82 replies to this topic

[Buppy]

The BFF combo was the team's best line for the first four games. That's it. Flip's lack of production over the past six games before tonight illustrates that. If it were the team's "best" line he'd have been producing. Bertuzzi and Franzen each had three in six coming in, for seven total between the three. I would say Flip's line has been the third best since Abdelkader came back. Tonight the Franzen/Flip/Huds line might have been the best line out, but the past few games Franzen, Flip, and Bert together have been performing worse than DZH or the Modano line.

I wouldn't say Flip's line was ever worse than Modano's. Fewer points in the past few games, but points aren't everything.

The BFF line was our best for the first four games. They were also close the first few games after Mule sat out the one game. The HFF line was arguably our best tonight. That says alot when we have a line featuring Datsyuk and Zetterberg. Also says a lot that before tonight, when he wasn't a healthy scratch, Hudler was a part of worst line pretty much every game.

Hudler hasn't been good this season, no matter how much you want to blame it all on Cleary and Modano, there's a reason Hudler sat out two games. Filppula has been very good, no matter how much you want to give all the credit to Bert and Mule, there's a reason he gets tons of ice time.

[SouthernWingsFan]

I'll take Flipper's unusual blond hair because it stands out with tannish/darker looking skin, but then Hudler has the advantage of acting like a dork when drunk, like in the Stanley Cup party.

I'm calling it a tie.

[Spongewingredpants]

why does it have to be flip vs hudler? Why can't it be Flip AND Hudler

or Flip behind Hudler

[Hey man nice shot!]

Filppula is the type of player a team needs to be competitive year in, year out. He's the ultimate role player that helps make this team elite. I think Filppula is one of, if not the most underrated player on this team.

Thank you good sir for explaining what i didn't want to:)

[Shoreline]

or Flip behind Hudler

I'm very afraid of where your mind has ventured off to..

Hudler hasn't had much of a good start at all. I haven't figured out why. Maybe he hasn't been put on the right lines? Injured? Playing too much defense instead of offense? Hit a horrible slump? I just hope he gets out of it.

Anyhow, I'm perfectly happy with this team after being only cautiously optimistic before the season started. Wings have a lot of potential this season, especially if the boys can manage to stay healthy. There's really nothing positive that can come from a thread like this pinning Wing vs. Wing, even though there's obviously a few people who feel that their contribution to fandom is bashing the living f*** out of or predicting doom and gloom for the things they supposedly cheer for.

[e_prime]

Tonight the Franzen/Flip/Huds line might have been the best line out, but the past few games Franzen, Flip, and Bert together have been performing worse than DZH or the Modano line.[/font]

The top three lines all produced two goals, so saying that FFH was the best line out there seems a bit subjective. (I don't want to know what specific stat line you're looking at, so don't bother.)

I'm not sold on Huds being top six, however he looked good and seemed to be working hard last night. I hope he "gets it" that he's being given a chance to prove himself and takes it upon himself to do so... and then keeps it up.

Just to keep things in perspective, we're all bitching about our respective "favorite" players having to sit, and in the meantime we keep winning.
What a terrible problem to have!

[55fan]

Flip vs Hootie? Not gonna happen. They're on the same team. They're friends. They're on the same side. It's not a competition. It's not a fight. It's a beautiful friendship; a meeting of two individuals from different lands and different cultures, joined together in striving towards a common goal: winning the Stanley Cup.

Competition? Flip is hot and sexy. Hudler can cluck. No contest.

I'm holding out judgment until the playoffs. Both of them seem to come alive then. I'm pleased with how Flip is doing so far this season. I'd like to see Huds do more, but I know that once the outside ice melts, I will be very thankful that we have both on the team.

[eva unit zero]

there's a reason Hudler sat out two games.

Yep. Cleary is one of Babcock's favorites, and Modano is not going to sit unless he wants to. Babs has never been a Huds fan, and the fourth line was playing well. So Hudler was doomed to sit with the line not meshing.

[Crymson]

Yep. Cleary is one of Babcock's favorites, and Modano is not going to sit unless he wants to. Babs has never been a Huds fan, and the fourth line was playing well. So Hudler was doomed to sit with the line not meshing.

Oh, god. This is really bad, Eva. Modano was in because Babcock wanted him on the first PP unit while Rafalski was out, and Cleary was in because he brings more to the team than just scoring. This was made very clear several times by Ken and Mickey. Hudler was simply and very clearly the least useful player on a successful squad for some time. Babcock could have simply continued scratching him, but instead he sat other, more valuable players, gambling that he might be able to get Hudler moving on the scoresheet. Hudler being scratched never had anything to do with any imaginary dislike Babcock may have for him.

Yeesh. Like I said, try harder.

Edited by Crymson, 12 November 2010 - 11:58 AM.

[e_prime]

Yep. Cleary is one of Babcock's favorites, and Modano is not going to sit unless he wants to. Babs has never been a Huds fan, and the fourth line was playing well. So Hudler was doomed to sit with the line not meshing.

No offense Eva, but this sounds like pouting.

I don't think Huds is even doing that. Haven't heard a cluck out of him about this whole playing/not playing/what line am I on/I want to be on line ______.

Last night was great because he went out and played hard.

[eva unit zero]

Oh, god. This is really bad, Eva. Modano was in because Babcock wanted him on the first PP unit while Rafalski was out, and Cleary was in because he brings more to the team than just scoring. This was made very clear several times by Ken and Mickey. Hudler was literally the most useless player on the team for some time. Babcock could have simply continued scratching him, but instead he sat other, more valuable players, gambling that he might be able to get Hudler moving on the scoresheet. None of this had anything to do with Babcock disliking Hudler.

