Babcock not happy with top line

[Miller Brew 0]

How about Drapes centers Bert and Holmer. And have Dats centers Helm and Eaves... just for fun.

[Carman 387]

How about Drapes centers Bert and Holmer. And have Dats centers Helm and Eaves... just for fun.

I'd rather separate Bert and Homer.

Leino-Datsyuk-Holmstrom

Bertuzzi-Zetterberg-Cleary

Draper-Helm-Eaves

May-Abdelkader-Miller

Or something even more drastic.

Bertuzzi-Datsyuk-Eaves

Draper-Zetterberg-Cleary

Leino-Helm-Miller

May-Abdelkader-Holmstrom(first line PP)

[Guest Four]

Helm - Datsyuk - Eaves

Cleary - Zetterberg - Leino

Homer - Draper - Bertuzzi

May - Abdelkader - Miller

[Carman 387]

Having bert and homer with draper woudl just be an abortion of a line. It's already bad having a Hart candidate between them, no offense to Draper but he really isn't going to be able to carry them.

[b.shanafan14 733]

Lets give Miller Bertuzzi's spot and Bertuzzi Miller's spot. Drew was the first player to go hard to the net all damn season. Bertuzzi is GARBAGE. Started out terrible, got less terrible, and now he is just awful. Try any line combinations that don't see him higher than 3rd line.

[Echolalia 2,961]

I'm ready to sit Bertuzzi for a game to send a message. Then when he comes back he can prove to Babs that he's capable of playing NHL hockey with 4 minutes per game.

Datsyuk Zetterberg Homer

Cleary Abdelkader Leino

Eaves Helm Draper

Bertuzzi Miller May

The Wings have no offense going on so I think is time to go to emergency ZDH line. 5 goals in the past 4 games is disgusting.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

Definitely didn't work last night with the top line with both Holmstrom and Bertuzzi struggling. I still like the speed line of Draper-Helm-Eaves though, which leaves them in a bind with 2 centers on one line which would make it harder for Datsyuk and Zetterberg to go back together.

[titanium2 867]

I'm ready to sit Bertuzzi for a game to send a message. Then when he comes back he can prove to Babs that he's capable of playing NHL hockey with 4 minutes per game.

Datsyuk Zetterberg Homer

Cleary Abdelkader Leino

Eaves Helm Draper

Bertuzzi Miller May

The Wings have no offense going on so I think is time to go to emergency ZDH line. 5 goals in the past 4 games is disgusting.

Pretty much what I was thinking. Kenny himself said that Abby can be a second line center one day. Yeah I know that one day will take years to come but can anyone really imagine him being just terrible at it? Injuries really suck.

[Jake Ryan 1]

0 points for Homer in the last 5 games. Just thought I'd point that out. Perhaps Babs should try SEPARATING DATSYUK and HOLMSTROM? Seeing as how they haven't had a good game together in, oh, 50 games or so.

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

How about Drapes centers Bert and Holmer. And have Dats centers Helm and Eaves... just for fun.

There's nothing fun about missing the playoffs.

[Z Winged Dangler 2,082]

Just not many options to jump start Datsyuk right now. Bertuzzi shouldn't be playing on the first line, but we don't really have another choice with injuries.

The only thing I wouldn't mind seeing is throwing Abdelkader up there with Datsyuk-Homer/Bertuzzi from time to time. Getting some more speed with Datsyuk might just provide that hidden switch, not too mention Abby is pretty good in the corners and can forecheck well if nothing else.

i wouldn't mind seeing abdelkader and helm on a line with datsyuk.

[Carman 387]

i wouldn't mind seeing abdelkader and helm on a line with datsyuk.

Then you are opening a gaping hole on the 3rd and 4th lines. Not to mention hoping for a miracle in either Abby or Helm to jump into their prime potential right away.

I'm not against having Abby play more, he definitely has a skill set suited for it. But he is one of the few centers we have, and Babcock doesn't think the gamble is worth risking our already limted center depth.

