Cheli in for game 6?

[Superman54 91]

Hudler was awesome last night, and created alot of offense, so keep him in. Lilja didn't play bad either, and I find him to be more useful then I do Chelios.

[Bad Vlad Forever 1]

Chelios' passing in the playoffs has been abysmal. We need less turnovers in our defensive zone. I say you gotta sit the guy

[ifonlyicouldskate 11]

Wait wait, Chelios is slow? Slower than Lilja? Haha, that is laughable.

Nobody ever said Lilja was fast. Chelios is diffently a smarter D man. I don't think Cheli is 100% healthy otherwise I think he would of at least played a game already. He was already slow and with a bad wheel would only make him slower. If Lilja does play, than he needs to be physical and use his size to his advantage and for god sakes do not turn the puck over again.

[eva unit zero 271]

If Chelios comes into the game, it should be for Lebda.

The biggest defensive weakness the Wings have had is a failure to clear the crease. Lilja is much better in that regard than Lebda is.

Lebda is really the most useless player on the team; he's not good defensively, he's not a good playmaker, and he has a weak ass shot that isn't very accurate. All he has is speed, and he doesn't use it like he should. At the rate he's going, by the time he learns how to use his speed, he won't have it anymore.

But honestly, Chelios has not looked good either. So I don't know if I make that switch.

I would have to be in the room every day with the guys to know whether they were crushed abotu game 5. If they are suffering emotionally, I would make the switch because Chelios, ultimately, can still play at a high level with proper rest and motivation. If the guys are in the proper frame of mind, there's no need to change Lebda for Chelios. If it goes to a Game 7 as a reslt of defensive errors, then Chelios comes in.

[C-Dub 0]

While I agree that defensively Lebda has done little, partly because he just isn't that great of a defender and he's undersized, I felt he has done very well moving the puck through the neutral zone starting offensive plays. In fact, I feel he has done far better with this than Stuart, who in the past 2 games has made horrible decisions skating the puck out of the zone or passing it.

I kind of find the pairing of Lebda and either Chelios or Lilja a somewhat okay one, because Lebda does bring speed and ability to carry the puck out of the zone to the table while Cheli and Lilja at least provide some defensive capabilities -- Lilja mainly because he has a big body, he has little defensive skill as far as I am concerned.

[sixer 37]

Unless Babs talks to Lilja and he says he's not 100% rested, Chelios will not be playing.

[ilmickeyli 40]

Chelios and DMac are scratches tonight, according to mlive

Gonchar and Malone will be playing, also

[Bender 0]

While Lilja has not been great, I've seen worse from him. Lebda has been holding his own.

As much as I would like to see Chelios lace 'em up for game 6, I think that it sends the wrong message by indicating to the Pens Babcock thinks we need to make a change because he doesn't have confidence enough in the lineup as it is.

IF that were the case, it might create more of a disadvantage by unnecessarily adding to the confidence they gained from the last game.

[WunderfulWorldOFOzzie 0]

:thumbup:

Yes i agree chelios in for tonight ...Nothing can be veteran experience and lets face it the amount ogf bad clearing attempts and give aways the last game and before ...Its only a matter of time we will be talking about game 7 . The youngins have served there purpose yes but chelios would come in handy clearing the trash in front of ozzie and there would be less BS after the whistle is blown like there has been . Chelios has been there and wont crack under pressure and can provide the ever so valuable shot block, cause i highly doubt we need zetters doing that like i witnessed in the game the other night , i found that rather frightining but also shows what a hell of a player he is just the same ...

Every little bit of advantage in this time would help so yes to chelios in ....

Lets Go Wings .....

WunderfulWorldOFOzzie

[TigerDan 20]

Chelios needs to be in tonight. Lilja drives me crazy with some of the careless plays he makes. Chelios should have been playing over him the entire time. I'm not as worried about Pitts team speed as much as I am about the way they have started creating turnovers. Chelios is one of the smartest player on the planet when he has the puck. Chelios making a breakout pass = no Pitt goals due to turnovers.

[alpo 0]

I have to agree withsome of the above posters who are more concerned about Stuarts play than Lilja & Ledba. He seems more prone to the colosal blunders than the 3rd pairing, but likely only because he is on the ice that much more.

All in all I think the wings should stick with the same line-up & continue to pepper Fluery with shots....he cannot stop them all & if he does.......Cheli would still have been a non factor anyways. We lost game 5 to astounding goaltending, not because we were soft defencively.

[58Miles2Joe 12]

Just posted those due to relevance...

I think Chelios should go in for Lilja for leadership and because I'm scared Lilja will, once again, make an EPIC screw-up.

[WisconsinWingNut 0]

Chelios' passing in the playoffs has been abysmal. We need less turnovers in our defensive zone. I say you gotta sit the guy

On the other hand, Cheli always seems to have one of the Ref's ears.

[NEpats1028 1]

i dont think you can take hudler out for making 1 bonehead move. even though it cost them the game, i dont think it justifys a benching..remember, he's the one who scored the GWG in game 4..

[NEpats1028 1]

i dont think you can take hudler out for making 1 bonehead move. even though it cost them the game, i dont think it justifys a benching..remember, he's the one who scored the GWG in game 4..

[Turkey 0]

The Hudler hate makes no sense. Kronner scored on his own net. Are we screaming for his head? Hudler has more play off points than Kronwall does so let's take a pass on the "bench Hudler" bandwagon, eh?

As for Chelly, I love him and wish he would play but if I'm Babcock I make no changes. 9 times out of 10 Detroit wins that last game. No sense messing w/ a winning line up. We lost that game on a fluke and only a novice makes line up changes in reaction to a fluke.

[Lilja 0]

Lilja played well last game! He stepped up on the attack and broke alot of them early! Sure I was nervous a few times but he didnt make any mistake but instead he used his body well!