Dats and Z to play together next year!

[ceebs 2]

"It's huge to have Huds back," Babcock said. "Instead of separating Z [Henrik Zetterberg] and Pav [Pavel Datsyuk] on the power play, we can put them on the same unit and let Huds run the other one."

This should make a big difference next year on the pp! Have dats and Z with net presence (cleary/homer) on the first unit and have huds and franzen with (flip/cleary/homer) on the 2nd unit.

[wingsownnhl43 14]

Like this.

[Guest blueadams]

Datsyuk-Zetterbeg-Holmstrom

Hudler-Filppula-Franzen

I like also.

[dat's sick 1,002]

The more Pav and Hank on the same line, the better. I almost think we could have them on the same line all the time next season.. wonder how Babs will do?

Filppula-Datsyuk-Holmstrom

Franzen-Zetterberg-Hudler

Cleary-Abdelkader-Bertuzzi??

Draper-Helm-Eaves

Ritola

Unless I'm missing something or someone, it feels like it would be better do go ZDH and let Fil center the 2nd line between Mule and Happy.

edit: basically what blueadams said.

Edited June 1, 2010 by dat's sick

[Carman 387]

They won't have the excuses I gave them last year now.

[13dangledangle 968]

Babs is almost there...

....Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Hudler

Bertuzzi-Flippula-Franzen

Ritola-Abdelkader-Cleary

Draper-Helm-Eaves

-Holmstrom power play speacialist

[Heroes of Hockeytown 694]

Seems good. We'll have the opportunity to see everyone eventually play with everyone anyways, due to injuries and line-juggling, I'm sure.

[hardcoretom21 71]

long off-season, Happy returning with something to prove. Good goalie tandem, returning captain... I like

[Z and D for the C 712]

Babs is almost there...

....Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Hudler

Bertuzzi-Flippula-Franzen

Ritola-Abdelkader-Cleary

Draper-Helm-Eaves

-Holmstrom power play speacialist

We can only dress 12 forwards.

[GoWings1905 2,694]

I like it. Hudler adds another whole dimension to the Red Wings from an offensive standpoint. If nothing else, hopefully Pavel and Z can recoup some of their magical chemistry playing together on the powerplay.

[Winged_Wheeler 3]

Datsyuk and Zetterberg should already be playing together regardless if they have a powerplay. The two have great chemistry and it will only get better if you put them back together. I know Babcock has said something along the lines of "We tried that before and they weren't playing that well", GIVE THEM TIME TO GET USED TO EACH OTHER AGAIN! You can't expect to split two players who basically won the Cup for Detroit in 2008 and then put them back together in the playoffs without or with little time together in the regular season, it's common sense.

Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Holmstrom

Hudler-Filppula-Franzen

Cleary-Helm-Eaves (or Bertuzzi)

Abdelkader-Draper-Maltby (or Ritola)

Lidstrom-Rafalski

Kronwall-Staurt

Ericsson-Lilja (or Kindl)

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

Meh, line combos change all the time. They'll play together some, they'll probably be split up some.

[titanium2 867]

So Hudler and Franzen on the second unit. Who will be the third forward? I personally hope for Filppula. I can see Babs putting out Cleary to be at the net so that Franzen can post a threat with his shot.

[Wings_Dynasty 267]

"And let Huds run the other one" ??? Why does he all of a sudden have confidence in Hudler. He put him on the 3rd line all season and now he has him "running" the second PP unit?

I'll believe it when I see it.

[titanium2 867]

"And let Huds run the other one" ??? Why does he all of a sudden have confidence in Hudler. He put him on the 3rd line all season and now he has him "running" the second PP unit?

I'll believe it when I see it.

What do you mean? Hudler has been very, very competent on the 2nd PP unit. He's always been on it the past three years.

[SweWings 45]

"And let Huds run the other one" ??? Why does he all of a sudden have confidence in Hudler. He put him on the 3rd line all season and now he has him "running" the second PP unit?

I'll believe it when I see it.

If there's one thing he's actually good at it is this. He was 4th on the team in PP points with 28 and top 40 in the league 2008-2009.

[Wings_Dynasty 267]

What do you mean? Hudler has been very, very competent on the 2nd PP unit. He's always been on it the past three years.

If there's one thing he's actually good at it is this. He was 4th on the team in PP points with 28 and top 40 in the league 2008-2009.

