wingsnut19

I'm making this thread in hopes that a moderator will sticky it for me, and that people will post their thoughts before, during, and after any game in this thread. I'd like to include the rest of the preseason games, and the regular season games in this thread, if that is ok with everyone else, and of course if it is ok with the moderating staff. I just find it makes things less cluttered when we have one thread to discuss the games in, rather than 80 or so.

To identify which game you are refering too, please put the Date of the game, and who the Red Wings are playing as the title of your post.

Tonights roster against the Rangers (Sept. 25) is:

Johan Franzen-Pavel Datsyuk-Tomas Holmstrom
Jiri Hudler-Henrik Zetterberg-Mikael Samuelsson
Igor Grigorenko-Valtteri Filppula-Kris Draper
Dallas Drake-Tomas Kopecky-Kirk Maltby

Nicklas Lidstrom-Brian Rafalski
Niklas Kronwall-Andreas Lilja
Brett Lebda-Chris Chelios

Dominik Hasek
Jimmy Howard

I'm going to this game tonight, and looking at that lineup makes me very excited to be attending. I'm personally surprised to see Grigs in the lineup tonight given his play in so far this offseason, but I suppose its in the Wings best interest to keep giving him a chance to prove himself. I'll give a detailed analysis after the game if I can.

If I find the Rangers lineup, I'll post it.

EDIT: So far confirmed for the Rangers: Jagr, Straka, Gomez, Avery, and Lundqvist. Shanahan is not going to be in the lineup, and Drury isn't expected to be either.

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wingsnut19

Red Wings: 6
Rangers: 1

I'm not sure how much you can really say about the game outside of the fact that the Rangers did not show up to play, and the Red Wings showed up to win. I didn't pay a lot of attention to the lineup that the Rangers iced, but the Red Wings made it look like they were playing against an AHL team with a couple great players.

Some comments on the usual suspects for criticism: Grigorenko came out of the gate and looked rather lazy right to start, but he is starting to get used to where to position himself to make up for his lack of speed. As the game went on I saw him on the ice a couple times with Zetterberg, and it seemed like the coaching staff was giving him some minutes when the game was already basically in the bank, and he got left behind. He doesn't back check well, and is usually the last Red Wing into the defensive zone, though the puck wasn't in the Wings end very much. What I did like about him was that he was the only person who pushed even a little around the net when the Rangers got a little too frisky around Hasek, and he doesn't seem to adverse to getting into some rough spots to come out with the puck.

I wasn't very impressed with Filppula's play today. He took one bad penalty which I really didn't think was necessary, and his hands just were not working. He had a couple great chances to score, but couldn't capitalize because he couldn't handle the puck. Other than that he played pretty good positionally. His line made some great passing plays, and it should be a good line.

The Red Wings could have scored 2 more goals if it weren't for the collective slowness and lack of offensive prowess from Maltby and Drake, but you really don't expect much more out of a 4th line unit. Those 2, along with Kopecky, played their role quite well.

Rafalski can pass, but he can't shoot. Looked a little shaky at the start, despite getting an assist 38 seconds in, but seemed to stabilize by the end of the game.

Top 2 lines did exactly what you need the top 2 lines to do: they scored. Zetterberg and Datsyuk are ridiculous, they made the Rangers look like pylons, and made their linemates better than they are. Although, Franzen has better hands then I ever game him credit for, and he's a complete beast when he heads to the net.

D was solid, almost perfect positionally, everyone of them. Lebda is small, and got pushed off the puck pretty easy a couple times, but he is very fast... so nothing new there.

Hasek was solid when he needed to be, and on the Rangers goal there wasn't much he could have done. That was about the only major break down that the Wings had, and they had about 4 chances to clear the puck but didn't. It was bound to go in.

The only Ranger I noticed that played well was Jagr. He was really strong on the puck, but he did take a very unnecessary penalty in the 1st, mugging Rafalski when he was just trying to keep the puck in the zone.

All in all, I had a great time, and the Wings looked awesome. I hope they can keep it up during the season.

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Amoroq

and more importantly you made it out alive

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wingsnut19

Oh but just barely. Detroit is such a scary place, especially Cobo Hall.

