Q&A with Kenny

[Opie 308]

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article.../309070012/1053

[edicius 3,269]

Five-minute interference rule? Can someone clarify? That's the first I've heard of this.

[Opie 308]

Apparently if a Ref thinks that an interferrence penalty was done with the intent to injure he can issue a 5 minute major.

I hate interpretation rules BTW!!

[Packer487 3]

I really anticipate that there's no reason to think that Nashville isn't going to be competing for the most points in our division.

Ooooook, Kenny.

[OsGOD 3]

^^ so does that mean Kenny thinks we suck worse than them or just about equal...Come the preds lost a ton of people, even speedy sullivan is out for a long time. They are going to bury themselves deep to start out with.

Edited September 7, 2007 by OsGOD

[GMRwings1983 8,793]

If I was asking the questions I would have at least mentioned something about the lack of grit on this team, but the interviewer just seemed to be serving up softballs.

[vangvace 12]

If I was asking the questions I would have at least mentioned something about the lack of grit on this team, but the interviewer just seemed to be serving up softballs.

You missed it Drake and the kids are supposed to pick up the grit.

As for the article... ugh, either the writer writes with A.D.D. or Holland has been taking interview confusion 330 in his spare time.

Edited September 8, 2007 by vangvace

[Kp-Wings 3]

^^^ That's forbidden territory you're walking on!

I agree with you. I can't believe that even a Toronto-based sports columnist for NHL.com doesn't even present the grit question. I expect nothing short from the Detroit people: all homers as it is. But you'd think someone else would be willing to ask, instead of just the usual crap. You know like "So what do you think of the division?" and stuff like that that's been answered by Holland a million different times.

Oh well. No surprises really, so I'm not hanging by the edge of my seat everytime their is a Holland interview, as most of them are carbon copies of each other.

Edited September 8, 2007 by Kp-Wings

[norrisnick 1]

If I was asking the questions I would have at least mentioned something about the lack of grit on this team, but the interviewer just seemed to be serving up softballs.

Honestly, at this point the "lack of grit" the Wings have is purely a style issue. I'd put it on par with asking why the Wings jersey didn't get those fancy retro laces on the collar.

[Yzerfan1999 81]

does anyone else find his replies incredibly annoying to read?

KEN HOLLAND: Well, Dominik Hasek, obviously our hope -- Dom was a big part of the success we had throughout the regular season and in the playoffs. Our hope obviously having Chris Osgood as his backup, a veteran backup, our hope would be that Dom would play 50 to 55 games in the regular season, much like he did last year.

Chris Osgood would play the rest. We think we've got -- we're protected with Jimmy Howard as being the No. 3 goalie, that if we do have some health issues, I think it's important to have some depth.

We're hoping that some of our younger kids, Val Filppula, Jiri Hudler. If we can keep Nick Kronvall healthy. We think some of our younger kids: Brett Lebda, Tomas Kopecky who was out from Christmastime early on with a broken collarbone.

We're hoping that some of these kids can take a step forward with bigger opportunity and fill some of the holes from some of the people that have left.

---finish a damn sentence before you move on! arg!

[55fan 5,133]

does anyone else find his replies incredibly annoying to read?

---finish a damn sentence before you move on! arg!

And now we know why the English language has punctuation and capital letters.

[Mudvayneowns91 0]

does anyone else find his replies incredibly annoying to read?

---finish a damn sentence before you move on! arg!

Yeah, I don't know why he'd start a sentence making a point and then end the sentence. Then he'd start over with a new sentence rephrasing the point he was trying to make before.

[Kreator13 0]

i had no clue they were tweaking some ruleshttp://sports.outsidethebeltway.com/2007/06/nhl-approves-rule-changes-for-2007-2008-season/

[isbister 0]

Jason Williams told me that Fish may be coming back this year. Williams said that he looks great and is skating well but is having a problem getting insured. Ain't that a *****? Anyways, maybe thats how Kenny could address the grit issue. I love everything about hockey, but there are more secrets than a high school hallway.

[eva unit zero 271]

We're hoping that some of our younger kids, Val Filppula, Jiri Hudler, if we can keep Nick Kronvall healthy; we think some of our younger kids, Brett Lebda, Tomas Kopecky who was out from Christmastime early on with a broken collarbone; we're hoping that some of these kids can take a step forward with bigger opportunity and fill some of the holes from some of the people that have left.

Edited for better readability.

[Kp-Wings 3]

Jason Williams told me that Fish may be coming back this year. Williams said that he looks great and is skating well but is having a problem getting insured. Ain't that a *****? Anyways, maybe thats how Kenny could address the grit issue. I love everything about hockey, but there are more secrets than a high school hallway.

Somehow the credability of this is lacking.

