Thursday practice notes

[FireCaptain 563]

Notice the paragraph after the lines - speculation that this will be the playoff line combos.

It'll be nice to see Helm zooming around the ice again lik a man possessed.

Mlive

Here's the lines they skated with:

Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Holmstrom

Franzen-Filppula-Hossa

Maltby-Hudler-Samuelsson

Kopecky-Draper-Cleary

Lidstrom-Rafalski

Kronwall-Stuart

Ericsson-Lebda

Meech-Chelios

Osgood (starting Friday vs. Islanders)

Conklin

I wouldn't be surprised if those lines are what you'll see at the start of the playoffs, with the one exception being Darren Helm centering the third line, with Hudler and Samuelsson. Right now it looks like Kopecky would have the edge over Maltby for one of the fourth line spots. I think they'll start the playoffs with Kopecky in the lineup instead of Ville Leino, but if there's an injury or they're not satisfied, they won't hesitate to recall Leino.

edit: forgot the link

Edited March 26, 2009 by FireCaptain

[GoWings1905 2,694]

I love the top two lines, but that third line is brutal. Helm will be a major boost to the roster.

[lets go pavel 2]

I love the top two lines, but that third line is brutal. Helm will be a major boost to the roster.

Yeah, not sure I understand Maltby on the 3rd and Cleary on the 4th ...

[Inultus 12]

I don't understand why Kopecky would get to go over Leino. I understand that Kopecky played a lot on PK, but his +/- is atrocious and his PPG is .27 whereas Leino's is .69 and Leino's +/- is 5.

[stormboy 47]

to me...take out maltby, put in helm (as noted) and that's lineup i can get behind.

[Guest mindfly]

Can't believe how helm, leino aren't already locked up for playoff spots, what are they thinking!?

[Chunkylover 26]

Yeah, not sure I understand Maltby on the 3rd and Cleary on the 4th ...

Malts has been playing a little better lately, but not that much better, and not more than Cleary.

I don't understand why Kopecky would get to go over Leino. I understand that Kopecky played a lot on PK, but his +/- is atrocious and his PPG is .27 whereas Leino's is .69 and Leino's +/- is 5.

Kopy can hit and Leino can't? If the Wings lose a game, they will swap these two and should they begin winning, or if Leino is very productive and can handle the intensity he'll remain in. This could also make it easier to let Kopy go in the summer.

Can't believe how helm, leino aren't already locked up for playoff spots, what are they thinking!?

Whatever they're thinking, they're thinking with more clarity and wisdom than anything we can guess.

[up2here 41]

Kopy can hit and Leino can't? If the Wings lose a game, they will swap these two and should they begin winning, or if Leino is very productive and can handle the intensity he'll remain in. This could also make it easier to let Kopy go in the summer.

I hate to break it to you and the Kopecky haters (Myself included) but if they can sign him for what he is making this year he will be back with bells on.

Edited March 26, 2009 by UP2HERE

[Chunkylover 26]

I hate to break it to you and the Kopecky haters (Myself included) but if they can sign him for what he is making this year he will be back with bells on.

You're probably right. I don't hate anybody on this team and wish they could all come back, but if it comes between Kopy and Leino I think they'll sign the latter and a poor performance by Kopecky will make that decision easier.

[Ozzie30 170]

Yeah, not sure I understand Maltby on the 3rd and Cleary on the 4th ...

Babs = Huge NHL 09 fan.

Maltby's an 80 and Cleary is a 77 i think.

[dat's sick 1,002]

Finally. It makes me all giddy with excitement to see that Babs is putting ZDH together again.

And Cleary is back to where he belongs, on the bottom 2 lines. Put in Helm instead of Maltby, Leino instead of Kopecky and Lilja over Lebda and that is one hell of a lineup.

[Konnan511 1,736]

If the WIngs get booted in the first or second rounds and Leino barely plays, he will not be back with us next season plain and simple.

[Konnan511 1,736]

Leino should start over Kopecky in the playoffs and it really shouldn't be that hard of a decision.

Kopecky point = 19 in 77 gp with 6 goals in 101 shots

Leino points = 9 in 13 gp with 5 goals in 11 shots

Kopecky +/- = -4

Leino +/- = +5

And before anyone makes the argument that Leino is not as good as Kope defensively I'd like to point out that Leino is only 11 take-aways behind Kope and Kope has 6 times as many games played!!! Kope doesn't hit, Leino doesn't get hit and both players are willing to drive to the net.

[DYags 0]

My only problem with taking Kolpy out, is that we would lose a lot of weight to throw around. I know he isn't as physical as we'd all like him to be, but I think we'll see a lot more of that come playoff time.

