Time to Swap Chelios for Lilja

[yzefan 2]

I am just wondering what people are thinking in terms of a swap with lilja and chelli?? I was worried to say the least a few times in game 2 when his clearing attempt failed , his passes went array and in one case gave up a 3 on 1 . I think it is time to bring Chelios back into the line-up!!! What do you think????

[Cicada 4]

i thought Lilja was fine, apart from when he lost that edge and fell

[Nightfall 871]

I am just wondering what people are thinking in terms of a swap with lilja and chelli?? I was worried to say the least a few times in game 2 when his clearing attempt failed , his passes went array and in one case gave up a 3 on 1 . I think it is time to bring Chelios back into the line-up!!! What do you think????

If Cheli was even 80%, he would be in the lineup. Lilja is playing well for being a 3rd line defenseman.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

I am just wondering what people are thinking in terms of a swap with lilja and chelli?? I was worried to say the least a few times in game 2 when his clearing attempt failed , his passes went array and in one case gave up a 3 on 1 . I think it is time to bring Chelios back into the line-up!!! What do you think????

No.

As much as I like Chelios, unless you have injuries/somebody coming back from injury that's better than others, you don't mess with a winning lineup.

Other than Lilja's blown tire (which you shouldn't expect to be frequent BUT can happen to anyone so it's not just an OMG HE PULLED A LILJA!!!!!) he's stayed out of the penalty box and has played well within reason/expectations I think of a 3rd-line d-man.

[norrisnick 1]

Chelios' time has come and gone. Honestly, I can't think of anything Cheli has done this playoffs that's at a higher level than Lilly has shown. He's slower, weaker around the crease/corners, smaller, less stamina, and he's not even made smarter plays when he's had chances to clear or pass the puck up ice. The knee injuries of the 90's are starting to catch up with him like Stevie's of the 80s did with him.

[dicksmack 33]

I'd take Cheli or a rookie over Lilja.

Don't underestimate his ability to tank the Wings in a heartbeat. Had they scored on his gaffe, it would be 2-1 and that kind of an idiotic, pathetic goal against would have deflated the team. Pain Train is a trainwreck...again...bloody joke...

[norrisnick 1]

They didn't score on Lilly's gaffe. Cheli's gaffes have been scored on a few too many times this spring.

The Penguins WANT Chelios to play over Lilly. And it's not because they think he's better...

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

If Cheli was even 80%, he would be in the lineup. Lilja is playing well for being a 3rd line defenseman.

Is Chelli hurt? Sounds to me like he's a healthy scratch, but maybe someone knows something I don't.

[Behind Enemy Lines in CO 11]

Chelios needs to come back in only if he is not hurt, which is what led to his poor performance earlier in the playoffs.

The Wings will need his physical presence on the boards - those other punks Lebda and Lilja do not bring it like he does.

[VM1138 1,921]

My Lilja Cycle theory is revealing itself again. After a break, he comes back and plays well, but then quickly deteriorates in quality of play as the games go on. I don't know if we should switch him YET, but Chelios only had one bad series (Dallas) and that was due to some injuries.

With the pressure Crosby and Malkin will be putting on Lilja, since they have that home ice advantage, I'm not sure I want Lilja in high pressure situations where he could cough up the puck to one of them. Chelios is more reliable in that way.

[Nightfall 871]

Is Chelli hurt? Sounds to me like he's a healthy scratch, but maybe someone knows something I don't.

Last I heard, his leg was still not 100%, but maybe he is ok and I misheard something.

[DeuxEx 0]

The Red Wings have two shut outs in a row and the Penguins have been unable to solve the Red Wings defense so the solution is to mess with the defensive pairings. Why? He made a gaffe last night that didn't lead to a goal while Chelios made a number of mistakes that lead to goals in the Dallas series.

I think you stick with the winning lineup unless you have a significantly better player coming back (like Franzen over McCarty) or you have a player that was making major mistakes that made games closer than it should have been.

[gowingsgo 3]

Chelios is too slow to match up to these fast Pens. Nothing against Cheli, but he needs to sit unless someone can't go.

[Heaton 1]

Oh come on, Lilja slips and nothing happens so he deserves to sit? Give me a break. Lilja has been fine since he came back in. I love Chelios but there's zero reason for a swap.

[jvxp 0]

Chelios' time has come and gone. Honestly, I can't think of anything Cheli has done this playoffs that's at a higher level than Lilly has shown. He's slower, weaker around the crease/corners, smaller, less stamina, and he's not even made smarter plays when he's had chances to clear or pass the puck up ice. The knee injuries of the 90's are starting to catch up with him like Stevie's of the 80s did with him.

Finally someone else sees what I see in Cheli. His time has come and gone. The game has pasted him by. Time to get some of our younger, bigger and faster D-men in next year. If we win Chelios should retire!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[rick zombo 3,739]

Lilja has been playing well. Detroit are winning. Give it ^

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

I love Cheli, but no. Lilja did his job yesterday, getting invovled in that scrum at the end just topped it off. This is probably the last time Lilja will be a Red Wing, no reason to not make these last couple of games memorable for him.

[jvxp 0]

Last I heard, his leg was still not 100%, but maybe he is ok and I misheard something.

Cheli is fine, he is just a healthy scratch.

[Reds4Life 51]

Lilja has been solid so far. You can't really ask more from 5-6 defenseman.

[C-Dub 0]

I would be worried with Chelli on the ice at any time. I might outskate the guy and literally every play on the Pens lineup would beat Cheli in a foot race. Sure, he has experience and mostly does a good job of making sure he is not out of position but Lilja has been very solid so far. It would be the pain train though that would fall over his own skates and almost give up a goal. It's what makes Lilja Lilja...

Still, he has played better than I expected so far. Of couse, I am not expecting too much from him.

[lfd250 1]

Chelli per Holland has a small knee inj from last series.

check status

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/prof...tsId=80&out

[irishtemper14+25 11]

if we lose a game put cheli in....regardless i want to see him on the ice in his last game ever and hoisting the cup

[Opie 308]

I am sorry but Lilja had what 3 blocked shots in the first Period alone, he lost an edge once, no harm no foul.

People you really need to learn to sit back and enjoy the ride, all of this bench so and so, I watch player x all game and keep track of all of their mistakes and he made x mistakes.

The Red Wings have allowed exactly 0 goals in the Stanley Cup finals.

Enjoy it, because this is the hardest trophy in Professional North American sports to win, and the Wings are on the verge of winning their 4 in 12 years (11 seasons) and 11th of all time placing them 2nd in the history of the NHL.

Success the likes of this are not seen very often, sure the Pats had a streak better than this recently (3-4 years) but who else in all major sports has one more championships than the wings since 96?

Babcock knows what he is doing, he knows if Cheli is 100% or not, he knows who struggles against the Pens style of play, he knows who can keep up with the Pens speed, he knows who can hit and who should shoot, who should pass and who to play on the PP.

Let him coach the team, you watch the games and enjoy watching your favorite team make another run at a cup!!!