bench bert article today

[BringHomeTheCup! 0]

I got control half the time atleast. LOL

I applaude the effort lol

[DaKineMaui 8]

He had a bad game.

yes....and around these parts that means you trade him - tread deadline notwithstanding, in a 6 team, 22 player deal.......that lands the Wings Crosby, Ovechkin, Jagr, :::::: Federov, and Steve Yzerman at age 27.

Bert's gonna be an effing powerhouse next game.

::edit::: tag problems again?

Edited May 1, 2007 by DaKineMaui

[Wings_Fan_In_Exile 3]

Like previously said we need some big bodies out there. Our finesse guys are getting pushed around. Hudler seems to get bullied every time he's on the ice. Maybe Burt needs a little arse chewing from Babcock, but not a benching.

[Kp-Wings 3]

Hah, classy. You are telling me you'd rather have Franzen in than Bert? Come on, be serious.

You're actually in favor of sitting one of the Wings most physical players? Not to mention the fact that he scored the game winner that eliminated Calgary.

Givin the situation, what I said was classy indeed. Give me one reason why Franzen should be sat. It's pretty clear you don't like Franzen anyways, as this is not the first time you've mentioned him as a guy to be sat. I'm curious to know why you don't like him.

And to be clear on this, at the current time, yes I would rather have Franzen in then Bertuzzi. Every time Bertuzzi has one good game, he usually regresses and plays awful for about 3 or 4. Not that I'm saying I hate Bertuzzi, I really like him, but if he's going to play like he did last night then why should he be in the lineup?

[Steve Z 0]

Totally agree, I've never been impressed with Bertuzzi

[wingslogo19 281]

Hah, classy. You are telling me you'd rather have Franzen in than Bert? Come on, be serious.

Actually i would rather have both of them in ... Sit Lang

[cmac19 0]

Totally agree, I've never been impressed with Bertuzzi

Hey guys, I've been a long time reader of this site but never posted before this. I couldn't resist

after seeing this post and all the people debating who should or shouldn't sit now that Homers

back.. I find the debate between Franzen or Bert to be misplaced because there's at least 3 other players that should sit before either of them..

I think if Babycock wasn't one of the worst coaches at putting lines together (I know, I know... that's for

a different post) you would have seen Bert on a line last night with Datsyuk and Hank... how Sammy got put on that line will always remain the biggest mystery of last nights loss.

Having said that I think that we all know that Hudler will sit BUT the person that needs to sit is Calder... it's obvious that he was a bad pickup and isn't the player that he was when he first came into the league.. He has provided absolutely nothing and hasn't been the spark they thought he would be.. Bert is a physical presence on the ice

that any team needs to be concerned with when he's playing... does anyone really think that the

Sharks are fearing Sammy, Lang or Calder right now?? Those 3 need to be put on a line together

and put on the end of the bench and left their to rot until the season is over and then let go as a sign that slow, uninspired play has no place in Hockeytown. I think that if you had a Fillpula/Hudler/Bert line

put together you would basically be getting the exact same thing you do with the Dats/Homer/Hank line, 2 skilled skaters using the rough, in your face winger to block the net and it would result in another potentially dangerous line

that the Sharks young defense would have all sorts of problems dealing with... unfortunately Babycock will never do that because he ALWAYS takes the veteran over the rookie even if the rookie is showing the kind of energy and youthfulness that the Sharks are using against us... Babycocks the real problem here and not Bert... I think next years team should be Hank/Datz/Homer, Fillpula/Hudler/Bert, Drapes/Maltby/Clear, Ellis/Langfeld/Franzen.... now that's a team ANY coach should be able to win with!!

[sibiriak 84]

The Wings have never lacked skill. It's been grit that's kept them from holding the Cup the last few years. Bert was supposed to provide some of that. However, like you said, he's been providing it in a negative way. He should be using his big frame to overturn pucks and wear down defenders, not by taking horrible penalties.