Fischer is out of shape anyways, and would probably be a huge lieability. He'd be a great feel-good story if he did come back, but whether he can actually still play remains in question.

I'd rather just address the need in free-agency: or God forbid actually draft toughness.

[eva unit zero 271]

Somehow the credability of this is lacking.

Fischer is out of shape anyways, and would probably be a huge lieability. He'd be a great feel-good story if he did come back, but whether he can actually still play remains in question.

I'd rather just address the need in free-agency: or God forbid actually draft toughness.

Toughness is difficult to draft, because guys with early-round skill that are tough generally go in the first round and the first part of the second round. Guys with later round skill that are tough are generally hit or miss as to whether they actually make the league. With one of the last picks each round, it's difficult to draft tough, skilled players. Unless you think the Wings should absolutely tank so they can draft a tough player who can play?

As far as Fischer, he is probably in decent physical shape; the guy is a fitness nut and still works out regularly even though he's not playing. I'm not going to say he's in playing shape, but he could probably get there pretty quickly.

[isbister 0]

Somehow the credability of this is lacking.

Fischer is out of shape anyways, and would probably be a huge lieability. He'd be a great feel-good story if he did come back, but whether he can actually still play remains in question.

I'd rather just address the need in free-agency: or God forbid actually draft toughness.

I also had no ''credability'' when I posted on here last year that Willy was going to Chi a few days before it happened. All I know is Willy told me that Fish has been skating and and wants to play. He's physically ready to play, but in order to play in the NHL you have to be insured. Its the same in every sport. Fish's problem is he had such a freak unexplainable heart failure that I doubt he can get the okay. It's kinda like Gieco giving someone with 3 DUI's car insurance, its a big risk on there part. Theres no questions in my mind that Fischer can still play the game, but I agree and so does the NHL that he is a huge liability. I'm with you 100% about adding toughness to the orginization via free agency or draft. I think we got enough youth talent to address it in the trade market as well. Anyways, I had a little insight and thought I would share it with The Red Wing faithful. ""Fischer is out of shape"?

[eva unit zero 271]

I also had no ''credability'' when I posted on here last year that Willy was going to Chi a few days before it happened. All I know is Willy told me that Fish has been skating and and wants to play. He's physically ready to play, but in order to play in the NHL you have to be insured. Its the same in every sport. Fish's problem is he had such a freak unexplainable heart failure that I doubt he can get the okay. It's kinda like Geico giving someone with 3 DUI's car insurance, its a big risk on there part.

No, Fischer's situation would be more like Geico giving insurance to someone who had three cars totalled as a result of being HIT by drunk drivers. A freak situation, but something that he had no control over.

Theres no questions in my mind that Fischer can still play the game, but I agree and so does the NHL that he is a huge liability. I'm with you 100% about adding toughness to the orginization via free agency or draft. I think we got enough youth talent to address it in the trade market as well. Anyways, I had a little insight and thought I would share it with The Red Wing faithful. ""Fischer is out of shape"?

[isbister 0]

No, Fischer's situation would be more like Geico giving insurance to someone who had three cars totalled as a result of being HIT by drunk drivers. A freak situation, but something that he had no control over.

Your right, thats a better simily but you get my drift.

[Kp-Wings 3]

Toughness is difficult to draft, because guys with early-round skill that are tough generally go in the first round and the first part of the second round. Guys with later round skill that are tough are generally hit or miss as to whether they actually make the league. With one of the last picks each round, it's difficult to draft tough, skilled players. Unless you think the Wings should absolutely tank so they can draft a tough player who can play?

How is it that most other good teams manage to draft toughness while we can't?

Come on now. New Jersey hasn't had a top 10 pick in a long time either, and they manage pretty well of having guys that are tough and can actually play (Colin White for example).

Just because the Wings have good doesn't give them an excuse to not draft toughness. If they choose not do that (which they seem to) then please address the need in free agency.

As for Fischer: being in physical shape and being in actual NHL playing shape is two totally different things. I would love to have Fischer back on this team: it would be nice to actually have a physical defenseman on this team again. But I seriously don't believe it will happen.

Edited September 9, 2007 by Kp-Wings

[GMRwings1983 8,793]

How is it that most other good teams manage to draft toughness while we can't?

Come on now. New Jersey hasn't had a top 10 pick in a long time either, and they manage pretty well of having guys that are tough and can actually play (Colin White for example).

Just because the Wings have good doesn't give them an excuse to not draft toughness. If they choose not do that (which they seem to) then please address the need in free agency.

As for Fischer: being in physical shape and being in actual NHL playing shape is two totally different things. I would love to have Fischer back on this team: it would be nice to actually have a physical defenseman on this team again. But I seriously don't believe it will happen.

You're forgetting that we can draft "team toughness" better than anyone else in the league.