New Lines @ Practice

[HockeyCrazy3033 168]

Agreed. Meech can play the PP, is smart on both sides of the puck, and couldnt do any worse then Lebda or Lilja.

Nice ava!

[dallas27 7]

I'd personally like to see Helm play with Draper. Imagine the amount of energy and hustle those two would put on the ice together.

[8 Legged RedWing 367]

yes me too, i think a good change in that last D pairing with bringing in meech in some way will really help. along with everyone else i also agree keeping dats and z together is a must. people were complaining that it was unfair having those two on the same team back a few games. the chemistry is too good together. not gunna lie, who wouldnt like to see a mccarty drapes and malts line again. why not?

[Izzy24 44]

Splitting up Dats and Zetterberg is one of those things that seems like a good idea, but tends not to work out as well as hoped. Together they are greater than the sum of their respective parts, in my humble opinion.

[Superman54 91]

Both goals last night were not Lebda's fault, he got screwed by his own d-men twice, but i must say im not too mad seein chelios gone, considering his play lately. We neeeeeeeeeeeeeed our 2nd line to start doing something! Hopefully Huds helps it out abit, and if it still don't work, move Helm in for Flips considering him and huds play awesome together...and if they have cleary with them I think they could do even more damage, then when they had McCarty

[OsGOD 3]

All aboard the Pain Train

I doubt downey will play but we can only hope!

[russianswede919293 95]

Pain Train will do fine. He'll go out there and throw his body around, and even assist on one of the Wings goals.

I like the line changes. Great to see Huds on the 2nd line. Well deserved.

I guess Babs listened to me about splitting Hank and Dats.

Edit: Is he or isn't he putting Hank and Pav separately? Hmmm..

I believe I read somewhere that he may split them up first period and be

Hudler-Dats-Homer

Flapjack-Z-Cleary

[GiantRobot 0]

Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Holmstrom

Hudler- Filppula -Cleary

Drake-Draper-Samuelsson

Maltby-Helm-McCarty

Lidstrom-Rafalski

Kronwall-Stuart

Meech-Chelios

Lebda-Lilja

Hudler is our 4th leading scorer in the playoffs... its about time he got second line minutes. Maltby also needs to be sharing 4th line minutes, and sticking to the special teams.

[VM1138 1,921]

Lilja in the lineup for a crucial, tight game?

Crap.

[8 Legged RedWing 367]

I believe I read somewhere that he may split them up first period and be

Hudler-Dats-Homer

Flapjack-Z-Cleary

mmmm flapjacks

but yea i hope he doesnt. we have all seen they arent productive when split up. i dont like it. even for a period.

[CanadaBoy 151]

Frazen get well soon

[Dabura 12,232]

mehh

[FinWing 26]

I'd rather have Meech in over Pain Train but good luck to Lilja nonetheless.

[GoWings1905 2,694]

Chelios out is a good move. He was awful in game five. Lilja can fill the role on the penalty kill just as well, if not better. Sure Lilja gives the puck away occasionally, but Chelios had more than his fair share of turnovers this series (especially last game).

The forward changes don't excite me a whole lot. Seeing the name Franzen on the second line would be about the only thing that would. Hudler deserves more minutes, but Filppula and Cleary really need to step it up as well. The Red Wings will lose tonight if the top line is the only one generating offense.

[Reds4Life 51]

Datsyuk Zetterberg Holmstrom

Hudler Helm Cleary

Maltby Draper Samuelsson

Downey Abdelkader McCarty

Lidstrom Stuart

Kronwall Rafalski

Lilja Meech

Ozzie

This is the lineup I would love to see out there.

If Filppula is healthy, I would sit McCarty and replaced Maltby with Filppula:

Filppula Draper Samuelsson

Maltby Abdelkader Downey

Edited May 19, 2008 by Reds4Life

[FinWing 26]

Datsyuk Zetterberg Holmstrom

Hudler Helm Cleary

Maltby Draper Samuelsson

Downey Abdelkader McCarty

Lidstrom Stuart

Kronwall Rafalski

Lilja Meech

Ozzie

This is the lineup I would love to see out there.

Flip not included because of injury..?

[Reds4Life 51]

Flip not included because of injury..?

Yeah. it seems he's injured

[AUWingsFan 0]

Datsyuk Zetterberg Holmstrom

Hudler Helm Cleary

Maltby Draper Samuelsson

Downey Abdelkader McCarty

Lidstrom Stuart

Kronwall Rafalski

Lilja Meech

Ozzie

This is the lineup I would love to see out there.

If Filppula is healthy, I would sit McCarty and replaced Maltby with Filppula:

Filppula Draper Samuelsson

Maltby Abdelkader Downey

I like these lines....at first I was all for not having Downey in the lineup because he wouldn't bring much offensively, but now it seems his energy might be something we'd need since no one is really producing from the fourth line except Hudler who is most likely on his way up the lineup.....I think it'd be worth giving Downey a shot this game, as well as Abdelkader because the way the past two games have been it wouldn't help to shake things up and get some "fresh" guys in.... but if there are only line changes and not a change in who is playing I'm cool with that as long as the effort is much better because it honestly looked like the Wings were on cruise control the past few games and only stepped up at times (I give Dallas part of the credit, but we didn't seem to have much "push back" in trying to answer their level of play)....

Go Wings!

[FinWing 26]

Yeah. it seems he's injured

He definitely isn't 100% but whether it's bad enough to drop him out of the lineup is a good question.

[Reds4Life 51]

He definitely isn't 100% but whether it's bad enough to drop him out of the lineup is a good question.

Tough call indeed. I would rest him for few extra days so he can regenerate properly. We will need him in the finals for sure!

I just realized I totally forgot about the Drake, so McCarty would not play for sure and when Filppula is healthy=>no Downey.

Edited May 19, 2008 by Reds4Life

[VM1138 1,921]

Downey lovers forget something:

Energy lines only bring real energy when they can make things happen on the ice. Downey is not, and never will be a good hockey player. Therefore hsi line would not be generating any scoring chances.

Therefore Downey should stay out.

[KronwallCRUNCH 5]

Chelios has looked like garbage lately. Good change.

[Third Man In 2,091]

Flip's playing. He hasn't practiced for two weeks, but he's playing and will center the second line.

Lils makes some poor decisions with the puck, but he's also a great shot blocker. There's a reason he's on the ice for 5-on-3s. I understand people's reservations about him, but if he's in the lineup, Go Get'em Pain Train!

[PaVel DaTsYuK fan13 0]

I think I'm the only person who would like to keep things the same. The wings haven't gotten a single break the last 2 games and I think the same pairings are due to put up some offensive tonight.

The only change I'm not opposed to is getting Hudler on the second line.

[Dabura 12,232]

Energy lines only bring real energy when they can make things happen on the ice. Downey is not, and never will be a good hockey player. Therefore hsi line would not be generating any scoring chances.

Not that I'm a big Downey lover, but "making things happen" doesn't necessarily mean "creating scoring chances," especially if we're talking about a fourth line.