Mike 0 Report post Posted May 9, 2009 Wings general manager Ken Holland said Saturday that forward Tomas Kopecky is "out a while'' with broken bones in his face that likely will require surgery. "Right now they're doing testing; it appears he'll need surgery,'' Holland said. "We're waiting for the final report, but but if it's like the initial report, it's not good.'' Kopecky was injured midway through the third period of Game 4 during a fight with Francois Beauchemin, who battered him with a series of lefts. Holland said there's a chance Brian Rafalski and Kris Draper will be ready for Game 6. Their status will be determined the morning of the game. Defenseman Andreas Lilja (concussion), who has been practicing, was slated to have some more tests done. Holland said he won't return in this series. Beyond that, it's questionable. MLive Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ms_Hockey 0 Report post Posted May 9, 2009 I don't mean to knock down Kopecky - and I certainly hope he recovers quickly - but I'm thankful he wasn't one of our top guys.. like Hossa or Z or Dats. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Reds4Life 51 Report post Posted May 9, 2009 Kopecky out of the lineup is good news imho. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Blaayze 25 Report post Posted May 9, 2009 (edited) Kopecky out of the lineup is good news imho. Why? I havn't really noticed him do anything overly "bad." I think hes playing better then he normally does. For me, its his job for me to not notice him, and hes doing a great job! Hell, hes even hitting more! (sure he still has a hard time with balance sometimes =\, but overall I wouldn't say hes playing that bad) Edited May 9, 2009 by Blaayze Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mors 201 Report post Posted May 9, 2009 We don't seem to be having a lot of luck with our non-fighters getting into fights these days. Although I'm not really a fan of Kopecky's work in general, I still wish him the best in his recovery Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jake Ryan 1 Report post Posted May 9, 2009 Why, I havn't really noticed him do anything overly "bad." I think hes playing better then he normally does. For me its his job for me to not notice him, and hes doing a great job! Hell, hes even hitting more! (sure he still has a hard time with balance sometimes =\, but overall I wouldn't say hes playing that bad) I agree with this post. Kopecky, while not a dominant force, is a KNOWN constant, and not a known constant that is bad. On the 4th line, it doesn't hurt to have known constants that don't hurt you. You know that when Lebda or Chelios are on the ice, there's a good chance of our team spending a minute to a minute in a half chasing Anaheim players in our own zone who have the opportunity to score at any given moment. That is a known constant that is bad. Kopecky, however, has been a regular this year, and you don't want to lose regulars. While he may not be the hardest regular to replace, there's a reason he was in there in front of the player that's going to replace him. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RainingBlood 8 Report post Posted May 9, 2009 I was very critical of Kopecky this season, but he took one for the team. I hope he recovers and like last season with the torn acl he cant catch a break. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vOrophin 5 Report post Posted May 9, 2009 While obviously not good news, there is positive potential. Obviously negative too, if he gets a bunch of penalties or makes stupid mistakes. Still hope the best for Kopy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
adtthosa 5 Report post Posted May 9, 2009 Sucks for him, considering how last year went. He hasn't been great, but he has been decent along the boards. He seems to work pretty well with Helm and Maltby. Hope he can come back at some point, for his sake at least. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest mindfly Report post Posted May 9, 2009 Sucks for him but good for the team to be honest. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Echolalia 2,961 Report post Posted May 9, 2009 I think the Kopecky Helm Maltby line was the most consistent at applying pressure deep in their zone this series. He's a role player, but he'll likely be missed. The good news is the Wings most likely have the best minor league players to fill in for a fourth liner in Abdelkader and Leino. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
under_par_00 45 Report post Posted May 9, 2009 Bad news, I feel bad for Kopecky. Now he can spend his time off lifting weights and getting stronger hopefully, I bet the guy weighs like 180-190. He needs to get up to 210+. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rivalred 630 Report post Posted May 9, 2009 During the post game interview one of the reporters ask Babcock about the choice of Koper fighting FB. BabCOCK said something like "do you think it was a smart choice; FB is a tough kid" or something like that. Basically, BabCOCK was not pleased that Koper fought... Look what the end result was... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zetterling 16 Report post Posted May 9, 2009 I yelled at my TV for him not to fight but then he got beat down pretty bad. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nev 1,085 Report post Posted May 9, 2009 We don't seem to be having a lot of luck with our non-fighters getting into fights these days. Thought the same thing myself Kopecky: Broken face Lilja: Broken brain Hossa: Penalty for not tying down shirt Cleary: Poked in eye Maybe there's a lesson in there. What that lesson is depends on whether you are pro or anti "toughness" I guess Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Reds4Life 51 Report post Posted May 9, 2009 (edited) What that lesson is depends on whether you are pro or anti "toughness" I guess Because hugging(some call it fighting ) is tough. Edited May 9, 2009 by Reds4Life Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rivalred 630 Report post Posted May 9, 2009 Because hugging(some call it fighting ) is tough. Hippies must be some tough mothers then. