Round One Report Card

[GoalieManPat 1,007]

I'm a big Howard fan, but he had a tough time in the first three games.

I dont see how you can say he had a tough three games. With the chances that the Ducks were creating early in this series Howard was pretty darn good. He was Detroits best player in games 1 to 3.

I agree that Nyquist played darn well along with the rest of the line but with the amount of pestering an chances he created he really should have produced more. The kid could have been a point a game player this series with the chances he got but he just couldnt finish with a good shot or the right pass. Swap him and Jimmy's grades and Id say your pretty accurate on everything else.

[GMRwings1983 8,793]

How does Cleary get a C+?

He scored 5 points in the series. You gave him a slightly better grade than Smith, who looked like he was trying to sabotage our efforts on every other shift. Smith is a D at best.

Crymson, you need to wake up and smell the Cleary coffee. It's a brewing.

Edited May 13, 2013 by GMRwings1983

[Shaman 713]

Abdelkader B-, His production on a line that had was averaging a ppg still shows hes a plug, he made some dangerous plays that had he not been with Z and D would have burned the team, but, he was still effective enough.

Cleary: D+ Worthless 90% of the time

Brunner: B+ For a rookie, adjusting to the NA system, playing the most games of any season in his career, and playing on a 3rd line, he was great. A couple defensive problems keeps him from an A in my mind.

Other than that I agree.

[GMRwings1983 8,793]

Abdelkader B-, His production on a line that had was averaging a ppg still shows hes a plug, he made some dangerous plays that had he not been with Z and D would have burned the team, but, he was still effective enough.

Cleary: D+ Worthless 90% of the time

Brunner: B+ For a rookie, adjusting to the NA system, playing the most games of any season in his career, and playing on a 3rd line, he was great. A couple defensive problems keeps him from an A in my mind.

Other than that I agree.

You're even worse than Crymson.

A guy who scored 5 points is a D+?

I agree that his regular season was comatose, but he's been very good in the playoffs and was instrumental in actually winning battles down low and fighting for pucks.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

You're even worse than Crymson.

A guy who scored 5 points is a D+?

I agree that his regular season was comatose, but he's been very good in the playoffs and was instrumental in actually winning battles down low and fighting for pucks.

No kidding.

It's funny how once someone becomes a whipping boy here, they keep getting bashed regardless of how they actually play. His 5 points has him tied with Brunner for third in scoring on the Wings.

Cleary is a warrior and it shows this time of year.

[Guest DeGraa55]

No kidding.It's funny how once someone becomes a whipping boy here, they keep getting bashed regardless of how they actually play. His 5 points has him tied with Brunner for third in scoring on the Wings.Cleary is a warrior and it shows this time of year.

I agree. I mean the dude is always giving 100%. And now the bounces are going his way.

But with that said I don't want him back next year. He will block the young guys. But I'm sure he will get two years and a ntc.

[Guest Crymson]

No kidding.

It's funny how once someone becomes a whipping boy here, they keep getting bashed regardless of how they actually play. His 5 points has him tied with Brunner for third in scoring on the Wings.

Cleary is a warrior and it shows this time of year.

It shows, yes; but in contrast to previous years, his body is now actively failing him, and he now also seems more prone to mental mistakes than he was in the past.

There's only so much an athlete can do when his body is not cooperative.

How does Cleary get a C+?

He scored 5 points in the series. You gave him a slightly better grade than Smith, who looked like he was trying to sabotage our efforts on every other shift. Smith is a D at best.

Crymson, you need to wake up and smell the Cleary coffee. It's a brewing.

His two goals came from random deflections off of his body, and none of his three assists were passes to the scorer.

Cleary was, until this season, one of my favorite players in the league. As I've said, his body is simply failing him.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

It shows, yes; but in contrast to previous years, his body is now actively failing him, and he now also seems more prone to mental mistakes than he was in the past.

There's only so much an athlete can do when his body is not cooperative.

