Lol (frank)ing crybaby. Write another essay about Blashill.
- Feds91Stammer

F off whiner. It's all you're good at.

F off whiner. It's all you're good at.
- gergeswillems

lol wut

It’s 2020. If your argument is based on probert and kocur you have no argument.
- Feds91Stammer

Just an example that supports my argument. My argument is that if players don't protect each other nobody else will. The refs and the league sure as heck won't. That argument is still valid today in 2020... just as it was then. That's just common sense.

Just an example that supports my argument. My argument is that if players don't protect each other nobody else will. The refs and the league sure as heck won't. That argument is still valid today in 2020... just as it was then. That's just common sense.
- Vladdie_Kon1

Lucic is on the ice when Savards career was ended. Great protection. Common sense you say. Gtfoh.

Lucic is on the ice when Savards career was ended. Great protection. Common sense you say. Gtfoh.
- Feds91Stammer

It's a physical game... of course somebody can get injured at any given time. That's your argument ? That's a joke. The idea is that players can cut down on some of the cheap crap. Intimidation is still part of the game.

Just an example that supports my argument. My argument is that if players don't protect each other nobody else will. The refs and the league sure as heck won't. That argument is still valid today in 2020... just as it was then. That's just common sense.
- Vladdie_Kon1

My counter-argument is that if your answer to perceived cheap shots is to respond with retaliatory violence, that's not really a great example of players "protecting one another." Rather than deterring anything, it just puts everybody in greater danger.

The correct way to cut down on the cheap crap is stricter disciplinary action both in-game (e.g., lower tolerance for unnecessary roughness, lower threshold for major penalties) and post-game (suspensions.) If after-the-whistle crap or obvious dangerous hits consistently put your team at a competitive disadvantage, you can bet that players would learn quickly.

I sympathize with you that league itself doesn't do a good enough job of this and needs to set (and stick to) stricter standards. I disagree that players "policing" themselves is the appropriate alternative. In my opinion that's just taking a bad situation and making it worse.

My counter-argument is that if your answer to perceived cheap shots is to respond with retaliatory violence, that's not really a great example of players "protecting one another." Rather than deterring anything, it just puts everybody in greater danger.

The correct way to cut down on the cheap crap is stricter disciplinary action both in-game (e.g., lower tolerance for unnecessary roughness, lower threshold for major penalties) and post-game (suspensions.) If after-the-whistle crap or obvious dangerous hits consistently put your team at a competitive disadvantage, you can bet that players would learn quickly.

I sympathize with you that league itself doesn't do a good enough job of this and needs to set (and stick to) stricter standards. I disagree that players "policing" themselves is the appropriate alternative. In my opinion that's just taking a bad situation and making it worse.
- Sven22

A team doesn't have to stand tall but they do have to stand up. The Enforcer age has long been extinct. But any successful team still needs some kind of physical element. I don't mean fighting. I mean not willing to be pushed around and intimidated. If an opponent can push you around they will. Even your skill guys should be tough to play against. No one pushed Datsyuk around. He earned his ice. Physical hockey still matters today. I'm not saying we need to be the Broad Street Bullies. But I don't want to see Ice Capades either.

Physical players support the skill players so well. Not goons like Stu Grimson. But guy's like Marty Lapointe, Darren McCarty, Dallas Drake. Guy's who can take a regular shift and not hurt the team. The stars are always going to be the most important. Any Cup team needs high end talent like Yzerman, Fedorov, Shanahan, Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Lidstrom, etc.

But we saw it the past 2 playoffs. Washington physically intimidated Vegas in the SCF. While the stars like Ovechkin, Kuznetsov, Backstrom, Carlson played great, Tom Wilson's physical play was a factor. High end skill plus a solid physical presence is tough to beat. The Blues played an aggressive smash mouth style which wore teams down in a long playoff series.