Yeesh. Like I said, try harder.

I still don't get the Modano PP thing. He has been terrible on the point (and up until recently ineffective at forward.) At least Sammy and JWill were good point men. Lidstrom, Kronwall, Stuart, and Ericsson or Kindl could have been the PP blueline.

[Crymson]

I still don't get the Modano PP thing. He has been terrible on the point (and up until recently ineffective at forward.) At least Sammy and JWill were good point men. Lidstrom, Kronwall, Stuart, and Ericsson or Kindl could have been the PP blueline.

Kronwall and Stuart WERE playing on the PP. Kindl got some time also, but he proved he really wasn't ready. Ericsson was out with injury, as you may have completely forgotten, and Modano had begun scoring again by the time Ericsson returned.

You've just said that Williams was an effective pointman on the power play. I don't think that statement even warrants a response.

Your arguments here are getting weaker and weaker, Eva.

[eva unit zero]

Kronwall and Stuart WERE playing on the PP. Kindl got some time also, but he proved he really wasn't ready. Ericsson was out with injury, as you may have completely forgotten, and Modano had begun scoring again by the time Ericsson returned.

You've just said that Williams was an effective pointman on the power play. I don't think that statement even warrants a response.

Your arguments here are getting weaker and weaker, Eva.

Williams was decent on the point. He wasn't great, but he was certainly better than a lot of other options.

[blgillett]

Flippula has definitely played better then Hudler. I think if they really want Huds to get going put him on a line with Pav and or z just for a game or two and if that doesn't get him going sit him

[Jesusberg]

While this thread is doomed to go nowhere fast, I'll have to throw my vote to Filppula. I think Hudler has the ability to make more offensively creative plays, but I think Flip is the better overall player. His speed really helps him offensively, which helps him to catch up with Hudler's hands. When it comes to defensive play, it's no contest.

Filppula has made some Datsyukian defensive plays this season. He's really impressed me with some of his back-checking and his stick work (no homo). To me he looks faster than ever. He just needs to make better decisions with the puck, IMO.

I think if they really want Huds to get going put him on a line with Pav and or z just for a game or two and if that doesn't get him going sit him

He looked decent last night on the 2nd line. I see no reason to mess with the lines given the way they played last night. Yeah, it was Edmonton, but give it a few games to see where he goes from here.

I noticed that Hudler seems to struggle with some of the basic things on the ice. He seems to chip the puck into the wrong places, or make errant passes. He also seems like he's rushing to get rid of the puck a lot of the time. He just needs to calm down and show some of the poise he did before.

Edited by Jesusberg, 12 November 2010 - 01:12 PM.

[newfy]

Its shortly after noon and youre already drunk eva? Thats not good pal

[ComradeWasabi]

I don't get it. Filppula is on pace for more points, he's faster, more defensively responsible, he takes faceoffs, he kills penalties, he can play on the power play, he's VERSATILE (ie. he can play with more than one set of linemates and his performance doesn't necessarily suffer. Unlike Hudler, who as eva can attest, plays poorly when he doesn't have good linemates). I simply can't see how you would ever pick Hudler over Filppula.

[achildr1]

I don't get it. Filppula is on pace for more points, he's faster, more defensively responsible, he takes faceoffs, he kills penalties, he can play on the power play, he's VERSATILE (ie. he can play with more than one set of linemates and his performance doesn't necessarily suffer. Unlike Hudler, who as eva can attest, plays poorly when he doesn't have good linemates). I simply can't see how you would ever pick Hudler over Filppula.

Well said. I don't think Hudler is a bad player but Filppula is the better all-around player. I think he looks better than ever this year. I really like his hustle, it's like Dan Cleary-esque hustle but with more skill. To me, it looks like he watches Datsyuk alot. Fil looks much more capable of consistant 2nd line minutes than he ever has. He looks stronger and more confidant.

[Heaten]

Yep. Cleary is one of Babcock's favorites, and Modano is not going to sit unless he wants to. Babs has never been a Huds fan, and the fourth line was playing well. So Hudler was doomed to sit with the line not meshing.

Hudler isn't Babcock's favorite because he can't do anything but score... and he's not even doing that. Of course Cleary should be in the lineup over Hudler. Who do you want out there killing penalties, Hudler or Cleary? Who do you want out there the last 1 minute of play in the 3rd period during a 2-1 game? Cleary or Hudler?

Cleary should be one of Babcock's favorites, the man is af****** beast in all three zones of the ice and he's the true definition of clutch. What's not to like? What does Hudler bring to the table when he's not an offensive threat? Liability.

Oh, and....

Red Wings' Mike Babcock questions Jiri Hudler's consistency Read more: Red Wings' Mike Babcock questions Jiri Hudler's consistency | freep.com | Detroit Free Press http://www.freep.com...y#ixzz156FugMid

Edited by Heaten, 12 November 2010 - 02:57 PM.

[Carman]

I thought Hudler looked much more confident with the puck last night. Great patience behind the net.

That said he's still probably one of the absolute worst players in the entire league without the puck. He's lost a step, and has lost nearly every battle for the puck in all three zones. He's lucky he's on a line where Flippula and Franzen can come up with the puck on the fore-check, and keep possession. I've been extremely disappointed with how little Hudler battles, it's one thing if it's just physical limitations, but he's not even in proper position, it seems mental more than anything. Hopefully it's just rust, but it's getting a little late for that excuse to continue.