I'm sorry but when has Wings' PP strategy ever been about getting the puck to Franzen? It hasn't. Mule is good at scoring when he gets space and he can track down pucks around the crease, that's all. They're not setting him up like he's Stamkos and they never have been. They're setting up Lidstrom or White for the point shot. Hudler if given space can't take the puck at the boards, take a few strides and wrist the puck past a goaltender like Franzen can. I don't care with his goal count is or isn't this season, he's just not that type of player. He's a pass-first guy who often passes the puck when he has a scoring chance. I'm happy he's scoring when given a chance with Z and Flip, but he's still not a "scorer" let alone our best one.
Franzen and Hudler have very little to do with each other for that matter. Their roles/playing styles are completely different and usually they're on different units, even if it happens. I have seen that Pavel, Z, Franzen unit you talk about but "often" is completely false. If I would guess, in less than 10 games this season. I remember it during our home streak, other than that I can't recall seeing it this season. We've tested a lot of different setups, and even more lately with the injuries.
Wings PP units when healthy and considering our recent lines will probably be either:
A)Pavel, Mule, Homer, Nick, White
B)Z, Flip, Hudler, Kronner, Quincey
Top heavy edition:
A)Pavel, Z, Homer, Nick, White
B)Hudler, Mule, Flip, Kronner, Quincey
Earlier in the season(pre-Quincey) we had:
A)Pavel, Homer, Cleary(or Bert can't remember), Nick, White
B)Z, Mule, Flip, Hudler, Kronner
I'd rather have Bert on that first unit as the net front presence instead of Homer. He's much bigger, a better passer, quicker and more solid in the corners.
Yay, eva and the small sample size. Woooo. Prior to this season Mule has outscored Hudler at even strength every year going back to 2007-08. Sure Hudler's having a good EVS scoring this year, but so did Cleary last year and the year before. Does anyone really view Cleary as a great scorer? Of course not. Everyone knows Z and Mule are our best scorers with guys like Fil, Pavs, Cleary and Hudler filling up the rest of the top 5 from year to year. Add in Power Play scoring and it becomes even clearer that Mule and Z are our best goal scorers.
Small sample size? Over 70 games is a small sample size now??
Also, Hudler has more goals than Zetterberg at ES and total. Even with the fact that he's been playing the point on the PP. He's also scoring at a better GPG rate than Datsyuk. I won't even get into ice time.
Hudler would be tied for 38th in PP goals if ranked among defensemen. That's equivalent to 7 goals by forward rankings... a five goal increase. That would tie him with Franzen. Then consider the fact that (per game) he has played a minute less at ES and a minute less on the PP.
And I started by saying "Not this season." did I not? If we're going with the "Well, look at last year and the year before!" argument, why was Hudler bashed so heavily after last year? He had scored 23 goals and 57 points his previous season and had a great second half - if you count back to the beginning of 2008-09, but take away his first 30 games of last year, he has 53-83-136 in 198, or 22-34-56 per 82 games.
That suggests HEAVILY that the first 30 games of last year were a slump combined with a readjustment period, does it not?
My argument was confined to this year. And this year, Franzen has not been the team's most effective goal scorer; he's simply the one who's given the best situation by the coach.
It's not unlike the Shanahan/Hull situation in St.Louis in the early 90s. Hull was supposed to be the primary scorer, but Janney had better chemistry with Shanahan. So even though Hull was supposed to be "the guy", Shanahan ended up being the team's most effective scorer.
I'm sorry but when has Wings' PP strategy ever been about getting the puck to Franzen? It hasn't. Mule is good at scoring when he gets space and he can track down pucks around the crease, that's all. They're not setting him up like he's Stamkos and they never have been. They're setting up Lidstrom or White for the point shot.
The Wings' PP isn't about trying to score from the point, and hasn't been since Mathieu Schneider left town. Lidstrom often intentionally shoots wide to get a planned rebound off the boards to Franzen or another forward.
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Hudler if given space can't take the puck at the boards, take a few strides and wrist the puck past a goaltender like Franzen can. I don't care with his goal count is or isn't this season, he's just not that type of player.
Hudler doesn't need to be "given" space. He's more than capable of creating his own space. And your comment shows exactly how little you know about him because Hudler is lethal offensively when playing from the low boards.
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He's a pass-first guy who often passes the puck when he has a scoring chance. I'm happy he's scoring when given a chance with Z and Flip, but he's still not a "scorer" let alone our best one.
Tied with Dany Heatley and Shane Doan, more than Alexander Semin, Pavel Datsyuk, Patrick Kane or Henrik Zetterberg. Sounds like he's scoring pretty well given that he's not getting PP time at forward.
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Franzen and Hudler have very little to do with each other for that matter. Their roles/playing styles are completely different and usually they're on different units, even if it happens. I have seen that Pavel, Z, Franzen unit you talk about but "often" is completely false. If I would guess, in less than 10 games this season. I remember it during our home streak, other than that I can't recall seeing it this season. We've tested a lot of different setups, and even more lately with the injuries.
Wings PP units when healthy and considering our recent lines will probably be either:
A)Pavel, Mule, Homer, Nick, White
B)Z, Flip, Hudler, Kronner, Quincey
Top heavy edition:
A)Pavel, Z, Homer, Nick, White
B)Hudler, Mule, Flip, Kronner, Quincey
Earlier in the season(pre-Quincey) we had:
A)Pavel, Homer, Cleary(or Bert can't remember), Nick, White
B)Z, Mule, Flip, Hudler, Kronner
When the Quincey deal was made, I was hopeful that it meant Hudler would be moved up front. Naturally, of course, that didn't happen.
Hey guys, i've got round two of keeper league playoffs.
I've read/heard the general stuff that Babcock wants everyone back by friday but are you hearing anything Franzen will be back for either of the CLS games.
I'd really like to play him on a 4 day week but if it turns into only 2 games I might go with someone like Clarkson or Hemsky.
Is Johan Franzen back for tonight name. I didn't look if he playing today. I stop watch after the score was 4-1. If he not playing tonight. Do you think Johan Franzen will be back for Friday game?