[Louisville 112]

I pretty much agree with most but I'd like to see Abs on the Helm - Eaves line. Bertuzzi and Leino need to switch, and since Zetterberg and Cleary are playing well it seems like the only solution.

Leino-Datsyuk-Holmstrom

Bertuzzi-Zetterberg-Cleary

Abdelkader-Helm-Eaves

May-Draper-Miller

It's sad how little options we have left.

[Finnish Wing 110]

Holmstrom-Datsyuk-Bertuzzi will not be broken unless Leino-Zetterberg-Cleary is broken. Why? They're at the moment only top6 type of guys we have healthy. It would be stupid to put someone like Helm there and then drop him back after we get Williams and Filppula back.

[Louisville 112]

With all these injuries you guys want to also sit Bertuzzi?

I'm all for throwing him on the bottom lines (which sends the same message) but further reducing our depth doesn't make any sense.

Also, I think we're still forgetting another big weakness that lost last nights game for us. Penalty killing. On the first goal, Arnott was on the top of the circle with no coverage and still managed to bang in his rebound. I was screaming at the TV when I saw that.

Eaves should of had him, but nobody wants to talk about it because everybody has unconditional man love for him. He also was put on his ass a few times.

Interesting stat from last night was that no one on the Wings was a minus player, because our penalty kills sucks.

[Guest Lidstromboli]

i thought i saw bert and leino with abdelkader for a bit last night. or was that just in between line changes?

[Finnish Wing 110]

i thought i saw bert and leino with abdelkader for a bit last night. or was that just in between line changes?

I think Leino played few shifts with Abdelkader and Eaves.

[brett 1,029]

imo zetterberg can fit in very well with anyone who has the same speed as him and can hold on to the puck.

but idk what to say about lines anymore

maybe we should just go back to zetterberg datsyuk and homer and rely on them to score every game

[skyphoenix 153]

Only two players have negative +/- ratings at home AND on the road. They are Brett Lebda and Todd Bertuzzi.

[Drake_Marcus 890]

How about Drapes centers Bert and Holmer. And have Dats centers Helm and Eaves... just for fun.

Honestly I'd try it. There's no way it'd make Datsyuk less productive right now.

[VM1138 1,921]

I'm telling you guys (and you too Babcock!): Abdelkader-Datsyuk-Homer for a game. Just watch. It's got pretty good balance, can give Abdelkader confidence and might ignite a scoring touch.

Although I wouldn't protest Helm-Datsyuk-Eaves, either.

[Icesurfer 75]

I'm telling you guys (and you too Babcock!): Abdelkader-Datsyuk-Homer for a game. Just watch. It's got pretty good balance, can give Abdelkader confidence and might ignite a scoring touch.

Although I wouldn't protest Helm-Datsyuk-Eaves, either.

That sounds good to me... do SOMETHING... "Bowman never went this long with a dead line".... that's an understatement...LOL.

It is hard enough to get two good players to mesh together..... but trying to force a mistake prone 3rd line player to mesh on the first line is just ridiculous.

Edited November 25, 2009 by Icesurfer

[brett 1,029]

I'm telling you guys (and you too Babcock!): Abdelkader-Datsyuk-Homer for a game. Just watch. It's got pretty good balance, can give Abdelkader confidence and might ignite a scoring touch.

Although I wouldn't protest Helm-Datsyuk-Eaves, either.

not bad..wasnt abs a top scorer on the griffins? thought i heard that somwhere.

[Icesurfer 75]

Travis Moen.... 5 goals, 3 assists on lowly Montreal.... and he saw playing time on the top line. $1.5 mil/year for 3 years.

And we had to get Bertuzzi.

There were sssooo many peeps on this forum who wanted Holland to get Moen.... I guess they knew what they were talking about.

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

Honestly I'd try it. There's no way it'd make Datsyuk less productive right now.

We could put Draper and Shanahan on the same line as him.

But no way Mike Babcock would be stupid enough to do something like that.