12/14 GDT: Coyotes 2 at Red Wings 3

[Johnny Law 15]

Hm, I think he's been playing a lot stronger since coming back from being scratched. Protecting the puck better, winning more battles.. he's still got a long way to go, but he's showing improvement imo.

Against the Ducks he was one of the best players on the ice, some points would be nice but that isn't happening for him yet.

Good to see a win without points by Z, Dats or Bert with this duct tape lineup we are going to need a lot of scoring from 3/4 line guys to stay in the hunt.

I think Kindl would be a better call up than Janik, Kindl can move the puck and right now the DRW need goals from everyone and anybody.

Howard may end up being the real story of this season, he battles hard and with one possible exception he's put the team in a position to win every night.

[Z and D for the C 712]

Filppula is an excellent 3rd line centre but he's an average second line centre (at best). I'd rather have 3 strong lines than 1 really strong line and 2 ok lines.

Bertuzzi Filppula and Franzen is more than an okay line and I would take it against any other team's 2nd line. Believe it or not, Filppula is our 3rd best 2 way forward, and our 4th best forward offensively.

The final games of the last 2 season had Zetterberg and Datsyuk together, with Flip centering the second line on a 100% healthy team. Don't you think this means something? Our top 6 is better with Filppula in it, period. Does being an "average second line center" make a player an "average player"? So you're saying Zetterberg is an "average first line center" but an "excellent second line center"? What defines an average second line center? Who is an above average second line center? Maybe being an average second line player is being a second line player. should an above average second line center be on the first line? Who is an average first line center? Does an average first line player make an excellent snd line center? Should average first line centers be on the second line, and have only excellent first line centers play on the first line? But then the average first line player would be a below average first line center since all the first line centers would be excellent first line centers, but then those previously excellent first line centers would be average first line centers because all the first line centers are all excellent first line centers, so the average is excellent.

Anyway, I could probably go on forever with this stuff. My point is that "average second line center" is entirely arbitrary and means absolutely nothing.

Edited December 15, 2009 by Z and D for the C

[Theophany 110]

Anyway, I could probably go on forever with this stuff. My point is that "average second line center" is entirely arbitrary and means absolutely nothing.

Actually, it means compared to other second line centers in the NHL, he fits in with about 70% of them, with roughly 15% being better than him and 15% being worse than him.

On the third line, Fil is in the top 15% (probably more like top 5%).

You're wrong if you think Dats and Z are better for the team on the same line, BTW.

[Vladifan 680]

Defensively? Yes. Offensively? Nooooooooo.

(Re: Rafalski)

Amen. Yes. Absolutely. Butofcourse. It seems that at least half the time he shoots the puck into an opponent's skates. Or knees. That same bad guy usually is about five feet in front of Rafalski, SO HOW THE HELL HE HASN'T FIGURED OUT THAT HE NEEDS TO GAIN SOME PERSPECTIVE ON MOVING THE PUCK sort of gets to me every now and then.

.....i'm fine....i'm fine.....

[Z and D for the C 712]

Actually, it means compared to other second line centers in the NHL, he fits in with about 70% of them, with roughly 15% being better than him and 15% being worse than him.

On the third line, Fil is in the top 15% (probably more like top 5%).

You're wrong if you think Dats and Z are better for the team on the same line, BTW.

Playing With Datsyuk, Zetterberg gets 43 goals. Not playing with Datsyuk, Zetterberg gets 31. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think more goals at better for a team than less. You don't think the fact that this team, in their last 2 Stanley Cup final runs have gone with ZDH as their top line is relevant at ALL?

And so 70% of teams are deep enough to have "average second line centers" centering their second line but the wings aren't? I would say it's the opposite. This stretch has shown that the wings are more than deep enough to stack their top 6, no doubt something other teams wished for.

[Pavel Hossyukstrom 2]

2 quarterbacking dmen Raffi and Lidstrom on the pp and we can't muster 1 goal between the two of them in the last 2 months. c'mon really?? why haven't neither of them hit the back of the net? Probably the best pp duo in all of hockey as far as skill and talent are concerned.

Edited December 16, 2009 by Pavel Hossyukstrom