heyfolks

With children in the house I have put a secuity lock on NHL network until Sunday.   This is gonna be U-G-L-Y.

http://scores.espn.g...ameId=400442878

The minutes played last night by Pasha, 25.

Howard, fle returning 63 minutes and playing again.

Kronner - 26 minutes.

The two D under 20, Smith at 17 and Lash at 14. (Of course White replaces Q).

This team looked slow WITH rest.  Tonight...I'll DVR the game and catch dinner.

I enjoyed glancing through pages 10+.  Eff youuu. F***, malarky, is Mule overweight? Howard has horrible rebound control,  very creative Cleary with Pavel, and my favorite, this D passes like a Kia on the autobahn.

I think we all agree Pasha's legend is growing.  I enjoy every game he plays.

Howard was, again, sensational.

Fil - Mickey insists on it and I can't disagree, he hasn't missed a beat.  A contract year will do that.

Hank & Brunner - they are turning the puck over, not in the right spot, etc.  They need SOMETHING! < now THAT'S coaching!

Tootoo - Everyone can be bested, accept Anderson Silva.  Mike Brown is your weakness.  Skate on by.

OK, now far be it for me to stop the complaint fest on this group.  I still see them in the postseason, and I like the top 6 on D.... so I will bash them to shreds! 

Smith -This kid plays tryout hockey.  Give the puck up, make the pass, support, etc.  < He is the most frustrating guy on D for me to watch.  He has the tools, but he either has severe myopia or an ego that requires two helmets.

Kronner - you are getting beat, making bad passes and not hitting a SOUL.  Rather than focus on improving your skill set, crush someone.  The adreneline of fight or flight will take care of the rest, but good night Kindl has the best D hit of the season... KINDL!

Kindl - Let them drop into the sack kid.   Babcock can't literally whip you.  The guy skates through the neutral zone with fear, not of a crushing hit, but of a mistake.   Painful to watch.  Last night the guy did the same drop pass again and again and again and again, literally that many times.  Drop passes are one step above dump and chases on the PP.  You see the pass, but you don't make it.  MAKE IT .. or not, but efffing try.  < It just struck me, maybe Kindl's nickname should not be Kuba it should be TULL.   Why?  Whenever he is ourt there  he reminds of the lyrics, " skating away on the thin ice of a new day." 

Lash - you get beat on the outside like a returned runaway slave.  I would tell you to get faster, but that is like telling the Show Pony to get tougher.

Quincey - Kindl was given the ridiculous "almost made the roster at 18 label" which is bad enough because of the implied skill set but you sir, have a real issue.  The Wings gave up a #1 pick for you.  Forget the Wings history with #1's no one will recall McCollum, Wallin, Max, Yan etc.  NO sir, you cost the Wings eerrrr, hhhmmmm, welllllll,, the next Sheahan, Smith or Kindl!  Soft, out of position and no offense.

Ericsson - Babcock said you were Pronger w/o the nasty stuff.  You ain't. I recall all the hype about your slapshot.  Sure, if this were golf hockey and you were Happy Gilmore we would put it on a tee and give you all the time you like to shoot.  However, every team knows the forward can drop between the circles and still get to you before you shoot.  Try the nasty stuff.

What player entering the League today removes the shield?

I presented the stats.  Quincey hurt himself, his teammates and the organization. 

So much for that deadline #2 for White ....POOF!

(and he will have a shield when he returns, mark my words.)

Believers may only apply. Here's to another year of playoff hockey and rooting on the team we know and love

Application submitted.  They need the 4 spot, but taking the 8 spot and punking out the Hawks is OK by me.

To the original post I say, "slow down turbo."

1) Least anyone not notice the team is rebuilding. 

Proof:

They transitioned to a stable under 30 #1 netminder, with a solid 28 year-old #2

The top 6 D are all home grown and, accept for Kronner under 30 and over 200 lbs (meeting some of the need to get bigger).  The #7 Cola, just turend 30 in January.

They brought in a new top 6 with Brunner, 27.

They are also breaking in Andersson, Emmerton and Tatar/Nyquist.

More work needs to be done, but injuries and growing pains hurt the team at the same time.  Bert going down (he is done)  was bad for Pavel.  Toss in Fil, Sammie and Helm and a transitioning forward group just lost a big bodied scoring winger (Bert), a playmaking/shutdown winger/center (Fil), a 3rd line & PP scoring winger (Sammie) and a stand out defensive specialist and all around energy guy (Helm).   In the cap era, any team would struggle.  When that team is rebuilding you get the product we see on the ice today.  I lived through far worse and if these are the darkest of days, it will be be a rebuild where the team may not miss a post season (though it will be damn close this season).