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Digging Homer and Even Sammy
by IwoCPO on 12/03/08 at 07:34 AM ET
Comments (17)
Lost in the shuffle today? Homer, Sammy and some hard-working Diggers. They’re taking a backseat as men across two nations discuss the merits of sloppiness.
Oh. You’re not? Ooookaay.
Just for you, we’ve got serious hockey business to discuss. Serious. Business.
Homer. Playing or not? As usual, depends on who you talk to. Actually, depends on who you’re listening to. Right Ansar?
“Thursday for sure, unless I have a setback. If it feels really good tomorrow, why not? No reason not to go.’‘
Awesome. Looking forward to it Homer. We, in a completely heterosexual way, miss your big ass crowding creases. So, you know, we’re happy to have you back.
Oh, but wait. You just wait one damn minute.
“He’s not playing Thursday,’’ Babcock said. “Piet (trainer Van Zant) hasn’t told me that he’s even on the horizon. Anytime it’s a back—I have a bad back every day of my life, so I know about it—we got to be real careful and intelligent how we handle it.’‘
Dave Dye says Babcock said “ain’t”. I believe him.
Here’s my opinion. I don’t care if Tomas Holmstrom ever plays another regular season hockey game in his life. I don’t. Holmstrom doesn’t need a few games to “get his rhythm” back. Rhythm? Homer’s got none. He doesn’t need a few games to “get his legs under him”. That’s, umm, never been an issue.
Rest him Mikey. Rest him until he’s frothing. Let him out for a few games then sit him again. In other words, piss Homer off. Remember when he came back against the Poultry? He was on fire, because he was angry at the world. We like Homer that way.
Sit him, even if he’s healthy. Then make fun of him in the press. Then tell him he’s gonna play, but sit him again. Do that a few times in a row. I’m telling you. Piss him off before you bring him back.
Here’s a line that might make you throw up in your mouths just a little bit.
“I’m a big believer that this is a perfect environment for Sammy,’’ Babcock said. “He’s found a home here in Detroit. The players he gets to play with, the way the team plays, is perfect for him. And yet I think he’s way better, and there’s way more in there. We just got to find a way to get it out.’‘
Ansar, you little punk ass. Don’t you dare do that to us. Don’t you do it.
He doesn’t stop there. He goes on to talk about William Tell’s prowess on the point. He says other players on the Detroit Red Wings like Sammy there, that he plays well with Kronwall and that he passes and shoots and does all sorts of stuff that hockey players like to do when their team has one more player on the ice than the other team does.
And then? This.
“Hopefully you’ll see me here for 10 more years,’’ Samuelsson, who turns 32 on Dec. 23, said. “I don’t think there’s a better place to play hockey than Detroit. But it’s nothing I try to think about too much. I’m trying to enjoy this year and (make) the best out of it and make sure they want to keep me.’‘
My gut reaction? To set myself on fire.
But dammit. Here we go. Be objective, because that’s how we roll here Motherf**kers. The guy’s actually playing…well. He’s abrasive. He does fit in well on the second line. He’s putting points up and we’ve never given him the credit he deserves for the brand of defense he plays.
So, let’s just lay off Sammy for a while, ok?
Not a chance. I see him on the power play and I start rocking back and forth. Even strength? I can dig it. But….screw it. He’s a Babcock project and he’s not going anywhere any time soon. Staying on the point, undoubtedly. Firing shots. Hitting glass. Breaking jaws.
Missing the net. And you know the problem with a point guy who misses the net? No sloppy seconds.
Classy. That’s me.
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Comments
All the Avery BS isn’t that interesting to me. Just more meddling from Gary .Ass in what should have been up to the team to handle.. I mean it’s not like Avery had a loaded pistol shoved in his sweat pants in a night club….
The SPEWING man love for Sammy put up by Khan! has me freaking boiling. Gotta find a way to let Sammy out? Agreed, right out of the Winged Wheel sweater. JFC I just don’t get it.
Posted by MOWingsfan19 on 12/03/08 at 09:34 AM ET
but he isn’t robert lang, i will give him that.
Posted by christpuncher from Detroit, MI on 12/03/08 at 10:16 AM ET
I stand by my theory that Babcock is just trying to make Sammy look as good as possible so that he can get the most out of him in a trade. It may not be true, but it provides me much comfort.
Posted by Sadie from Ann Arbor, MI on 12/03/08 at 10:35 AM ET
I stand by my theory that Babcock is just trying to make Sammy look as good as possible so that he can get the most out of him in a trade.
I can only hope that’s true about both William Tell AND Lils.
Posted by clemshady from Greenwood, SC on 12/03/08 at 10:41 AM ET
And yet I think he’s way better, and there’s way more in there. We just got to find a way to get it out.
Well, Babs, hire a psychic, a reflexologist or anyone else necessary to “get it out” of Sammy. Like Lilja, he’s played surprisingly well this year but he can be better. All he has to do is figure out how to get the puck on net. Currently, he’s on pace for 54 assists, but only 17 goals…a total he probably could double if he could just control that slap shot.