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Dark Reign

Let the season begin!

I dont put much stock in preseason, though I watched every televised game. Looks to me like the Wings havent missed a beat, nor did I expect them to.

If there is one thing I took from the preseason, its that Franzen is better offensive player than I ever gave him credit for. He has always shown he is a very very capable NHL player but he is really showing some muscle and heart around the net. None of his goals were anything you would call pretty but who the hell cares?! How many "pretty" goals does a team net in the playoffs? Two, maybe three? Need that, like to see that.

Datsyuk is becoming an exceptional player. He has always made his linemates better, but its almost as if he has raised his ability to do that. He could skate with Drake and Draper and theyd both score 20 easy. The past couple years you could see he was a bit too imaginative in his decision making. His linemates never knew what he was going to do (except Hank). Fun to watch, no question, but not 100% effective either when your linemates are guessing what youll do next. So far it seems he has eliminated the "fancy" plays he used to try all the time. Hes simplified his approach, which simplifies the game for his teammates, which in turn will make for better success. 100 point season with ease (barring injury, of course).

Zetterberg. Two words: Future Captain. He looked like a different player without Pavel on his line. Almost as if he knows he has to be more assertive because him and Pavel couldnt play keep away anymore. Once again, thats simplifying your game...and when youre as talented as those two, that simplifies it for everyone on the ice with you. That plays to your teammates strengths, allowing them to gain confidence and bring their skills to bear with more regularity.

The two young men just had to realize that not everyone they play with is as gifted as they are. I fully expect for both of them to eclipse 100 pts (barring injury).

The defense looked...good. Not excellent, not great but certainly WAY above average. Rafalski is an elite defensemen, he'll come around in a month (or less) and show why he got the contract he did. Lilja was exceptional in the playoffs last year. No way, no way the Wings go to the WCFs without him. If he can recapture they drive he had last year, he'll be the least of the defensive worries. Lebda looks and plays small. But he is exceptionally fast. If it were me, I would go:

Lidstrom - Lilja
Rafalski - Kronwall
Chelios - Lebda

Probably going to the game tomorrow, I cant wait.

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wingsnut19

Awesome, I hope you have a good time.

But I don't like the looks of Lilja on the first D-pair... outside of the fact its pairing a poor defender with the best in the league, hopefully offsetting Lilja's incompetencies.

Anyways, first game of the season for Detroit comes against the Duckies... great. I think we lose this game, but I really hope not. I have class during the game, so I won't even be able to keep tabs on it.. so someone please keep this updated, or give a recount of the game after.

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wingsnut19

Probable lines for tonight:

DETROIT
Franzen-Datsyuk-Holmstrom
Hudler-Zetterberg-Samuelsson
Cleary-Filppula-Draper
Drake-Kopecky-Maltby

Lidstrom-Rafalski
Kronwall-Lilja
Lebda-Chelios

Hasek (starts)
Osgood

ANAHEIM
Bertuzzi-McDonald-Ryan
Kunitz-Getzlaf-Perry
Moen-Marchant-Niedermayer
Mowers-Carter-Parros

Beauchemin-Pronger
Kondratiev-O'Donnell
Huskins-DiPenta

Bryzgalov (starts)
Hiller

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wingsnut19

Zetterberg is looking great right now... I'm watching online, decided to skip my class. This guy has 100 point potential.

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wingsnut19

How much I love Datsyuk, Zetterberg, and Holmstrom. Hudler wins it for us, and Hasek does what needs to be done. Just lovely, because we earned that win.

3-2 SO win for the Wings.

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Dark Reign

What a shame to see all the empty seats.

Helluva game though. I expected nothing less. Intense for the 1st game of the season. Filpula is going to be awesome this year. 2 top lines that can really put pressure on the opposing D. Maltby was really throwing his weight around ('bout time, Malts).

Drake wanted to Kunitz to remove his helmet before fighting. When Drake unsnapped his strap, Kunitz punched him in the face, kinda dazed him for the whole fight. Fighting with a shield on while the other guy willingly takes his helmet off. That pissed me off.

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