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Bettman
Everybody loves to hate the Commish. I admit, I'm not a big fan myself. But the fact is, if he is as bad to the NHL as so many seem to think he is, he wouldn't be Commissioner. I'm not sure what it takes to remove him, but it would appear that those who have the power to do so, the team owners, have no desire to do so. And if you're wondering why, it's actually very simple. The NHL is a business, just like any other, and so are the teams. The point of any for-profit business is to make money. If the majority of teams are satisfied w/ the money they are bringing in (although it would seem they shouldn't be) they are not going to change league management. That said, it would appear the owners are, at least for the most part, content w/ the way the league is being run. If they weren't, Bettman would be gone, end of story. Complain all you want, but Bettman isn't going to change things because YOU as the fan want him to. It's not up to you. You have no say. Sorry, thats just the way is. He answers to the team owners. It's his job to make them happy, not you. Yes, fans are the "customer" so to speak, they are the ones that buy the tickets, jerseys etc.; but the same people that complain day in and day out about NHL management are still spending money on the NHL. And as long as that is the case, nothing is going to change.
Reminds of my days working as a stock clerk for a major retailer. Customers would whine all day long about different things. But they kept coming back day after day, spending money. Meanwhile, the retailer profitted billions. Despite all the complaining, they must have been doing something right. If the company was really that bad, they wouldn't keep coming back in droves, right? Fact is, too many people like to b***h. Maybe it makes them feel better, I don't know.
BOTTOM LINE IS, IF THE NHL IS REALLY THAT BAD YOU WOULDN'T KEEP OPENING YOUR WALLET.
YESSSS!!!
Hockey Maven: Finishing 25th and getting into the draft lottery may be how teams in your state do it (Pittsburgh), but that is not how its done in HockeyTown. Winning, getting into the playoffs every year is better than being a bottom feeder for a decade to get a Crosby and a Malkin.
On another note, the Canadiens would be smart to start their back up goalie tonight as the Wings have made Auld and Clemmensen look like Brodeur the past 2 games.
No Fix, No Conspiracy, just a horrible call
I'm feelin you now Milhouse. Good reply.
OOPS!
I posted earlier about the "6 men on the ice non-call" during the finals last year. What I should have said is "too many men on the ice non-call". Obviously, there are supposed to be 6 men on the ice at even strength. I wasn't counting the goalie when I posted that. Whoops!
BTW, the 11/16/09 issue of "The Hockey News" is calling Nick Lidstrom "still the best" defenseman in the NHL. He was voted as having the best point shot, the best first pass, the best shutdown player, and the top mentor. Niklas Kronwall was voted #2 in the top open ice hitter behind Dion Phaneuf. Curious though, Brian Rafalski was voted best small defenseman?
No Fix, No Conspiracy, just a horrible call
Couldn't agree more with Bio on this one. I can handle mistakes, but when an official is called on it and is too stubborn, arrogant, or corrupted to overrule himself, then I have a problem. Getting the call correct should be his top and only priority. Larue seemed like he didn't care what really happened, he wasn't changing his call. And that is just wrong.
No Fix, No Conspiracy, just a horrible call
Milhouse, its a little bit different when last night's no goal call and the 6 men on the ice non-call in the finals last year are from the same ref. Yes there are calls that go both ways, but when there is a history of calls, or the lack thereof, going against the Wings and coming from the same official, the fans have a right to be miffed. Maybe we have a NBA type gambling scandal on the horizon.
Bert
Unfortunately, no matter what he does or how well he plays, he is still going to get trashed in this forum. Now that Lilja is on the LTIR, people need someone else to rip on. Call me crazy, but I don't think its fair to criticize someone who is working his bum off to put the puck in the net. If he was loafing and giving an alf-hass effort, I would say he deserves it, but that is not the case w/ Bert right now.
what management should have done
Young players who are any good don't sign one year contracts. Older veterans do. That's why the Wings signed Bert and Williams to one year deals. This also frees up significant cap space next year. If the Wings had signed "younger players" they would be stuck with their contracts next summer.
PC - Lids
4 mil sounds about right. As good as he is, he will be 40. I just don't see anyone, not even Glen Sather, paying 7.5 mil for a 40 year old d-man. He will make far less next year, even if it is not in Detroit. And please forgive the blasphemy.
PS, Kovalchuk will be available next summer if he doesn't sign w/ ATL, who would want to? Dare to dream.
Wings Outlook
Couldn't agree more PC. And don't forget that the Wings pay less for 2 goalies than most teams pay for one. I don't have an MBA, but I still know that getting more for less money than your competition is sound business practice. And even though they weren't popular acquisitions, Williams and Bertuzzi for 1.5 mil each was a steal. And yet every summer the rants about KH continue.
Franzen
Wow, what a bizarre injury. MCL injuries are the most common knee injury among athletes. I don't know that I've ever even heard of a torn ACL w/o significant injury to the rest of the knee. The only way that I can think of that would cause this would be if some sort of trauma caused the femur to move forward or backward and the tibia to remain stationary or move in the opposite direction at the same time. The incident PierreC described sounds like the culprit. 4 mos sounds really optimistic too. Ligaments have poor blood supply and take a long time to heal. I hate to say it, but 6 mos.sounds more realistic.
Lebda
Mentioning Lebda in the same sentence as Paul Coffey is an insult to Coffey. He is a HOF player. Lebda will never be. Sandish Ozolinsh seems more appropriate.
blackout BS
I have Verizon FIOS. Here in Fort Wayne it comes with the Chicago sports package, and you can't choose another city. The game is blacked out on NHL Network, so I'm forced to watch it on CSN-Chicago. Those guys are always impartial. The play by play announcer has a very irritating voice, you would think that Kane is Wayne Gretzky. I need a puke bag. Where do those fighter pilots get those things?
lines/goalie
Don't see Dats and Z playing together. Plenty of finishers at forward, not even enough playmakers. Need to split them up to spread out the talent.Don't see E playing with Lids, too big of a jump. Can see him playing w/ Kronner on 2nd pairing, closer in playing style than Lids. Bump Stuart to 3rd pair w/ Lebda. As far as goal, give it time. Eventually, someone will have a goalie that steps up and steals a starting job, like Thomas in Boston and Hiller in Anaheim did last year. That team will be looking to make a trade (TOronto maybe?). Howard, Stuart, and a pick should do nicely.
POOL PLAY ABOUT TO BEGIN!!!
I could not agree more in regards to an 8 team playoff format. When more than half of the league makes the playoffs, it diminishes the accomplishment of making it, drags the playoffs out over 2 months, and allows teams like the Ducks in 03 and the Oilers in 06 to make the SCF when they don't deserve to be there.Take the 3 division winners and the non-division winner with the best record, a wild card, from each conference and that's it.Surprisingly, if the NHL had done this when they did away with the divisional playoffs in 94, the Wings playoff streak would still be intact. A top 4 seed 15 years in a row, that has to be some kind of record in any sport.
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