Morning Skate: Kings

I’m picking the easy one: Kronwall is the Suh of the Wings.

I’d have Kronwall as the free safety – hitting people across the middle when they don’t expect it.
Hudler would be the punt returner – It’s nice when he produces for you, but not horribly vital to your team’s success
Helm is the shut-down corner. His speed makes half the field inaccessible and the only thing keeping him from being a star wide receiver are his hands.

Pavel Datsyuk is the most complete player in the game.

Mario Lopez’s mullet gave me nightmares.

Howard Will be stupendous tonight!
My Favorite Mullet… mwauhahaha
Pavel won’t catch up on the scoring lead, as Bettman’s CJ worships the great Tutu wearing Crosby. Yes, Cindy is good, but that’s due to the amount of protein he digests. Dats has been great this far, with one or two NHL average player games. The rest has been up to par, if not greater than his standard level of play.
Very surprised that Abby is the leader in +/-, I think we found ourselves a new generation Draper or McCarty.
3-2 Detroit, Bert I threw the dart, and it landed on his picture. :)
Football
Dats = Ballhawking Safety
Abby = Safety ala Delmas
Lidstrom = QB, just like he is on the PP
Kron = LB, just think James Harrison
Z = WR, like a Calvin Johnson way, good luck matching up against him 1 on 1
Howard = K, saving the teams ass on some nights
Cleary = TE
Mule = Fullback, your Mike Allsott, in your face in short yardage, that touchdown is mine way.
Filp = WR, Finesse-like.
Homer = DT, always in the trenches, not always best on the stats, but causes trouble up front.
Hudler = ugh, 3rd string QB… Has talent, but like Stanton, doesn’t produce.
Draper, Miller, Helm, Eaves = You’re Sp. Teams players, 2nd or 3rd position-depth players.
Stuart, Rafalski = CB, Always trying to stop the big play.
Ericsson = LB, the young, up and coming star, but occasionally fucks it up
Salei = Your old, stay at home journeyman LB.
Ozzy = 2nd string DE, gets a few plays, sometimes plays great and causes havoc, other times… just a big whiff of poop.
Kindl = Your practice squad player. Good enough to be with the club, just not THAT good enough to play.
Modano = Brett Farve, without the drama.


Futurama rocks my socks

I’m continuing my trend in picking against the Wings because it’s working.

Eaves would be like Steve Tasker – special teamer extraordinaire.

Kane’s mullet from the playoffs last year still gives me nightmares.

Bender: Garbage, eh? I’ll take care of it (repeatedly stomps on the basket)
Leela: Bender no, it’s a baby!
Bender (still stomping): A baby what?

I watched a bit of that game last night, and I’ve gotta tell you, they look completely uninspired right now. For the supposed “best team” in the NHL, they are terrible. The offense looks lost, the defense doesn’t hit, and their goalies are awful. I keep thinking that Pittsburgh is the class of that conference and there’s no one really close to second.

Not sure if I will see the game, I might go down and benefit from some free tickets to the Vikings/Giants game… that is if I don’t get into a car accident, drive of the road b/c of all the ice, or just plain freeze to death in the hell that has fallen over Metro detroit right now.

POTG Muleeee

first thing first…..HOLY &(^^$()(&)%*^(^%(^% ITS COLD

next, I really do not have anything new to bring to the football discussion

futurama is great

I am really glad I am up at school and do not have to drive today.

GO WINGS!!! When is the next home game Osgood will start? I have a hard time believing Babcock will not be trying to get him win #400 at home.

Anyone in MI taking advantage of the freebie Giants/Vikings game? I wan’t to go, but can’t drive. :/

They’re the Safeties on the Lions. Can’t wait for someone to come over the middle and lay the wood on them….the may not always get the ball, but they’re not gonna miss the guy.

I think Homer is the NT, gets his big butt in the way, can’t be moved and you have no running game as a result.

Abby is the middle LB or ILB if we’re in the 3-4…don’t even think about coming into the middle of the field…Abby, Kronwall & Stuie are there to greet you!

I think Helm may be the “Wes Welker” type, 3rd down / Slot receiver.

Just some quick football thoughts this morning…that’s all I’ve got.

Smitty

Several more people have joined Baroque in the ranks of those who have correctly hit the score and PotG prediction in one game, including one author who had to promise he wouldn’t brag about being in the lead still (and who happens to lead the entire scoring race with six points, but is seriously not bragging).

Here are the current leaders (5 points each):

Baroque: 1 bonus hit and 1 correct PotG
rock n rye: 1 bonus hit and 1 correct PotG
DetroitSports: 1 bonus hit and 1 correct PotG

kylegroombridge and Red, White and a Mile High each have 4 points with 1 correct score and 3 correct PotG predictions

Resident troll onevilklown, as well as Montana rancher Kjell and commenter I don’t know more about, so I can’t give a better title to Darthferrer are in striking distance with 3 points apiece.

Ten commenters could take the lead with a bonus double-correct prediction (provided the people above them don’t also do it)

23 of you have one correct guess.

Fortunately for everybody, unlike the NHL standings by this time of year, there are plenty of opportunities to catch back up. Remember, it’s 1 point for a correct score or player prediction and 4 points if you guess both right in the same game. Nobody has a lead so commanding that they can’t be caught. Keep those guesses coming for your chance to win at the end of the season.

Quick programming note: the spreadsheet we copy into gives us a date if you only give a score prediction instead of a score and a victor. We’re assuming that anybody who guesses May 3rd, 2010 is expecting the Wings to win 5-3.

