Bertuzzi SUCKS

[Winged_Wheeler 3]

I cant stand to watch Todd Bertuzzi play one more shift. What a complete waste of cap money. Cant score, terrible passes, constant give aways, refuses to throw anything that even remotely resembles a hit, and consistently taking stupid penalties, most of them in the offensive zone to make up for his disgusting play . Bringing him back has to be one of the worst moves the Wings have made since trading Adam Oates for Bernie Federko. Judas Priest, Id take Robert Lang over this piece of garbage, at least Langer could score an occasional goal.

I agree 100%. Complete Waste. People on these boards don't like to admit there's flaws with our team including the play of Lidstrom as of late.

[Cern 0]

And to think in the offseason everyone was raving over him.

He's been damaged goods for years, Anaheim and Calgary learned that the hard way and now we are too.

[Guest Lidstromboli]

raving over him?

uhhh not exactly

[edicius 3,269]

The whole team is garbage right now. And having McCrimmon behind the bench isn't helping either.

[Drake_Marcus 890]

I agree.

However, everyone on this team sucks right now and seems to be taking up space. That's what happens when you don't score goals or win games.

True.

[TRD604 8]

feel sorry for dats.

[Feldmarschall 9]

Bert's played a strange game. On the surface, sure he looks like hell. His stats are a let-down, Pavel's getting mad, and so on. But if you hunt for the finer nuances of the game, he seems to be doing a LOT of stuff right. He's backchecking harder than I've ever seen him, getting up the ice at a good clip. He looks leaner and faster than he has in years past, and he holds onto the puck well when he and Pavel decide to cycle. But he isn't playing with a physical edge and my GOD has he missed some fantastic chances early this season. He's hit more posts than the rest of the team combined, I think. Then he gets frustrated and tries to force a play that just isn't there, further eroding his confidence.

It's a shame that he's doing so poorly. He really is doing a lot of the little things right, which is at least more than Leino can say. Normally players get rewarded for perfecting the finer points of the game, but not this time. Bert's "puck luck" has been horrific.

Edited November 28, 2009 by Feldmarschall

[Guest CaliWingsNut]

Bert's played a strange game. On the surface, sure he looks like hell. His stats are a let-down, Pavel's getting mad, and so on. But if you hunt for the finer nuances of the game, he seems to be doing a LOT of stuff right. He's backchecking harder than I've ever seen him, getting up the ice at a good clip. He looks leaner and faster than he has in years past, and he holds onto the puck well when he and Pavel decide to cycle. But he isn't playing with a physical edge and my GOD has he missed some fantastic chances early this season. He's hit more posts than the rest of the team combined, I think. Then he gets frustrated and tries to force a play that just isn't there, further eroding his confidence.

It's a shame that he's doing so poorly. He really is doing a lot of the little things right, which is at least more than Leino can say. Normally players get rewarded for perfecting the finer points of the game, but not this time. Bert's "puck luck" has been horrific.

I think this is exactly the case with him. He seems to have lost his hands. He's getting around the rink fine, can hold the puck, but isn't fighting for it and is screwing up all his passes and shots.

[puckbags 863]

I think the trickle down effect of all these injuries is really starting to show and Bertuzzi is the prime example. Bertuzzi was brought in to be 3rd line guy, 40pts would've been a good year for him but with all these injuries him and other guys have been forced to play minutes they aren't capable of anymore. I would almost guarantee that once Flip, Willy and Mule get back and Bert can get back to the 3rd line where he belongs that his game will be better than it is now. He can't play with Dats, he cant keep up, simple as that. Its a tough go right now, worst injury problems i've seen in my 20 years as a fan. You know something is wrong when Lids goes -3 and we have one goal in 11 periods.

[Draperfan 104]

Took you 24 games to realize this? Many of us were dead set against Bertuzzi in a Red Wings uniform.

Amen....well at least they FINALLY SAW THE LIGHT ONLY TOOK A QUARTER OF THE SEASON.

[Draperfan 104]

And to think in the offseason everyone was raving over him.

EVERYONE? You dont mean ME to do you?

[Draperfan 104]

There are more aspects to hockey than just being able to put the puck in the back of the net. Bertuzzi is falling short in every department.

Couldnt have said it better myself

[Lidstrom for life 20]

Bertuzzi, like the rest of the team, is going to turn it around. He is playing hard and just not getting rewarded. True his decision making is pretty questionable right now but so is everyones, it happens when you are in a slump. Also, he really should not be on the same line as Holmstrom I don't understand that at all, why have two big bodies who aren't great skaters on the top line?

[Third Man In 2,091]

He's been damaged goods for years, Anaheim and Calgary learned that the hard way and now we are too.

You'd have thought we would have learned that too the first time around.

Bert lacks all authority driving to the net. He is the anti-Franzen.

[Mors 201]

feel sorry for dats.

Why feel sorry for him? He played on 6 power plays yesterday with his buddy Zetterberg and they did nothing. He's just as responsible for the current funk as anyone else on the team.

[NickA 39]

Some of you are confused as to the reason for this post. Im not saying that Bertuzzi is the ONLY bad player; Im not saying that Bertuzzi is the ONLY reason we are losing. Im not saying that I just now realized he sucks after 24 games. The only point of this post is to say exactly what the title says. Bertuzzi sucks. He flat out fricking sucks. Thats it.

