GoalieManPat

A quick one timer from the slot to the upper corner by one of the top snipers in the league and perfect shot off the post from a man left wide open between the circles is considered weak? Good lord people.

You mean him trying to pin it to the net to get a faceoff like every netminder in the league does? Chicago, like they did all night, worked hard and got in and disrupted it. Play still would have happened whether Jimmy went for the puck.

If you can find more than 1 example of him taking it from the boards and walking in and scoring this season Ill eat my words.

Actually they wouldn't need to. When hes floating hes just hanging around the boards away from the goal.

Hossa is by far the better player. The only thing consistent in Franzens game is his inconsistency When hes in one of his 20 game goal droughts he brings nothing else to the team with his floating around. Hossa plays hard every game and is atleast a threat the defense needs to pay attention to every shift even if hes not scoring.

The big mismatch in this series are the 3rd and 4th lines. You saw what the Ducks 3rd and 4ths did to the Wings. Chicago's are better than the Ducks. Thats where the difference in this series will come from.

I dont see how you can say he had a tough three games. With the chances that the Ducks were creating early in this series Howard was pretty darn good. He was Detroits best player in games 1 to 3. I agree that Nyquist played darn well along with the rest of the line but with the amount of pestering an chances he created he really should have produced more. The kid could have been a point a game player this series with the chances he got but he just couldnt finish with a good shot or the right pass. Swap him and Jimmy's grades and Id say your pretty accurate on everything else.

Anyone grading Howard less than an A is out of there mind. In terms of top notch grade A scoring chances the Ducks doubled the Wings up on in them basically every game except game 7. His play is a big reason why the Wings moved on.

Im subtracting a point for that terrible turnover in game 6 that lead directly to a goal For his production/impact on a game 3.5 million at least. On the open market probably 4.5-5. If so let him walk. That money can be used plenty of other places. Fil has had many many chances to prove his worth on this team over the years. My prediction: Holland does and Holland does and will pay 5 million for him.

Unless Babs is telling them to put the puck in there own net or pass to the Ducks player wide open on the side he has nothing to do with it. Players decide games not coaches.

Should have been a 3-0 shutout for Howie. If only the effort he put forth this series could have been matches by everyone in front of him. To many players are playing like they want to be on the golf course in the morning. Never thought I would say that about a Wings team.

Jimmy just pee pee'd on this thread.

Well other than checking Howard on the 2nd goal yes it was probably Smiths best game of the series.

I disagree. Detroit held the puck and had tons of shots but most were from the outside. Howard faced more top notch scoring chances than Hiller. It could have easily been 3 or 4 nothing going into the third. That in my opinion is why Howie stole it.

Howard stole that game for the Wings. Haters stay off him for atleast one night......maybe.

Yup they did. They still played hard for 60 minutes a night though. The 07 Wings would utterly destroy this years wings.

Game 1. ....Where he gave up two goals. If he only gives up two goals a game, regardless of how they go in, hes doing his job. If the the Wings cant score atleast two themselves they are not doing theres.

Goal 1: Howard makes the initial save basically 1 on 1 against a guy down low. Defense doesnt pick up the trailer and its put upstairs where no goalie is going to save it. Not his fault. Goal 2: Brunner loses and Howard has to make an attempt to clear it before Getzlaf gets there. Getzlafs reach wins. Brunner did nothing to try and put Getzlaf off other than tap him with his stick. That goal is all on Brunner. Goal 3: Nobody picks up the guy right in front on a pass from behind the net. Howard comes out to cut the angle which is correct but a snap shot from that close only gets saved if the shooter hits him with the puck. Not his fault. Goal 4: Wide open guy on the back post. That goal goes in 99.9% of the time. The .1% of the time it doesnt is because the players misses the net. Nothing he could do. Nuff said.

Are you saying he had lapses in this game or just in general? Because he had no shot on any of the goals scored today.

Theres 1 big difference tho. 07-That team competed for 60 minutes 13- They dont

He didnt break any shin pads or Hillers chest protector from my recollection.....

You do realize that Howard was the only one that showed up tonight right? Ducks could have easily been up by 3 or 4 well before the Abby incident and the game changed.

Your telling me you wouldnt punch Perry in the head in a lost game? Howard was the only one who showed up tonight. He earned the right to punch that little prick.

Learn the rules. The fact that the head took contact means nothing. The head has to be the principle point of contact on the hit. If it was just the head taking contact there would be no hits in any game ever. Abby got his shoulder, chest, and then head.

Doing his job and hitting a player clean was stupid? It was a clean play straight up. Saying otherwise is not understanding the rules.