Day to Day Practice thread

[Nyquistfan14 489]

@HeleneStJames: Blashill planning on playing Andreas Athanasiou Friday.

@AnsarKhanMLive: Blashill said Datsyuk playing tomorrow on line with Zetterberg and Abdelkader.

[kickazz 5,459]

Yup, Smith was definitely the cause of this... It's inconceivable to think that Pulkkinen may have been out of line here...

Again, Smith gets s*** on when no other player in his situation would have. If Khan reported "tempers flared in practice as Pulkkinen went after DeKeyser...", no one would think twice about it. No way it was LGW's golden boy's fault...

DeKeyser made two awful decisions with the puck in the last couple games. A terrible turnover against Dallas that lead to a grade A scoring chance, and against Washington he took a penalty for flipping the puck over the glass with 5 minutes left in a one goal game. If that were Smith, people would still be bitching about it. But no, it was DeKeyser, so there wasn't even a single mention of it in the GDT. I found that quite funny actually.

We will hear about the dumba** play Smith made against Tampa in the playoffs last year for years to come, but if it were DeKeyser it would have been forgotten about instantly.

Smith still makes a lot of boneheaded plays, no doubt, but he's not nearly as bad as some people make him out to be.

You're comparing two in-game mistakes to Smith who has had issues in game, on the bench and now during practice.

2 vs. like a thousand. And most of those are as dumb as grabbing the puck and throwing it on the ice while on the bench -___________-----

Edited November 12, 2015 by kickazz

[joesuffP 1,746]

Yeah Smith's puck grab against Montreal honestly could have been the difference in making the playoffs or not. Unforgettable and inexcusable

[krsmith17 7,191]

What's the difference? People look for reasons to ***** about certain players that they don't like, and turn a blind eye to mistakes by players they do like...

Are you going to try to tell me that if Smith took that penalty last game that at least 5 people wouldn't have made some sort of negative comment about it in the GDT?

Are you saying that if it were DeKeyser that Pulkkinen "went after", people would have had the same negative reaction toward DeKeyser?

Not a chance...

Smith had awful coverage on the second goal in that Dallas game, and people (rightfully so) pointed it out, but if it were LGW's golden boy, people would have shrugged it off...

Whatever though, to each their own I guess...

[krsmith17 7,191]

Also...

Khan - "Blashill said he liked seeing emotion Pulkkinen and Smith showed with flare-up during physical battle drill."

It was nothing. Previous tweet was overblown...

[puckbags 863]

Ah yes, Smith's resume: -

Sound like a 12 year old during interviews - check

Make idiotic plays - check

Get the "dumbest red wing" title - check

Hit the captain on open ice during game - check

Get involved in a team practice fight (probably the first time since Primeau/Probert fight) - check

Way to keep it classy in the Red Wing's organization guys.

Slight over reaction perhaps? One of the classiest organizations in sports......ever. It's a little dust up, who cares. 10 years ago we wouldn't have even heard about this. These guys spend a lot of time together, stuff like this is bound to happen.

@HeleneStJames: Blashill planning on playing Andreas Athanasiou Friday.

@AnsarKhanMLive: Blashill said Datsyuk playing tomorrow on line with Zetterberg and Abdelkader.

That makes my day right there !!

[amato 3,210]

Slight over reaction perhaps? One of the classiest organizations in sports......ever. It's a little dust up, who cares. 10 years ago we wouldn't have even heard about this. These guys spend a lot of time together, stuff like this is bound to happen.

That makes my day right there !!

This, 100%. Social media has its pros and cons.. I'm sure this got blown out of proportion.

[Bill Berzeench 310]

Yup, Smith was definitely the cause of this... It's inconceivable to think that Pulkkinen may have been out of line here...

Again, Smith gets s*** on when no other player in his situation would have. If Khan reported "tempers flared in practice as Pulkkinen went after DeKeyser...", no one would think twice about it. No way it was LGW's golden boy's fault...

DeKeyser made two awful decisions with the puck in the last couple games. A terrible turnover against Dallas that lead to a grade A scoring chance, and against Washington he took a penalty for flipping the puck over the glass with 5 minutes left in a one goal game. If that were Smith, people would still be bitching about it. But no, it was DeKeyser, so there wasn't even a single mention of it in the GDT. I found that quite funny actually.

We will hear about the dumba** play Smith made against Tampa in the playoffs last year for years to come, but if it were DeKeyser it would have been forgotten about instantly.