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vincanni 1 Report post Posted May 9, 2009 (edited) Well we won the cup last year without him. Also please no more pretending to be fighters from our Wings, its sadly not something our team can do reliably and yes it is possible to play tough without fighting. Not backing down, crashing the net, and delivering checks are all infinitely more valuable then fighting, which ultimately serves as crowd pleaser or as an occasional momentum builder if you're trailing in a game. Edited May 9, 2009 by Vincanni Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jake Ryan 1 Report post Posted May 9, 2009 Well we won the cup last year without him. Also please no more pretending to be fighters from our Wings, its sadly not something our team can do reliably and yes it is possible to play tough without fighting. Not backing down, crashing the net, and delivering checks are all infinitely more valuable then fighting, which ultimately serves as crowd pleaser or as an occasional momentum builder if you're trailing in a game. Fighting is an important piece. If a team starts taking liberties with our guys, and an injury is a very possible occurance due to the liberties, then a well-timed fight can completely diminish the frenzy that the other team is working themselves into. I'm not saying that the Wings need to fight anytime another team starts applying pressure or hooking Datsyuk for a few shifts, but I am saying the Wings do need to fight when they're getting pushed around. It doesn't matter if the guy gets his ass kicked. It's about giving the other team the satisfaction they are looking for to get their tempers down so noone gets a bad injury from a knee to knee hit or a elbow to the head. Remember Steve Moore? If he turns around, drops the gloves, and lets Bertuzzi hit him in the face a couple times, he plays hockey for another 10-15 years and gains back the respect from the collective players. He chose to run and got his come-uppance. Kopecky stood up. So did Ericsson. These guys didn't choose to run. Kopecky's injury is a freak one and doesn't happen all that often. He got real unlucky to get caught with a hammer. Most of the time, the guy gets a black eye and a bloody nose, but nothing that keeps him out long term. The real moral of this story is that the Wings bigger guys should take it from Datsyuk and spend a little more time in the weight room, and the Wings should SERIOUSLY look into hiring a golden gloves type of guy to help them learn how to spar. They don't need to all be Joey Kocur's out there, but it would be nice if they could all lose with a minimum amount of injury. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wings1110 184 Report post Posted May 9, 2009 this is why we need a fighter. if we had a fighter in the lineup our other players wouldnt get hurt in fights Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204 Report post Posted May 9, 2009 Sorry Kopecky, but Abdelkader will make you expendable. If it recovers surgery, and our 4th liners are gonna get a shot, I dont think there is any need to re-sign Kopecky anymore, damaged goods. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Broken 16 381 Report post Posted May 9, 2009 Kopecky out of the lineup is good news imho. Lame post. Would Perfectum, from your avatar say something like that? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Broken 16 381 Report post Posted May 9, 2009 (edited) In my honest opinion, you people that are saying that this is good news in any way, shape or form are f***in sick. This a human that plays for the hockey team that you worship and he has to go into surgery for doing something to HELP YOUR TEAM. Try and set aside the will to win for one thread. For f***s sake. Sorry Mods... Edited May 9, 2009 by Broken 16 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jaymz99 2 Report post Posted May 9, 2009 In my honest opinion, you people that are saying that this is good news in any way, shape or form are f***in sick. This a human that plays for the hockey team that you worship and he has to go into surgery for doing something to HELP YOUR TEAM. Try and set aside the will to win for one thread. For f***s sake. Sorry Mods... I agree. It's real easy to sit in your Mother's basement eating hot pockets and blog on your Mac at the fact that Kopecky sucks and that a wet behind the ears AHL player that showed signs that he's not ready for the NHL early in the season is a better bet than someone who has been there done that. I hope, for the sake of the team that 'kader does well, but to keep dumping on these guys shows just how fickle the Wings fan base is. Maltby, Draper, Kopecky, Meech, Sammy, and others that get ragged on in these forums all play a major role in the Wings team. I hear no one complaining when these players score goals, make assists, deliver big hits, and stop scoring chances for the other team. All in all, shut up! Enjoy the game. And be a real fan. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ms_Hockey 0 Report post Posted May 9, 2009 I agree. It's real easy to sit in your Mother's basement eating hot pockets and blog on your Mac at the fact that Kopecky sucks and that a wet behind the ears AHL player that showed signs that he's not ready for the NHL early in the season is a better bet than someone who has been there done that. I hope, for the sake of the team that 'kader does well, but to keep dumping on these guys shows just how fickle the Wings fan base is. Maltby, Draper, Kopecky, Meech, Sammy, and others that get ragged on in these forums all play a major role in the Wings team. I hear no one complaining when these players score goals, make assists, deliver big hits, and stop scoring chances for the other team. All in all, shut up! Enjoy the game. And be a real fan. Welcome to LGW. Doesn't matter how much you protest, these people won't care. Trust me, been there - done that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