Also, Maltby usually steps up his game in the playoffs. I'm sure he won't play every game, but if he's playing well, it wouldn't make sense to replace all that experience with no playoff experience.

Edited March 26, 2009 by DYags

[Mors 201]

Eva will be here shortly to set you guys straight on Kopecky, don't worry.

Fuel for the fire though, Kopecky is -7 in the last 7 games.

[Chunkylover 26]

Kope doesn't hit, Leino doesn't get hit and both players are willing to drive to the net.

It's not completely accurate to say that Kopy doesn't hit.

Leino is good and I hope he gets some time in the playoffs, but hey, I hope Cheli gets some time too. I'm a homer I guess.

My only problem with taking Kolpy out, is that we would lose a lot of weight to throw around. I know he isn't as physical as we'd all like him to be, but I think we'll see a lot more of that come playoff time.

I believe the hitting will increase once the playoffs start as well: it has for the last two seasons. The question is whether Kopy can be as effective as Drake was and stay out of the penalty box.

[hillbillywingsfan 794]

Eva will be here shortly to set you guys straight on Kopecky, don't worry.

Fuel for the fire though, Kopecky is -7 in the last 7 games.

im surprised he hasn't been in already and smoked these fools. hahahahahaha

[gcom007 1,465]

Maltby on the 3rd makes sense enough to me right now. I think they're sending a message to Cleary to pick it up. Cleary's capable of more but he's underachieved this year while Maltby has improved. He's been hustling and creating more scoring chances lately. With more minutes, some more of those might start going in. He was good for more than his fair share of 4th line goals in the Bowman era. I think he can get back to that.

And also, every line has a guy that will go to the front of the net and the scrums with this configuration. Again, makes sense to me.

[eva unit zero 271]

Kope doesn't hit.

Who hits more than Kopecky on the Wings? Go ahead. Answer...oh, you can't because there isn't an answer? So does that mean Kopecky hits, or that no Red Wing forward hits?

Go ahead, try and figure it out.

[Guest mindfly]

Kopecky should add some 30lbs of muscle in the off season and get better balance first of all.

[RusDRW 155]

Kopecky should add some 30lbs of muscle in the off season and get better balance first of all.

that won't happen. But if you are right he would be our Todd Bertuzzi...

[xBrave_Heartx 0]

Kopecky should add some 30lbs of muscle in the off season and get better balance first of all.

When your legs are torn to s*** and you are still nursing a rather weak collor bone.. there isn't much you can do in the off season weight training wise.. almost everything you do.. involves your legs to some extent with weight training. I'll cut him some slack there.

But i wont cut him slack with his lack luster physical play.. Yah he's a Slovak, yah he's european, yah thats all excuses on to why he doesn't play with an edge.. Im not saying fight..Im saying play with an edge.. Edge isn't measured with Hits.. hell.Filppula has recorded some hits this season.. but they were soft and non effective.. Kopecky needs to untame his inner beast. and be a little more wreckless with his body.

[eva unit zero 271]

I'd like to see Hudler and Flip switch places on those forward lines, among a couple other switches to start.

Datsyuk/Zetterberg/Holmstrom

Elite scoring line, also elite defensively.

Franzen/Hudler/Hossa

Elite scoring line, quite capable defensively.

Cleary/Filppula/Samuelsson

Very good defensive line, more than capable offensively if they should get the opportunity.

Kopecky/Draper/Helm

Very defensively capable checking line that will usually win the faceoff regardless of who is at the dot. Quite physical on both wings.

[Dano33 41]

Leino should start over Kopecky in the playoffs and it really shouldn't be that hard of a decision.

Kopecky point = 19 in 77 gp with 6 goals in 101 shots

Leino points = 9 in 13 gp with 5 goals in 11 shots

Kopecky +/- = -4

Leino +/- = +5

And before anyone makes the argument that Leino is not as good as Kope defensively I'd like to point out that Leino is only 11 take-aways behind Kope and Kope has 6 times as many games played!!! Kope doesn't hit, Leino doesn't get hit and both players are willing to drive to the net.

I agree that Leino should probably be in the lineup in favor of Kopecky, but you have to understand that there is more to good defense than +/- and takeaways.

[titanium2 867]

I can see why Babs likes the Hudler-Samuelsson pairing:

http://redwings.nhl.tv/team/launch.htm?hlg...71&fr=false

http://redwings.nhl.tv/team/launch.htm?hlg...78&fr=false

http://redwings.nhl.tv/team/launch.htm?hlg...23&fr=false

http://redwings.nhl.tv/team/launch.htm?hlg...00&fr=false