Smith still makes a lot of boneheaded plays, no doubt, but he's not nearly as bad as some people make him out to be.

Amen. And not 1 fricking consideration that Smith has had to play with the #6 his entire career, minus a few gamez with #55 in which he and the team have been stellar. The Smith hate around here bafflez me. He plays balls out and gives the most shyte out of anybody on the team. The guy is all heart, and yet people crap on him constantly. Does he need to skate away from his mistakes pretending like its not his fault like the rest of our sissyboy Swedes? Ericsson is a freaking pylon with zero offensive prowess who has coattailed Kronwall's play for years. He wont even fight for himself, let alone his teammates. Why is he not bashed consistently??

[Jacksoni 418]

Small altercations like that happens from time to time. Usually it's the players under pressure to produce. Nothing to care about, probably just venting off some steam.

I like DeKayser, he isn't perfect but a good shutdown 2nd liner in the NHL right now.

As for Smith... I have no idea what to think about this guy. Excellent hockey vision, good skater, physical, but something just isn't right in his head.

Remember the puck that went off the boards in the playoffs, which Smith pushed back in the rink. He got us a penalty in the playoffs from the frickin bench. I'm surprised Babcock didn't send him down to the Griffins permanently.

And he doesn't read the defense as well as when going outwards.

I'd send him down. Can't worry about the stuff he can cause.

[ami 273]

Completely agree. It's been a short sample size of course and he could always regress when teams start game planning around their line. Interesting note here.....

Ansar Khan ‏@AnsarKhanMLive 21s22 seconds ago

Tempers flared in practice as Pulkkinen went after Smith and had to be restrained by teammates.

SSeuro went after SBNA! Wow!!

Hey, Don Cherry, care to wear one of your ridiculous jacket and comment

ps. SSeuro - smallsoft european

SBNA - strongbignorthamerican

[kickazz 5,459]

Slight over reaction perhaps? One of the classiest organizations in sports......ever. It's a little dust up, who cares. 10 years ago we wouldn't have even heard about this. These guys spend a lot of time together, stuff like this is bound to happen.

That makes my day right there !!

Exactly. It is classy. Need to stay classy. Everyone, managers and players included.

[PavelValerievichDatsyuk 1,935]

Ansar Khan ‏@AnsarKhanMLive 21s22 seconds ago

Tempers flared in practice as Pulkkinen went after Smith and had to be restrained by teammates.

Does that qualify as the first bit of grit Pulkkinen has shown? Would like him to show more battle - he gets tossed around in front of the net before and after the whistle.

Ericsson is a freaking pylon with zero offensive prowess who has coattailed Kronwall's play for years. He wont even fight for himself, let alone his teammates. Why is he not bashed consistently??

You must have missed some threads. I think E has been the whipping boy around here only second to Franzen before he got injured.

[Bill Berzeench 310]

Does that qualify as the first bit of grit Pulkkinen has shown? Would like him to show more battle - he gets tossed around in front of the net before and after the whistle.

You must have missed some threads. I think E has been the whipping boy around here only second to Franzen before he got injured.

Oh ok. I was like wtf with the anti Smith stuff.

[kickazz 5,459]

Also...

Khan - "Blashill said he liked seeing emotion Pulkkinen and Smith showed with flare-up during physical battle drill."

It was nothing. Previous tweet was overblown...

Good cover up from him. Blash is an excellent coach and handles the media well just as his predecessor did. Just didn't cover the "teammates had to restrain them" part.

Edited November 12, 2015 by kickazz

[kickazz 5,459]

What's the difference?

People look for reasons to ***** about certain players that they don't like, and turn a blind eye to mistakes by players they do like...

Are you going to try to tell me that if Smith took that penalty last game that at least 5 people wouldn't have made some sort of negative comment about it in the GDT?

Are you saying that if it were DeKeyser that Pulkkinen "went after", people would have had the same negative reaction toward DeKeyser?

Not a chance...

Smith had awful coverage on the second goal in that Dallas game, and people (rightfully so) pointed it out, but if it were LGW's golden boy, people would have shrugged it off...

Whatever though, to each their own I guess...

Hah are you kidding? You don't think there's a difference between making in-game errors once in a while and making in-game errors a lot + while on bench + attracting attention to media during live practice? Granted Pulk is at fault here too and in no way innocent.

