Brad May to Play on Friday (and Friday's Line Up)

[esteef 2,679]

Also, we don't exaggerate around here. Ever.

"There is no way someone like Downey or May could be regulars without the talent to justify their roster spot."

From 3 posts above yours.

esteef

[LeftWinger 5,153]

is this game on the tube tonight? or maybe a feed from somewhere?

Nevermind, duh!

Edited September 25, 2009 by LeftWinger

[Guest GordieSid&Ted]

May is 38, but he could still beat up anyone on our team (except a healthy Lilja of course).

Interesting to see if he mixes it up Friday, knowing that he's playing for a job.

I've never been a big May fan. I love his heart and willingness but he's a somewhat dirty player who won't hesitate to take advantage of lesser guys in a fight. I remember a couple of years ago when he just decked Kim Johnsson during a brawl. Johnsson was just trying to skate towards the melee and bare-fisted, May just decked his ass. It was pretty brutal. Although I give May credit because Boogaard was absolutely pissed off and when he came calling on May, May accepted the challenge. He took about 20 punches to the head, but at least he answered the bell.

Much like Marchment, I'm not a big May fan. But, considering the sheer lack of physicality and toughness throughout the entire organization, I'd be happy to welcome Bertuzzi and May on board. ugghhhh......that's pretty sad.

[Guest GordieSid&Ted]

I think the Red Wings have shown last year and the year before that having an enforcer doesn't always protect the players, and that an enforcer isn't exactly needed to prevent injuries.

I do think it would be nice to have a guy like May chipping in, though.

I agree with you. However, i'm tired of being the team that brings a knife to a gun fight. For once it would be nice to bring equal physical firepower to a game. To be known as a team that can pound your defensemen and wear them down. It'd be nice to be known as a team that if things get out of hand, you don't have to worry that your 90 point players are going to be dropping the gloves and mixing it up.

Mike Babcock knows his s***. He knows how this team is built and what it takes to win games. But he also knows that having toughness plays its role. Personally, i'd rather have a tough guy I can insert into the lineup at my leisure instead of not having one at all.

[Guest micah]

It has been refreshing to here Babs saying what so many of us here have been saying (and occasionally getting verbally lambasted by homers for) that the Wings coast durring the regular season because they aren't a team made up of the sort of players that are capable of playing hard for an entire regular season and still be expected to skate in the playoffs, and also that the Wings just aren't very physically tough. I have always liked Babs, and I like him even more when he's telling it how it is. There is no shame in icing a bunch of skilled soft players, as long as you're willing to admit that they are skilled but soft players. Well, there's some shame I suppose, but there's less if you're honest about it.

I do wonder why May gets the deal over Downey though. Most likely,this guy will play in GR getting occasional call-up duty if it's expected that some opponent might try taking advantage of some of the more fragile wings. If the guy's only purpose is going to be as a muscle injection waiting to be called up to get dirty and then go back down, why not Downey over May? I seem to recall Downey saying that he isn't interested in playing another season in the AHL, maybe that's all it is. It could well be that Downey did not have insufficient skills for the role Wings brass wanted him for,but that he wasn't willing to sit in GR waiting for the call-up anymore. Makes sense to me.

[esteef 2,679]

I do wonder why May gets the deal over Downey though. Most likely,this guy will play in GR getting occasional call-up duty if it's expected that some opponent might try taking advantage of some of the more fragile wings. If the guy's only purpose is going to be as a muscle injection waiting to be called up to get dirty and then go back down, why not Downey over May? I seem to recall Downey saying that he isn't interested in playing another season in the AHL, maybe that's all it is. It could well be that Downey did not have insufficient skills for the role Wings brass wanted him for,but that he wasn't willing to sit in GR waiting for the call-up anymore. Makes sense to me.

May is a better skater/player than Downey. As someone else mentioned earlier, May played on Getzlaf and Perry's line for a while in Anaheim so he's capable of keeping up with talent (and providing them some space on the ice).

esteef

[Guest micah]

May is a better skater/player than Downey. As someone else mentioned earlier, May played on Getzlaf and Perry's line for a while in Anaheim so he's capable of keeping up with talent (and providing them some space on the ice).

esteef

I don't disagree - but if the plan is to let him sit in GR and just call him up when you need a meathead, I'm not sure that skill matters too much.

[OsGOD 3]

yay for may! and that september is almost over!

Edited September 25, 2009 by OsGOD

[Guest E_S_A_D]

I don't consider May a dirty player, I consider him a smart player. He'll fight ANYONE, not just the non-fighters, but also will answer the bell to the top heavyweights. He's fought Laraque, Boogaard, all the big boys.

