And we didn't even have the all the best players out there...no Brett Hull, no Ray Whitney, no Brendan Shanahan, and no Pavel Datsyuk ...boo on the latter.
But it will get better...get those pre-season butterflies out.
Nice pass on the first goal? The first goal was the 3-on-2 with Williams leading the rush on RW, winds up and takes a slapper that's deflected by Kasparaitis right over to Hudler. Lampman is looking at Hudler when the puck comes right to Hudler; the first goal was a complete fluke. Even Hudler's shot was ugly on that goal.
The second goal was a nice re-direction, but Hudler was wide open. He didn't shake a defender because there wasn't one. Williams bodied Tjutin off the puck to start the play, King swoops in, takes the puck, and goes around Purinton (quite easily I might add). Scott had the point covered well. The problem was Larose and Ortmyer were both playing Schneider moving into the zone. Right as King is about to make the pass, Ortmyer realizes there's a man wide open and turns to cover him. Way too late by that time though. I gave credit to Hudler for finishing the play, but all the hard work was done by Williams on the forecheck and King for making a very difficult pass look easy. The tip wasn't exactly easy, but I expect offensive forwards to finish those plays (at the very least I expect them to put it on goal from that distance). Hudler was named 2nd star of the game, but he was not the best player on the Wings IMO; he just had the two goals to point at when it was all said and done. Zetterberg, Holmstrom, and Williams were all much better players tonight than Hudler IMO.
It's been so long since I've seen hockey, I resorted to taping a preseason game between the Rangers and Wings. What's the world coming to?
Fischer couldnt fight his way through a girls scout meeting let alone "kill" a NHL enforcer. May i remind you of Fischers only NHL fight against Scott Thornton????
How are Bootland and Barnes doing probably not even getting a chance with this team and their enforcerless ways.
He said "Fischer looked like he wanted to absolutely kill Scott." He didn't imply that he could.
FYI, from the perspective of someone from the other side, so to speak...
Hudler, Kronvall, and Jason? Williams looked very impressive. Hudler looks like he is going to score more than a few in the NHL, Kronvall looked like he was hitting everything on the ice, and Williams seemed to create something whenever he got a shift.
Some notes - the Detroit announcers were saying that Hudler has corrected everyone on the pronunciation of his name, it should be HOOD-ler, not HUD-ler. Also, Kronvall's name was spelled with a V on his jersey, and they noted that the proper spelling was with a V not a W, even though the correct pronunciation is "Wall" not "Vall." They noted that a mistake was made in the past officially listing it as "Kronwall," most likely due to the pronunciation of his name.
How about that Hlavac-Nedved-Kovalev line? We're excited about them...
FYI, from the perspective of someone from the other side, so to speak...
Hudler, Kronvall, and Jason? Williams looked very impressive. Hudler looks like he is going to score more than a few in the NHL, Kronvall looked like he was hitting everything on the ice, and Williams seemed to create something whenever he got a shift.
Some notes - the Detroit announcers were saying that Hudler has corrected everyone on the pronunciation of his name, it should be HOOD-ler, not HUD-ler. Also, Kronvall's name was spelled with a V on his jersey, and they noted that the proper spelling was with a V not a W, even though the correct pronunciation is "Wall" not "Vall." They noted that a mistake was made in the past officially listing it as "Kronwall," most likely due to the pronunciation of his name.
How about that Hlavac-Nedved-Kovalev line? We're excited about them...
-Khel
Nice line.
What's the second line? Hlavac should really benefit.
Carter-Lindros-?
Also, Kronvall's name was spelled with a V on his jersey, and they noted that the proper spelling was with a V not a W, even though the correct pronunciation is "Wall" not "Vall." They noted that a mistake was made in the past officially listing it as "Kronwall," most likely due to the pronunciation of his name.
I could have sworn I heard pretty much the opposite. I thought his jersey said Kronwall and the announcers were saying the NHL guidebooks(or whatever they call them) were spelling it Kronvall which is incorrect, and it's pronounced like it's spelled, kron-wall.
Nice to hear that Kronwall keeps hitting even in the NHL. He's not big but he is an excellent hitter, his timing is great. I hope he gets a spot on the team...
The PK units need to play better. But that will come in time. Hudler looked pretty good. Him and Williams seems to play well together. The PP was a okay, but since they really had only 1 pp unit, thats understandable.
I dont think i like the Homer-Zetterberg-yzerman line. Thye just dont seem to click.
I would like to see Kopecky play more and better. He needs to use his size more. Maybe better line-mates will help.
So I'm checking out the thread on the Wings/Rangers and I'm, reading all this stuff about Scott the goon, shouldn't be in the league, disgrace, blah, blah, blah. Now I'm thinking it sounds like Scott really effed up, blew his cool, and was outta control.