So while I don't advocate the Red Wings acquiring, signing or drafting a bunch of mouth breathing, knuckle dragging cave men, I do want Yzerman to compliment his skill with will. Be hard to play against. Finish your checks. Be competitive. Aggressive. Stick up for yourself and your teammates. That's not goon hockey. It's successful hockey. You can't have an entire roster of skill players and expect to win anything in the playoffs.

A team doesn't have to stand tall but they do have to stand up. The Enforcer age has long been extinct. But any successful team still needs some kind of physical element. I don't mean fighting. I mean not willing to be pushed around and intimidated. If an opponent can push you around they will. Even your skill guys should be tough to play against. No one pushed Datsyuk around. He earned his ice. Physical hockey still matters today. I'm not saying we need to be the Broad Street Bullies. But I don't want to see Ice Capades either.

Physical players support the skill players so well. Not goons like Stu Grimson. But guy's like Marty Lapointe, Darren McCarty, Dallas Drake. Guy's who can take a regular shift and not hurt the team. The stars are always going to be the most important. Any Cup team needs high end talent like Yzerman, Fedorov, Shanahan, Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Lidstrom, etc.

But we saw it the past 2 playoffs. Washington physically intimidated Vegas in the SCF. While the stars like Ovechkin, Kuznetsov, Backstrom, Carlson played great, Tom Wilson's physical play was a factor. High end skill plus a solid physical presence is tough to beat. The Blues played an aggressive smash mouth style which wore teams down in a long playoff series.

So while I don't advocate the Red Wings acquiring, signing or drafting a bunch of mouth breathing, knuckle dragging cave men, I do want Yzerman to compliment his skill with will. Be hard to play against. Finish your checks. Be competitive. Aggressive. Stick up for yourself and your teammates. That's not goon hockey. It's successful hockey. You can't have an entire roster of skill players and expect to win anything in the playoffs.
- gergeswillems

At this point I think we're talking about different things.

I'm not saying take the hitting or the physicality out of the game. I'm not saying don't finish your check. By all means, be physical. Work hard. Put the body (legally) on the puck carrier to separate him from the puck or force a possession change.

I'm talking about statements like (sorry to pick on you Vladdie) "Hayden and Subban would have both gotten their heads knocked off if Big Mac had been on the ice (he sticks up for his teammates)." I'm talking about fighting, retaliation, after-the-whistle aggression, and going out hunting for big hits to make a statement. There's a big difference between being physical / tough to play against and "players policing themselves."

At this point I think we're talking about different things.

I'm not saying take the hitting or the physicality out of the game. I'm not saying don't finish your check. By all means, be physical. Work hard. Put the body (legally) on the puck carrier to separate him from the puck or force a possession change.

I'm talking about statements like (sorry to pick on you Vladdie) "Hayden and Subban would have both gotten their heads knocked off if Big Mac had been on the ice (he sticks up for his teammates)." I'm talking about fighting, retaliation, after-the-whistle aggression, and going out hunting for big hits to make a statement. There's a big difference between being physical / tough to play against and "players policing themselves."
- Sven22

I agree on that. There's no need to be a dirty team trying to serve vigilante justice. Will with skill is what I want for the Red Wings. I think Yzerman is looking for this quality in his players. At least I hope he is.

Hey Jeremy been reading the blogs since you came onto the site really appreciate the work your doing for us.

Just curious on who do you guys think the wings draft If we fall out of the top two? At this point it seems pretty certain lafreniere and byfield are a lock at 1&2.

Just curious on who do you guys think the wings draft If we fall out of the top two? At this point it seems pretty certain lafreniere and byfield are a lock at 1&2.
- Bfabb98

Stutzle

Just curious on who do you guys think the wings draft If we fall out of the top two? At this point it seems pretty certain lafreniere and byfield are a lock at 1&2.
- Bfabb98

Stuetzle or Drysdale for me. Maybe Yzerman surprises us again. But we're getting an excellent player no matter what.