When you're 6'1" and made a career of scrapping in the NHL, dirty just equals smart.

[uk_redwing 495]

Nothing wrong with having a dirty player. Being dirty made players like Probert, Kocur and Domi the legends they are. Thisis hockey after all.

[55fan 5,133]

There's dirty and there's dirty.

May dirty is good because it's his job.

I actually didn't hate May with the Ducks which translates as a like for any other team. I wouldn't mind having him here at all.

[skacore 2]

May is dirty, but hockey is a dirty game

he'd be the ideal guy for the Wings... he can play, he's smart, responsible, knows what it takes to win, and he'll only fight when he feels necessary, and he's not afraid to go after non fighters

[RedWingsRox 614]

Hired gun for one game ... against his old team the Leafs and Burkie. This should be interesting.

Surprised Burkie didn't sign him to be an assistant to the assistant coach or something. May always follow Burk around.

[Guest GordieSid&Ted]

I don't consider May a dirty player, I consider him a smart player. He'll fight ANYONE, not just the non-fighters, but also will answer the bell to the top heavyweights. He's fought Laraque, Boogaard, all the big boys.

When you're 6'1" and made a career of scrapping in the NHL, dirty just equals smart.

He's already been suspended by the league for over 20 games for trying to take off another guy's face with his stick.

And sorry, this is pretty dirty.......drilling Kim Johnsson? Seriously?

It's more than just that. I remember when I bought my first fight tape back in 96. May was all over it. Very willing and lots of fun to watch because at the time he had zero defensive skills and wasn't much of a power puncher, so he just flailed away wildly. But he's had his share of not so honorable moments on the ice. That's a fact.

[Guest GordieSid&Ted]

There's dirty and there's dirty.

May dirty is good because it's his job.

I actually didn't hate May with the Ducks which translates as a like for any other team. I wouldn't mind having him here at all.

I'll take him to. But after watching him play for what, 15 years? I've seen him on the wrong side of some crappy stuff. That's not to say other fighters are all saints or something.

At least with May you know what you're going to get. He'll answer the bell and he's always willing to try and intimidate smaller, weaker players, which we need. But he's prone to do something dumb every once in awhile.

Here's another one. All Wade Redden does here is shove Barnaby who is attacking his teammate who is already down on the ice and May comes in, gloves already off and starts swinging at Redden. Redden's not a fighter buy any stretch of the imagination. He doesn't even have his gloves off. Yet May wants to dance with him? Of course he does. Because that's been May's MO. Fight anybody, even the guys that are 5 weight classes below you (which is a no-no in my book).

I want May to make the team and I want him to be accountable. What I don't want is to see him pounding on guys like Mikku Koivu for pete's sake.

Edited September 25, 2009 by GordieSid&Ted

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

I actually agree with GS&T that May is a cheap bastard who's spent his entire career jumping the gun on fights, maybe more so than anybody (along with Dave Brown). That's why I said earlier that he and Rob Ray made perfect cheating teammates.

The incident where he jumped Baumgartner still pisses me off. I honestly don't want a 38 year old, has been cheap fighter on our team. I've always disliked this guy.

I'm sure that if he makes the team and jumps someone like Pronger or Tootoo, I'll be ecstatic, but right now I have to say no. I agree with everything Babcock said, but this guy isn't the way to address those needs. There's younger better guys out there waiting for a chance.

[Doc Holiday 0]

It has been refreshing to here Babs saying what so many of us here have been saying (and occasionally getting verbally lambasted by homers for) that the Wings coast durring the regular season because they aren't a team made up of the sort of players that are capable of playing hard for an entire regular season and still be expected to skate in the playoffs, and also that the Wings just aren't very physically tough. I have always liked Babs, and I like him even more when he's telling it how it is. There is no shame in icing a bunch of skilled soft players, as long as you're willing to admit that they are skilled but soft players. Well, there's some shame I suppose, but there's less if you're honest about it.

I don't think anyone lambasts you for saying the Wings don't have many tough guys in the lineup. There is plenty more to give you grief about.

Also, who cares if he is a "dirty" player? Nothing wrong with having a fourth liner with a mean streak is there?

[kidish 0]

What May can still bring that younger toughs can't is some amount of utility skills. He'll never score bunches of goals or kill penalties, but he can skate well, has a quick first step (still), and can pass perfectly fine. Additionally, I watched all his games in Anaheim, and he's most notable for hitting anything that moves than fighting.

To go with Anaheim's team, since most of you remember them, May is a veteran version of Marchant mixed with Mike Brown.

And you don't think the Wings don't need that? Hell yes they do. Precisely because teams now see that playing Detroit like Anaheim does makes them easier to beat in a series.