I agree, except maybe about the mental mistakes. Babcock has him out there in high pressure situations. But I don't see what his failing body has to do with his grade.

In spite of all his injuries catching up with him, Cleary has 2 goals and 3 assists. That's third on the Wings in playoff scoring. He also battles in front of the net and does the dirty work retrieving the puck in the corners. But to you he was "he was unable to contribute much else" and gets the same grade as Flip, who other than a few brief great moments last night was brutal this series? I don't get it.

[Guest Crymson]

I agree, except maybe about the mental mistakes. Babcock has him out there in high pressure situations. But I don't see what his failing body has to do with his grade.

In spite of all his injuries catching up with him, Cleary has 2 goals and 3 assists. That's third on the Wings in playoff scoring. He also battles in front of the net and does the dirty work retrieving the puck in the corners. But to you he was "he was unable to contribute much else" and gets the same grade as Flip, who other than a few brief great moments last night was brutal this series? I don't get it.

Cleary's capabilities are very limited, and I think that his presence on the 2nd line has been a minus. He's slow and not very capable, and this dragged the rest of his line down. He's just not the player he used to be.

As I've noted, Cleary's production was more incidental than anything.

Edited May 14, 2013 by Crymson

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

Cleary's capabilities are very limited, and I think that his presence on the 2nd line has been a minus. He's slow and not very capable. He's just not the player he used to be.

As I've noted, Cleary's production is more incidental than anything.

Right. Digging the puck out of the corners, battling in front of the net and generally playing in the tough areas of the ice is incidental.

Got it.

Your assessment sounds more like a generic criticism people have repeated all season rather than reflecting anything Cleary has actually done in the last 7 games.

If we're handing out grades, there's no way Cleary and Flip deserve the same one.

[Guest Crymson]

Right. Digging the puck out of the corners, battling in front of the net and generally playing in the tough areas of the ice is incidental.

Got it.

Your assessment sounds more like a generic criticism people have repeated all season rather than reflecting anything Cleary has actually done in the last 7 games.

If we're handing out grades, there's no way Cleary and Flip deserve the same one.

Then we disagree.

[GMRwings1983 8,793]

It shows, yes; but in contrast to previous years, his body is now actively failing him, and he now also seems more prone to mental mistakes than he was in the past.

There's only so much an athlete can do when his body is not cooperative.

His two goals came from random deflections off of his body, and none of his three assists were passes to the scorer.

Cleary was, until this season, one of my favorite players in the league. As I've said, his body is simply failing him.

He's been going to the net all series, hence more random deflections that go in. That net presence from him, Franzen and Abby is what won us the series.

Maybe the assists aren't Gretzky like passes, but he wasn't scoring at all in the regular season, so I'll take it.

His talent is no better than a C, but I think he was very effective at his role in the last series. I still think he should be gone in the offseason, though, but that's for a different thread.

[Shaman 713]

He's been going to the net all series, hence more random deflections that go in. That net presence from him, Franzen and Abby is what won us the series.

Maybe the assists aren't Gretzky like passes, but he wasn't scoring at all in the regular season, so I'll take it.

His talent is no better than a C, but I think he was very effective at his role in the last series. I still think he should be gone in the offseason, though, but that's for a different thread.

C isn't that bad, he has his role and hes playing it adequately. Hes getting points, they are flukey, but hes getting them so I won't complain, but to say hes above a C is a very homerish assessment.

[Guest The Axe]

I like how people rag Flip despite the fact that he covers twice the ice his linemates do, shuts down the other teams offense, and scores pretty damn consistently. Filppula gets a B from me as a starting grade for allowing crappy backcheckers like Franzen and Cleary to coast blueline to blueline. If they put trackers in the equipment of players to show the distances each player skates every game, I guarantee Flip would either be #1 or #2.

[RedLightGoesOn 81]

Cleary is fading, there is no denying it. He still works hard and battles but he isn't as fast and is racking up the injuries. I like his attitude and work ethic at times, but his mental lapses and confidnece level (at times) can be a real minus. Nobody is going to replace him so we have to live with it for now. If anything he is just a body to get out there while other players get rest (same as Smith).

