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Creasemonkey

Claude Lemieux called up

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This move tells me one thing. The Sharks still know that they probably can't beat the Wings in a seven game series. This is a desperate move from a scared franchise.

Should make for an interesting series... assuming San Jose can clear the first round.

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This move tells me one thing. The Sharks still know that they probably can't beat the Wings in a seven game series. This is a desperate move from a scared franchise.

Interestingly, not every move the Sharks make is based on the Wings. He's coming up because of injuries, not the least of which is Torrey Mitchell re-injuring his leg yesterday. There have been a couple of guys up from the AHL, and their time is about up, so they're going back down. Meanwhile, the Sharks still have a D man playing forward in a number of games, because there are so many guys out right now. So they need people, and all of the younguns who looked good in camp have already had a turn.

Claude said he wanted to get back into the NHL and would do whatever it takes, and he's jumped through every hoop the Sharks organization asked him to jump through. He went to China to play for a few months to prove he was serious, and didn't complain. Then he went to the AHL, again without complaining. Everyone has said he can still play. He proved that he's serious, now he gets rewarded. I've got to respect him for everything he's done to get this chance.

All that said, I don't think he'll be up for more than a few games. The Sharks have their team, and it's been working together for a few months now to be a solid unit. Unless he comes in and really does play the best hockey of his career, he's going to have a hard time winning a place. In the same way that the Sharks, like the Wings, won't be renting a star for the playoffs, they won't be adding someone out of desperation or fear.

Most likely the Sharks will offer to trade him to whomever is most likely to face the Wings in the first round. Because that would be funny.

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I honestly don't expect anything to happen based on the past. Mac and Turtle played against each other a number of times after their last fight, and I believe at one point they called it pax. Drapes and Turtle have not made up that I know of, but they never fought either.

If anything happens, it will be due to a new cheapshot on the part of Claude, not based on the events of a decade ago.

But, oh my, wouldn't it be fun!

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I'm not completely clear on why they made the move. Roenick has made no bones about how much he respects Wilson for giving him a chance, and he's clearly played hard to earn the trust Wilson had in him. Maybe this is Wilson giving a chance to another vet and hoping he'll be rewarded by getting something special out of Lemieux.

I can't quite wrap my head around the idea that this is about Lemieux's virtues as a hockey player, though. Last time I saw him in the NHL, he was killing the Dallas Stars, taking dumb penalties against the Ducks in the 2003 playoffs. I have trouble believing that 6 years away from NHL hockey have improved his game. So the logical conclusion seems to be that they're bringing in Lemieux for his veteran leadership and experience winning at the highest level.

Well, that's a double edged sword. It could certainly send the message to Joe Thornton, in particular, that the team doesn't believe it has the leadership it needs to win in the playoffs.

I dunno. This team is on fire. Why tinker with it at all? As much as he's revered as a winner, Lemieux has had his problems even with his own teammates throughout his career. I'd leave well enough alone. The guys on that roster have gotten them this far. Dance with the one who brought you there and what not.

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Interestingly, not every move the Sharks make is based on the Wings. He's coming up because of injuries, not the least of which is Torrey Mitchell re-injuring his leg yesterday. There have been a couple of guys up from the AHL, and their time is about up, so they're going back down. Meanwhile, the Sharks still have a D man playing forward in a number of games, because there are so many guys out right now. So they need people, and all of the younguns who looked good in camp have already had a turn.

Claude said he wanted to get back into the NHL and would do whatever it takes, and he's jumped through every hoop the Sharks organization asked him to jump through. He went to China to play for a few months to prove he was serious, and didn't complain. Then he went to the AHL, again without complaining. Everyone has said he can still play. He proved that he's serious, now he gets rewarded. I've got to respect him for everything he's done to get this chance.

All that said, I don't think he'll be up for more than a few games. The Sharks have their team, and it's been working together for a few months now to be a solid unit. Unless he comes in and really does play the best hockey of his career, he's going to have a hard time winning a place. In the same way that the Sharks, like the Wings, won't be renting a star for the playoffs, they won't be adding someone out of desperation or fear.

Most likely the Sharks will offer to trade him to whomever is most likely to face the Wings in the first round. Because that would be funny.

Best post of the thread. You said everything I was going to say. I'll leave it at that.

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This move tells me one thing. The Sharks still know that they probably can't beat the Wings in a seven game series. This is a desperate move from a scared franchise.

Should make for an interesting series... assuming San Jose can clear the first round.

I highly doubt that this move has anything to do with a response solely to the Red Wings or anything like that. Probably just the Sharks thinking that Lemieux can help the team out in whatever way(s). It has nothing to do with the Red Wings nor any other NHL team outside of the San Jose Sharks.

And as much as Lemieux is disliked by Wings fans, I'll leave uncle ovi's post to do the rest of the talking, as it is a good one.

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Say what you want about him being old, over the hill, washed up, worn out or whatever, but think about this. If the best team in the league called him up to play for them, he must have something to offer that SJ wants.

And I'm sorry, "average at his peak"? No dice. You don't win 4 Stanley Cups, score 80 career goals in the playoffs, and win the Conn Smythe Trophy (by beating a Scotty Bowman coached Detroit Red Wings team, BTW) by being average...

