Where is Hossa?

[DavyMac 0]

It's official, you're a close minded idiot, I'm done trying to be rational with you. I have no problem agreeing to disagree but you just only see your one side of it. If you really can say that Hossa is "too much value in one player" at only about $5.75 million, you're just dillusional.

No need to respond, I'm going to bed and won't be back to check this topic... Unless you just feel like working yourself up again.

Hossa makes $7.5 million this season....

$4 million more than our second leading goal scorer

$4 million more than our second leading point getter.

$600,000 more than our leading point getter, who outscored him by 26 points.

If Hossa were making $5 million a season you may have a case but hes making more than Zetterberg and Datsyuk.

[RedWings 79]

Fully agree with Davy Mac (and i am not another account of Davy Mac )

I've watched a lot of Wings games this year and I just never thought that this guy was a key in our roster.

Great playoffs guys start to heat up in March before the playoffs

Let's compare Hossa VS Franzen

March GP G A P

Hossa 9 3 2 5 4 6 35 8.6 0 0 0 0 1 0 16:07 29:00

Franzen 13 7 10 17 8 6 60 11.7 1 2 0 0 2 0 18:54 14:2

Hossa was great in October but who cares now ?

Registering only 2 assists in 9 March games with Dats, Lidstrom, Rafalski means ZERO chemistry with our top players.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

If he really wants the cup that bad he sure needs to step it up and get on the score board no matter how good defensively etc he is.

He has 4 points in 5 games, about a point-per-game pace, and he was averaging about a point-per-game in the regular season. Hossa is doing all right.

[Phazon 24]

He has 4 points in 5 games, about a point-per-game pace, and he was averaging about a point-per-game in the regular season. Hossa is doing all right.

0 points against ducks so far...we wont win this series if he doesnt produce.

[OsGOD 3]

Hossa was at the JLA... where were you?

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

0 points against ducks so far...we wont win this series if he doesnt produce.

And you know this how? The series has only had 2 games played, and it is a best-of-7 series. Last time I checked, a series is over when a team gets 4 wins. As of now, each team has one win a piece. Still a long ways from the series being over.

Plenty of people didn't have that many points in the Columbus series, but the entire team for the most part had people contributing in different ways, not just on the main stat sheet.

I understand concern but this doom and gloom attitude after just 2 GAMES in here from people when there is plenty of hockey left to be played is pretty pathetic.

[HadThomasVokounOnFortSt 878]

Wow, if a player don't get a goal every game you start ripping on them. Come on people, everyone goes on a little slump.

[Phazon 24]

Come on people, everyone goes on a little slump.

This is the playoffs, it is a bad time for a slump dont you think? Hossa is payed the big bucks to produce.

[HadThomasVokounOnFortSt 878]

This is the playoffs, it is a bad time for a slump dont you think? Hossa is payed the big bucks to produce.

Yeah true, but looking at the highlight video. There were a couple plays in the overtimes that he had some chances to put it away.

[cboth686 0]

Fail...

Hossa wasn't brought here to make a difference. He came here to buy in, blend in and chip in. Has it ever occurred to you that the reason so many of our other guys are producing is because guys like Hossa and Datsyuk are drawing attention from the opponent... thus freeing up said "other guys". It's called a team concept... Mind blowing, I know.

Why do you think teams that go deep into the playoffs almost always need production from (at the very least) two lines?

Think before you type...

Hahahaha i didn't realize there was teachers and students on the forums. I hate ppl that post up things like, FAIL, PASS, who died and made you the czar of right and wrong...

think before you type... TOOL

Edited May 4, 2009 by cboth686

[T.OWingsFan 7]

Hahahaha i didn't realize there was teachers and students on the forums. I hate ppl that post up things like, FAIL, PASS, who died and made you the czar of right and wrong...

think before you type... TOOL

Perhaps he is arrogant but I also think he's got a point. Dats, Z and Hossa draw so much attention allowing guys like Franzen, Hudler, Sammy et all to produce.

Nevertheless, we need some goals from these 3 and quick.

[swedishconnection 36]

Besides all of the pissing matches going on, there is somewhat a reasonable debate to be made.

