Matt at OTW has Chelios out….

Who’s in? Lilja…....

Posted by Rumbear from Sandy Eggo on 05/19/08 at 01:17 PM ET

This isn’t doing anything to help my shaky nerves. Happy on the second line is good, but why break up our most effective line from the past two games?

And it looks like Homer’s getting his chance to redeem himself. As is Lilja. How about two Homer tip in with his ass in Turkey’s face, and Lilja playing like Nick or Nik? Redemption fellas, earn it.

Posted by Alex in Cambridge, Ontario (Canada EH!) on 05/19/08 at 01:25 PM ET

For all the good that Uncle Mike has done for this team since he has gotten here, I for the life of me, cannot understand why he keeps giving certain players the opportunity to play that just suck.  If he wants to sit Cheli tonight, that’s fine, but why in God’s name does it have to always be Lilja that replaces him when he gets the night off.  I know most of us among The 19 will agree that Lilja is a waste of a roster spot and that Meech’s talent was proven earlier this season and is being wasted with him not playing.  And don’t give me the argument that “Lilja has size”.  So f**king what!!  He sucks, bottom line.  Same thing with Sammy right now, and Jason Williams (prior to him being traded).  I really like what Babs does for this team, but his “patience” to stick with players who don’t, won’t or can’t do anything for this franchise just drives me bat-shit insane (Dom reference).  We have enough depth that Babs should not be giving the same useless guys chance after chance to consistently do nothing.  Could Home Keys possibly do any worse than Sammy?  I’d bet my next paycheck he sure as hell could get the puck ON NET more than Sammy could.  Would Meech or Ericsson make more mistakes than Lilja?  I seriously doubt it.  I think it’s worth the risk, regardless of the time of year.

Posted by Chris in Hockey Hell from COLUMBIA, TENNESSEE on 05/19/08 at 01:36 PM ET

Heck, you can’t blame Bab’s for trying to shake things up. 

D-Z-H
Hudler-Fil-Cleary
Drake-Draper-Sammy
Maltby-Helm-McCarty

3 and 4 lines good defensively and decent speed, and maybe (longshot) Drake and Draper can force a turnover which Sammy can promptly shoot—perhaps generating a rebound opportunity (God knows it would be a miracle if Sammy’s shot wound up on net).

I get the feeling tonites game will be very tight.  I’d even wager that “sloppy goals” are the norm tonite. Moreso because the ice in DAL will just plain be really bad.  It is 95 degrees today.

Pav’s loves to score on the road.  Since the Circus was pointless on Sat., maybe they are due.

Posted by Jeff OKWingnut from Quest for 12 on 05/19/08 at 01:44 PM ET

Lilja?  Lilja?!?  Lilja?!?!?

Hat dropped ... *barf*

Ericsson has size, if that’s what he wants - the kid is freaking huge!!!  And didn’t Babcock say at one point that he can’t believe they aren’t playing him because he’s going to be a stud?

It’s your choice to play him or not - PLEASE no Lilja!

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 05/19/08 at 01:59 PM ET

Baroque, that was pretty much what I was trying to say in my last post.  I know that Ericsson “doesn’t have playoff experience”, but look what happened last season with Fil and Johan in the playoffs.  No time like the present to see how much of a “stud” this guy is going to be.  Again, would he make more mistakes than Lilja, I don’t see it.  I’m like you Baroque, Please no Lilja

Posted by Chris in Hockey Hell from COLUMBIA, TENNESSEE on 05/19/08 at 02:03 PM ET

I know.

It won’t be as though Ericsson is told “you have to come in and give us 30 spectacular minutes because Lidstrom is out.”  Just “be smart, be composed, and don’t make stupid errors for about 12 minutes.”

I think he could handle it - I know I’d love to see him try.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 05/19/08 at 02:08 PM ET

Totally agree, Baroque.  Whenever Lilja is in the game I always have to wonder at what point in the game he’s going to be called for his first holding penalty of the game because he can’t move his big, dumb feet any faster.  I just don’t see where Ericsson is more of a liability than Lilja, like you said, for the amount of ice time the two of them would be seeing.

