An Enforcer

[Guest Crymson]

why not cut loose lilja and markov and spend the money on brad staurt i think he can fight

Stuart did prove in the playoffs that he is more than willing to continuously yank people by the collar while those people are being held back by the refs.

[skacore 2]

The organization should put Franzen and Lilja through some boxing lessons this offseason, I could respect both of them so much if they had the element of sticking up for teammates so their game

[therock48880 14]

I totally agree . The Wings showed in this season's Playoff's that they are no longer pushover's or soft .

They beat two of the toughest teams in the NHL and should probably have made it three by beating the Ducks as well. Hopefully the tag of being a bunch of soft Euro's are long and trully gone. An Enforcer would be a nice thing to have on the team but is not needed as much as it used to be.

The Wings didn't show they were tougher in the playoffs. They showed more grit and determination but that didn't stop anyone from taking runs at them. Remember the Calgary meltdown? Would that have happened if there was a legitimate enforcer on the ice? Doubt it. San Jose had a similar time when they had a meltdown when they were getting blown out. And then then the Ducks took numerous runs at Hasek, and slammed Homer's head into the boards. The Wings were impressive with their desire this postseason, but the simple fact remains they are too small to get a Cup. There's no sense having a guy on the end of the bench playing 5-8 minutes per game and contributing nothing. That player may as well be someone that puts fear into the other team. And this talk of Bertuzzi being an enforcer is ridiculous. 1. he's a free agent and 2. he isn't much of a fighter.

The organization should put Franzen and Lilja through some boxing lessons this offseason, I could respect both of them so much if they had the element of sticking up for teammates so their game

I disagree. The last thing the Wings need is for a valuable, everyday player like Franzen breaking his hand hitting someone's helmet. A big guy on the end of the bench making the league minimum would be ideal.

[eva unit zero 271]

Remember the Calgary meltdown? Would that have happened if there was a legitimate enforcer on the ice?

Yes.

[/font]

An enforcer doesn't prevent anything unless he's a guy who actually plays. A league minimum, big guy at the end of the bench who makes the league minimum and plays 4 minutes would not serve as the deterrent you want, and would only hurt the team.

[Guest micah]

The only two "enforcers" I would like to see the Wings pick up through free agency this year are Todd Fedoruk and Chris Simon, they can fight anyone in the league and take a regular shift, and both would be under 1 million

Chris Simon is 57 years old and quit fighting. Fedoruk's orbital bone is held together by paperclips. They're both pretty much done with enforcing.

An enforcer doesn't prevent anything unless he's a guy who actually plays. A league minimum, big guy at the end of the bench who makes the league minimum and plays 4 minutes would not serve as the deterrent you want, and would only hurt the team.

Please explain the ways in which the Ducks are suffering because they played Parros all year, it's escaping me. In what specific ways did Parros hurt their team? How much better could they be if not for him?

[eva unit zero 271]

Please explain the ways in which the Ducks are suffering because they played Parros all year, it's escaping me. In what specific ways did Parros hurt their team? How much better could they be if not for him?

How has Parros helped the Ducks in the postseason?

[/font]

The Wings were better than the Ducks in the regular season, remember?

You act as if Parros playing regular season games is the reason the Ducks beat the Wings, which is just insane.

[Guest micah]

You act as if Parros playing regular season games is the reason the Ducks beat the Wings, which is just insane.

No, silly, I'm saying that Parros did not "hurt the team", which you say a 4 minute reg season guy would for the Wings. what was the fallout of the harm he caused, finishing 2nd in the reg season and going to the cup finals? I bet they're gonna run that goat right outta town.

[eva unit zero 271]

No, silly, I'm saying that Parros did not "hurt the team", which you say a 4 minute reg season guy would for the Wings. what was the fallout of the harm he caused, finishing 2nd in the reg season and going to the cup finals? I bet they're gonna run that goat right outta town.

But would they have gone to the Cup finals had he played those 4 minutes every night in the playoffs?

[WingsWingsWings 3]

Here's my take on the whole "enforcer" issue.

Sure, Pronger cheapshotted Homer. But Homer bounced right back after getting stitches and got an assist in that game right? After scoring twice before the hit.

That is how the Wings "enforce". I like it.....

Edited May 29, 2007 by WingsWingsWings

[DEVILSWATERBOY 10]

Send a few of are defense man to learn how to box like Probie and Mack did in the off season suggest Lilja and Lebda; are smaller fowards need to be protected all year not just the playoffs Steve Y had Probie, Kocur ,Zombo and Mack to protect him on the ice,send Bootland to boxing school we need an enforcer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[vangvace 12]

But would they have gone to the Cup finals had he played those 4 minutes every night in the playoffs?

Like most of fourth liners in the league? Especially as benches get shortened...

Edited May 29, 2007 by vangvace

[Guest ZDH]

Lets get Oglethorpe. Is he still in jail?

[DEVILSWATERBOY 10]

But would they have gone to the Cup finals had he played those 4 minutes every night in the playoffs?

I have been reading what you are saying and do understand what you are talking about but what you have to remember the Wings won 3 cups with enforcers in the lineup we had Kocur, Mack, Lapointe for 2 cups and then we had Mack for the one in 2002 enforcers are a valuable part of a hockey team even if they do not see alot off ice time ,because at some point retrobution for a cheep shot has to be done so it does not keep happening knowing that there is somebody to mack them accountable may be enough to stop cheap shots from happening

Edited May 29, 2007 by DEVILSWATERBOY

[Winged Scooter 0]

Lets get Oglethorpe. Is he still in jail?

Yep, he got convicted!

I hear McCracken, "The Hook" is still available, and is Hasek retires we can always sign Hanrahan.

[OsGOD 3]

We do need an enforcer... We need Sergei Fedorov to come and enforce some pucks going into the net after April 9th!

