What do you like most about this years team?

[Guest GordieSid&Ted]

What I Like

Dominance of the Euro Trio (Dats, Z, Hossa)

Ice time for newbies (Leino and Helm)

PowerPlay

Continued sweet hands of Franzen, improved all around play by Hudler

Rafalski seemingly on the score sheet every night. Kronwall becoming more of the offensive weapon he was tagged at coming into the league

What I don't like

Unfathomably bad penalty kill

Lidstrom making more mistakes than I have seen in the past 3 years combined

Still not having a player in the lineup who can legitimately fight

Kopecky's inability to really do anything well, he has no single attribute that he is even above average at that makes him worthwhile

We're still dominant and while I lament our not being very rugged, our scoring is off the charts. Let's just hope the scoring and the Power Play don't go South come playoff time. We've seen that before.

[lightthelamp13 0]

Personally, I have to say my favourite part about this team is their ability to turn it on. How many times this year have they been playing like junk, and then boom, it is just sheer domination. It's really special when players around the league talk about it, like Patrick Kane. Just like vs the Hawks in the Winter Classic...down 3-1 after 1, and then it wasn't even close after that. Or even vs SJ at the Joe. Conklin kept them alive for 10 minutes, and then it was lights out.

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

I really love the fact that we have no Neanderthal fighters on this team. That ought to send a certain segment of this team's fanbase back to watching professional wrestling and and shooting rats at the dump for fun.

Those neanderthal fighters helped us win the Cup last year. You obviously know nothing about hockey.

[Datsyerberger 279]

Those neanderthal fighters helped us win the Cup last year. You obviously know nothing about hockey.

By the way the pro-enforcer crowd around here talks I didn't think D-Mac counted as a fighter anymore.

[b.shanafan14 733]

Hossa, Pavel playing out of his mind, Leino.

[Guest Shoreline]

I love the fact that the team is a scoring powerhouse

Power play is clicking

Lidstrom is improving on his scoring

Hudler is by far the biggest surprise

Hossa is performing as expected

Datsyuk is being Datsyuk

Leino and Helm being called up -- they should stay

.. can keep going on and on.

Don't like the way the defense has played most of the season

Don't like the goaltending from Osgood

Don't like the lack of physical enforcement out there

Overall, I'd say I like far more than what I dislike.

Edited February 19, 2009 by Shoreline

[syntax 359]

Hossa coming to Detroit.

Pavel Datsyuk

Z's new contract. (And the press conference with Emma Andersson)

[Ms_Hockey 0]

What do I like most about this years team?

They wear the winged wheel.

[Lancz 0]

Hossa signing with the wings last summer. I was on the way to South Dakota and was waiting to see who Hossa and Sundin signed with. My wife checked the computer at one of the hotels we were at prior to leaving and came out all smiley cause she knew how excited I would be if we signed Hossa.

and...

Watching Pav get goals and make his slippery plays on the competition.

The neanderthal in me does miss fighting 8(.

[pjgj13 30]

Getting to see Marian Hossa play for the Red Wings for one season.

Too bad the league put in that damn salary cap a few years back, or we could keep Hossa for the future as well as add more stars in the process.

Then Bettman's plan would never be realized!

[Never_Retire_Steve 35]

Team effort > individual performance

[Louisville 112]

Hossa, Hossa, and a Hossa fight.

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

By the way the pro-enforcer crowd around here talks I didn't think D-Mac counted as a fighter anymore.

He is still a fighter, albeit not like he used to be. He, Drake and Downey helped this team to become grittier last year, which showed up in the playoffs when everyone turned it up.

I just hate how some clueless posters diminish the importance of those players, because without them I don't think we could have won the Cup with just a soft, non-physical roster.