P.S. Crosby and Lecavailer are different than Datsyuk in that they play a more gritty game. Crosby and Vinny routinely drive to the net, while Datsyuk will try to set things up from the outside.

Have you seen any of the Wings games, playoff or regular season this year? This makes me question your judgement or your eyesight.

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

Hes obviosly not 100% , but he still hits , and is a huge man , We cant sit him , If you ask me , He and Lidstrom should be on the ice agaisnt Thornton at all times , dont give him any time to set up and play him physically , Nick and Todd can do that. Not many other players can do that , maybe Datsyuk and Lilja , but not the same kinda thing.

He CANT be benched

[HockeyCrazy3033 168]

Benching Bert is about the dumbest thing I have ever heard. ONE bad game and everyone gives up on him? Yikes. Not gonna happen, peeps..

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

Benching Bert is about the dumbest thing I have ever heard. ONE bad game and everyone gives up on him? Yikes. Not gonna happen, peeps..

That seems to be the story around here , Hasek gives up a bad goal and is now a terrible goalie. Bert takes a couple penltys and should be benched.

[Yzerfan1999 81]

Hah, classy. You are telling me you'd rather have Franzen in than Bert? Come on, be serious.

Give Franzen some credit. Have you watched any games this post season yet?

They don't call him the Mule for nothing.

[BringHomeTheCup! 0]

You're actually in favor of sitting one of the Wings most physical players? Not to mention the fact that he scored the game winner that eliminated Calgary.

Givin the situation, what I said was classy indeed. Give me one reason why Franzen should be sat. It's pretty clear you don't like Franzen anyways, as this is not the first time you've mentioned him as a guy to be sat. I'm curious to know why you don't like him.

And to be clear on this, at the current time, yes I would rather have Franzen in then Bertuzzi. Every time Bertuzzi has one good game, he usually regresses and plays awful for about 3 or 4. Not that I'm saying I hate Bertuzzi, I really like him, but if he's going to play like he did last night then why should he be in the lineup?

To insinuate that one has a drug problem is classy? Wow, I guess my morals are way out of wack...

I never said Franzen should be sat, rather that I would rather see him sit than Bert. I think when you see Bert have a good game, look at his linemates, then in the '3 or 4' bad ones he has following, look at his linemates. Bert is a big guy who can handle the puck, and throw hsi weight around. He is not a guy who can take over a game by himself, he needs someone to work with, alla Naslund. I love the idea of Huds-Flip-Bert as a second line, Drapes-Cleary-Franzen as the third, and Sammy-Lang-Malts as a fourth line.

[StevieBoy 2]

Sure he takes some penalties. Everyone knows that about Bert. But I think his physical play (specifically against Thornton) in game 2, regardless of the penalties he took, is a big reason why we were able to keep the momentum our way. We lost games 1 and 3 because the team wasn't playing as hard, as a whole, as they needed to. The same reason, by the way, that we exited early last year.

[BringHomeTheCup! 0]

Give Franzen some credit. Have you watched any games this post season yet?

They don't call him the Mule for nothing.

Yes, I have wathed every single game possible. I've missed one game, the second game against Calgary. Did you actually read my original post? I never said Franzen should sit, rather I would sit him before sitting Bert.

[arnoldbuck 0]

He had a bad game, and hasn't been his old force self. But I would not take him out of the lineup. In the series against the Flames, when he was constantly going after Dion, I got so excited. I can't remember the last time I watched awings game and was that excited to see one of your boys steppin up to the other team.

Bert did take a few dumb penalties, but for him to be an effective players, he has to play with an edge. He has to be pissed off. The need to put him in a cage before the game, dress up in shark outfits and poke him with a stick. Cuz when he is pissed, he is at his best.

[Barrie 900]

Huddles was on his ass the entire game last night.... Even mickey was poking fun at him. Huddles, puck, ass on the ice. He was the whipping boy for the sharkies last night.

That, and I noticed he miss a few good chances.

Sammy's been playing fine, and Bertuzzi's here to add size and strength. Hudler sits.