Flip is off his game. Hopefully that goal in Game 7 against the Dicks is the first step in the right direction. However, I keep saying this about Franzen too. There was a time I thought those two guys on a line would mature and be just as unstoppable as the ZDH line (and we did see it). All I can do is just watch the total opposite of that right now.

[Uncle Danny 155]

On Cleary, the fact that he scored on "flukes" wasn't flukey at all. He was doing exactly what he should be doing: going to the net and being in the right place at the right time. I'll grant you that his body is breaking down some, however, he is EXACTLY the type of guy I want playing for us right now. He knows his role, he digs and works harder than anyone else on the ice every single shift, and has been to a few rodeos before... oh, and he's scoring. Grit, determination, hard work and experience. That sounds like a playoff warrior to me. He's playing beyond what his body should allow at this point, showing the kids how it's supposed to be done, and that's beyond admirable.

[Guest The Axe]

On Cleary, the fact that he scored on "flukes" wasn't flukey at all. He was doing exactly what he should be doing: going to the net and being in the right place at the right time. I'll grant you that his body is breaking down some, however, he is EXACTLY the type of guy I want playing for us right now. He knows his role, he digs and works harder than anyone else on the ice every single shift, and has been to a few rodeos before... oh, and he's scoring. Grit, determination, hard work and experience. That sounds like a playoff warrior to me. He's playing beyond what his body should allow at this point, showing the kids how it's supposed to be done, and that's beyond admirable.

I would tend to agree that Cleary has been up to snuff so far.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

C isn't that bad, he has his role and hes playing it adequately. Hes getting points, they are flukey, but hes getting them so I won't complain, but to say hes above a C is a very homerish assessment.

No, it isn't.

I guess I'm confused. Are we handing out grades based on ability or performance?

If it's ability then I understand the C for Cleary. If it's for performance then he's apparently being knocked down a full grade because he's the LGW whipping boy this season.

[Nev 1,085]

On Cleary, the fact that he scored on "flukes" wasn't flukey at all. He was doing exactly what he should be doing: going to the net and being in the right place at the right time. I'll grant you that his body is breaking down some, however, he is EXACTLY the type of guy I want playing for us right now. He knows his role, he digs and works harder than anyone else on the ice every single shift, and has been to a few rodeos before... oh, and he's scoring. Grit, determination, hard work and experience. That sounds like a playoff warrior to me. He's playing beyond what his body should allow at this point, showing the kids how it's supposed to be done, and that's beyond admirable.

Well said, aside from his 5 points, there were a fair few other goals we scored this series where Cleary was screening the goalie and didn't get an assist. And as was pointed out in the game 7 GDT he was talking a lot to the rookies on the bench too.

Sure the guys's body is breaking down, but why is it breaking down? Because this MAN has put his body on the line time after time after time for this team. Cleary is going to suffer for the rest of his life for what he has put his body through, a little more gratitude and respect from certain keyboard warriors would not be out of place, instead of the graceless, thankless running out of town that seems de rigeur.

[Guest Crymson]

Remember back when Cleary was good at defense?

[GMRwings1983 8,793]

Remember back when Cleary was good at defense?

Yeah, that was a bad mistake by him on the 2nd goal.

His report card for this series isn't off to a good start.

[Guest Crymson]

Yeah, that was a bad mistake by him on the 2nd goal.

His report card for this series isn't off to a good start.

His defensive blunders involved themselves in Etem's goal in game seven and in Chicago's second goal today.

[Shaman 713]

His defensive blunders involved themselves in Etem's goal in game seven and in Chicago's second goal today.

I think the problem isn't Cleary, per se, its how hes used. If he were a 4th line energy/depth player, he would be one of the best in the league. But he is currently expected to match up against some of the best young talent in the NHL, and he doesn't have the physical ability to compete at that level anymore. This isn't a knock on him, his job is to be on the ice when is number is called.