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13dangledangle

Babs Finally happy about 2nd line

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I just read on Freep (http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013311120161) that babs is finally happy about his 2nd line...Just wondering everyone's thoughts of Helmer on line 2 with Mule & Alfie?

-From what I saw of them last night I liked Helms speed-as always, I loved Franzens edge he had-really used his size and strength (tho not always wisely). Alfie appeared slow and butterfingery until his shoot out goal to me but I feel he could easily find a role with these two...

Edited by 13dangledangle

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I thought Franzen looked pretty good. Nice to see him show some emotion and look engaged in the game. Point is he was very noticeable when on the ice. He wasn't just floating around like he's known to do at times.

Helm's improving but kind of a square block in a round hole in that position. Even in that article Babcock stresses Helm is not a second line center. I think we all know that though.

Alfie has never been an issue and has easily been our 3rd best forward this year.

We NEED Weiss performing in that second line center position. It will be a huge factor in our success. I believe he's as much an X factor as Franzen is for this team.

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Franzen mishandled a few pucks, but having missed so much time that was expected. When he figures that out, if he can continue to be engaged in the game while playing the wing, we'll be better for it. But we all know that's not how the Mule has operated the last few years, to break out of this mini slump we're on he has to put pucks in the back of the net. Overall, the line was pretty good last night. Helms just getting back to speed too, and I love what Alfie brings.

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The article Dabura posted says it all. Tatar makes this team and everyone he plays with better. He needs more ice time to continue to develop and gain experience/confidence.

Id much rather his speed and ability to make things happen be on the 2nd line than franzen (who i believes career is over).

When Weiss is back id like to see lines 2 and 3 look something like:

Tatar-Weiss-Alfie

Mule-Helm-Abby

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The case can be made that Tatar deserves top-six minutes.

I don't put much faith in corsi numbers when it's such a small sample size and doesn't even factor in things like zone starts. I think they're number picking here to help their position.

If you're going to use advanced stats than you better be prepared to factor in everything and have a decent sample size.

I love Tatar but he has to get better without the puck. There's a reason he rarely is on the ice for face-offs in our own end.

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I think we all love Darren Helm, but second line center is not suited for his game. Weiss needs to get healthy soon and hopefully start putting up numbers offensively. I thought Franzen's effort was good against Winnipeg, though two goals in one game this season speaks for itself. Alfredsson just needs to bury some scoring chances; otherwise he has been very strong.

The Red Wings turning from a mediocre team into one that could be far better hinges on secondary scoring. If Weiss and Franzen in particular get going, then it takes away from 13 and 40 carrying the load entirely. If not, we are looking at another season of goals being hard to come by because the bottom-six and defense especially probably aren't going to chip in very many.

The sooner Nyquist comes up too, the better this situation will get resolved. He's not a cure-all, but his skill set would dramatically improve the offense. If Babs wants to shelter him still, put him on the third line with Helm and Tatar. Three rookies made up the third line in the playoffs and they more than held their own. Now, Helm is an upgrade over Andersson and Tatar could match Brunner with someone like Gus setting him up.

Edited by GoWings1905

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Z dats bert

Mule weiss alfie

Tats helm nyq

Abby andy miller

Is as good as we'll see upfront this season i think. Damn good lookin ifya ask me.

Thats a bottom 6 that should really produce some points.

I like Bert but I'm still not convinced he belongs on the 1st line. I'd say switch Bert and Alfie and see how that goes.

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Bertuzzi is effective up there. That may defy logic to some people solve he's "old and slow" but it is what it is. Our top line is set.

& I like it! Bert is obviously passed his prime but he was a very, very highly skilled power forward with incredible hands. He easily pulls moves no one but Dats can at the moment and sees the ice in a very creative way, it boggles me how people on here dislike his game so much.

Can someone explain the waiving thing to me, what I mean is can we waive cleary? sammy? eaves? miller? Simply if the brass want to ice the best team night in and night out the 11 for sure forwards imo should be...

Zetterberg, Dats, Bertuzzi, Franzen, Wiess, Alfie, Tatar, Nyquist, Abby, Helm & Andersson- This leaves one spot open to one of the above mentioned names (or Glendening but I dont think so;) If you guys could keep one of MIller, Cleary, Sammy or Eaves who would it be?

Edited by 13dangledangle

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This leaves one spot open to one of the above mentioned names (or Glendening but I dont think so;) If you guys could keep one of MIller, Cleary, Sammy or Eaves who would it be?

I'd have to pick Eaves. No good reason why, just like how the kid plays.

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The article Dabura posted says it all. Tatar makes this team and everyone he plays with better. He needs more ice time to continue to develop and gain experience/confidence.

Id much rather his speed and ability to make things happen be on the 2nd line than franzen (who i believes career is over).

When Weiss is back id like to see lines 2 and 3 look something like:

Tatar-Weiss-Alfie

Mule-Helm-Abby

I think I'm down with Mule on the third line, but, holy jumpin', that is one very smallish, non-physical scoring line. (I believe Weiss is secretly 5'9 and 170-ish. He looks so small on the ice.) It'd be one thing if we had a sure-thing goal-scorer on it (Datsyuk or Zetterberg). But as it is - I mean, the way you have it...I'd worry about that line. I'd almost want to flip it with the third, so Mule - Helm - Abby becomes our second line.

Man. So much is riding on Weiss.

I'm very fond of my Franzen + Nyquist + Tatar + 1st for Giroux idea, but it looks like Giroux is getting good again, and Holland is emphatically promising NO MORE TRADES. FOREVER. So, yeah.

Tatar is pretty much awesome, but I think it's pretty official now that Babs is not his biggest fan in the world.

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I honestly feel we should make Smith a forward.

I thought the exact same thing about Ericsson before! I heard that he started as a forward but was moved back to D at some point in his career-I'm sure early on-but I have always thought about it...Smith would probably do really well up there, can't do worse.

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