[elriqo28 2]

bench Calder! I honestly haven't seen him do anything. Either that or Lang. Where is the fire that Calder had when he first got to Detroit. We need that guy, not the one we've seen of late!

[Lhockeytowngirl 0]

HERE (BELOW) IS TODAY'S, E.J. HRADEK ARTICLE ABOUT BENCHING BERT I DIDN'T PROVIDE A LINK CONSIDERING ITS AN ESPN INSIDER'S (PAY SUBSCRIPTION) ARTICLE...WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK, I DON'T AGREE WITH BENCHING HIM....

Message to Wings: Bench Bertuzziposted: Tuesday, May 1, 2007 | Feedback | Print Entry

filed under: NHL, Detroit Red Wings, Todd Bertuzzi

If crease-crashing winger Tomas Holmstrom can return to the Wings' lineup in Game 4 (as expected), coach Mike Babcock will have to take a forward out of the lineup.

Here's a suggestion: Scratch Todd Bertuzzi.

The former Canucks star has quietly been killing his new team with bad penalties, poor decisions and weak puck play.

In Monday night's Game 3 loss in San Jose, for example, Bertuzzi took an unbelievably bad (and obvious) elbowing penalty late in the second period, reaching out to deliver a blow to the head of Sharks forward Ryane Clowe. That penalty helped the Sharks keep the momentum going in their direction.

Later, in the third period, the Wings were down 2-1 with nearly seven minutes left in regulation time. They put together a couple of good shifts and were building some momentum as they pushed for the tying goal. Then, Bertuzzi, driving to the net with the puck, found it necessary to slue-foot San Jose defenseman Kyle McLaren. The refs spotted the obvious foul and sent Big Bert to the box for tripping with just 2:48 on the clock.

That penalty helped the Sharks close out the game. Afterward, in television interviews, goalie Dominik Hasek, captain Nicklas Lidstrom and winger Dan Cleary all talked about how penalties really hurt their team's flow and rhythm.

But Bertuzzi's bad penalties (he took two bad minors in Game 2, too) aren't the only way he's hurting his team. There are some subtleties in his game that are just as destructive to his team's chances of winning.

If you watch his shifts, he doesn't take hard, smart angles to the puck carrier. Instead, he swoops by, making it easy for an opponent to move the puck. In the playoffs, that just doesn't cut it. He's not pressuring the puck. He's not making it hard for those young Sharks defenders.

In the defensive zone, he too often fails to get the puck out of his zone cleanly. When you turn the puck over in your own zone, you put your team in a dangerous position. That often leads to a goal against or a penalty. If you're lucky enough to avoid either of those two fates, you still are scrambling rather than playing a cohesive game.

Bertuzzi's weak two-way game really saps the life out of the Wings' terrific puck-possession game. To back up that statement, I offer the following stat. In these playoffs, without Bertuzzi, the Wings are 2-0. Since he joined the lineup, they're just 3-4.

If Babcock wants to put his most competitive team on the ice for Wednesday's vital Game 4, he should make the bold move of putting Big Bert in the press box.

The Wings are better off without him.

15 comments on "Message to Wings: Bench Bertuzzi"

jsaquella (5/1/2007 at 9:33 AM)

Bertuzzi always has a penchant for taking poorly timed penalties and being somewhat of a liability on defense-any Canucks fan will tell you that. Bertuzzi is not fully in game shape after his back injury and it shows. He'll have an outstanding moment or game, then be awful for three.

goldnugget82 (5/1/2007 at 9:49 AM)

Todd Bertuzzi's size and grit are something the Red Wings will need more of if they plan on winning this series. The longer the series goes, the more it favors the Sharks. Heavy bodies, hitting, and gritty-nastiness are how the playoff games are won against the Sharks. His penalties are hurting the Wings but so are the other players logging time in the box for Detroit. Todd enables the Wings to keep this series close. Sharks in 6.

