Wings fans are spoiled

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

People aren't just randomly saying, "Hey, I like big guys. We should have some big guys!" There's a reason -- two, actually.

1. Our near-total lack of big, physical players who can -- and here's the really important part -- log a lot of minutes.

2. Our near-total lack of people who will make the opposition think twice before taking liberties with our stars.

It's the first one, though, that is the real concern, as it is a legitimate weakness. It's especially obvious along our undersized and not-so-physical blue line. Or top 4 or 5 sorely needs a big, crease-clearing defensive defenseman, someone who can step up to the likes of Getzlaf -- who, like him or not, has made a hobby of singlehandedly assraping our d-zone while our defenders just stand there and watch like deer caught in headlights.

I'll say it until I'm blue in the face and type it until my fingers fall off:

This is not '97. This is not '98. This is not '02. This is '08.

People need to start thinking like it. No more of this "Oh they'll be fine because they're the Wings, and even if they lose, the Leafs haven't won it all in decades, so there."

As for the first part of #2, I dont' think a player can stop the opposition from running our stars, but it does feel a whole lot better when someone beats them down after the fact.

Other than that, I think you're right on. Particularly about the lack of size on our blueline. We need someone to clear the crease when teams like Anaheim are running our goalies. Fischer left a huge hole in the Wing's defense that has yet to be filled.

Edited February 16, 2008 by haroldsnepsts

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

I'll cut you some slack on the other guys cause they can at least show it in spurts, but Ellis? Wow....just wow.

:rotflmao:

Isn't Ellis Canadian? If so, then of course he's physical and tough.

[Sevumar 0]

As far as taking liberties with our smaller guys, I think the days of the enforcers are long gone. You think a goon like Pronger is going to think twice before hitting Datsyuk just because we have an enforcer on the ice. I think not.

I've been watcing some of the Wings' pre-lockout games lately. Because I only became a fan in the "new NHL" era that began with the most recent CBA, I find some of these kinds of posts confusing. To my eyes, the game looked a lot more physical 5 or 6 years ago than it does today. I know the rule changes have had a profound impact on the style of play, and that as you say, the days of the old-style enforcers are over.

It seems to me that in this league, it's easier than ever before for teams to compete playing a style of hockey than is more finesse oriented. It doesn't give you a pass on having people who can play physically, but you've certainly got more options than you did in the past. Despite this, people always seem to be shouting for more physicality on the Wings' roster as though it was 2002 and the Wings were playing with their current roster.

It looks like the people who are going to be goons have gone underground about it. There are fewer opportunities for them to practice their craft in the open, so they are the ones making the dirty hits these days. I don't think the Wings want to play this kind of hockey. If they can find a way to get players who can be physical within the bounds of the current league, I'm all for it, but I don't think we're looking for the same kinds of guys we'd look to in the pre-lockout days.

[Dabura 12,232]

You are taking liberties with the facts to make your point. We don't have a TOTAL lack of big physical guys.

And you're taking liberties with the facts to make this argument. I didn't say we have a total lack of big, physical guys -- I said we have a "near-total" lack:

1. Our near-total lack of big, physical players who can -- and here's the really important part -- log a lot of minutes.

2. Our near-total lack of people who will make the opposition think twice before taking liberties with our stars.

As for the names you listed:

1. Lilja - Liability.

2. Franzen - Liability, is not consistently physical, and even when he is physical, he's more of a scrappy grinder than a big bruiser.

3. Kopecky - Liability. Often times completely useless in every area of the game.

4. Ellis -

5. Holmstrom - Physical, but it's not the kind of physicality I'm calling for.

You think a goon like Pronger is going to think twice before hitting Datsyuk just because we have an enforcer on the ice.

Maybe it will, maybe it won't. But I'll tell you what: it's better than not having someone on the ice who's ready to take off Pronger's head at a moment's notice. For the record, though, I'd ideally want this enforcer to be more than an enforcer. In other words, someone who can pound people but also play the game of hockey at a high level. Basically, someone the Wings will never have on their team ever again.

But this has gotten tangential. My point was that often times these anti-whining rants are just as inane as the things they're railing against.

[Inultus 12]

My point was that often times these anti-whining rants are just as inane as the things they're railing against.

You have your opinion, I have mine. And one thing I'm wondering about all the people whining about how we need more big d-men is this...

Lidstrom is the best defenseman in the game and he is not physical. So is there something wrong with Lidstrom? I don't see why we need bigger guys.

Yes, we get pushed around and sometimes it bothers me. But we also score goals instead of having a shoving match. Early exits are not the norm for us no matter how much people say that.

It just seems that way because we make the playoffs every year. IMO, sure add a big guy, but he had better be able to score. Bertuzzi didn't.

[Dabura 12,232]

Lidstrom is the best defenseman in the game and he is not physical. So is there something wrong with Lidstrom? I don't see why we need bigger guys.

Weak argument.

Our blue line needs to be well-rounded if we're going to even think about going all the way. As it stands, our blue line is not well-rounded; it's undersized, not especially physical, and lacking a big, crease-clearing defensive defenseman (as opposed to an offensive specialist like Rafalski) that won't kill us with backbreaking brain farts every other game.

Nick is the heart and soul of this team, true. But the body has a lot of parts.