Richdg

Showing my age.... I remember Neil when he played for the Griffins. Something about #25..........

Yes for you youngsters, the griffins used to be the top farm team for the Sens.... back in the IHL days....

With brawls like this, guess the Wings better hope McKee get ready soon! The better draft McCarron as well!

DING DING DING! We have a winner!

No. hell No. hell the F$%k No! Howard is the reason we are in the playoffs. it is not his fault that this team can't score, plays far to soft, and leaves him out to dry all game long. There isn't a G in the league that is going to do a better job with this team in front of him. We made it to the PO's and are rebuilding at the same time. if you thought this was a team that was going to make a deep run, you are kidding yourself. It isn't and will not. But none of thta has to do with Howard.

Thing is, if the NHL wouldn't have tried to end fighting, hits like this wouldn't happen. Becasue if these hits did happen, you would get your a$$ kicked as well as having to sit in the sin bin.

 

I will correct you on this point.  The NHL didn't try to reduce fighting, but the system of hockey decided that for the NHL.  When teams like the Devils could clutch and grab their way to a championship over more skilled teams, fighting really became irrevelant.  Sure, teams could fight with the Devils, but the clutch and grab system really didn't replace fighting.  The NHL really didn't go out to reduce fighting then.

 

I will say this, the penalties to reduce fighting haven't done that.

 

http://www.hockeyfights.com/stats/

 

At the same time though, I am on your side.  I believe all penalties done to reduce fighting should be eliminated.

 

Hrm, he delivers a hit in which he leaves his feet less than 10 feet from a referee.  With the ref having to make a call within seconds of the hit, I could see how the ref could have penalized him 2 minutes or 5 minutes.  We will see what Shanahan says tomorrow.

Your stats on't cover the 80's when there was 1+ fights per game on average. The Devils started with the trap in the very early 90's, after the NHL tried to reduce fighting. Since you were no longer going to get your a$$ kicked, there was no problem with holding, checking from behind, interference, extra stick work etc......

No, can you imagine if there was no 2 line pass calls in the 80's? Gretzky and Mario may have had 250-300 points per year! How many would Datsyuk, Malkin, Ovechkin, Crosby etc... get in that era? Now that would be fun to watch!

Just wondering if everyone maintains the same positions? Abby for 4 games? Just to be clear, I think both hits were good hockey hits. If you skate with your head down, that is what happens. Neither guy used his elbow.

The refs haven't been a factor yet. No moving on to a bigger issue: cheap attacks.

For those of us old enough to remember the 1980's-best decade ever BTW! The hockey was awesome! Stars didn't get touched. if they did, their bodyguard would set the other player straight asap! it was the best of both worlds. Lots of goals and lots of fights. When the NHL made the decision to "reduce" fighting, they everyone started to play clutch and grab hockey. For 20 years now we have been hearing how the NHL wants to open things up and increase scoring. Ok, let's do that. Get rid of all the penalties that were put in place to "reduce" fighting. Thengo back to 1 ref and let's have some damn fun already!

Last time I checked, Hockey was a contact sport. People run into each other. That is still allowed right? Perry didn't do anything wrong, and those that think he did, go watch soccer. he drove the net, while hounded by Kronwall, Perry then tries to jump over Howard and his stick as Kronwall bumps him. When you are in the air and get bumped you lose your balance and yes your arms/legs will flail out to try and regain your balance. Now he touched the G which is a 2 min penalty, and that is what he got. Nothing else to talk about. Stop all the b1tching and whinning. I guarantee you that if Perry was playing for us, everyone would be upset about him getting a penalty.

last night was a great game! yes we lost, but it was a great game Close score and other than a win, that is all we can hope for. That of course was the plus side. The negative side is, last night showed all of our issues as a team once again. Not enough offense. other than our top line there is no fear by any other team that they will get scored on. Lines 2-4 provide us with nothing. Once again we were also shown to be too small and not physical enough. Even datsyuk who is one of the strongest skaters in the game was on the ice at least 5 times. Never mind the number of times Filppula, Nyquist etc... were all knocked down. Once again Franzen proves he is a part time player. Did he even cross the Ducks blueline ion the first 2 periods? seriously dude, you are 6-3/225 get paid to produce. DO IT! As for the D, yes they made some mistakes. For half of our D it was their first playoff game, those guys will get better. I thought Dekeyser looked good and I thought Kronwall looked really bad.

Howard of course looked average! LOL. If it wasn't for him they would have scored 2-3 more goals than they did.

All in all though, it was still a great game. 0-0 at even strength, that is close on the score board, and in the end, that is what matters the most. We still have a chance to win 1 on the road and flip the home ice advantage, which is a must when you are the lower seed. Game 2 is the key to the series. We win and we have a chance. We lose and the series is about over.

Well, there's multiple ways of looking at it. (And we're just talking about this season. I agree with you that they have shown signs of decline last few years. )

 

1. Fact that Z and Dats have been playing since before lockout should if anything show that they are hanging in there while the rest of a league had a nice 4 months off. In EV Zug  Zet was playing exceptionally well. Overall this year he's doing better than he was last year in terms of production (not so much with goals scoring I know).

 

2. Ok lets say Z and Dats had the advantage in the beginning of the season and were on fire and the rest of the league sucked. But now the rest of the league has finally caught up and Z and Dats are getting tired.. So technically it should be balanced at this point.. However Zetterberg is officially ranked 6th in assists in the league (an impressive feat for a 32 year old tired man). Meaning that other players simply aren't able to catch up? Or, he's somewhat still maintaining his assist production, albeit not as well as he was in the beginning of the season.

