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Lillith
Forum Witch
Joined: 20 Oct 2007
Posts: 432
Location: Second Star to the Right
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 Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 9:55 pm Post subject: Half Way - Where Are We? |
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Ok - RW, Bosc - I need your input here. We are exactly half way thru this season. Obviously we are doing well, however.....
I tried to find a list of injuries on our team - couldn't find one. So, who do we have out, with what and ETA on return? Any players "iffy"? I can't find that either.
While the stats look good, how strong are we really? The downward slide to playoffs are harder. Do we look good there?
Forgive me for such idiot questions, but with work schedule and travelling to the Easter States, I haven't seen much hockey at all this season.
Thanks
Lil
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Bosc Ulrich II
OTP Resident Historian
Joined: 18 Oct 2007
Posts: 3385
Location: Sweetest lid in the league
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| Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 6:06 pm Post subject: |
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I think Maltby is still out with his back, he`s supposed to be back pretty soon.
Zetterberg is still day to day with his back as far as I know. Same goes with Holmer and his knee.
We went 3-for-4 since the Christmas break and won 3 games in a stretch of four days starting on boxing day. Last night against St Loo was the first game all season where we didn`t score at least 2 goals. 2-0 including an empty netter. I didn`t see the game, but I expected a much stronger effort from St Loo after we pounded them 5-0 in the last match. This game goes to show that we`re still in tough against our division. We`ve dominated the rest of the league.
With Babcock at the helm, I think we`ll be good down the stretch. It`s important that we get 2 out of our top 3 back healthy, though, although we`ve gotten good support from Hudler, Filppula and Cleary with them out. They were producing more before Holmer and Z were out and continued to do so after they went down, which is very encouraging. How they perform down the stretch will be an indicator of just how big a need Holland will have for a big, scoring forward for the playoffs. It`s always nice to have and will come at a premium, so it would be fantastic if Franzen showed some more scoring tough and we wouldn`t have to give up too many assets. But it`s always a wait-and-see.
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Lillith
Forum Witch
Joined: 20 Oct 2007
Posts: 432
Location: Second Star to the Right
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| Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2008 1:24 am Post subject: |
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Thanks a bunch, Bosc. Since we are doing well, there is no rush to get these guys back. Let them heal and get ready for the playoff run.
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RW
Distinguished Gentleman of the Post
Joined: 18 Oct 2007
Posts: 375
Location: Seat 10, Row 8, Section 226B
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| Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2008 2:01 pm Post subject: |
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Actually tonight's game is the mid point of Detroit's season. The NHL has an 82 game schedule. On to your question. The Red Wings are tearing up the Western Conference at a record / near record pace. The Wings have the ability, with a victory tonight against Dallas, to have 30 wins and 63 points. If they hold this pace they'll finish with only the 3rd 60 win season in NHL history and 126 points. It looks great on paper and in reality it's a real nice regular season accomplishment.
Why am I am still concerned? It's another regular season masterpiece. Don't we have enough of those to scare the crap out of every Red Wings fan from here to eternity? That said, it's nice that the Central Division is so difficult / competetive for Detroit this year. The last month will almost exclusively be played against Central Division foes. That will aid in making Detroit more playoff ready if those games are more difficult. More of a playoff atmosphere so to speak. Usually the Red Wings just coast into the playoffs with roughly a month left and become first round casualties because they are so rusty from a non competetive last month. I am worried that if they are still on a record pace they still may coast. Bad move in the Western Conference. The first round opponenet will be a bitch no matter who it is.
As to the make up of the team. Who can bitch about the quality of the talent on this team. Well, I can. I sti;ll like this team. It is fun to watch. It is highly skilled. It has great goaltending. It has one of the best blue lines in the NHL all six of them. But, the Red Wings are still, small, fast and older than almost all the other teams. St. Louis is showing everybody else how to beat the Red Wings. Hit them early and hit them often. The Red Wings need a power forward. No ifs, ands or buts about it. I'd also like a big, nasty, stay at home defenseman to keep the front of the net a little clearer and to make life a little more unpleasant for other team's forwards. Ken Holland does have a nice level of open cap space and some decent prospects in his pocket to swing, at least, one nice trade dealine deal. The trouble will come from everybody else's records and place in the standings. I don't know if anyone else here has noticed but there are only five (5) teams with losing records in the entire NHL and two of those are in easy striking distance of making the 8th seed in their conference. Only two teams are really out of it right now. Tampa Bay and Los Angeles. Twelve teams in the east are within six (6) points of each other and six (6) in the West are also within six (6) points of each other. Who ae you going to trade with if it's still that close at the trade deadline? You've got me. Everybody may have to make due with what they have this year. I'd call that advantage Anaheim. Big, great goaltending and they got Scott Niedermayer back. Detroit's going to probably do well. They don't take shit like they used to and even Datsyuk fights back but we can't lose two defensemaen again this year and hope to win in the playoffs. I also think that Franzen is going to have to step it up big time if we're going to make a serious run at the Stanley Cup. The only thing that matters. Not another regular season masterpiece.
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"The greatest victory a man can win is victory over himself."
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the New Cunning Linguist
Like a good neighbor, but not
Joined: 18 Oct 2007
Posts: 1836
Location: I'm here, aren't I?
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Bosc Ulrich II
OTP Resident Historian
Joined: 18 Oct 2007
Posts: 3385
Location: Sweetest lid in the league
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| Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2008 11:15 am Post subject: |
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Thanks, tCL 
Zetterberg had two assists in his return to the lineup last night. He could be even closer to the top of the scoring race if not for his back injury  But the most important thing is for him to be healthy. We got Downey's first point of the year on a nice breakaway pass to Franzen. Drake scored his first since re-joining the team on a feed from Zetterberg.
Datsyuk had a beautiful tip on a Lidstrom point shot for his 16th goal and 50th point of the season. Osgood had yet another great game. Turco has never won at the Joe and has only one career win agains the Wings.
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Bosc Ulrich II
OTP Resident Historian
Joined: 18 Oct 2007
Posts: 3385
Location: Sweetest lid in the league
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| Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2008 12:33 pm Post subject: |
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At the halfway point, we've set the NHL record for victories with 30, besting the previous mark set by the 95-96 regular season powerhouse. However, the mark is different in that we have 4 of the wins via the shootout. However, we definitely aren't the Oilers 
http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2008/01/02/wings_beat_stars/
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| Dallas C Mike Modano, a native of the Detroit suburb of Livonia, was honoured before the game for becoming the highest-scoring American-born player in NHL history earlier this season. He played for the Little Caesars youth hockey organization as a youngster. Red Wings' owner Mike Ilitch owns the Little Caesars pizza chain. Modano was presented with a framed Little Caesars jersey with his name and number. |
A classy move by Illitch and the Red Wings. Illitch being involved at the grassroots hockey level is extremely important for developing the game and is something that I've long said that the NHL does not place nearly enough focus on in the US.
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Lillith
Forum Witch
Joined: 20 Oct 2007
Posts: 432
Location: Second Star to the Right
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| Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 1:48 am Post subject: |
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Illich has always been a class act. and thank you TCL - very interesting article. Class alone has never won the cup. I agree with RW, we need a couple of BIG TOUGH Power Forwards if we are going to go far in the Playoffs.
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