Ya bert took a bad elbowing penalty, but in his defence on the 2end on that was a bad call by the refs. As for benching him we need a big guy out on the ice to defend against the sharks. The refs seem to have there eyes closed when it comes to things the sharks are doing to the wings players. ( and no I am not just saying that because it is my fav team.) My final thought is that the wings played hard and good OL' Dom let us down in that game. I love Dom but he was all over the place and left the net wide open several times. He needs to calm down and focus on what is going on and STAY IN THE NET!

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

Give me a break (in reference to the article blurb, not meaning to chew anybody out in here).

Nobody should realistically expect Bertuzzi to be playing once again like his Vancouver days esp. when he was with Naslund and Morrison given sitting out most of the season.

Yes he had a bad game last night.

He brings some really good size to the Wings and Babcock has pretty much said it straight that Bertuzzi doesn't have to be a superstar, just involved and make some kind of contribution. He could be playing a bit better but he's far from stinking up the joint.

I'm not trying to make Bertuzzi out to be some kind of super bad ass, but It is beyond me why anybody would consider scratching him when I've really heard no indication that his back (or recent concussion) is acting up.

[Offsides 21]

The whole premise to the article is just *SO* mindbogglingly DUMB that I want to scratch my eyes out rather than read it.

Oh, it hurts my sould down deep.

[EasyMark 8]

Give me a break (in reference to the article blurb, not meaning to chew anybody out in here).

Nobody should realistically expect Bertuzzi to be playing once again like his Vancouver days esp. when he was with Naslund and Morrison given sitting out most of the season.

Yes he had a bad game last night.

He brings some really good size to the Wings and Babcock has pretty much said it straight that Bertuzzi doesn't have to be a superstar, just involved and make some kind of contribution. He could be playing a bit better but he's far from stinking up the joint.

I'm not trying to make Bertuzzi out to be some kind of super bad ass, but It is beyond me why anybody would consider scratching him when I've really heard no indication that his back (or recent concussion) is acting up.

I respect Hradek but disagree with him strongly about benching Bertuzzi. The Sharks have used their edge in size to good effect in this series. It makes no sense to bench one of the few wide bodies on the Red Wing roster. It is up to Babcock to use him more effectively. As SouthernWingsFan noted, it is unrealistic to expect him to be the force he was with the Canucks. He has been off the ice a long time. He's playing with a new team under new rules. Just being physical, running around hitting Sharks is an invitation for penalties, especially with his baggage.

Giving him a clearly defined, but limited, role makes sense. Sitting him against a big Sharks team does not.

[isbister 0]

I don't think you can point a finger at just one person. Last nights game it looked like the boys played the best 1rst period they played all year, then ran out of gas. How can anyone say to sit The Bear cause he takes bad penalties? Bert tossed an elbow in a guys face and now some idiot wants him out of the lineup. No we lost last night cause San Jose played the best hockey that there orginization can play. Stop looking for one person to call out, its getting old. Whoever sits on Wednesday better be ready to lace em up and get her goin on Saturday cause we seem to have an injury bug. Win or lose Tomarrow we got to dig deep and out play our oppisition, thats all there is to it. Keep in mind we hit 2 or 3 posts last night and I'm pretty sure had those clanked the other way we'd be singing one persons praises. Stop dogging our players.

[HkyTwn 5]

Ya bert took a bad elbowing penalty, but in his defence on the 2end on that was a bad call by the refs. As for benching him we need a big guy out on the ice to defend against the sharks. The refs seem to have there eyes closed when it comes to things the sharks are doing to the wings players. ( and no I am not just saying that because it is my fav team.) My final thought is that the wings played hard and good OL' Dom let us down in that game. I love Dom but he was all over the place and left the net wide open several times. He needs to calm down and focus on what is going on and STAY IN THE NET!

I know we're talking about Bert here, but I think Dom made a LOT of key saves last night. I know we all hit the panic button when he goes out of his net, but he did a great job.

[Kp-Wings 3]

To insinuate that one has a drug problem is classy? Wow, I guess my morals are way out of wack...

You should know me well enough that I wasn't being serious. The orginal comment was a joke anyways. Jeez...