unsaddleddonald

Until the Wings can beat him, it sounds right to me. What other criteria matters more than wins and loses?

Definitely not 5+ million per year. I'll tell you that much.

My personal opinion considering this season and playoffs, $3.2-$3.8 is what he should be making and I think that's slightly generous. Gotta show me more than one season like he had last year before i'm convinced.

 

17 Points in the regular season, 2 points in the 6 game series so far? Not that impressed this year.

Regardless of what we think he is worth.  I'd say 4.5m is his minimum next year.  Now I personally think given the fact he isn't a goal scorer.  Nor can he carry a team like DAT.  I say he is worth no more 3.5m. Maybe 4m.


But since GMs are dumb and contract cost are going up.  Ya I say 4.5m prolly even more.

Agreed.

 

That kind of forecheck has given the Wings fits for the last couple seasons now.  And with our current defensive corps they're even more likely to get rattled. 

 

Against the Kings the Blues have been leaving someone like Oshie out at center ice cherry picking and tried long stretch passes to try to capitalize on the forecheck.  I almost wonder if the Wings should try some of that.  If it even leads to one breakaway it might back the Ducks off a bit.

 

Otherwise it doesn't seem like they have a lot of set plays for breaking out of the zone under forecheck so it requires the Dmen to make a quick decision, probably take a big hit, and make a good pass.

 That's why losing DeKeyser was so huge.  He's our calm, cool, collected guy back there.

Datsyuk is the perfect celebrated.  Makes guys look stupid and never shows them up.  That's why everyone, including his opponents, likes him.  He smiles and does a fist pump.  That's enough.  

Was the entry on your word of the day calendar "decent"?

 

So the MVP for the team this season is only decent & overpaid on his new contract?  The guy that's being mentioned in some circles as a dark horse for a Vezina nom this season?  I'm going to stop there...

Nyquist has been great. So much speed, a big bag of tricks. Really fun to watch.

 

Nyquist has surprised me. His previous call-ups were lackluster and I was getting nervous that he was simply one that was dominant at every level except the big show. Completely changed my opinion. I thought he was going to be a lot more stronger on the puck than last season; he's finally displaying that now. Him and Tatar would be a deadly force together. Both small, both incredibly strong on the puck for their size. Incredible speed to break the neutral zone and cause space within the offensive zone. Goose is more of the playmaker though, while Tatar could be his finishing touch. Tatar strives to pot em, and is regarded as the goal scorer of the two. They could easily be a dominant 1-2 punch, but in the same sense, Goose and Brunner could be.

Yes.  Someone contact the person in charge of spontaneous cheers.

 

The guy's getting some well-deserved love.  I don't care if they yell James Russel Howard III, although it would probably be awkward.

 Too many passengers right now. 

I don't think they're passengers.

 

they're flat out just not good enough.

I've been to some of these game and I've had the opportunity to sit up close (thanks to company tickets my father gets every year), let me tell you guys something. These guys get beat up day in an day out. I've watched Hank get his butt checked by guys almost twice as big as him from a few seats away. I'll tell you one thing though, he protects the puck with one hand very well, something even Datsyuk doesn't do as well. However Datsyuk has been fun to watch with his crazy deking ability that makes some of the D fall on their butts. Anyways the point im trying to make is, these guys are simply beat up. Half the time on ice that I've watch Zetterberg, he seems exhausted 30 seconds into his shift but just keeps on going. My buddy sitting next to me at the Chicago game at home said something like "Zetterberg plays like he's ran 30 miles before the game" Seriously, though up close the man looks exhausted this season.

 

These two men (zet and dats) have an incredible amount of pressure on them. Datsyuk is clearly in better shape and so he has a bit more stamina than Z but even he doesn't seem anywhere close to the speed he used to have a few years ago. Say what you guys must, but I've been analyzing these two all season long and have had the opportunity to do so from a few seats away. 

 

Of course they look worn out, they're carrying the team on their shoulders, and everybody knows it.  Our team is a one trick pony and everybody has figured that out. 

I have indeed noticed that we have a lot of odd man rush's that happen for the most part because of that and our horrid, and I mean horrid line changes.  

 

That is a problem in general for the whole team.

 

They run the offense similar to NHL13: skate straight to the net and try and pass through the skates and sticks of defensemen.

 

Rarely do you see our guys cut to the middle after entering the zone and create different shooting lanes or pause a little, let one guy drive the net, and catch the trailing man.

Ah, s*** dood....you had me on da cross-crease! 

Pretty much any kind of forecheck scheme by the Blue Jackets and Flames.