Off-Day Open Thread: Let it All Out

No idea what’s going on there, but I know that Malkin has missed the last 2 games, so Crosby is really the only true offensive threat they have, and he’s still scorching hot. I hate the guy with a fire that rivals only 1000 burning suns, but I’ve got to give him credit for this streak he’s on. Keep in mind that the Wings have NEVER won 10 in a row in their entire history.

Hudler: he can’t play with the Eurotwins because he’s not gritty enough to hang in front of the net like Homer or Cleary. I say bump Bert down to the third line with Abdelkader and Cleary, move Hudler up to the 2nd line with Flip and Franzen, and put Homer back on the Circus. Hudler needs skill guys to play with; but if he doesn’t start doing something soon, I say scrap this Miller-Eaves-Draper rotation and just sit Happy in the press box permanently until we can trade his ass.

let him do his biggest damage of the year now…we def can slow him down/shut him down if it does come to our 3rd round battle.

Hudler go back to Russia…you obviously miss the Russian hookers and can not play without them….as for our team even with the two straight losses we are in great shape and i see no reason why the playoffs shouldn’t go through the Joe….#12 lets get it.

because they are not worth my time. Instead, I would like to partake in a classy debate of the merits of chocolate cake vs. “funfetti”. A strapping gent attempted to convince me that funfetti was the superior flavor but ho! I challenged the scallywag to a duel with pistols to rightly solve this conflict, but the ninny declined my offer like a dog with his tail betwixt his legs.

Then a charming Southern lass baked funfetti cupcakes for both of us and I instead turned my attention to showing her how classy of a gentleman I can be (if you get what I mean). She has declined my courtship thus far, but my perseverance shall prove to be successful soon enough.

Trading Jiri Hudler right now is right at the bottom of the “Good Ideas” list. It’ll be Ville Leino all over again: trading a player that isn’t clicking in the system and/or isn’t producing the way we ALL know he can.

The rest of the League notices things like that, too. How much return do you think that will net the Red Wings? Say… a fifth round draft pick and some Norwegian fuckstick that bailed on North America? No thank you.

I agree with the sentiment that Hudler isn’t playing where he should be. But this is going to fall into the Trade Him/Oh Shit You Traded Him?! Cycle:

1) TRADE HUDLER!
2) Team showcases Hudler, putting him on the top two lines (you know… where he needs to play to be effective).
3) Hudler begins being effective.
4) Team receives legitimate offer for Hudler.
5) Hudler is traded.
6) WHAT THE FUCK! HE WAS SCORING! WHY DIDN’T YOU TRADE HIM WHEN HE WASN’T WORTH JACK SHIT?!

but i think trading him is too drastic a solution. obviously something is up because his sloppy play and general ineffectiveness weren’t this evident in his past with the wings. did russia really mess with him this badly?

But I’m looking at my secret adjustment chart for CSSI (where I’ve given people more than one point on a goal when it’s been applicable; for example: Datsyuk has six secret assist adjustments through either extra work on other people’s goals where he had already been given one assist or by extra work on his own goals where giving him an assist would also make sense), and I think I’m going to be announcing a complete change to the way I’m doing CSSI.

Put simply, I like the new system more. The points differences are a little inflated and it creates more room between the top and bottom of the scoresheet, but what I like the most so far is that I’m looking at the new adjusted plus/minus rankings and they look like they fall exactly in line with how I feel the guys’ have played so far this season.

I hope to have a post up later this week explaining the changes.

I love how I got so much crap for saying we might be wise to get what we could for Hudler a month ago and now we are considering playing our best player, Cleary, and one of our most consistent players, Bertuzzi, less time so that Hudler can play with players so good that he can do us no real harm. If he can’t get the job done, bench him like you would any other third or fourth liner. He is, honestly, the only player playing poorly on the entire team. Why should we play good players less to play a bad player more?

(Don’t get upset with that comment, it is somewhat sarcastic/ironic)

 Stick him with Modano and have him maybe see how sucky it is not to even be able to play because of a freak accident and hopefully he will come running back to the ice not wanting to be stuck with sad Mike again.

I think he just needs to relax a little, stop trying to hard, but also get a little fire under his ass and maybe another benching will help with that.

Datsyuk and Rafalski sit at 10th. Zetterberg and Franzen are 15th and 16th.

Jimmy Howard is 6th.

Lidstrom is 4th. Behind Letang, Pronger, and Keith.

Am I the only one excited that we might not have anyone in the All-Star Game?

I would like to say Go Panthers…Go Tampa…Go Oliers…would be a nice off night to see the Avs, Flames and Ducks all lose mwhahahahahah

…is whether Crosby really is doing it all by himself like it looks.

Absolutely not, the Pens defense has been very good. I do believe they lead all teams in combined scoring from the backend.

…because Detroit has guys we know can shut Crosby down when it counts.

Well in one series, and that didn’t work out well for the Wings anyway. ;) jk

cannot stand 87…ANYWHERE

Well done.

1st period I had no problem with the Wings played as they were just all over the Sharks. Moving with so much speed and puck movement the sharks didn’t know where to go. When the goal was called I was thinking quick whistle and what could have happened if the Wings had a larger lead going into the 2nd. Come 2nd they had no jump, got too cute, didn’t back/fore check well, and let the sharks double team back check which should have been countered with getting the puck deep with a winger flying up the opposite boards to spread the Sharks back out. Instead they were kept to the outside and trapped through the remaining 2 periods with fewer and fewer shots from the slot. Well maybe the Wings will bounce back and outright murder the score board next game. No worries still got plenty of season left.

Since this is an open thread and I’m out of hockey talk for 11PM, how about some life advice? Long story short, best friend is engaged. It’s rocky but it looks like it’s getting better. I, being the Winged Wheel fan I am (being a Wings fan is relevant even when it is irrelevant), am in love with her and have been for years (we’ve been friends for seven years, had feelings for five+, she’s never been single long enough to say anything). What do I do? This is like Bettman’s love affair with Crosby and the refs calling off Wings goals left and right.

i wouldnt be so eager to dump the guy.

Last year I could not stand Ericsson’s play and would have loved to see him traded. This year he is vastly improved.

put hudler in the healthy scratch rotation with miller/eaves.