12/17 GDT: Lightning 0 at Red Wings 3

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

Yep, the rest of the guys...even the ahl'ers have brought their game up....time for pavs to do the same.

Agreed. Good to see him pick up the assist, and he's always responsible defensively. But he didn't manage a SOG tonight.

[syntax 359]

Babs just verified left shoulder injury for Z. He drove himself to the hospital for the MRI.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

Babs just verified left shoulder injury for Z. He drove himself to the hospital for the MRI.

Well I guess the good news is he must've been cleared for a concussion if they let him drive himself.

[BlueMonk 102]

Babs didn't pull any punches about Z leaving himself open for that hit.

Hopefully nothing too serious. I was worried it was a concussion.

[Rivalred 630]

Well all know this would never of happened if Downey or May were in the lineup.

[Guest Lidstromboli]

janik was solid

[drumnj 459]

Archive is up:

http://www.letsgowings.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=61751

[Vladifan 680]

Nice! 1st shutout for Jimmy by the skin of his teeth! 300th win for Babcock...Bert, Eaves and Miller get goals...I'm starting to think these injuries are a blessing in disguise. We're learning to win games in new ways and guys are getting going who may've lived in the pressbox if not for injuries. I'm honestly starting to get a little worried that we'll lose a step as we get guys back. I think we've got good guys on this team that are good players but odd fits in the Red Wings system. I think we're finding out that new guys might have more to offer than originally thought. It'll be interesting to watch as guys start coming back.

For years, hockey fans have been talking about the class and quality of the Wings' system. The Wings are drawing on that huge credit they have in their 'bank' and it is paying off. This is the test, the "refiner's fire", and they're coming out more polished and hardened because of it. They will all learn so much more from having to cope and to play like this than if they'd had it made since the season started. I am so damn proud of them.

Edited December 18, 2009 by Vladifan

[b-random 0]

Well all know this would never of happened if Downey or May were in the lineup.

May did play tonight. And what kind of magic do they posses that prevents defenseman from making legal hits on our players?

[zombiewing 3]

For years, hockey fans have been talking about the class and quality of the Wings' system. The Wings are drawing on that huge credit they have in their 'bank' and it is paying off. This is the test, the "refiner's fire", and they're coming out more polished and hardened because of it. They will all learn so much more from having to cope and to play like this than if they'd had it made since the season started. I am so damn proud of them.

well said...It's like we are a pack of Josie Wales' or somethin'

[VM1138 1,921]

May did play tonight. And what kind of magic do they posses that prevents defenseman from making legal hits on our players?

You're right. It'd be great to have someone crazy out there, but they're not going to prevent these things from happening, or scare people away from making legal hits.

Missed the game, but congrats Jimmy and Babs. I really like that Eaves and Bertuzzi have finally stepped up.

I do worry, though, that when our players come back (namely Flip and Franzen) that it'll screw the system up and we'll have to sacrifice guys who are working and wait for those two to get their game back.

With a little luck they can come back and not miss a step. Franzen never seems to have a problem returnign to form immediately after a long-term injury.

[Heroes of Hockeytown 694]

The Bolts aren't very good, so it is right and just that the Wings pitched a shutout. Jimmy did a great job, and the Wings found a way to score without all their scorers. When they got their only relevant power play in the second (nice refereeing by the way, assholes), when Leino-Abdelkader-Eaves and Meech-Stuart came over the boards I could barely fathom it. No offense to the aforementioned, but that's a power play unit?!

I am sure by the end of the season the Wings will have lost the most man games to injury, and it won't even be close. Keep on keeping on, fellas.

[VM1138 1,921]

Is this the first four game winning streak of the season? I don't remember them going beyond 3 games before.

[Z and D for the C 712]

Had a feeling the wings would get a shutout not long after Zetterberg went out, horrible that it happend but it brought the team together. Glad to get the 2 points.

Awesome pass the Rafski for the GWG.

[Yak19 303]

Eff me with another injury

This was a Howard victory, yes we did get scoring but it was 1-0 most of the game and if TB tied it the game could have easily swung.

Well done Howie!

Eaves = best signing ever or best signing ever?

Keep playing through adversity Wings.

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

Mike Smith -

"If we continue to make those kind of mistakes, we don't have a chance (to make the playoffs)," Smith said. "We don't have a good enough team to make those mistakes."

Not pulling any punches there.

[Pavel Hossyukstrom 2]

wow what a mixture of emotions for this game I don't whether to be happy with Jimmy's first shutout or cry myself to sleep over Z going down. It's great we won but now we have to move forward without Zetts?

[russianswede919293 95]

Intresting fact I read on MLive...

Every time Doug Janik plays the Wings get a shutout...

JANIK FOR NORRIS

[Casey 145]

For years, hockey fans have been talking about the class and quality of the Wings' system. The Wings are drawing on that huge credit they have in their 'bank' and it is paying off. This is the test, the "refiner's fire", and they're coming out more polished and hardened because of it. They will all learn so much more from having to cope and to play like this than if they'd had it made since the season started. I am so damn proud of them.

Yes, yes, and amen.

Miller. May. Eaves. Janik. Abdelkader. Howard. Newbury. Bertuzzi.

All projects. All guys we'd normally never see. Miller, May and Eaves should be pretty much injury callups. Janik and Newbury should be a year away at least. Eaves and Bertuzzi should be third-liners. Howard was supposed to only get about 20 starts.