Oh, I know Hudler is good. He's a sniper and knows when to shoot. I would even consider him on the 1st PP unit if we wanted to shake things up (like Hudler-Dats-Franz and Homer-Z-Flip). But Babcock is notorious when it comes to limiting his playing time. He brings up his skating as his excuse. I'm all for his playing time going up, he gets good point totals with limited time and never really got a chance to shine. Hopefully Babs has come around.

EDIT: spelling

Edited June 2, 2010 by Wings_Dynasty

[Heroes of Hockeytown 694]

But Babcock is notorious when it comes to limiting his playing time. He brings up his skating as his excuse. I'm all for his playing time going up, he gets good point totals with limited time and never really got a chance to shine. Hopefully Babs has come around.

This is true with regards to his even-strength ice time, but Babcock didn't leash him on the PP. He was 5th in PPTOI last season (probably would have been 6th if Homer hadn't missed a lot of time), and finished tied for 4th on the team in PP points.

He basically ran the 2nd PP unit, so for all the hand-wringing over whether or not he's too small and soft and so forth to be trusted with an even strength shift, he's pretty much a sure thing for allowing the Wings to ice two very deadly power play units.

Edited June 2, 2010 by Heroes of Hockeytown

[SweWings 45]

This is true with regards to his even-strength ice time, but Babcock didn't leash him on the PP. He was 5th in PPTOI last season (probably would have been 6th if Homer hadn't missed a lot of time), and finished tied for 4th on the team in PP points.

He basically ran the 2nd PP unit, so for all the hand-wringing over whether or not he's too small and soft and so forth to be trusted with an even strength shift, he's pretty much a sure thing for allowing the Wings to ice two very deadly power play units.

Exactamundo.

[Wings_Dynasty 267]

This is true with regards to his even-strength ice time, but Babcock didn't leash him on the PP. He was 5th in PPTOI last season (probably would have been 6th if Homer hadn't missed a lot of time), and finished tied for 4th on the team in PP points.

He basically ran the 2nd PP unit, so for all the hand-wringing over whether or not he's too small and soft and so forth to be trusted with an even strength shift, he's pretty much a sure thing for allowing the Wings to ice two very deadly power play units.

I wasn't really questioning his PP TOI, the 5 on 5 TOI is where the real points are generated (except for Homer) and that's where Babs held him back, playing on the third line as the primary scorer.

[Heroes of Hockeytown 694]

I wasn't really questioning his PP TOI, the 5 on 5 TOI is where the real points are generated (except for Homer) and that's where Babs held him back, playing on the third line as the primary scorer.

I'm not sure what you mean by "real" points. Points are points -- it matters not from whence they are scored, so long as they're scored.

But yes, Mike was not very generous with ice time in this category for Hudler, but it's not as if he was terribly unproductive at ES. Half of his points came there, after all. Mike won't have the luxury of being able to fill his spot on the top two lines with Hossa or Samuelsson this season, though. He'd really have play poorly to get booted off the top two lines next season, I think.

I think he'll do okay. I know from watching him last year that some of his weakness are exaggerated by some posters (argh he is so tiny how will he ever score goals in the national hockey league), and his capabilities exaggerated by others (HUDLER SCORES THE MOST GOALS EVERY OTHER SECOND IN THE NHL, GIVE THIS MAN SOME AWARDS); the truth likely lies somewhere in between.

[Wings_Dynasty 267]

I'm not sure what you mean by "real" points.

Good point totals. He would get more points 5 on 5 than on the PP if he got 2nd line minutes. As in 70 points as opposed to 40-50. He had a great year in 08-09 and I think with 2nd line minutes he would have made it to 80 points easy.

Edited June 2, 2010 by Wings_Dynasty

[13dangledangle 968]

We can only dress 12 forwards.

ahahaha(whoops)...To be honest then I'd like to say bye to Holmer and use that 2 mill else where!

Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Afinogenov

Bertuzzi-Flippula-Franzen

Cleary-Abby-Hudler

Draper-Helm-Eaves...Drapes

Edited June 2, 2010 by 13dangledangle

[SweWings 45]

I wasn't really questioning his PP TOI, the 5 on 5 TOI is where the real points are generated (except for Homer) and that's where Babs held him back, playing on the third line as the primary scorer.

Fair enough. But reading both the original quote from Babcock and your first post you do get more than a casual impression that it's all about the PP - at least considering this interview.

[HankthaTank 1,100]

This is good.