• Recently Browsing   0 members

    No registered users viewing this page.

Guest Howard He Do It?!

Filppula to be paired with Zetterberg

Rate this topic

Recommended Posts

Flip needs to centre the line though. He's much more effective at centre as opposed to wing, allows him to be more attacking and play to his strengths.

I think it'll just be a faceoff thing. Zetterberg will take them but I hope that Filppula will generally be the one who skates through the center of the ice, which allows him to be more aggressive. Zetterberg isn't skating that great these days anyways. I don't care what he says to the media. He is not fine and has got to be hurting somewhere.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm just hoping this experiment lasts a while so we can see if Flip is really "Second Line Talent" and so people won't say he would be so much better if he wasn't playing with 3rd and 4th line scrubs. Let's see what he can really do.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I give these lines 1 game as usual...at the end of the day, we just don't have the right balance to ice multiple consistent scoring lines.

And I think people are too worked up about Osgood/Howard one way or the other. For all of Osgood's rust and supposedly "bad" play this year, he hasn't been near as bad as last year. I'm not saying that the whole benching thing helps much, but I think you'll see Osgood finish strong. I think the writing is on the wall with this quote...

"I think Ozzie’s had some real good practices in a row and battled hard and I told him his job is when he gets an opportunity to try and run with it. He understands that. I don’t know when that is. I didn’t make any promises.’’

I am not trying to take away anything from Howard's stellar play for most of this season, but he's been cooler for awhile now and while not bad, not real good either since the Olympic break. As much as Howard's proven this year, he's still a rookie. Osgood's a veteran with 3 Cup rings, plus 2 outstanding playoff runs in a row now. When Howard was playing lights out, it was a no-brainer to give him the majority of the starts. Then Osgood and Babcock had some spats which no doubt has something to do with Osgood not getting as many starts, but they seem to be on better terms now.

In all my years of watching Osgood, I've learned never to count him out. He knows this is it, Babcock knows this is it, and no matter how great Howard has played this year, management is going to want Osgood starting in the playoffs if they can at all help it. This has to be all the more true since Howard hasn't been "outstanding" lately. I'm not saying that as a knock on him either; if you're at all thinking of going with a rookie over a veteran Cup winner who was in game 7 of the finals a year ago, he better be playing "outstanding" all year, and even then it's no sure bet that he's going to get the nod.

I'm calling it now, if the Wings make the playoffs, my money is on Osgood starting. Make no mistake, he'll be on a Hasek-sized leash, but he'll start.

And whether it seems unfathomable now or not to some, he may be the Wings only prayer come April...

Hmmm... it's a bold prediction but we do expect those from you.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

3rd line is horrific. Bertuzzi has been good for the money, but he needs a set-up man. I love Miller, but he isn't it. Williams is just Williams - meh in a 29 shirt.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Bertuzzi is USELESS without Datysuk. They played together most of the season, found some success, why not keep them together? Plus the lines would be more balanced. I love Cleary, but he's not a 2nd liner. Flipulla has the potential but he's not their yet. The Wings need a top 6 forward for next season, not another cent on D-men, even if Lidstrom retires.

Datysuk-Homer-Bertuzzi

Zetterberg-Flipulla/Cleary-Franzen

Bertuzzi is not useless without Datsyuk. He has played well with Filppula. He needs a playmaker - that's for sure. Filppula and Bertuzzi looked really good together against the Hawks. I wouldnt mind seeing your line combos tried though.

I like Filppula better at centre and Zetterberg on the wing.

Absolutely agree. FOr that matter I dont even udnerstand why when Zetterberg and Datsyuk are paired that Zetterberg is at centre. Don't get me wrong, Zetterberg is an aweome centre but so is Datsyuk. To me the playmakers are always more effective at centre while the snipers (which Z is more of than Datsyuk or Filppula of course) are more effective at wing. If you want goals, behind Franzen, Zetterberg is your next best goal scorer so put him in the best possible position to do it. Wingers typically skate 3/4 of the ice, expend less energy defensively, circle the slot, and are more prone to shooting positions. I am 100% in favour of havign Filppula centering with Zetterberg on the wing.

For all those who want Z to take faceoffs, that's fine, but so long as during the play they switch off then I'm cool.

Agreed. Z is more versatile when it comes to playing wing or center. Use Flip as the center and Z on the left wing but use Z for faceoffs.

I agree. Shooters need to shoot. Filppula is a great defensive centreman and we can eleviate some of that pressure from Zetterberg by having Fil centre that line. Let Z focus on the offense.

What are you talking about? I thought Ericsson played one of his better games. Do people here even watch games or do they just make assumptions when they post?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

To me the playmakers are always more effective at centre while the snipers (which Z is more of than Datsyuk or Filppula of course) are more effective at wing. If you want goals, behind Franzen, Zetterberg is your next best goal scorer so put him in the best possible position to do it. Wingers typically skate 3/4 of the ice, expend less energy defensively, circle the slot, and are more prone to shooting positions. I am 100% in favour of havign Filppula centering with Zetterberg on the wing.

