Holland: Rafalski 'doubtful' for Game 3

[wingfan1991 221]

I would rather dress five defenseman than to watch a Lebda/Meech pairing.

i totally agree with you on this. that pairing would destroy us.

[stormboy 47]

FML.

as much as i've dogged raffi for his suspect defensive play at times, we could really use his puck movement right about now. honestly, lebda hasn't been bad this series, but having raffi and lilja back would be sweeeet. obviously we could use lilja's size and raffi's point skills.

we just need to grab one of two in anaheim and hope he's back for the tail end of the series.

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

Sammy wasn't involved in those situations from what I remember.

It's easy for the other team to just let him shoot, while clogging up the shooting lanes for Lidstrom.

Bottom line is that we're in serious trouble in this series if Rafalski doesn't return (unless Pronger gets injured which will even the odds a little).

The PP is still clicking without Rafalski. My point is, why pin problems solely on Sammy when the PP isn't struggling and he isn't hindering it? No, he's not the perfect solution to the PP point, but his pairing with Kronwall was successful all season.

[T.OWingsFan 7]

obviously we could use lilja's size and raffi's point skills.

Ya I miss Lilja's looking into the sky at God while we fish the puck out of our own net. The problem with Lilja is he doensn't play like a big man. I remember Roberts chasing him into the corner and Lilja's got this terrified look on his face, gets levelled and the puck squirts loose for a Pittsburgh goal. He was like a deer in headlights.

Rafalski we miss no doubt about it.

[Guest MrSandMan]

Bad news just keep getting worse.

I don't understand, because he played 4 games against the jackets and even was at some practices, but he's not healthy? This really blows!

I don't like running 5 D-men, I would prefer 6 even if it's Meech/Chelios. Our strategy in this series is wearing down the Ducks and exploiting their one-line-wonder.

[stormboy 47]

Ya I miss Lilja's looking into the sky at God while we fish the puck out of our own net. The problem with Lilja is he doensn't play like a big man. I remember Roberts chasing him into the corner and Lilja's got this terrified look on his face, gets levelled and the puck squirts loose for a Pittsburgh goal. He was like a deer in headlights.

Rafalski we miss no doubt about it.

i realize that the regular season is different than the playoffs, but lilja played way better this regular season than he has any regular- or post-season to date. in previous years, his post-season performance was about on par with his regular season performance: a few hits, a few blocked shots, a lot of s***ty defense. this year, he was more physical and playing much, much better defensively. i have no reason to believe that this superior play wouldn't have translated into the playoffs.

[RockyMountainWingGal 108]

Really? I think their top-5 can handle those kind of minutes for now. If the Getlaf line can play half the game every night then our top-5 can certainly play a little more if needed.

I was more worried about the Lebda/Meech pairing than our top 5 D getting more minutes - I would much rather keep that pair out of crucial PO games. If Lilja and Raffy were healthy, Lebda wouldn't even be in the lineup, sigh.

[RockyMountainWingGal 108]

What could possibly be wrong with this guy? Play an entire series, practice then have something go wrong? I don't get it.

Maybe he caught the swine flu, or he hurt his finger mowing his lawn Really I cannot figure what could have happened to the guy during a week off...

[esteef 2,679]

DAMMIT!

esteef

[clutchngrab 12]

Let's all time travel back to 2007 shall we? Exact same story on the defense.

[esteef 2,679]

Let's all time travel back to 2007 shall we? Exact same story on the defense.

No s***. Which is worse, being without Kronwall and Schneider or Lilja and Rafalski? Thank God we at least have Ericsson.

esteef

[stevkrause 1,247]

The PP is still clicking without Rafalski. My point is, why pin problems solely on Sammy when the PP isn't struggling and he isn't hindering it? No, he's not the perfect solution to the PP point, but his pairing with Kronwall was successful all season.

if anything, that just further proves that Stuart should be in there - Kronwall and Samuelsson... he hasn't been on the #1 PP all year, and I see no reason why he got promoted in Raffi's absense, if anything, if you want to keep him, fine, but bump up Kronwall and put Stuart with Sammy

[stevkrause 1,247]

No s***. Which is worse, being without Kronwall and Schneider or Lilja and Rafalski? Thank God we at least have Ericsson.

esteef

and that alone is a huge difference from 07...

[brett 1,029]

maybe there just f***in with the ducks heads and rafalski is all good and ready to go eh??!?!? dont we have anyone better then chelios and meech on the griffins?

[Echolalia 2,961]

No s***. Which is worse, being without Kronwall and Schneider or Lilja and Rafalski? Thank God we at least have Ericsson.

esteef

Ironically enough, they fill the same roles.

[Ozzie30 170]

Kindl anywhere near ready

j/k, but is he?

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

if anything, that just further proves that Stuart should be in there - Kronwall and Samuelsson... he hasn't been on the #1 PP all year, and I see no reason why he got promoted in Raffi's absense, if anything, if you want to keep him, fine, but bump up Kronwall and put Stuart with Sammy

Again, the only reason he's there (and would/should get promoted) is because he's RH'ed. It's about options and being able to open up for the one-timer.

[adtthosa 5]

Still, you have to admit that the series' have played out very similar so far. That's why everyone is comparing them.

This is bad news. Rafalski gives our PP a huge boost. Sammy on the point just does NOT work and it never has.

[stevkrause 1,247]

Kindl anywhere near ready

j/k, but is he?

sadly, at his current developmental level, he would be a downgrade from Meech or Lebda, he can be a HUGE defensive liability at times, but he's getting a LOT better and at a rapid development, whereas Lebda and Meech are what they are... I say Kindl will be a full time roster player in 2-3 years, seeing call-ups within the next 2...

[stevkrause 1,247]

Again, the only reason he's there (and would/should get promoted) is because he's RH'ed. It's about options and being able to open up for the one-timer.

I still think skill outweighs having a right handed shot on the point... especially when that right handed shot almost ALWAYS hits someone with his shot and doesn't get it to the net...

Edited May 4, 2009 by stevkrause

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

Still, you have to admit that the series' have played out very similar so far. That's why everyone is comparing them.

This is bad news. Rafalski gives our PP a huge boost. Sammy on the point just does NOT work and it never has.

False

It's not ideal, but it worked just fine during the regular season.

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

I still think skill outweighs having a right handed shot on the point... especially when that right handed shot almost ALWAYS hits someone with his shot and doesn't get it to the net...

That's a whole different story though.

Obviously, it doesn't do us any good when Sammy doesn't get the puck through, but its nice being able to have a LH/RH combo in Sammy and Lids to set up Nick's one-timer. That's the reason he's on the unit.

[Vincanni 1]

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu-

Seriously what the hell is wrong with him, is he secretly fighting vale tudo down in Brazil or something? This is ridiculous, how do you get knocked out of half a series during the time between rounds, its like the Ducks are destined to beat the Wings due to pure luck and circumstances all over again.

[Heroes of Hockeytown 694]

Again, the only reason he's there (and would/should get promoted) is because he's RH'ed. It's about options and being able to open up for the one-timer.

Sammy is curiously inhibited on the power play... he really, really doesn't like to shoot it from the point, which is basically the opposite of his behavior as a forward. It defeats the purpose of putting him up there with his advantage in handedness. This is an old problem for him and this team, but the Wings are more capable of remedying it now than in the past.

[Mors 201]

Playing with 5 defensemen is going to wear these guys out fast...Chelios/Meech is basically like having no one there at all.