Questions Questions: We Need Your Help!
I love round-table discussions. And as the Wings are going into the playoffs with as many question marks as they have, this is a great time for one.
Plus, NOHS has grown enough that we have enough authors to get many different perspectives on each topic. We have two authors who've played at a high level, those who grew up with the Wings and watched from near and far, those who have only recently have gotten into the sport but has shown a keen eye to what is going on, to those who have family ties to the Howe family. And of course, I’m a stupid goalie.
What we don't have, however, is questions. That's where we need your help readers. Want to know our opinion on Conklin’s butterfly slide? Bertuzzi’s missing teeth? Team MVP? My strange obsession with the Hudler picture? Send us your questions and we will answer them, round-table style, in an upcoming feature. You can then read them, ignore them, yell at us, agree, or anything you want. I think it’ll be fun and a good read.
Either send them to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or leave them in the comments below. They can be on any hockey topic, Wings or not.
I know you guys will come up with some good stuff and I can’t wait to read them. LGRW.
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Is Mike Babcock really the greatest coach we often set him up to be or is that just a sacred cow?
As a follow-up to this question about Babbles, people seemed pretty incensed following the last game that he decided to bury Goose. Per Khan...
"The Red Wings practiced with the same lines and defense pairings they used for most of Wednesday's game:
Filppula-Zetterberg-Hudler
Franzen-Datsyuk-Bertuzzi
Miller-Abdelkader-Cleary
Holmstrom-Emmerton-Mursak/Nyquist"
Based on that, Nyquist might be a scratch for Mursak to play. Is this just another classic Babcock move where his stubborness is getting in the way of good hockey?
@ThroatShot I've still not forgiven him for sitting modano in game 7 for hudler who was playing like a sack of crap at the time, dumbest thing I've seen him do I think and I genuinely believe it cost us the game and series.
@ThroatShot @Reddy I've been saying this as well. My opinion of Babcock has been forever tainted.
One thing that doesn't get mentioned is that Modano sits at 1499 games played in his career. And Bab's sat him for one game a couple games before the season ended... intentional? I think so.
Plus, Mo had been playing every night up until that game. Why wouldn't you play the same lines that had been playing for the last part of the season and getting some chemistry.
@Reddy I was not impressed with his handling of personnel in the playoffs last year either, most significantly Modano.
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#2- Same question but about Ken Holland and as GM.
My focus in these two is on their current (last 3-5 years) performance, not the great draft picks of 10 years ago, etc.
I love this idea.
So my question to the NOHS gang is, what do you personally feel is causing the Red Wings to have such late starts, especially in games against bad teams? I know the team would never admit this being professionals, but do you think they subconsciously slack on teams that have a worse record? Is it Babcock's or Lidstrom's responsibility to step in and get the team pumped up for games that the team has confidence they'll win? Or do you feel the team is over confident and relying on the fact that they're a very talented team that plays well under the pressure of being down going into the third.
Miller top line give him a shot he hustles all the time and he's been hot this year, nyquist to the zetterberg line and move mule and huds to the Abby line they'll have size and the wingers both have great shots when they shoot oh yeah kick Ericsson to the curb and put in smith he has pretty much made Ericsson irrelevant and u could prolly trade him for a low draft pick
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The Mule hasn't been skating for more than half of a season and is still looking pretty lame. Do you think they should give him a wake-up call by putting him on the lower 6 and letting Nyquist be on the top line? Do you think that would put needed energy into the Dat-tuzzi line? Or even put a scorer onto a line that has the chances every game but no one to bury them when we need them to be clutch? Your ideas.
Also now that our best penalty killer is gone do you think that Babsie should start loading up the PK like he has been by playing Flips, Pasha, and Z or should he try and get the young guys some time to try and find a niche like Helmer and Abby did?
With a new CBA coming up... both the NHLPA and NHL seem to have started the drawing the line in the sand process. What do you think will be the biggest issue, and do you think the process of a new CBA will end up hurting the fans again?
I guess my question is a two-part one. Given the state of injuries in the NHL , most notably head shots and concussions, do you think the current disciplinary standards are helping to deter that behavior? If not, what measures need to be taken to make players more safe from dangerous hits, but will not drastically change gameplay?
@brandic1313 if you ask me, "the instigator rule" shall be removed, allowing players "to police" themselves.
