Echolalia

I agree this year that Z seems to be able to carry the team more than Datsyuk, and is able to match the adversity better, but in the 2011 playoffs, Datsyuk reached a level that I haven't seen repeated by any player since then, particularly against the Sharks. He also scored the sickest backhand goal I have ever seen that series, which is just bonus points. I don't know if we're only talking this season in this topic, but even so, its still cool to look back at how dominant Pavs was that postseason.

Best way to give veterans the habit of attending non mandatory practices is to instill that work ethic into them when they're kids!

This kid is built to succeed with Datsyuk's shootout strategy. Dats usually goes backhand or forehand without too much flash, but the key is how wide his stick-handling is when he shoots. Because he handles the puck far from his body when he approaches the goal (either to the left or the right, depending on his stick-handling pattern), he can drastically change his shooting angle on the net simply by going from a wide backhand to a wide forehand (or vice versa). Its tough for a goalie to adjust to a change in shooting angle that quickly, which is where Datsyuk's success has typically been. Unfortunately this year he's been off the mark. ANYWAY, Mantha is what, 6'4"? That is a considerable wingspan, and if HE comes in handling the puck wide to one side or the other, that angle of attack is pretty much aimed from the face-off circle! That's a tough game of angles for the goalie, when changing the angle of attack from one faceoff dot to the opposite one is just a matter of a single deke. And if Mantha is as strong as they say (or realizes that body's full potential), he could really rip the puck, even if he is holding it far from his body.

Its cool seeing three Wings' prospects in the top 21 of that list.

is this for real?

No, he is not that good, and I'm baffled that he's even on the roster.

Overall I'd say Datsyuk, although I think both players have unique strengths that they bring to the table.

Watch the intermission show of how Draper recruited Osgood to play for a heartwarming tale and phenomenal acting

...and to this day, nobody knows what happened to Ted Lindsay's lucky socks

I'm still bitter and cold

My emotions can't handle this.

That waterbottle is sleek! Too bad i just bought one...

What does the K stand for? Just bustin your chops

I'm bummed to see no Vernon...

That's awesome! The scene where Abby and Smith were driving into Detroit for practice from the second episode, and they saw that truck spin out was like three blocks from my house. Side note: my friend used to work at a restaurant in Royal Oak, and based on what he's told me, combined with HBO and other media sources, I'm like 90% sure that Helm, Abby, Smith, and Tatar all live in those nice condos on Main St. in Royal Oak. Does that make me creepy?

I'm with you, for a number of different reasons. I don't think this team is that far off from being a legit contender, and I think a lot of the necessary pieces are already in our lineup; they just need to continue to develop and learn the game. The biggest need of ours is a franchise forward (or two) that Holland can build a team around once Zetterberg and Datsyuk retire, and those aren't the type of players that even make it to the trade block. Trades are also the least economic way to acquire a player, so I'd rather be aggressive once free agency begins and hang onto the prospects and picks that we have. The value of hanging onto those guys has really made itself apparent in the last year, with guys like Nyqvist, Jurco, Tatar, Andersson, etc keeping the Wings in it.

who knows

We've seen similar issues in the old setup, where the top teams from each division get a playoff spot, and the remaining five spots go to the top teams in the conference. A 3 seed didn't technically have to be in the top 8 in points to make the playoffs, so long as they were better than anyone else in their division.

http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2013/12/reserved_parkingtailgating_spo.html This might be worth the read for those of you still looking for parking

I've never been there, but my girlfriend has, and she said that the food there (not just one restaurant in particular, but everywhere she ate) was consistently some of the best food she's ever had. I don't know if she happened to get lucky and just happened to pick the 10 best restaurants in Montreal, or that they legit have amazing food, but if you go to yelp or something similar online and find what's nearby, I'm under the impression you won't be disappointed.

All I have heard is to expect to shell out $50-100 on parking.

Its legit, buddy. Awesome choice, too!

Best to rule us with an iron fist. Otherwise one day we may discover our strength in numbers and revolt!

You guys are the greatest! Have a wonderful day!

I feel like the other seasons of 24/7 showed more interaction between players during practice or workouts, etc. I don't feel like we've had too much of that this year... I was really looking forward to seeing how Cleary is such a goofball, or Datsyuk's witty humor.