So I go to the Wings board and what do I find? Not a word about anything Scott did. The only thing mentioned was about what Scott might have done to Fischer if Fischer had caught him after a Scott slash.
Sounds to me like Ranger fans are, as usual, on a campaign to pursue the gentlemanly approach to the game. With 9 pims in two games, we will we soon be hearing cries of Simon the goon?
Granted, I didn't see the game but why such a difference in game summaries? Why the railing about a Ranger player and nothing about any Wings player? Am I missing something here?
I meant to post the above on the Ranger board. But, since I already screwed up, can you guys give me any info about whta happened?
Thanks.
I gave the info on the Rangers board because that's where it belongs. Why no Wings fans were upset about Scott's deliberate elbow to Kopecky's head does not diminish the act itself. I'm not a Wings fan (I actually loathe the Wings) nor am I a Rangers fan. I also like rough games and fights. But what Scott did is not acceptable behavior. What he did is like Domi's elbow to Niedermayer. It's like Matt Johnson's sucker punch to Beukeboom's head. It's the kind of thing that can ruin a career. Kopecky is lucky to have got up from it and is just as lucky to apparently have suffered no long-term effects from it (I haven't read anything about it anyway).
You want detailed descriptions of it? I have it on tape and here it is. The puck drops with 12.4 seconds to go to the left of Markkanen in the Rangers zone and the Wings center wins the faceoff softly back. Kopecky, the RW, circles behind the two centers and is tied up with de Vries while just picking up the puck. Scott, the RW, steps into Kopecky and plants an elbow right on Kopecky's chin. It wasn't a hit gone bad or a partial miss or anything. The elbow was lined up at Kopecky's chin and it hit its mark. The Rangers had a 5-3 lead with 12 seconds to go when Scott did it. Think Marchment's elbow on Willis and you have the right idea of the magnitude of it. It's got nothing to with being gentlemanly; it has everything to do with showing a little respect for your fellow players. If he hits Kopecky with his shoulder, there's no problem with it. Hell, the refs didn't even call a penalty on that play (pair of winners those two refs are); so, I don't see why it would be hard to believe that Wings fans didn't see or talk about it.
Why would us Wings fans care? It was only Kopecky and half of the people on this board think that if you don't score 50 goals you suck. The whole thing about stepping up for you teammate only happens when Mac is on the ice and most on this board want him gone too. Wings fans think that Bettman is going to save us because we can not defend ourselves or we are going to use our brains instead of fighting (think what your mom told you in grade school). What a soft ass team we have turned into.
Oh well maybe this year we will get pushed around enough for Holland to get someone who can throw them.
I loved it when Hudler knocked Kaspiritis on his ass. Not a great hit, but it's good to see Hudler rail a guy like Darius.
Lets hope he gets a chance to play.
Fischer looked like he wanted to absolutely kill Scott after that slashing on him late in the 2nd (or was it early in the 3rd?)
Always a good sign when Fischer is pissed off at somebody on the other team.
Williams looks like he's skating much better than last year and will probably play more than Devereaux if he keeps on improving. He created lots of offensive chances, one of which Hudler converted.
Kronwall was getting physical and didn't struggle nearly as much this game as last. I hope the wings' trade off Dandeneault and play Kronwall full time. He looks ready to step it up and make an impact.
Kopecky as usual is unimpressive, and hasn't improved significantly since last season. Still a bad skater who can't throw or take a hit...
I highly doubt he makes the NHL as anything more than a 4th liner. What a waste of a high 2nd rounder.
Richard Scott is a good scrapper, from what I have seen of Fischers scrapping ability, he had better leave Scott to someone else.
The whole thing about stepping up for you teammate only happens when Mac is on the ice and most on this board want him gone too. Wings fans think that Bettman is going to save us because we can not defend ourselves or we are going to use our brains instead of fighting (think what your mom told you in grade school).
I sure don't want Mac gone, even though I said he was my least favorite Wing. Being my least favorite Wing is like being my least favorite chocolate chip cookie. I love them all but if I have two, one won't be picked. Unless I eat two, but that's neither here nor there.
I don't want Bettman to save us, either. I am sick of how the NHL is pushing fighting out of the game. I would love to see the Red Wings get an enforcer, as long as he had some decent hockey ability. I've been to many Red Wings games and I have never seen a fight. When I go to Chicago or Columbus to see other teams play, though, fights happen pretty regularly.
The whole thing about stepping up for you teammate only happens when Mac is on the ice and most on this board want him gone too. Wings fans think that Bettman is going to save us because we can not defend ourselves or we are going to use our brains instead of fighting (think what your mom told you in grade school). What a soft ass team we have turned into. 