Its a good point - especially under the system Babcock employs where the centre has to do all the skating, particularly on the backcheck. Datsyuk has said in the past about playing with Zetterberg that he prefers wing to centre because he has to do less backchecking.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Its a good point - especially under the system Babcock employs where the centre has to do all the skating, particularly on the backcheck. Datsyuk has said in the past about playing with Zetterberg that he prefers wing to centre because he has to do less backchecking.

Datsyuk might just be the best forechecker in the league - he reminds me of a [blue] shark out there.

Zetterberg is a better backchecker.

Detroit falls apart when they are not utilizing two forecheckers... watch for it in a game, it's almost certain a goal is coming against them.

Edited by egroen

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest Lidstromboli

haha! remember the chemistry factor from like NHL 06?

i actually didn't hate it

i know it's in 08.

don't think it actually mattered at all, except for maybe simming.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Here's how I'd pair them.

Bertuzzi-Datsyuk-Holmstrom

Franzen-Zetterberg-Cleary

Miller-Filppula-Williams

Draper-Helm-Eaves

Top two are more of a 1A/1B dealie getting roughly equal time. If Bertuzzi goes cold, pair up Filppula with Datsyuk-Holmstrom as Datsyuk and Filppula have played on the same line off/on throughout the years with some success.

As good as the Datsyuk line is now, Franzen-Zetterberg-Cleary was a killer line when it was used in the playoffs off/on last year, I would love to see Babcock go to that.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I agree.

As for the line combinations, much better. Id still like to see Helm and Miller flipped. Helm deserves more of a role on this team.

I thought the exact same thing when i saw the lines, and have miller back on the wing and draper shift over to centre, his natural position. and draper is pretty damn good on faceoffs. i'm quite interested to see flip and Z together...may just work.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

whoever said:

Homeberg(as my grandpa calls him)-Datsyuk-Franzen

Zetterberg-Filpula-Bertuzi

Cleary-Helm-Williams

Miller-Draper-Abdelkader

Those lines are right on IMO. Helm will get more responsibility with better players to make things happen. Zetterberg will have Filpula to set him up, and bertuzzi will have Filpula and Zetterberg to set him up. The first line is still working so keep that together. And if we go down early in this game, you have to put ZDH or ZDF together. We can't afford another loss right now.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm not sure what to think about the pairing. By the time I came in to watch it I saw Bert-Z-Bear cycling the puck for a good 45 seconds and thought Babs scrapped it. Any thoughts on the Fil-Z pairing?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Trailblazer062.jpg

http://redwings.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=521186

“Fil is a good player,” Zetterberg said. “He’s got a lot of good stuff in him, and over time I’ve gotten a chance to play with him more. He can play in a lot of situations, and he really makes good things happen and plays well. He’s a good fit for me and Cleary. Cleary’s probably one of the guys in the league that doesn’t get enough credit for the work that he does, and you know, it’s a good combination.”

Filppula said he enjoyed the move to the new line.

“Yeah, it wasn’t bad,” he said. “Obviously any guy on this team gets to play with good players, but it was fun to play with Hank and Cleary, but getting the win was the most important thing.

“I think we think a little bit alike, so that makes it easier to have an idea of where the other guys are. It was just one game though, so hopefully we can keep getting better too.”

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

This whole situation in which Mike Babcock is starting Jimmy Howard this much in a row and rendering Chris Osgood virtually ineffective by benching him this long, will bite in his ass eventually.

I really think is starting to look like some macho bulls*** by Babcock.

I mean, come on... he can't give the guy a start against Minnesota ?

Especially when there are signs that you're starting goaltender is beginning to struggle a little ?

Not even workhorses like Kipper, Luongo or Brodeur even, play this many without a break.

Is Babcock trying to humiliate Ozzie ? Cause it sure looks like it..

This is a great point that I hadn't even thought of, maybe Babs is thinking the Olympic break was enough. Either way if we are going to make the playoffs and be a force Jimmy will need some rest before that....but do you put Ozzy in during the final weeks of the regular season while we are trying to make the playoffs?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

This is a great point that I hadn't even thought of, maybe Babs is thinking the Olympic break was enough. Either way if we are going to make the playoffs and be a force Jimmy will need some rest before that....but do you put Ozzy in during the final weeks of the regular season while we are trying to make the playoffs?

My guess is he'll try to get him into a couple games against Edmonton/Columbus, which the Wings have in abundance in the last few weeks, which should supposedly be "easy" wins.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I had a feeling this wasn't going to be successful as I posted earlier. When you put 2 guys who are struggling with one who has a hard time producing anyway, that's not a recipe for success. However I don't blame babcock for trying, he has to do something. We have no second line. :(

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now