Mark Spizzirri: GAMEDAY: Blue Jackets vs. Red Wings

love nyquist but he has to shoot more

Pavel is such a stud.

send the blue jackets to the AHL

send the blue jackets to the AHL
- wingz4life

The first 3 were highlight reel goals.

The first 3 were highlight reel goals.
- snipesydangle

yes, cuz columbus cant play defense

nyquist is a keeper.
good news alquist reassigned to ahl. quine and nedomel on tryouts

Well that was a nice spanking.

We'll take the two points. This team can't get heathy fast enough... Conklin with Pearce as our two goalies is a pretty darn scary. Hope Conklin can play solid for us unitil Jimmy gets back.

So here's question.... if and when Patrick Eaves gets back who is going to sit ? Nyquist or somebody else ? My guess is that it would be Mursak ??

We'll take the two points. This team can't get heathy fast enough... Conklin with Pearce as our two goalies is a pretty darn scary. Hope Conklin can play solid for us unitil Jimmy gets back.

So here's question.... if and when Patrick Eaves gets back who is going to sit ? Nyquist or somebody else ? My guess is that it would be Mursak ??
- Vladdie_Kon1

mursak is Ritola 2.0
dont see mursak as a long term NHLer

mursak is Ritola 2.0
dont see mursak as a long term NHLer
- wingz4life

Disagree. Ritola was top 6 or bust while Mursak can play a bottom 6 role on a team like a Drew Miller.

Disagree. Ritola was top 6 or bust while Mursak can play a
bottom 6 role on a team like a Drew Miller.
- dcz28

Im starting to be less impressed with Mursak with each game.

Im starting to be less impressed with Mursak with each game.
- BooBoo997

You have to remember that he missed the first half of the season with an injury and until all the injuries he didn't play much. I'm not saying he is great but it's hard to really know where he fits in and what he can bring at this point.

As of this moment, my estimation of Jan Mursak is that he is a competent fourth-liner. But I also concede that the sample size is way too small (he's spent only 181 minutes on the ice this season -- less than Brendan Smith) for me to make any judgments with too much confidence.

I like his speed. I like his defensive play. I like his discipline (0 PIM so far). He only gets about 7-8 minutes of ice time per night, but so far the team is not getting seriously outmatched when he's out there (Corsi slightly negative; plus-minus slightly positive). True, he's fairly sheltered in that he is rarely used against top-quality opposing lines, but he's also not playing with world-beaters himself (over 3/4 of his minutes have been shared with Emmerton and Holmstrom).

The real question is if he's going to get much better. If he doesn't improve, I agree he isn't going to stick around for too long (perhaps seeking better pay or ice time somewhere in Europe). If he does continue to improve, he could be a solid 3rd liner (or better) in the NHL for several years. It's still pretty much anyone's guess.

But regardless, in the immediate term, I think he's hacking it okay, considering his role within the team. There are plenty of regular NHLers who are much worse at their jobs.

As of this moment, my estimation of Jan Mursak is that he is a competent fourth-liner. But I also concede that the sample size is way too small (he's spent only 181 minutes on the ice this season -- less than Brendan Smith) for me to make any judgments with too much confidence.

I like his speed. I like his defensive play. I like his discipline (0 PIM so far). He only gets about 7-8 minutes of ice time per night, but so far the team is not getting seriously outmatched when he's out there (Corsi slightly negative; plus-minus slightly positive). True, he's fairly sheltered in that he is rarely used against top-quality opposing lines, but he's also not playing with world-beaters himself (over 3/4 of his minutes have been shared with Emmerton and Holmstrom).

The real question is if he's going to get much better. If he doesn't improve, I agree he isn't going to stick around for too long (perhaps seeking better pay or ice time somewhere in Europe). If he does continue to improve, he could be a solid 3rd liner (or better) in the NHL for several years. It's still pretty much anyone's guess.

But regardless, in the immediate term, I think he's hacking it okay, considering his role within the team. There are plenty of regular NHLers who are much worse at their jobs.
- Sven22

I did watch Mursak some in Grand Rapids but didn't pay too much attention to him as I typically wanted to see how Nyquist and Smith were doing. But I do remember him being a good stick-handler when he had the puck. But I do agree... the verdict is still out on Mursak. We haven't really seen much of what he can do in the NHL yet. He just doesn't get much ice time in Detroit.

wtf are the red wing doing?
where is the defense?
and we are beating nashville in the playoffs?

wtf are the red wing doing?
where is the defense?
and we are beating nashville in the playoffs?
- wingz4life

holy sweet cripes were terrible on the road. I have no idea why were a non-playoff team on the road and a cup contender at home.

Im calling a 2nd round exit, yet again.

holy sweet cripes were terrible on the road. I have no idea why were a non-playoff team on the road and a cup contender at home.

Im calling a 2nd round exit, yet again.
- BooBoo997

A 2nd round exit is pretty optomistic. I don't understand how they can whoop so much ass one night, then 48 hours later they look like they are skating in quick sand. Conklin in net sure doesn't help, and Franzen is basically worthless...I have never seen anyone wave a white flag at so many 50/50 pucks. No one seems to give a poop, and the only player who consistently does is Darren Helm and he is done for the season. So are the Wings.