[Carman 387]

Some of you are confused as to the reason for this post. Im not saying that Bertuzzi is the ONLY bad player; Im not saying that Bertuzzi is the ONLY reason we are losing. Im not saying that I just now realized he sucks after 24 games. The only point of this post is to say exactly what the title says. Bertuzzi sucks. He flat out fricking sucks. Thats it.

That's your opinion. I think Bertuzzi is one of our better players. If he sucked as bad as you think Babcock would not be playing him and would sit him like he did to Leino. I think you are off base.

[robb himself 143]

That's your opinion. I think Bertuzzi is one of our better players. If he sucked as bad as you think Babcock would not be playing him and would sit him like he did to Leino. I think you are off base.

I agree with you 100%

[thedisappearer 291]

He is 2nd in terms of shots on goal

Ok. Flip side- his shooting percentage is 4.3%. The only two forwards he's ahead of are Eaves and May. And then factor in his posts and misses.

[Carman 387]

Ok. Flip side- his shooting percentage is 4.3%. The only two forwards he's ahead of are Eaves and May. And then factor in his posts and misses.

Fifth on the team in missed shots. He is getting them on net. They aren't going in, but guess what neither is anyone elses' shots. He is creating chances which is more then you can say about most of the other forwards on the team. He is not going to be Hossa or Franzen with 15% shooting percentage if he was he would be making 5 million and be playing for another team.

[thedisappearer 291]

Fifth on the team in missed shots. He is getting them on net. They aren't going in, but guess what neither is anyone elses' shots. He is creating chances which is more then you can say about most of the other forwards on the team. He is not going to be Hossa or Franzen with 15% shooting percentage if he was he would be making 5 million and be playing for another team.

Chances are, when you are shooting 4.3%, you are just softly tossing shots on net from the outside. Non-scoring forwards on the team are shooting better. This is a fact.

[Carman 387]

Chances are, when you are shooting 4.3%, you are just softly tossing shots on net from the outside. Non-scoring forwards on the team are shooting better. This is a fact.

Then why aren't they playing with Datsyuk? Bertuzzi isn't supposed to be our best shooter. And he's not. There is not a problem with him right now. Man why must people blame a 1.5 million dollar player on a team not scoring a goal in a couple games. He isn't on the first PP, he isn't in net, he isn't leading the team in TOI.

There are much bigger problems on the team than Bertuzzi not having the ability to have a 10%+ shooting %. I don't see what is so hard to understand. He isn't playing that bad, he is one of the leaders on the team in hits and takeaways which tells me he is doing something compared to the rest of the lackluster players currently on the Wing's.

[Firehawk 305]

I do not think Bertuzzi does much for the Red Wings either. He has lost his drive (maybe due to his incident previously). He's not at all the same player. He seems to turn the puck over a lot, looks like he makes lazy plays, etc. I don't know. I hope he gets it together but he does not look like a fit around here.

[thedisappearer 291]

Then why aren't they playing with Datsyuk? Bertuzzi isn't supposed to be our best shooter. And he's not. There is not a problem with him right now. Man why must people blame a 1.5 million dollar player on a team not scoring a goal in a couple games. He isn't on the first PP, he isn't in net, he isn't leading the team in TOI.

There are much bigger problems on the team than Bertuzzi not having the ability to have a 10%+ shooting %. I don't see what is so hard to understand. He isn't playing that bad, he is one of the leaders on the team in hits and takeaways which tells me he is doing something compared to the rest of the lackluster players currently on the Wing's.

Settle down, killer. I'm not saying Bertuzzi is the cause of anything. I'm just saying his performance has been pitiful this year. I don't care what his paycheck is, I care that his performance is on par with what line he's playing on. And with Bertuzzi, it's not. Hell, the whole second PP unit is god awful.

[Carman 387]

I do not think Bertuzzi does much for the Red Wings either. He has lost his drive (maybe due to his incident previously). He's not at all the same player. He seems to turn the puck over a lot, looks like he makes lazy plays, etc. I don't know. I hope he gets it together but he does not look like a fit around here.

Not directing this directly at you or anything, but Bertuzzi only has one more giveaway than Datsyuk. He is 3rd on the team in Takeaways, 4th in hits, 2nd in shots, 5th in missed shots, 16 minutes of TOI a game, 5th in forward points, and 16 PIM(which is bad, but not completely awful).

I really don't think that's bad considering the 1.5 million salary. Of course he is not playing great, but is he really the reason the Red Wing's are losing or even is he that big of deal? Or does it have more to do with the injuries, Lidstrom's offensive decline, the struggle of the PK(which he has nothing to do with), the struggle of the first PP unit(which he has nothing to do with), or the fact that both of our goalies are at the bottom of all the statistic categories?

Bertuzzi should be one of the least of our worries, if he had 20 more giveaways then everyone else, 50 more PIM, then everyone else, was a -10, had no goals, had no points, and missed everyone of his shots then we can start worrying about whether or not a secondary scorer is contributing a significant amount to a team's struggle.