24 replies to this topic

[F.Michael]

I know where to point the finger -- at the Red Wings biggest weakness, which clearly is scoring goals. You can include most of the forwards on the team if you like besides the ones I previously mentioned and Homer, but the thread is about Filppula and Cleary.

I don't know what more I can say. I don't think either is scoring enough goals for the Red Wings. Cleary has one goal in the past ten games; Fil has five goals in 2010 playing big minutes at forward. There aren't the only ones to blame, but they most definitely can produce at a higher level.

Part of the problem is simply there isn't any legit 40 plus goal guy on the team...We have a plethora of 10 to 15 goal guys, a few whom are capable of 20 to 30, and a few more guys (when healthy) are probably good for 30 to 35...That's about it.

Flip is good for about 15, and Cleary roughly 20 to 25 when they're both healthy, and are on a roll.

[DatsyukianDeke13]

Part of the problem is simply there isn't any legit 40 plus goal guy on the team...We have a plethora of 10 to 15 goal guys, a few whom are capable of 20 to 30, and a few more guys (when healthy) are probably good for 30 to 35...That's about it.

Flip is good for about 15, and Cleary roughly 20 to 25 when they're both healthy, and are on a roll.

Ever hear of this guy named Johan Franzen? Also, Zetterberg scored 43 in the 07-08 season.

[F.Michael]

Ever hear of this guy named Johan Franzen? Also, Zetterberg scored 43 in the 07-08 season.

Franzen has a habit of getting injured on a reg basis...When healthy he's good for 30 to 35...When was his 40 plus goal season?

So Hank has 1 year of scoring 43 goals - that's great, but was 2 seasons ago, and where are those goals this year?

Can't always look at the past, and expect these guys to put up the same #'s year after year...Sometimes players have 1, or 2 good years, and that's it.

[McAwesome]

Right now, I'd have to give a slight edge to Filppula.

I do not think either player is playing as well as they are capable of, but the same could be said for everyone on this team at some point this season. This whole team has just been underachieving as a whole, some due to injuries that kept them out of the lineup for stretches (Filppula, Kronwall, Franzen), some due to not as obvious injuries (you cannot tell me that Zetterberg has been 100% at any point this season), some due to overuse in the absence of regular players in the lineup (Stuart, Ericsson).

If they had been healthy all season, we definitely would not be having this debate about Cleary vs. Filppula, they are both valuable role players on this team. Cleary's role is to get his nose dirty, kill penalties, and score garbage goals through hard work. Filppula's role is primarily to set up his linemates for scoring chances, be defensively responsible, and chip in goals when he gets the chance. All things being equal, Filppula should be the 2nd line/2nd PP center, and Cleary should be a 2nd/3rd line winger and a 1st unit PK forward. Neither has spent much time in the role they are best suited for and have earned through their effort, we simply haven't been healthy enough to play everyone in the role they should be in.

In a more ideal setting, Cleary is good for around 20 goals/40 points a season, and Filppula is good for 15-20 goals and 30-40 assists. Of course, when the entire team is struggling offensively, these numbers seem to fall short of what we want out of them.

For some reason, Filppula seems to be a polarizing figure on this board, and there are those who simply have nothing good to say about him and feel like it is their responsibility to rain on the parade of those who are fans of his, to quote Lee Corso "Not so fast my friend" whenever someone says anything positive about his play, to which his most ardent supporters reply with equal haste and usually result in hijacking whatever thread the conversation is occurring in. I don't get it, I don't understand how people who are fans of a team can show such blind hatred towards a member of the team they support, but that's just me.

[wingsownnhl43]

In a more ideal setting, Cleary is good for around 20 goals/40 points a season, and Filppula is good for 15-20 goals and 30-40 assists. Of course, when the entire team is struggling offensively, these numbers seem to fall short of what we want out of them.

Did anybody read what I wrote earlier? Jesus guys, Cleary and Filppulas numbers arent falling short of normal!!!! This thread boggles my mind. Typical sky is falling, who can I blame thread.

Here it is again...

Dan Cleary. He has tallied 40, 42, and 40 points in the past three seasons. Last season he had 40 points in 74 games. This season he has 29 points in 54 games. Ok, a little math. 40/74 =29/x Cross multiply and divide. If he plays 74 games this season, Cleary is on pace for 45 points. Higher than any of his past 3 seasons.

Valterri Filppula has 25 points in 39 games, thats a 50 point pace which is 10 points higher than his career high.

Cleary has 1 less goal than he had last season in 20 less games. And Filppula has 5 less goals in 41 less games.

Edited by wingsownnhl43, 10 March 2010 - 12:45 AM.