Franzen…

because I’m a Packer fan who is getting sick and tired of Mike McCarthy’s playcalling. And it was just salt in the wounds that Milwaukee native and fellow Wisconsin alum, Deandre Levy, made the play of the game with that interception in the endzone.

That being said, Mule would definitely be an Antonio Gates-type tight end. Prolific, game-changing player on offense, but not the greatest blocker (which I equate to Franzen being a little lazy defensively this season).

Almost everyone would have to play offense and defense, like we did in high school. In which case, here are a few:

Darren Helm- DB/WR/KR His defensive abilities make him a solid nickel back, while his speed causes the other team fits on special teams. He’s the team’s fifth or sixth option at WR because, while he has speed to kill, he’s got no hands.

Drew Miller- DL/OL Solid, not flashy. Does the dirty work so others can grab glory.

Justin Abdelkader- TE/LB/ST He’d be a good LB in a 3-4 defense, and one of those back-up tight ends who grabs a disproportionate number of touchdown passes in the red zone. He’d also be the crazy guy charged with breaking up the wedge while covering kickoffs (because he plays at 110 mph and flies into people), and possibly be the gunner on the punt team.

Pavel Datsyuk- RB/DB He’d be a mix of Barry Sanders and Darrel Revis. He can juke you out of your jock, while on defense he’s just going to take it away and run it back the other way.

Henrik Zetterberg- RB/DE He’s the change-of-pace back who still racks up 900 yards and eight touchdowns a season despite playing second fiddle offensively. On defense he’s the pass rushing end who’s equally solid against the run- anchors the team, gets everyone fired up, make the big plays with regularity, and is poised to be the undisputed leader once the Hall of Fame quarterback retires.

Nicklas Lidstrom- QB Like Drew Brees or Tom Brady- cerebral, always makes the right play, never panics.

Tomas Holmstrom/Ruslan Salei/Todd Bertuzzi/Brad Stuart- OL/DL Each one of them is mostly charged with opening up things for the skill players, which they on offense. Salei and Stuart silently play well at DT, taking on the double team to allow linebackers to get through and make plays, while Bertuzzi and Holmstrom rotate at end where they rack up the occasional sack or fumble, recovery or force.

Dan Cleary- FB/do-everything LB He plays some at fullback, but his real value is as that 260-lb, 6’3" defender who can cover the tight end, spy the qb, drop back to strong safety, play each linebacker position, put his hand on the ground on passing plays, and on rare occasion flank out and cover the slot wr. Just like a hockey player who can move up and down four lines without missing a beat.

and I could go on and on…

QB = Brian Rafalski (Lidstrom has the best vision but Rafalski has amazing site and long break out passes etc)
WR1 = Zetterberg – just a stud – Eurotwins As WR crazy yes..but dominant and good chemistry between the two always opening routes and dependable
WR2 = Datsyuk, Dangling shifty slot receiver in the Wes Welker mold
TE = Ericsson – Like to see the big body blocking and occasionally leaking out for offense
TE = Franzen — a big body but with skills to exploit defenses
RB = Cleary — bruising relentless bucketes…no stop in him
RT = Salei – Big dude keepin the lines firm
RG = Modano — Veteran boy playin’ some tough minutes that involves little running
C = Holmstrom — Just a big body that takes consistent abuse
LG = Stuart - Gritty and strong – no one is breaking through the left side
LT = Kronwall- Big body capable of handling the physical and dishing out punishment

DE = Filppula – Finesse yes, deceptively good at reading things though and can create matchup problems with his moves
DT = Howard – who knows more about eating space than a goalie?
DT = Ericsson – young man with size and can handle double duties
DE = Abdelkader Kid can do it all, physical to handle the strength and fast to get after people
OLB = Draper - Gritty old man can run still run down people and get dirty
MLB = Bertuzzi — Dude is just a giant bear
OLB = Miller — Can be a nuisance and rugged
CB = Helm – has the speed to just shut down and shadow anybody
CB = Jimmy Howard – has very good hands and quick reaction times
FS = Lidstrom – yes a little surprising, but ball/puck hawk that just scans the field and will always be at the right place at the right time
SS = Kronwall Has to be Kronwal – i mean…come on dude take out the ‘charging’ penalty and you got a runaway freight train!

K = Ozzie – needs to be on here somewhere and a statesman
P = Hudler - my my, what has this little man been relegated to :/
KR = Helm – dude is just fast

Coach = Babcock – well duh
Grumpy Old Man jawing in the stands = Chelios speaks for itself lol

This was fun :D

http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/2010/12/red_wings_look_to_snap_three-g.html
Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Holmstrom
Franzen-Filppula-Bertuzzi
Hudler-Abdelkader-Cleary
Miller-Helm-Eaves

Lidstrom-Stuart
Ericsson-Rafalski
Kronwall-Salei

Howard

Franzen has more goals this season than last season, and in the same number of games played. Good sign or not really considering the majority of Franzen’s season was spent on IR?

I don’t like linking ESPN but…

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=5914905

He’s actually tied for forth in scoring with 36 points. Martin St. Louis has 37 but two extra games, so I say Pav really is third in the league. Looks like another MVP type season for him.

Let’s start the Datsyuk for Hart campaign now!!!!

With Pav as PotG. Dude’s just too hot to ignore right now.

And bravo on the Wings-as-Lions rosters, guys. I’ve got nothing to add there, ’tis good stuff.

Pasha is en fuego right now.

Of course, I entered that without reading ahead to see who was actually starting in goal tonight.