Overblown or not, you have to use your head when the media is watching you. Players represent the organization just as much as the coaches and managers/owners do. I'm involved in a line of work (and I'm sure a lot of people here might be in a similar situation) where I have to watch every word I say or a lawsuit would be filed against me. I use my head to make sure I don't say something idiotic. The same applies to players on camera or whatever the media is using to follow them. Just be smart about it or else you know that Ansar Khan's going to tweet about you. And yes I am aware that Pulk is the one who went after him but the second part of the tweet said both were restrained. So it applies to both guys.

For the second point you made, you need to look at the story in the complete context rather than one game. For how many years has Smith made dumb mistakes? Same applies for Ericsson. These guys have been making so many mistakes and it's not just one or two games it's literally almost every other game and they're not getting any younger either.

Hence why people criticize them. Now, I AM aware that some people in LGW have had immediate dislike for certain players (Franzen, Ericsson, Smith, Andersson) since the beginning. But that's not the same as assessing someone's play overtime and finally coming to the conclusion that "you probably are not a good fit to the team". I stand by my assessment of Smith. He's not too smart of a player in-game or hell.. even on the bench. After a plethora of mistakes you're going to get noticed. It's the reality. Dekeyser does more good things than bad. Can't really compare the two.

I could turn this around and say "how many more years are people going to keep making excuses for Smith"? Works both ways man.

Edited November 12, 2015 by kickazz

[jimmyemeryhunter 2,747]

I don't think the smith pulks thing is a big deal.

I mean Jensen missed a lot of time because of bertuzzi, it happens.

[Bill Berzeench 310]

Hah are you kidding? You don't think there's a difference between making in-game errors once in a while and making in-game errors a lot + while on bench + attracting attention to media during live practice? Granted Pulk is at fault here too and in no way innocent.

Overblown or not, you have to use your head when the media is watching you. Players represent the organization just as much as the coaches and managers/owners do. I'm involved in a line of work (and I'm sure a lot of people here might be in a similar situation) where I have to watch every word I say or a lawsuit would be filed against me. I use my head to make sure I don't say something idiotic. The same applies to players on camera or whatever the media is using to follow them. Just be smart about it or else you know that Ansar Khan's going to tweet about you. And yes I am aware that Pulk is the one who went after him but the second part of the tweet said both were restrained. So it applies to both guys.

For the second point you made, you need to look at the story in the complete context rather than one game. For how many years has Smith made dumb mistakes? Same applies for Ericsson. These guys have been making so many mistakes and it's not just one or two games it's literally almost every other game and they're not getting any younger either.

Hence why people criticize them. Now, I AM aware that some people in LGW have had immediate dislike for certain players (Franzen, Ericsson, Smith, Andersson) since the beginning. But that's not the same as assessing someone's play overtime and finally coming to the conclusion that "you probably are not a good fit to the team". I stand by my assessment of Smith. He's not too smart of a player in-game or hell.. even on the bench. After a plethora of mistakes you're going to get noticed. It's the reality. Dekeyser does more good things than bad. Can't really compare the two.

I could turn this around and say "how many more years are people going to keep making excuses for Smith"? Works both ways man.

But that's his point. You do turn it your way. Smith fans see him doing more goid things than bad when given a good oportunity - aka NOT playing with Jakub Kindl. And anyone with a little bit of patience knows that each defenseman we currently have is going to make mistakes. Lidstrom glasses are really not in style with this team right now. We have a lot of guys with unrefined raw talent. When Smith has a game like he did against Carolina, ok, bench his ass. Being on the ice for 4 ga should mean you sit the next game. But that's one game. He's getting crucified around here for the terrible off night he has 2 or 3 times a season. If you lve ever played sports, you should realize that's going to happen.

[kickazz 5,459]

But that's his point. You do turn it your way. Smith fans see him doing more goid things than bad when given a good oportunity - aka NOT playing with Jakub Kindl. And anyone with a little bit of patience knows that each defenseman we currently have is going to make mistakes. Lidstrom glasses are really not in style with this team right now. We have a lot of guys with unrefined raw talent. When Smith has a game like he did against Carolina, ok, bench his ass. Being on the ice for 4 ga should mean you sit the next game. But that's one game. He's getting crucified around here for the terrible off night he has 2 or 3 times a season. If you lve ever played sports, you should realize that's going to happen.

2 or 3 times a season?