It is horrible. At one point I’m asking myself, “am I being too hard on this team”? And then Jack Hughes starts throwing his “weight” around. Good grief.
- Jeremy Laura

Jack throwing his 170! Lbs (listed weight but probably less) around because he was sick of douchbags running him.

So someone got a stick to the chops they totally (frank)ing deserved and somebody left injured. You (frank) with the Devils you get burned female dog.

Stuetzle or Drysdale for me. Maybe Yzerman surprises us again. But we're getting an excellent player no matter what.
- gergeswillems

From the research that I’ve done I really like stuetzle

Stutzle
- Feds91Stammer

I agree.

At this point I think we're talking about different things.

I'm not saying take the hitting or the physicality out of the game. I'm not saying don't finish your check. By all means, be physical. Work hard. Put the body (legally) on the puck carrier to separate him from the puck or force a possession change.

I'm talking about statements like (sorry to pick on you Vladdie) "Hayden and Subban would have both gotten their heads knocked off if Big Mac had been on the ice (he sticks up for his teammates)." I'm talking about fighting, retaliation, after-the-whistle aggression, and going out hunting for big hits to make a statement. There's a big difference between being physical / tough to play against and "players policing themselves."
- Sven22

I think we agree that none of us want goon hockey. And I don't think retaliatory actions are going to solve things either. My comment about Hayden, Subban and MacIlrath was a little over the top

My frustration (as you mentioned) is with the league not setting up and enforcing disciplinary action on any kind of consistency. It's been a joke for the last decade. I do think that tough players can and still do help deter some of the cheap shots and prevent liberties from being taken.

In a perfect NHL (or at least a much better NHL) players would have the fear of God in them if they knew intentionally ramming somebody's head into the boards had a very severe suspension and long term ramifications. Even though fighting is down (which is a good thing for a family sport) the dirty stuff is not going away. If the league would enforce a serious disciplinary policy on a consistent basis we'd all be happier.

Jack throwing his 170! Lbs (listed weight but probably less) around because he was sick of douchbags running him.

So someone got a stick to the chops they totally (frank)ing deserved and somebody left injured. You (frank) with the Devils you get burned female dog.
- Queenie_5_hole

You’re a idiot.

Jack throwing his 170! Lbs (listed weight but probably less) around because he was sick of douchbags running him.

So someone got a stick to the chops they totally (frank)ing deserved and somebody left injured. You (frank) with the Devils you get burned female dog.
- Queenie_5_hole

You want answers? You want ANSWERS! You can't handle the truth! Jack Hughes put Red Wings LIVES in danger! He had no code. And the NHL was watching. Jack Hughes will rip your neck off and pi$$ down your dead skull! All you did was weaken a lottery team today Jackie! That's all you did! You put Red Wings LIVES in danger! Sweet dreams son!

You want answers? You want ANSWERS! You can't handle the truth! Jack Hughes put Red Wings LIVES in danger! He had no code. And the NHL was watching. Jack Hughes will rip your neck off and pi$$ down your dead skull! All you did was weaken a lottery team today Jackie! That's all you did! You put Red Wings LIVES in danger! Sweet dreams son!


- gergeswillems

That’s pretty damn funny!

You’re a idiot.
- Bfabb98

Less funny.

Still funny....

...but less.

I think we agree that none of us want goon hockey. And I don't think retaliatory actions are going to solve things either. My comment about Hayden, Subban and MacIlrath was a little over the top

My frustration (as you mentioned) is with the league not setting up and enforcing disciplinary action on any kind of consistency. It's been a joke for the last decade. I do think that tough players can and still do help deter some of the cheap shots and prevent liberties from being taken.

In a perfect NHL (or at least a much better NHL) players would have the fear of God in them if they knew intentionally ramming somebody's head into the boards had a very severe suspension and long term ramifications. Even though fighting is down (which is a good thing for a family sport) the dirty stuff is not going away. If the league would enforce a serious disciplinary policy on a consistent basis we'd all be happier.
- Vladdie_Kon1

Very fair. Thanks for the discussion!