 

And I don't believe Z has "dropped off big time" at all. Him and Datsyuk are still the best players on the team. And last nights game with those three assists were a clear message that he's not "dead" yet. The captain had a big game. Personally I think he's running on fumes, but I give him and Dats credit for doing  what they can with a subpar roster and linemates.  

Yes. Let's not confuse their declining skills with a lack of effort. Both are giving everything they have. The issue is father time has changed their abilities, as it does to all of us. It doesn't help things that they are our only real scoring options 90% of the time. That is not on them, it is on management. But Z and Dat are the ones paying for it.

Can we get over the Suter and parise thing already. It is done.

Pretty simple with 4 games and points out there. Win them all! if we get 8 points we are in! 6 or 7 point about 75% chance. 4 or 5 points 50-50 at best. 3 or fewer and what time for the tee times next week?

Just win baby!

(the voice of Gary Thorn)

Welcome to downtown Detroit for game 1 of the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals. The first of many in new Little Ceasers arena. This finals features the Western Conference champs Anahiem Ducks and the Eastern Conference champions Detroit Red Wings. now for the introductions.

For the anahiem ducks....who cares......

Now for the Detroit Red Wings. Starting at LW, the season hits leader and penaty minutes leader, coming in at 6-5/235 pounds: Mike-The Left Bower-Mckee! At center, the regular season goal scoring leader measuring in at 6-3/210 pounds: Anthony-Crimson Death-Mantha! At RW, season totals of 25 goals and 150 penalty minutes, tilting the scales at 235, standing 6-5: Mike-The Right Bower-McCarron! At right defense, the current Norris Trophy winner, coming in at 6-4/215 pounds: Ryan-The Sniper-Sproul! On the Left D, The Captain. Standing in at 6-3/215: Danny-The Flying Dutchman-DeKeyser! In the crease, the grumpy old man. The league MVP: Jimmy Howard!

Back to the present. Let the draft games begin! Some thoughts.

1. Of the lineup I just mentioned for the future, we already have 2/3's of it. Just need Mantha and McCarron in this years draft.

2. If we make the playoffs or not, we will most likely be picking bewtween 12th and 16th. Baring a major change between now and next weekend.

3. Most of the many many draft links have Mantha going between 12th and 22nd. Right were we will be picking. We need big tall goal scorers. Mantha is that player. he is 6-3/180ish, shoots lefthanded, and scored 50 goals this season as a leftwing.

4. We strongly need to add RHed shooters and size. McCarron is currently 6-5/227, RHed, and is from Detroit. Most of the sites have him going between 40 and 55. In other words, where we pick in the second round.maybe the 3rd, but I wouldn't hold my breath. Big American Forwards that can skate, score, and play physical go fast. Grabbing McCarron in the second might be more important than Mantha in the first. There are a few other options in the first that also fit the bill. but not so much in the second.

5. This is a deep draft. Lots of potential 20+ gola scoring power forwards available. The key to how good our draft is, may very well be the 3rd and 4th rounds. Who we get in these 2 rounds will be the deciding factor between a good draft and a great draft.

More thoughts and ideas for the draft later.

White is gone after the season. The one plus from playing Cola is, it does create some value so maybe we can move him. if those 2 are gone our 7 man D is set for next season. The only real question is Smith-better offensively or Lashoff-better defensively. Ideally we play both of them as the third pair and move Quincey. But that would require an agressive GM.

I understand bert's desire to play again. but he really needs to think about his long term quality of life. No Hockey game is worth not being able to walk, play with your kids etc... he has already had 2 major back surguries, and if he isn't real carefull could have a 3rd. I would like to see bert healthy. Period. i don't care if he ever plays again. he has had a long and successful career. No need to risk his life or spend the rest of it wheel chair bound.

back from the game. Thoughts.

1. Flat beer and stale hot dog buns suck, even when those only cost $1 each.

2. jarnkrok is noticabley smaller than everyone else on the team. Guys like tatar, Mursak, and Almquist are clearly bigger than he is.

3. griffins played a terrible game. only Mursak showed any energy. Which as a smaller puck possesion team is death.

4. neither Ned or Sproul played. Might be waiting untill after they clinch?

Now, jarnkrok. I hope O spelled that right. Ok, for those hoping or thinking he will be with the RW next year, sorry not going to happen. if it does it means we are truely screwed. he isn't close to being ready. TBH, I am not sure he is ready to play at the AHL level. Granted this is/was just one game. But I didn't see anything to be excited about. he was the 4th or 5th fastest skater we had tonight. Mursak, tatar, pare, and Jurco all were faster. Didn't show much in terms of great play making either. For most of the game, he skated back and forth in the middle 1//3 of the ice. Rarely got deeper than the face off dots. Had 1 shot IIRC. Was only allowed to take 1 faceoff. he lost it badly and ferraro took the rest of the faceoff for the rest of the game.

Now I understand, this was his 7th game for the griffins? He is very young and very new to the North American game. Point is, he has a long long way to go. Which is fine. We need to know these things. is he ready, then trades and UFA are not so important. But he isn't. Which tells the brain trust what we need to do this summer. I will be very interested to see how much he grows and improves between now and next season.