BuckeyeWingsfan80

This kind of stuff wouldn't happen if they got rid of the instigator penalty.

This seems to be an LGW pattern year after year, but I always find it funny that when the Wings get severely worked over in a game or series, LGW'ers key in on that 12th forward or 6th defenseman as the thing we can change to turn things around.  I think there's a lot of people with egg on their face about Tootoo, who dismissed the fact that he was a healthy scratch all year, and that (except for one surprising deflection down the stretch) he was an absolute non-factor towards anything having to do with a scoring sheet.  The Hawks ultimately dominated that game last night - did Daniel Carcillo have anything to do with it?  So what is it about this impulse to throw in bit players and expect them to completely change the dynamics of the 52 minutes they aren't even on the ice?
 

Brendan Smith needs to sit down.  I'll admit to being wrong about him - I had a (quiet) suspicion that he was "over-ripened" and showed Top 4 Defenseman potential.  He might still do that someday, but he cannot be trusted right now.  That was one of the single worst defensive performances I can recall as a Wings fan, dating back to the days when they couldn't figure out that Derian Hatcher couldn't skate anymore.  We're talking Lebda's worst day, multiplied by four, levels of futility.  He may have only directly generated their first goal, but his constant turnovers and inability to ever solidly possess the puck in our own zone were extremely unsettling to the team.  Give me Ian White, Lashoff, whatever...just not that again.

I think the Wings have got a shot. That said, I'm also in the fortunate position of being satisfied with the season already as of tonight. I'll enjoy it either way.

When are the refs going to start giving out penalties to the Ducks for their post-whistle BS?

 

There you go.

 

Salami screws up in his last NHL game.  

I'm surprised so many people are questioning the validity of this suspension. When the play happened in real time my initial thought was "dumb play by Abby, he is going to pay for that." So many problems with this hit. He targeted him from halfway across the ice. Took about ten strides. Lept up. AND then decides to throw his elbow into the mix for good measure. It was a boneheaded play by a guy that makes boneheaded plays from time to time. 

 

As to the official right there not calling a penalty on it. Another poster mentioned that night that the official was probably in disbelief in what he just saw happen because it was so blatantly boneheaded. I tend to agree, see as how I was shaking my head in disbelief. That play sunk us in that game.

You know you've learned from Steve Yzerman when you go straight to your goalie after the OT winner while everyone rushes to Brunner. Atta boy Z way to be a leader.

It's so nice that the kids are kicking in their share! This is what Dynasties are made of! Not saying that this group of youngsters are going to be as good as our 90's youngsters, but this is how it was created back then, a bunch of kids growing together and learning together.  I think that line of Andersson, Brunner and Nyquist could be a good line to keep together next season.  Let these three continue to grow together.

 

On a down note, I am not impressed with Sammy or Bertuzzi playing...they need to stop and they need to not be on this team next season...

 

On an even DOWNER note....damn that Howard is average....

All rookies line on the ice. THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT!!!

Pavel's back must be sore from carrying those guys. Wow. He is undoubtedly the best 2 way player in the NHL.

 

It's just like it always is when this team isn't scoring - they are possessing the puck, but it's all on the edges.  There is NOTHING going on down low.  Basically every Red Wings team that has lost in the playoffs (minus the Colorado Series in 1996 and the New Jersey SCF in 1995) has done the same stupid thing over and over and over again.

 

Because our GM is too stupid and soft to sign bigger wingers.  Not just skilled ones, but even on the lower lines.

 

We don't have talent anymore to blitz teams.  If you're a 7 seed, you better have size and grit, cause you sure as hell don't have talent.  

I have to be honest, I don't understand the argument here.  Abby's hit was pretty clearly bad, the only argument should be on how many games.  I thought it was worse than the hit on Eller, different result though.  You could argue whether the head was the principle point of contact, but it was blind side and he launched himself way in the air + had head contact.  I didn't see Shanny's video, but pretty clear suspension to me.

 

I'm kinda with you here. I hate that it's a penalty in today's game, but they have been handing out suspensions for these type hits for a while now. It's not like this suspension came out of nowhere, it was a borderline hit at the very least, if you are going to hit a defenseless player you better be 100% sure you hit him clean, if there is any question about charging, jumping, elbowing, head contact etc. you are screwed.

 

Honestly I think these rulings are going to discourage open ice hits, and take personal accountability off puck carriers and make even more vulnerable situations. It's just so difficult to even make body contact on the open ice in the NHL, I can just imagine how hard it is to make sure you never get a piece of the head, eventually it just won't be worth the risk to make that kind of check, and that's disappointing to me.

Shanahan will just be another St. Louis Blues player to me now (actually he already was for inaction on Weber last year).

 

That is the worst insult he can get from Wings fandom.

   

Another St. Louis Blues player ... that helped us win 3 Stanley Cups...

 

Lets not get carried away. However you feel about this situation, Shanny will always be a Red Wing. 

I knew this suspension was coming. I don't like the hit but I also don't think it was dirty. There's no way Shanahan could suspend Gryba for what was obviously a clean hit and then not suspend Abby for his questionable one. I'm upset to lose Abby but if he got nothing and we won the series it would be the only thing anybody remembered about it. I don't want to have to deal with people saying Shanahan gave this round of the playoffs to his ex team. I want to beat them without Abby and have them left reaching for excuses as to how the 7th seed Red Wings managed to kill their post season.

That other angle makes me feel even more confident that his left skate was still on the ice, and that the hit was shoulder to shoulder first then to the head. Lydman being hurt is the only reason that received a penalty at all.

 

The comparisons to the Gryba hit aren't valid anyways since the only reason Gryba got suspended at all was because of the damage done to Eller and the visual of him laying out on the ice in a pool of blood.

 

Then you're blind. He clearly hits the head first in all angles, and even if he leaves his feet after initial contact, you're still not allowed to leave your feet on purpose to make a hit worse. By the way his body was during that hit, it appears that he left his feet in a controlled manor. The only way you don't see it for what it is is if you're a homer. And I am 100% if this were Perry on Datsyuk, you'd be crying for blood. 

 

And the point remains, if Abdelkader kept himself on his feet, and his shoulder down, this would have been a big CLEAN hit, no penalty, no misconduct, no possible suspension. Just another case of Abdelkader being an idiot and making the worst possible play and costing the Wings a playoff game, just like 2009, 2010, and 2011.

I can't wait for when the Wings score and everyone is back on the bandwagon. Not watching the OT my ass. This place is pathetic.