Now that the Wings schedule will actually allow time for some practice, maybe St. Nick needs to spend some quality one-on-one time with Sammy. “See the net there, Sammy. That’s your target. Stop trying to scare the hell out of the folks behind the glass.” 
Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 12/03/08 at 10:52 AM ET
St. Nick would never use the H-E-double hockey stick word…he’s too perfect for profanity.
Posted by Animal Drew from A Nightmare on Helm Street on 12/03/08 at 11:11 AM ET
It’s all fun and games until Sammy takes out Huds, or Mule with one of his errant shots… or the goalie judge.
Posted by ITDeuce from The Land of Ice and Snow on 12/03/08 at 01:33 PM ET
I know Samuelsson has a history of missing the net, but he’s been okay so far this year. Here are some stats. First number is shots on net, second is missed shots, third is blocked shots, with percentages (of total shots attempted) in parentheses. All counts are pro-rated to 24 games played:
Hossa: 101 (71%)—40 (28%)—2 (1%)
Zetterberg: 95 (70%)—33 (24%)—9 (6%)
Datsyuk: 65 (70%)—15 (16%)—13 (14%)
Franzen: 73 (71%)—23 (22%)—8 (7%)
Cleary: 62 (69%)—18 (20%)—9 (10%)
Filppula: 41 (66%)—15 (24%)—6 (10%)
Hudler: 53 (82%)—9 (14%)—3 (5%)
Samuelsson: 75 (77%)—16 (16%)—7 (7%)
Samuelsson’s done a better job hitting the net than every other comparable forward except for Hudler. This isn’t a perfect comparison, because Hudler plays a larger percentage of his time on the PP than anyone else, Filppula doesn’t get any PP time, and Samuelsson’s PP time happens with him on the point. But that should lower his on-net percentage, if anything. It is true that when he misses, Samuelsson often misses very wide, so I guess there’s a chance the stat-trackers mistake those missed shots for missed passes…
(Something I just noticed while looking at these stats—Lilja has 16 shots, 8 missed shots, and 34 blocked shots. How do you have more than twice as many blocked shots than ones that got through? How does that even happen? Defencemen get a much larger percentage of their shots blocked than forwards—Lidstrom has 53/25/23, for instance—but no one else is even close to Lilja’s blocked%.)
Posted by Ryan from Toronto on 12/03/08 at 02:03 PM ET
My thoughts on the Anti-Diggers quarter ratings.
Posted by moore00 from Columbus, OH/Grand Rapids, MI on 12/03/08 at 02:24 PM ET
Sammy. Like Lilja, he’s played surprisingly well this yea
?
Has their game really changed, or is it the “same ol’, same ol’...” that appears
“surprisingly well”, because the rest of the team is under performing…?
Posted by HockeyTownTodd on 12/03/08 at 03:30 PM ET
.........No sloppy seconds.
Classy. That’s me.
I did not see that one coming!
LMAO if the office and the secretary says…“Dare I ask?”
Thanks Chief!
Posted by Rumbear from Top O da Hasek, sippin rum & catchin some rays on 12/03/08 at 04:13 PM ET
Sammy shoots so much better when he is at least as close as the face-off circles. He just cannot see the net from the blue line.
Posted by w2j2 on 12/03/08 at 04:53 PM ET
I always shake my head when the Lilja/Samuelsson/Hudler was going strong. Of course, no one is hating Hudler anymore since he’s playing so well.
Really, those are good players. Brad Stuart? He’s not that good. Filppula this year…ugh.
Posted by Tyler from Arizona on 12/03/08 at 05:19 PM ET
Has their game really changed, or is it the ”same ol’, same ol’...” that appears ”surprisingly well”, because the rest of the team is under performing…?
Both are scoring more and getting in trouble less than they did last year. And, overall, the wings are performing very well, with the possible exception of team defense and the goalies. So, I’d say it’s not a comparative improvement for Sammy & Lilja. It’s an actual improvement.
Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 12/03/08 at 07:20 PM ET
Brad Stuart? He’s not that good.
Well, I’d hate to think where the Wings would be right now if he wasn’t around. Defensively, he’s both out-playing and out-hitting Kronwall.
Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 12/03/08 at 07:26 PM ET
Late to the point, but I’m sorry…Cleary is putting in a sub-par performance this year:
Cleary: 62 (69%)—18 (20%)—9 (10%)
Dear god, he’s only shooting 99%! Lazy good for nothing…
But Hudler…Oh, Happy is gving 101%:
Hudler: 53 (82%)—9 (14%)—3 (5%)
Amazing. Forget about re-signing the Big Three, the Oompa-Loompa can manipulate the laws of time and space themselves with less than ten minutes of ice time per night! Imagine what he could do on the top line! Re-sign him now!
Posted by AndrewFromAnnArbor from Fortress Europe on 12/04/08 at 10:20 AM ET
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You just had to drop it in there, Cheif…didn’t you? Otherwise, a completely refreshing little tidbit and a much needed break from all this sloppy talk. I know that Homer has his pads reinforced with kevlar, but if that can’t keep his back safe, what else can you do?
Posted by Animal Drew from A Nightmare on Helm Street on 12/03/08 at 07:58 AM ET