[Doc Holiday 0]

What May can still bring that younger toughs can't is some amount of utility skills. He'll never score bunches of goals or kill penalties, but he can skate well, has a quick first step (still), and can pass perfectly fine. Additionally, I watched all his games in Anaheim, and he's most notable for hitting anything that moves than fighting.

To go with Anaheim's team, since most of you remember them, May is a veteran version of Marchant mixed with Mike Brown.

And you don't think the Wings don't need that? Hell yes they do. Precisely because teams now see that playing Detroit like Anaheim does makes them easier to beat in a series.

Anaheim played a solid defensive game and got their offense from an unstoppable first line. Signing goons didn't somehow make Detroit vulnerable.

[kidish 0]

Anaheim played a solid defensive game and got their offense from an unstoppable first line. Signing goons didn't somehow make Detroit vulnerable.

Anaheim went in to win or beat up Detroit. I'd say they were effective. A player who isn't strictly a goon (and May's not really a pure goon) would be good for Detroit I'd think. But hey, that's just my take.

Guess we'll see how teams like the Leafs and Flyers do with the toughness-first mentality this season though.

[Heroes of Hockeytown 694]

Anaheim went in to win or beat up Detroit. I'd say they were effective.

The two times there were fights in the Anaheim series (Games 4 and 6), Detroit won the next game. Kopecky's fight occured just after Anaheim scored in Game 4 to cut Detroit's lead to 5-3 with ten minutes to go, but they weren't able to capitalize on any theoretical momentum from the tilt and didn't score again (Detroit made an ENG to seal the deal).

EDIT: I forgot about the Ericsson-Perry fight in Game 1, which Ericsson won fairly soundly at the beginning of the second period, a game which Detroit also won.

Edited September 25, 2009 by Heroes of Hockeytown

[Guest E_S_A_D]

The two times there were fights in the Anaheim series (Games 4 and 6), Detroit won the next game. Kopecky's fight occured just after Anaheim scored in Game 4 to cut Detroit's lead to 5-3 with ten minutes to go, but they weren't able to capitalize on any theoretical momentum from the tilt and didn't score again (Detroit made an ENG to seal the deal).

EDIT: I forgot about the Ericsson-Perry fight in Game 1, which Ericsson won fairly soundly at the beginning of the second period, a game which Detroit also won.

What does this have to do with having an enforcer during the regular season to 'keep the flies off'?

[Heroes of Hockeytown 694]

What does this have to do with having an enforcer during the regular season to 'keep the flies off'?

I wasn't commenting on that at all. You can see what I quoted (and the preceding conversation between kidish and Doc Holiday) to get up to speed on our little tangent here.

[Doc Holiday 0]

What does this have to do with having an enforcer during the regular season to 'keep the flies off'?

In all honesty how many flies were there last season?

[kidish 0]

The two times there were fights in the Anaheim series (Games 4 and 6), Detroit won the next game. Kopecky's fight occured just after Anaheim scored in Game 4 to cut Detroit's lead to 5-3 with ten minutes to go, but they weren't able to capitalize on any theoretical momentum from the tilt and didn't score again (Detroit made an ENG to seal the deal).

EDIT: I forgot about the Ericsson-Perry fight in Game 1, which Ericsson won fairly soundly at the beginning of the second period, a game which Detroit also won.

Come on, you know that isn't the way teams impose their will on another team. Anaheim didn't go into that Detroit series to fight -- otherwise, Parros would have been in the lineup, and no one on your team would have dropped the gloves there.

Where Anaheim has been so successful against Detroit in the postseason is out-hitting and out-grinding. This has been what's made them a fun team to watch, actually. That first line of theirs is legitimately talented, but both Getzlaf and Perry have no qualms throwing their bodies at anyone.

As of last season, Anaheim had been geared toward heavy body-checking. Positional play wasn't high on the priorities there. But finishing checks, wearing down the defense, these things centered their gameplan. They wanted to win against a tired team in the third than out-skill a team for a full 60 minutes.

They did pretty damn good. Their style shut down Detroit's biggest guns, and a single line carried your team to the brink. They did that because the supporting cast around them hit and fought for everything.

Alls I'm saying is, whether it's Brad May or a player of his ilk, I think Detroit is well served utilizing him. He won't make a noticeable difference in any specific moment, but when he and his line-mates have worn down an opposing line throughout the game, that line becomes easier to handle.

Anaheim has shown that one weakness of Detroit's is to play them tight and physical. The Anaheim team of a year ago wasn't deep enough to make it stick, but the one in 2007 sure was. That's how the rest of the league wants to play this team, to wear down your skill players. Babs is absolutely right in thinking a player like May would benefit the club.

Edited September 25, 2009 by kidish