Go Sergei, Go Cup!

[Guest ZDH]

Yep, he got convicted!

I hear McCracken, "The Hook" is still available, and is Hasek retires we can always sign Hanrahan.

After Holland re-signs his own UFA's with no more Cap space left he might be heard saying " frickin machine took all my quarters!"

[glasgowcelticwing 18]

The Wings didn't show they were tougher in the playoffs. They showed more grit and determination but that didn't stop anyone from taking runs at them. Remember the Calgary meltdown? Would that have happened if there was a legitimate enforcer on the ice? Doubt it. San Jose had a similar time when they had a meltdown when they were getting blown out. And then then the Ducks took numerous runs at Hasek, and slammed Homer's head into the boards. The Wings were impressive with their desire this postseason, but the simple fact remains they are too small to get a Cup. There's no sense having a guy on the end of the bench playing 5-8 minutes per game and contributing nothing. That player may as well be someone that puts fear into the other team. And this talk of Bertuzzi being an enforcer is ridiculous. 1. he's a free agent and 2. he isn't much of a fighter.

I disagree. The last thing the Wings need is for a valuable, everyday player like Franzen breaking his hand hitting someone's helmet. A big guy on the end of the bench making the league minimum would be ideal.

The Wings might not have had a goone of their own in the playoff's, but they did show that they are tougher than what they were last season , I was impressed with the way that (cheapshots aside) the Wings showed a physical side of their game (that none of us expected ) Against much bigger and tougher opposition in the Flames , Sharks and the Ducks. As I said an Enforcer would be a bonus, but those guy's don't grow on tree's and are extreamly hard to find.

[Heaton 1]

Remember the Calgary meltdown? Would that have happened if there was a legitimate enforcer on the ice? Doubt it.

Go ask some Calgary fans about how the Wings 'ran' Kiprusoff the entire series and how the Wings cheapshotted them multiple times a game. If an enforcer would've stopped the Wings from doing what they were doing they would've dressed Goddard. Funny that they didn't.

Ask Minnesota fans how much Boogaard helped out during their series with Anaheim when Kim Johnsson was knocked out of the playoffs by Brad May.

Your enforcers aren't always on the ice when the dirty stuff happens, so unless we can find 18 guys who are heavyweights and can play, it's impossible to make claims like would X happen with X player on the ice.

[OsGOD 3]

In fact the players would be dumb to do anything while the enforcer was on the ice.... the whole 2 to 2-1/2 of ice time they would get anyways.

[Flip-check 6]

We do need an enforcer... We need Sergei Fedorov to come and enforce some pucks going into the net after April 9th!

Go Sergei, Go Cup!

This is spot on. Whatever kind of guy is doing this, Sergei or someone else... that's one of the higher needs for the Wings.

I'm pretty sure Kenny knows this, and Babs knows this. This was crucial to our playoff success. Dom was fine, our defense would have been fine if it weren't on the injured reserve, it's the offense that sputtered out and suffocated the team.

Edited May 29, 2007 by Flip-check

[Guest micah]

"Ask Minnesota fans how much Boogaard helped out during their series with Anaheim when Kim Johnsson was knocked out of the playoffs by Brad May."

Boogaard (despite having the rep of a guy who can "only" fight) was one of the few Wild players who looked good in that series. He played quite well and is perhaps the only real intimidating force in the league right now. He didn't put the hurt on cowardly Brad May like he would have liked to, but he clearly did have a few ducks watching their backs. He was a very effective player, but his small contribution was not enough to win the series.

[Kp-Wings 3]

The Wings don't need an enforcer. The Wings need Aaron Asham.

Edited May 29, 2007 by Kp-Wings

[therock48880 14]

Yes.

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An enforcer doesn't prevent anything unless he's a guy who actually plays. A league minimum, big guy at the end of the bench who makes the league minimum and plays 4 minutes would not serve as the deterrent you want, and would only hurt the team.

I disagree. How many times has Giguere been run in these playoffs? Not very often. Why? Because there WILL be payback if they do.

Big players beat little ones in the playoffs. It's that simple. It happens every single year.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

That's the thing I think some people are missing when they talk about the days of having Probert on the team.

Probert was an enforcer for sure, but not just a goon. He freed up a lot of room for Stevie and Gallant and could use his hands for more than crushing guy's skulls.`

When he was healthy and played most of a season for the Wings, he was usually good for 15-20 goals and 20+ assists and played both wings.

And for an interesting trivia note, Probert held the Wings single season playoff points record with 8 goals and 13 assists in 16 games in the 1988 playoffs until Fedorov broke it in 95 (and later Stevie tied Feds).

So I'd love to have a guy like Probert on the Wings, if a player like that even exists anymore. But I'm not that interested in just an enforcer.

Edited May 29, 2007 by haroldsnepsts

[therock48880 14]

That's the thing I think some people are missing when they talk about the days of having Probert on the team.

Probert was an enforcer for sure, but not just a goon. He freed up a lot of room for Stevie and Gallant and could use his hands for more than crushing guy's skulls.`

When he was healthy and played most of a season for the Wings, he was usually good for 15-20 goals and 20+ assists and played both wings.

And for an interesting trivia note, Probert held the Wings single season playoff points record with 8 goals and 13 assists in 16 games in the 1988 playoffs until Fedorov broke it in 95 (and later Stevie tied Feds).

So I'd love to have a guy like Probert on the Wings, if a player like that even exists anymore. But I'm not that interested in just an enforcer.

I'd be happy with a probert or a kocur reincarnation. I'd prefer not to have a goon like Worrell. He sucks and can't skate. I'd just like to see them get bigger and have opposing teams quit taking liberties against them. How many times was Hasek run and nothing was ever done about it. That needs to change, imo.