, a failure, a minor-leaguer, off-his-game, would all be used...this isn't about a guy who's on again off again or who has hung in there or is a starting goaltender in a slump or was a force early and has tailed off, it's a guy who's been a passenger on a great team all year. Who's had chances and chances to turn it around and hasn't come close. He's letting his team down. His play is unacceptable. Now admit it.

Yeah, after the seance.

Make a million and one excuses if you want, and when this many goals go in blaming the defense is the only thing left to do...it's so easy, Osgood allows a goal on a tip-in, "Oh my, the defense should've stopped that!" No, Osgood should've stopped it. Or allowed it. What can be done on those plays? They are hockey plays, the defense can't get to every tip and every shooting opportunity. The goaltender has to come up with some saves. The Wings have now allowed 8 goals in a game twice in a week. Osgood has been responsible for 11 of the 16 goals. The guy arguing that Osgood "got a shutout in his first game back"? That argument doesn't exactly hold water when you look at a.)the team he played and b.)his overall "play" this season. The Wings didn't make a move at the deadline, and they are seeing the results. Osgood is having one of the worst seasons by any goalie in recent memory, anyone who is in denial about this has their blinders on. The defense has had their problems but it has A LOT to do with Osgood, the fact is the Wings allow fewer goals with Conklin in goal. Osgood had his "break" and it had no effect whatsoever. Nail him to the bench and say goodbye. Edit: there's no use posting really though, there will always be the "Chris Osgood is a bonafide Hall-of-Famer" contingent that will find a way using their advanced-hockey-knowledge-of-defense-and-goaltending that will explain away how Osgood is still relevant as a hockey player.

The idea that Hossa "IS our trade deadline acquisition" is bulls***. Holland is talking about it from a money perspective which is understandable, that he used money he could have saved for the deadline BEFORE the season. This is a simplistic method of easing the fan uproar over not making a deal. But those that buy into what Ken is saying miss the point of what the deadline deals ultimately SHOULD be made to do: to observe how your current team plays during the season, and then after the observation period to make changes based on your team's weaknesses/shortcomings for the postseason. To say Hossa WAS the deal is defeating this very important aspect of the trade deadline. The Wings have shown themselves as being one of the worst defenses in the league THIS season, yet they did nothing to help themselves in that area, and will have to live or die by it in the playoffs.

Watching NHL on the Fly, Washington falls behind 5-0 against Carolina, Semin scores with under a minute to go in the second (a nice goal from his knees btw), they have an excited celebration huddle, whatever, no big deal, thought it looked a little weird but maybe they were trying to get some emotion going for the third. Fair enough. So Fedorov scores with 2 minutes and change left in the game to make it 5-2 and the celebration is a dogpile on the ice akin to a playoff overtime goal. What the hell? Was it some milestone goal or...anyone have any ideas or noticed this? It was REALLY weird.

I thought Neil went to the Panthers. No?

The people that can barely admit Calgary improved...? C'mon. The reason announcers are gushing is because Calgary improved the most of any team. Jokinen has 21 goals, 21 assists in 57 games for a lousy club. He's a consistent 30+ goal scorer, big center. Calgary gave up Lombardi who's got 9 goals this season. Prust, 25 games, 2 pts. That is definitely an upgrade at forward. Leopold 20 points in 64 games, nice offensive d-man. The Flames lost a guy they picked up on waivers 2 days ago, a pick, and a prospect. Calgary got better and they're 8-1-2 their past 11. Detroit did not get better. That is the concern, Calgary has a guy in net who's maybe going to have more wins in a season than anyone ever, has won Vezina trophies, taken a team to the Finals, and beaten the Wings before. Obviously the Wings aren't necessarily going to meet the Flames but you think about the way Chris has played this season and Conklin, while he's had good numbers, has certainly not been awe-inspiring. Calgary and Detroit are much closer in offensive and defensive depth and if it comes down to goaltending, I worry they aren't going to be able to rise to the occasion.

So who here really honestly thinks that the Wings with Osgood or Conklin in net can beat Calgary with Kiprusoff in net given the Flames acquisitions and recent play? I am no homer nor do I relish putting down Detroit...I just honestly believe the Wings needed an upgrade with the way the goaltending has been. People will say there weren't any upgrades but you've just got to create your own...Lehtonen in Atlanta could've been had for not much, there were players out there. Why have 5 forward lines and no goalies? It makes no sense. I am not going to lose sleep if Detroit doesn't win like many people here, I am viewing the team from an objective viewpoint and they are going to regret not getting a backstop. Fans that act like it's unneeded are just ignoring the obvious.