Against the Columbus series, watching Hossa was kind of hard. He made some really strong moves with the puck against a markedly weaker playoff team. It worked.

Against the Ducks thus far he has been working his rear off. Problem is that he is not making the strong moves anymore in the Offensive zone. On the other hand, he has been extremely dilligent in the Defensive zone- something that is great to see.

However, to me it just seems like he is being too tentative. He is playing strong in the defensive zone, and backchecking like mad. The only issue is that he needs to do that due to some poor judgment on his part in the offensive zone. He continues to do the drive to the Offensive zone, stop 5 feet inside thier blue line, and hold the puck and wait for something to happen. If Homer cannot catch up and Pavel is covered, he does not dump the puck. He consistently tries to move it down the boards where he gets sealed off and has turned it over. This has been happening on both the Left and Right wing boards.

THEN that is when he kicks it into high gear, rushing back to our zone to backcheck like a demon and be awsome defensively.

I appreciate the commitment to Defense. However his play Offensively needs to turn up. I'm not talking about stats. Im watching the games and he is not really making anything happen. He has that rare ability to take over, and so far he has been so concerned with not doing anything bad that he is not taking the risks that turn into offensive production.

In all, I am not worried. I dont know about the rest of you, but I have trust in Hossa. He has a whole 'nother gear that we have yet to see. I just hope that he hits it before the Wings are down 3-2 games.

[cboth686 0]

Perhaps he is arrogant but I also think he's got a point. Dats, Z and Hossa draw so much attention allowing guys like Franzen, Hudler, Sammy et all to produce.

Nevertheless, we need some goals from these 3 and quick.

I agree..

[RedWings 79]

The main problem with the Holms-Hossa-Datsyuk line is that it is so easy for a goaltender to predict what will happen.

Datsyuk carry the puck, he passes to Hossa, Hossa shoots immediatly at the center of the net.

With no traffic, a good goaltender like Hiller can get 100% saves because this line is too easy to predict.

With Zetterberg, they could make Hiller crazy, not knowing what to expect.

This leads to the main flaw of Hossa for me : Underaverage passing skills (for Wings standards)

He LOSES a lot of pucks with terrible passes, and against Getzlaf that can hurt very badly.

Edited May 4, 2009 by RedWings

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

Let's see what the Coach has to say; taken from today's Toronto Star:

BETTER WINGS: Wings coach Mike Babcock had a message for Pavel Datsyuk and Marion Hossa, his top-line forwards that are so far without a goal against Anaheim.

"Your best players have to be your best players," said Babcock. "The good thing about those guys is they know what's taking place thus far in the playoffs and in this series and they know they have to be better. But we could all be better."

And, that's why he is Coach Babcock.

[Wingsallwin 0]

I am not going to bash Hossa for only 2 games against the Ducks in this series but Hossa surely has to step up. As much as I love his defensive ability, his offensive skill has been invisible. It may resulted according to zero chemistry with Datsyuk and Holmstrom but his slump or inconsistency cannot be excused in that way.

I think before blaming Hossa, it must be a time for a line combo change. We now have three scoring lines while the Ducks have only one (Merchant's OT goal was a shock but their all scores came from the first line). We really need one solid line to SHUT DOWN DUCKS FIRST LINE.

My ideal line up is

ZDH

Hossa-Mule-Filp

Sammy-Huds-Cleary

Maltby-Helm-Kopecky(or Draper who is still suspectful from the injury)

I still do not know why Babcock is still too stubborn about separating Zetterberg and Datsyuk. These two guys work far better when they play together; Babcock must know way more than us about this genuine and obvious fact but still wonders he does not use this line anymore after Hossa came to the Wings.

Edited May 4, 2009 by Wingsallwin

[GoWings1905 2,694]

The problem with putting Z and Datsyuk back together (especially on the road) is that it gives the Ducks a chance to get the Getzlaf line away from our two best defensive forwards. If the lines stay the same as the first two games, even if Z can't get out there against Getzlaf, it leaves the Red Wings with the Datsyuk line to match them.