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"I dunno how McCarty looked cheap, find me anyone who thinks he was being cheap that night besides Avs fans. "

Hi, I'm Micah. I'm not an Aves fan, I am a Red wings fan. I think not squaring up with claude was cheap. Mac had the opportunity to school Claude strait-up, but he decided to jump him instead. I thought it was curious at the time, but the next year we learned why Mac choose to jump him - it was apparently because he wouldn't have soundly beat Lemieux without an unfair advantage.

It's too bad that the toughest player in the game - Brent Severyn - didn't go with McCarty. It's also too bad that the toughest player on either roster - Joey Kocur - was a scratch that night.

ok dude seriously the year after that claude tried to redeem himself and couldnt do it after they went at it off the faceoff yes he had his moments but mccarty was the better fighter in all of them

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"I dunno how McCarty looked cheap, find me anyone who thinks he was being cheap that night besides Avs fans. "

Hi, I'm Micah. I'm not an Aves fan, I am a Red wings fan. I think not squaring up with claude was cheap. Mac had the opportunity to school Claude strait-up, but he decided to jump him instead. I thought it was curious at the time, but the next year we learned why Mac choose to jump him - it was apparently because he wouldn't have soundly beat Lemieux without an unfair advantage.

It's too bad that the toughest player in the game - Brent Severyn - didn't go with McCarty. It's also too bad that the toughest player on either roster - Joey Kocur - was a scratch that night.

I'm thinking that D-Mac decided to school Clod on how to cheap shot someone. It was the ol' "you get what you give" lesson. I agree, if you don't square off with someone, you're a thug not a scrapper or an enforcer. But I think Clod got the message. As for how this will affect future games between two powerhockey teams, in the subject of ass-wuppin's...I'm going to say it's a non-issue.

Unfortunately, people will be expecting some form of clash of the titans, but unless there is something new to stir the pot, it's going to be a hockey game, and that's all.

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I watched a vid of that fight earlier today. It's looks like McCarty nailed Claude when he wasn't prepared, what I want to know is why wasn't he prepared? That was the equal of skating with your head down. IMO the reason for the first fight that night was to distract the refs so Mac could make his run. Everybody in the house knew that payback was coming.

All that aside you have to admit Claude has a nose for the cup. Wouldn't bother me to see his nose get jacked again instead though.

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The only thing I hate more than that turtling f*** himself are the douchebag announcers who call him "Clode Lehmyuh". I just want to punch through my television and choke them to death.

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Two (among many) things still stick with me about "the cross-check":

1) Steve Yzerman came from minor back surgery before the end of the season in 1995-96. After the Club was eliminated, he got the players together and told them if they really want to win the Cup, they were going to have to be in the best physical shape of their lives for both the regular season and the playoffs. He told them that then Athletic Therapist John Wharton had worked out a plan for rehabilitation of his injury and that Wharton had worked out a plan for the entire Club to follow before the start of the next season. They followed the plan and in the 1996-97 season, the Club had an unheard of total of Man Games Lost of 104 and

2) In "The Payback" game, the Denver "Post" had a lot of quotes from Mike Keane, then with Colorado. The paper must have thought that this was the right way to put the proper "spin" on the game. He called Detroit "gutless" for waiting until a "meaningless game at home" to show how tough they were and "we'll see how tough they are in the playoffs". Memories were kept of this article by both the players and the fans and Colorado lost the Conference Final in 1996-97 in six games.

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You know what, screw it... I hate the guy, but deep down inside this comeback made me respect him. I still hate him, but respect is there. It's been 6 years... He's 43... I'm watching this game and he actually has a presence. I mean he's accomplishing hits, keeping up with plays, and all that. Don't be too shocked if he wins Masterton.

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You know what, screw it... I hate the guy, but deep down inside this comeback made me respect him. I still hate him, but respect is there. It's been 6 years... He's 43... I'm watching this game and he actually has a presence. I mean he's accomplishing hits, keeping up with plays, and all that. Don't be too shocked if he wins Masterton.

It'll come down to him and Steve Sullivan.

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It'll come down to him and Steve Sullivan.

If Lemieux beats out Steve Sullivan for the Masterton, I might write a letter to the NHL objecting to it. One player came out of voluntary retirement when healthy and the other player came back from a serious, repeated, career-ending injury. There's not even a debate there in my mind. Sullivan would win in pretty much every year in the past decade plus, thinking about recent winners. Including Yzerman, who won it for a similar reason that was much less severe.

Lemieux winning it this year would be like McCarty winning it last year. A player made a comeback to be a depth player at the end of the season. While that might win in some years, it's not the best reason in the particular year, as last year Jason Blake played in all 82 regular season games despite being diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia. Steve Sullivan suffered what was thought to be a career-ending back injury, but after having multiple surgeries and off-ice rehabilitation Sullivan is returning to the ice, and the Predators hope he is the scorer he once was for them. One major difference? Sullivan is returning to the same team he played for when he was injured, while Lemieux retired and then found whatever team would take him for his purposes. That further pushes it to Sullivan, as Lemieux hunted around the league for a contract while Sullivan still continued to serve his duty as a leader on his team even though he hadn't played in years.

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