Average ice time for the skaters on that list? About 16:40. Bertuzzi led all forwards with 18:45. Even newcomer Newbury had 10:30. Forget 20 starts for the season, Howard's at 11-6-1, 0.920 save percentage, GAA of 2.27. He's 8th in GAA, 11th in save percentage.

Our stars already know how to play. Now, the new guys are showing their stuff, and they're showing diamonds.

I was there tonight, and there are few moments I was more proud to be a Wings fan than seeing the clock go to 0:00 and Howard have his first shutout. It will be first of many, and the guys we saw are the ones to make it happen. This team is in good hands, and is showing the strength and work ethic that make me a proud citizen of Hockeytown.

Long live Hockeytown!

[HOCKEY MATTERS 167]

Yes, yes, and amen.

Miller. May. Eaves. Janik. Abdelkader. Howard. Newbury. Bertuzzi.

All projects. All guys we'd normally never see. Miller, May and Eaves should be pretty much injury callups. Janik and Newbury should be a year away at least. Eaves and Bertuzzi should be third-liners. Howard was supposed to only get about 20 starts.

Average ice time for the skaters on that list? About 16:40. Bertuzzi led all forwards with 18:45. Even newcomer Newbury had 10:30. Forget 20 starts for the season, Howard's at 11-6-1, 0.920 save percentage, GAA of 2.27. He's 8th in GAA, 11th in save percentage.

Our stars already know how to play. Now, the new guys are showing their stuff, and they're showing diamonds.

I was there tonight, and there are few moments I was more proud to be a Wings fan than seeing the clock go to 0:00 and Howard have his first shutout. It will be first of many, and the guys we saw are the ones to make it happen. This team is in good hands, and is showing the strength and work ethic that make me a proud citizen of Hockeytown.

Long live Hockeytown!

Thanks for this post.

[Casey 145]

Thanks for this post.

You're welcome.

[Yak19 303]

Eaves = best pickup for price, found his game here, he is the next Cleary type player for us

Miller = great depth pickup, what an effing goal tonight

Bert = i cannot hear u haters???

GO WINGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Third Man In 2,091]

Miller. May. Eaves. Janik. Abdelkader. Howard. Newbury. Bertuzzi.

All projects. All guys we'd normally never see. Miller, May and Eaves should be pretty much injury callups. Janik and Newbury should be a year away at least. Eaves and Bertuzzi should be third-liners. Howard was supposed to only get about 20 starts.

Janik of course is going to be 30 in March and has played two full seasons and parts of three others before joining the Wings, so he shouldn't really be a year away. But your overall point is taken--the Wings are beginning to play some good, scrappy hockey while missing half their starting lineup.

And god bless Kirk Maltby. That SOB made Ohlund's night miserable after that (clean) hit on Zetterberg.

[Theophany 110]

Yes, yes, and amen.

Miller. May. Eaves. Janik. Abdelkader. Howard. Newbury. Bertuzzi.

All projects. All guys we'd normally never see. Miller, May and Eaves should be pretty much injury callups. Janik and Newbury should be a year away at least. Eaves and Bertuzzi should be third-liners. Howard was supposed to only get about 20 starts.

Not to completely destroy your point, but only two of the guys on your list are Wings "projects": Abdelkader and Howard.

Miller was picked up by us in response to injuries. Same with May. Eaves was picked up to be a 13th forward, and has shown himself to be good enough to play at the level where—due to injuries—he's playing on a line with Datsyuk.

Bertuzzi was picked up to bring some grit and get some scoring on the lower half of our forward lineup. Newbury and Janik were both picked up in the offseason and haven't even played a full half-year with Grand Rapids.

So then we're pretty much down to Abdelkader, who has played pretty well, and Jimmy Howard, who at 25, is starting to come into his own despite being mediocre at best in the AHL, and bad in the NHL.

Sounds like the Wings' system is average, maybe slightly above-par. What you meant to compliment was Ken Holland's scouts, and the coaching of the Wings' system. Since, y'know, only 2/8 players you named actually come from the Wings' system and 6/8 comes from outside of it.

This isn't me bashing the Wings, BTW. I think we've done fantastically as an organization this year, but to give credit to our system when we've only called up one guy (Kindl) from said system and had one more that was meant to play in GR take a full-time role after Filppula went wrist-first into the boards is kind of dumb.

Just saying.

[thegerkin 189]

Not to completely destroy your point, but only two of the guys on your list are Wings "projects": Abdelkader and Howard.

Miller was picked up by us in response to injuries. Same with May. Eaves was picked up to be a 13th forward, and has shown himself to be good enough to play at the level where—due to injuries—he's playing on a line with Datsyuk.

Bertuzzi was picked up to bring some grit and get some scoring on the lower half of our forward lineup. Newbury and Janik were both picked up in the offseason and haven't even played a full half-year with Grand Rapids.

So then we're pretty much down to Abdelkader, who has played pretty well, and Jimmy Howard, who at 25, is starting to come into his own despite being mediocre at best in the AHL, and bad in the NHL.

Sounds like the Wings' system is average, maybe slightly above-par. What you meant to compliment was Ken Holland's scouts, and the coaching of the Wings' system. Since, y'know, only 2/8 players you named actually come from the Wings' system and 6/8 comes from outside of it.

This isn't me bashing the Wings, BTW. I think we've done fantastically as an organization this year, but to give credit to our system when we've only called up one guy (Kindl) from said system and had one more that was meant to play in GR take a full-time role after Filppula went wrist-first into the boards is kind of dumb.

Just saying.

No need to call someones analysis "dumb". It doesn't help your cause and is petty. Just saying.