Judging from the series so far (and the Columbus series), there is really nothing wrong with the Z, Franzen and Cleary line. They are producing offensively while also drawing the Ducks best line almost every shift. The fact is Datsyuk and Hossa have got to start playing better for the Red Wings to win the series.

Edited May 4, 2009 by GoWings1905

[Wingsallwin 0]

The problem with putting Z and Datsyuk back together (especially on the road) is that it gives the Ducks a chance to get the Getzlaf line away from our two best defensive forwards. If the lines stay the same as the first two games, even if Z can't get out there against Getzlaf, it leaves the Red Wings with the Datsyuk line to match them.

Judging from the series so far (and the Columbus series), there is really nothing wrong with the Z, Franzen and Cleary line. They are producing offensively while also drawing the Ducks best line almost every shift. The fact is Datsyuk and Hossa have got to start playing better for the Red Wings to win the series.

I agree with you 'GoWings1905'. However, I think there will not be that harsh problem even though we put back ZDH line again because we saw Hossa ccan work with Franzen and Filppula. Without any doubt, Datsyuk and Hossa have to show their potential skill play maximum but it cannot be done by expectation and assumption. We also saw Hossa could work hardly on defensive zone.

I loved the line Zetterberg being with Franzen and Cleary but 2 serieses also show that Wings TWO OF BEST PLAYERS do not play that good offensively. If this line combo is working well, I am going to be happy for sure but the thing is that Babcock just puts the same line combo every shift.

I meant, he could test some line combos. When Datsyuk is on line, he always put Hossa and Holmstrom. Before that, I think it will be better that Babcock shifts many different players on different lines so get the result of chemistry.

[Konnan511 1,736]

Like I said on page three. Hossa needs to step up his game as do all the Wings. Hiller wasn't as God-like as some posts may have indicated, there is no reason to have only scored 3 goals on 60 shots. All the Wings need to step up from Datsyuk to Hossa to X to X to X.

[Motown4013 350]

I am also disappointed about Zetterberg. He's been solid, but he does not bring leadership to the team. He does not play like a franchise player. I expect him to make plays, not just be a solid 2 way forward who can shoot.

Hmm...Zetty has a point a game and is second in scoring ( Lids/ Mule are tied for 1st) I don't think Zetty needs to be dogged at all...Hossa, Pavs and Krons need to step it up but I think Zetterberg has been solid on both ends of the ice.

All i know is that its just a matter of time that the big boys get roling- we have WAY too much talent for the ducks to keep the big line off the scoresheet

[S_Whitney 1]

i jsut feel that sometimes Hossa is dangling with the puck too much. obivously the ducks' D are going to focus on him and the dangling are not gonna work if there are like 2-3 guys surrounding him every time he touches the puck.

[kylee 727]

maybe if/when Babcock mixes up the lines for game 3 that can get Hossa going. You can never really count this type of player out.

[Guest mindfly]

Hossa should play more minutes.. he's around 17, why not 21-22 like Zetterberg?

[BigWinston 15]

Form is temporary - class is permanent.

He'll come through, just right when we need him to...

[Chris L 0]

... Hossa needs to step up his game as do all the Wings ...

This is the main crux of the series so far for the Wings. Before Game 2 Lids talked about getting going out the gate and in the first two periods, for the first 10 minutes of each period the Wings were flat and let the Ducks win the battle of wills. The Wings were playing the Ducks game and not their own game.

This is a team problem -- not one player. Everybody is at fault for that.

The Wings need to find ways to quit playing in response to the Ducks game and play thier own. Force their will upon the Ducks and make them play to our game. This starts by winning the one-on-one battles in the game as Babcock said during Game 2. Once he said that, on TV, then the Wings showed improvement. But this was all after the Ducks damage was done.

The Wings have to, tonight, come out with huge jump and win the battle of will with the Ducks. I know that's a tall order against the Ducks, they have so many veterans and they're very big (compared to us) but our boy are up to the task.

Yeah the Wings, as a team, has to step up and execute their game and their will over the Ducks.

(edited for spelling)

Edited May 5, 2009 by Chris L