A joke.

I'm an "overzealous Zetterberg (and Datsyuk) fan boy" (or whatever phrase Zombo joked about with you) and I can tell you that Z has at least 5 or so BAD games a year. Maybe more.

Want me to be objective? Smith does decently well in the playoffs. How's that?

Enough with the downplaying and excuses. Be objective. Smith sucks majority of the season and makes a ton of mistakes. More than our best D men do.

Smith will be 33 and we'll still have excuses being made. Unless of course he's traded in a nice package and we get Big Buff here

Edited November 13, 2015 by kickazz

[Bill Berzeench 310]

2 or 3 times a season?

A joke.

I'm an "overzealous Zetterberg (and Datsyuk) fan boy" (or whatever phrase Zombo joked about with you) and I can tell you that Z has at least 5 or so BAD games a year. Maybe more.

Want me to be objective? Smith does decently well in the playoffs. How's that?

Enough with the downplaying and excuses. Be objective. Smith sucks majority of the season and makes a ton of mistakes. More than our best D men do.

Smith will be 33 and we'll still have excuses being made. Unless of course he's traded in a nice package and we get Big Buff here

I dont think you were around for the Lebda years. I think you have a limited viewpoint on what it means to suck as a defenseman.

[kickazz 5,459]

I dont think you were around for the Lebda years. I think you have a limited viewpoint on what it means to suck as a defenseman.

I've been a season ticket holder for nearly 20 or so years in a row now. Lebda was terrible. But I'm sure if you were a Lebda fan you would have disagreed eh? I think you among others fail to be objective for those you cheer on for.

And let's not get into limited viewpoints there. We've had plenty of those from you.

Edited November 13, 2015 by kickazz

[brett 1,029]

i like our second line nyquist larkin tatar

[kickazz 5,459]

https://www.facebook.com/DETROITREDWINGS/videos/10153382847784139/?fref=nf

Wet my self a little. ^Today from practice. Return of the Euro Twins!

[krsmith17 7,191]

Haven't seen this posted yet...

@AnsarKhanMLive: #redwings have assigned forward Tomas Jurco to Grand Rapids on conditioning assignment.

I'm kind of surprised there haven't been more questions / concerns expressed by Red Wings reporters regarding the whole Jurco situation. I know he was having back issues a few weeks ago but was that still an ongoing thing? Is that why he's been scratched every game? I'm hoping that's the case, and he goes down to GR for the next couple weeks, rips s*** up and regains a little confidence and gets going up in Detroit.

The kid has way too much skill to be sitting every game. There's no question that it's a confidence thing right now. Hopefully he gets back on track really soon.

[kickazz 5,459]

Haven't seen this posted yet...

@AnsarKhanMLive: #redwings have assigned forward Tomas Jurco to Grand Rapids on conditioning assignment.

I'm kind of surprised there haven't been more questions / concerns expressed by Red Wings reporters regarding the whole Jurco situation. I know he was having back issues a few weeks ago but was that still an ongoing thing? Is that why he's been scratched every game? I'm hoping that's the case, and he goes down to GR for the next couple weeks, rips s*** up and regains a little confidence and gets going up in Detroit.

The kid has way too much skill to be sitting every game. There's no question that it's a confidence thing right now. Hopefully he gets back on track really soon.

I bet it's a confidence thing. I think this will do him some good. Blash is being smart about this if it really is to help him get a boost.

Either that or he's being sent down there to rescue the Griffins. xD

Edited November 17, 2015 by kickazz

[number9 3,297]

Amen. And not 1 fricking consideration that Smith has had to play with the #6 his entire career, minus a few gamez with #55 in which he and the team have been stellar. The Smith hate around here bafflez me. He plays balls out and gives the most shyte out of anybody on the team. The guy is all heart, and yet people crap on him constantly. Does he need to skate away from his mistakes pretending like its not his fault like the rest of our sissyboy Swedes? Ericsson is a freaking pylon with zero offensive prowess who has coattailed Kronwall's play for years. He wont even fight for himself, let alone his teammates. Why is he not bashed consistently??

Bahaha yes I agree Smith is definitely all heart! Mostly out of necessity though seeing as he lacks a brain lol.

All of our D have had their moments this season but Smith is easily the worst Dman on the team right now. If we didn't have so many forwards I'd love to convert him. He'd be better in a wing role with less defensive responsibility and where he can use his speed.