A 2nd round exit is pretty optomistic. I don't understand how they can whoop so much ass one night, then 48 hours later they look like they are skating in quick sand. Conklin in net sure doesn't help, and Franzen is basically worthless...I have never seen anyone wave a white flag at so many 50/50 pucks. No one seems to give a poop, and the only player who consistently does is Darren Helm and he is done for the season. So are the Wings.
- MartyBurk

I just don't understand Franzen. His effort has been so bad that I'm almost convinced he doesn't want to play for the Wings. Even lazy players will at least swipe their stick at the puck, but he doesn't even do that. He just turns the other way and glides (not even skating) the other way.

I just don't understand Franzen. His effort has been so bad that I'm almost convinced he doesn't want to play for the Wings. Even lazy players will at least swipe their stick at the puck, but he doesn't even do that. He just turns the other way and glides (not even skating) the other way.
- Striker7

he (frank)ing sucks, and stuart can take his a$$ back to Cali, sick of his mistakes
we have the big Error for that
sign Parise, sign Suter, call it a offseason

this team has done it all, won it all, seen it all


needs some new young blood on the roster

I have been talking about Franzen ALL SEASON , and your trying to figure it out
1. he is Holmstrom 2.0 when it comes to skating ability
2. he is lazy as hell

he (frank)ing sucks, and stuart can take his a$$ back to Cali, sick of his mistakes
we have the big Error for that
sign Parise, sign Suter, call it a offseason

this team has done it all, won it all, seen it all


needs some new young blood on the roster

I have been talking about Franzen ALL SEASON , and your trying to figure it out
1. he is Holmstrom 2.0 when it comes to skating ability
2. he is lazy as hell
- wingz4life

29 other teams want one or both those players too so in the end it will come down to Suter and Parise giving a team term and money and asking the team to sign the contract if they want them.


Wings will be lucky to get passed the first round playing the way they do on the road. Nyquist on the 4th line with Homer and Emmerton is a waste of his talent especially since he was playing so good with Datsyuk and both Bert and Mule have done nothing in this game.

he (frank)ing sucks, and stuart can take his a$$ back to Cali, sick of his mistakes
we have the big Error for that
sign Parise, sign Suter, call it a offseason

this team has done it all, won it all, seen it all


needs some new young blood on the roster

I have been talking about Franzen ALL SEASON , and your trying to figure it out
1. he is Holmstrom 2.0 when it comes to skating ability
2. he is lazy as hell
- wingz4life

If you are trying to say I am a little behind when it comes to Franzen, I simply made a comment about him and his play recently being worse than usually. No where in my post did I say this was the first thought it I have had, nor did I say anything to indicate this was some sort of epiphany. Relax.

If you are trying to say I am a little behind when it comes to Franzen, I simply made a comment about him and his play recently being worse than usually. No where in my post did I say this was the first thought it I have had, nor did I say anything to indicate this was some sort of epiphany. Relax.
- Striker7

First off.... I cant' say that Franzen is a defensive stalworth, but even when he was scoring 9 goals in a round vs the Avs, I wouldnt have said it then either.

The guy is making 3.9million..... here are some names around his in league scoring:

Dany Heatley
David Krejci
Bobby Ryan
Rick Nash
Joe Pavelski
Tomas Vanek

Franzen, just like many of the above is a goal scorer and when he is not scoring, doesnt bring many intangibles, but generally makes way less.

1st game back after injury, on a night when more than him didnt show up. This wasnt a Franzen racket, this was a "we dont give a poop" racket.

Furthermore, Franzen has been in the 55-60pts mark for 3 or so years now, I dont know why anyone expects more or less from him.

First off.... I cant' say that Franzen is a defensive stalworth, but even when he was scoring 9 goals in a round vs the Avs, I wouldnt have said it then either.

The guy is making 3.9million..... here are some names around his in league scoring:

Dany Heatley
David Krejci
Bobby Ryan
Rick Nash
Joe Pavelski
Tomas Vanek

Franzen, just like many of the above is a goal scorer and when he is not scoring, doesnt bring many intangibles, but generally makes way less.

1st game back after injury, on a night when more than him didnt show up. This wasnt a Franzen racket, this was a "we dont give a poop" racket.

Furthermore, Franzen has been in the 55-60pts mark for 3 or so years now, I dont know why anyone expects more or less from him.
- BooBoo997

Anyone have his first half numbers from this year and last year? It sure seems like he put up a lot of those points early on, but the point I was getting at is that he doesn't look like he wants to be out there (at least not in a Wings uniform). Last year I saw the same type of thing the back part of the season. I get what you are saying about points, but doesn't it appear to you like he's playing with less intensity? I know he was recently hurt, but if you listen to players, they say the first game back they usually feel good because of adrenaline, but the next few games are harder. When the Wings get lazy like last night, they reach and stop skating. Franzen wasn't even reaching. He was just backing off, and he did this before the injury as well.

Anyone have his first half numbers from this year and last year? It sure seems like he put up a lot of those points early on, but the point I was getting at is that he doesn't look like he wants to be out there (at least not in a Wings uniform). Last year I saw the same type of thing the back part of the season. I get what you are saying about points, but doesn't it appear to you like he's playing with less intensity? I know he was recently hurt, but if you listen to players, they say the first game back they usually feel good because of adrenaline, but the next few games are harder. When the Wings get lazy like last night, they reach and stop skating. Franzen wasn't even reaching. He was just backing off, and he did this before the injury as well.
- Striker7

A bit to apathetic, it seems. While the guy can score and put up points, he does not have a complete game, and it looks as if he only cares when he has the puck in the offensive zone.