Echolalia

That's twice that Lashoff abandoned his man and it resulted in a goal

What the hell was Lashoff doing there

Weiss needs to kill it tonight.

I agree.He has adjusted his play a bit since the start of the season, and I don't know whether it's because of a new system he's adapting to, or a new role as a fourth liner, or if he's not confident in himself, or a combination of the above. Earlier in the season he seemed more opportunistic around the net and down low, and now he seems to be playing higher out and more defensive. Anyway, I really hope he can snap out of this funk. I was watching Weiss highlights last night and it's astonishing how much of a difference there is.

I think Kindl is still trending upward. I wouldn't be heartbroken if he ended up elsewhere, but I also think he has a place on this team and his role is steadily increasing.

On paper it looks pretty bad, but the past week or so during all these wins it has been this exact line-up, with the exception of Weiss in Z's spot and Emmerton in Weiss's spot. It's not like Zetterberg has been carrying this team in Datsyuk's absence either. Since the winning streak, Z has three points on 18 goals. I also think the fourth line is stronger with Emmerton between Cleary and Sammy instead of Weiss. Emdog is better suited for the role, and all of LGW is dying for Weiss to have another shot at the top 6. Now is as good an opportunity as he could possibly ask for. Don't get me wrong, it sucks that we're down Zetterberg now, on top of Datsyuk, Bertuzzi, and Dekeyser, but the team (TEAM not individual players) has been playing really well lately, and I guess if I had to have all of those guys missing from the lineup at some point this season, it would be now, when the rest of the guys are killing it.

Excellent opening post, and I think this is a great idea for organizing all the info. I'm not going to any of the games but I will be glued to my tv for these days, and the charcoal grill will likely be a state of perpetual use.

I might be in the minority here, but I think Chara is one of the most overrated defensman in the league.

That's no good. The Wings have been wining without his production lately, so hopefully they can keep it going. I would move Weiss up to the top line to til Z's spot and have whoever's next on the depth chart come to play 4th line center... Do we have the cap space/roster space for that?

omigodomigodomigodomigodomigod ...."heated rivalries are moments. And moments are things that capture your imagination" what? did i hear that right?

That was always my argument. Like you alluded to, everyone in Detroit got so used to having Lidstrom as a number 1 defensman that he became the new standard, and Kronwall definitely isn't on that level. But the folks who use this argument are mistaking top 30 defensman with top 2 defensman all-time (and I would argue top defensman all-time but that's for another thread).

I hope the misconception that he isn't a number 1 defensman has faded. He's quietly been leading this team on defense and is among the top defensman statistically league-wide. Edit: he has also turned blocking shots into an art-form, which I think is by far the most overlooked aspect of his game.

That's not good...

What was most impressive, as Ozzie mentioned, was how well Smith was able to put that behind him and continue doing what he needed to do.

The Red Wings are built to play puck-possession hockey (or at least that's what Holland is aiming for), and not so much to play a overly physical, grinding, fast-paced emotional game. They can play tough when need be but it's not what we're built for, and 'retaliation' is essentially inviting the Wings and their opposition to play a style of hockey that we aren't the greatest at. They got the 2 points tonight and Ottawa didn't. In April that's all that will matter.

Can't argue with that. When you're right, you're right!

Whoa, lets not get to ahead of ourselves here...

I think his best hockey was just before he went down with the injury. He doesn't look too confident out there, and I've also noticed he is playing 100% defensive hockey. Sammy or Cleary will chip the puck into the corner and Weiss falls back and plays high slot, or more defensively along the boards. There isn't that ferocious fore-check occurring, which as a fourth line technically, makes sense that he's playing to not let his line be a liability. He needs to get going offensively though, and if that means taking away his defensive responsibilities for the time-being, then so be it. I want to see him as a winger, and alongside Dats and Bert when they return (like probably 95% of LGW). He needs to be thinking "goals and assists" right now to get the production started, and when it starts going well for him, Weiss can readjust his game to be more defensive-minded.

Hopefully when Pavs and Bert return, Weiss is put on a line with them. That way we don't ruin the phenomenal chemistry that the other three lines have also.

He needs to get more confident out there. In Florida Weiss was the go-to guy out there. Now he's behind Dats, Z, Alfie, and Mule on the depth chart. Some guys like having the pressure off them, but Weiss looks like he doesn't trust his own skill out there any more. He is quick to pass to someone else instead of hang onto the puck and try to make something happen. I'm sure part of it is coming to a new franchise and learning a new system, and just trying not to be a liability. That's certainly how he's playing. Part of me agrees with putting him on a line with Cleary and Sammy, because it forces him to be a leader again and try to make something out of nothing. But I think it may be better trying him between Tatar and Nyqvist. They're both highly skilled, but they also both need guidance at this point in their careers. Put Weiss between him and he might get a little more confident out there, redevelop that leadership, and still have the benefit of working with some skill instead of Sammy and Cleary. He would be the veteran presence on that line.

I believe he also said Monster will have the start against Ottawa

He's as confident as he's ever been out there, you can see it in his game. Excellent for him and excellent for us

I was at this one with a buddy who is from Boston. Best night of the year!

I think offense (or a forward to be more specific) is the greater priority. Our D core is young, but there's a lot of raw talent there, and I suspect that if we hold into the same core of guys and/or continue to develop defensively from within, our D squad will be elite in a couple years. Offensively, our top players are older, not younger, and while Nyqvist, Tatar, Jurco have a lot of talent, I don't know that any of them will be able to fill Datsyuk or Zetterberg's skates. Not to mention the current roster is struggling offensively outside of those two players. If this thread is asking top 6 forward vs top 4 defenseman, I think the forward will have more of an impact

I wish LGW of three years ago could see this thread, and I wish I could see their shock at how much we are praising their whipping boy.