Posted by Chris in Hockey Hell from COLUMBIA, TENNESSEE on 05/19/08 at 02:16 PM ET

Now I know I’m going to be sick.  Please, please, please no Lilja.  Why play Dmac?  Please play Home Keys!

Posted by hockeychic from Denver, CO on 05/19/08 at 02:39 PM ET

Lilja has size.  well, so did The Enigma.  and we see how far that got him.

With Maltby on that line, he’s not as dangerous as Sammy.

ouch.  poor Malts.  that’s a pretty low blow, there, Babbles.

Posted by PaulinMiamiBeach on 05/19/08 at 02:41 PM ET

I think he could handle it - I know I’d love to see him try.

I’d rather gamble with “I think he can handle it” than go with a sure-thing “I know he’ll cost us at least a goal.”

Posted by PaulinMiamiBeach on 05/19/08 at 02:42 PM ET

Paul, my point exactly!!

Posted by Chris in Hockey Hell from COLUMBIA, TENNESSEE on 05/19/08 at 02:44 PM ET

I agree. As much as I love Dmac throw Abadabadoo in there for 5 or 6 minutes.  He can keep up, play simple and it’s not like Dmac has really been all that physical. At least he wasn’t on Sat.

Sorry but the Fil/Cleary combo hasn’t done much. I’d shift them around some at the expense of breaking the circus line up. Fil with Dats and Z with Cleary? I don’t know.

Posted by AndrewB from TN on 05/19/08 at 03:11 PM ET

I like Hudler being moved up to the second line because it seems that Fil and Hudler always play well together.

Posted by C3091 on 05/19/08 at 03:16 PM ET

I like Hudler being moved up to the second line because it seems that Fil and Hudler always play well together.

yeah, they do.  plus Filpulla has been close a few times while Hudler has scored and had some other good chances.  let them feed off of each other.  Hudler is fast and shifty, and Filpulla IMO is #3 or #4 on the Wings as far as keeping possession of the puck while being checked along the boards.

Posted by PaulinMiamiBeach on 05/19/08 at 03:24 PM ET

Meech’s talent was proven earlier this season and is being wasted with him not playing.

Wait, what?  The only thing Meech has proven this year is that when put in a 20 min role with zero pressure due to injuries he could string together a few good games.  When he played 8-12 minutes a game, which is what he’d play in the playoffs, he was awful.

Bottom line, all of these supporting player moves are irrelevant if Datsyuk and Z don’t score during tonight’s game.

Posted by Heaton on 05/19/08 at 03:37 PM ET

Tell me exactly when was Meech “awful”?  When the Wings put him in earlier this year, he played great.  Now, if you’re talking about the experiment with him at forward, I could see where you might say he didn’t play all that great, but “awful”?  Not so much.  When he got into the lineup on the blueline, he did everything for us except for score.  Not sure I would agree with your assessment, but I respect your opinion.

Posted by Chris in Hockey Hell from COLUMBIA, TENNESSEE on 05/19/08 at 03:49 PM ET

When Meech was playing 20 minutes a game when the big boys were out of the lineup he was great, he was everywhere.  At the end of that stretch and prior to that when he was on the 3rd pairing and getting limited minutes I believe he looked lost out there and not sure what to do.  I think Meech is the type of player who needs big minutes to make a contribution or even look right out there and there just aren’t the minutes to give him to do that.  I really don’t think Meech in for Chelios would be that much better than anyone else.

Posted by Heaton on 05/19/08 at 04:06 PM ET

Babbles is making these decisions partly based on game results and partly on who is performing well in practice. That’s why Helm got the nod rather than home keys.

I know everyone is ragging on Sammy for his inaccuracy, and rightly so, but he’s been a great forechecker and backchecker.

And, just to point out the obvious, the only we will know if Babbles was right, is if we win tonight.

Btw: did you it was possible to cry, pee and defecate all at the same time? I swear I’ve lost five pounds today waiting for this damn game.

Posted by Osrt on 05/19/08 at 04:46 PM ET

That’s a visual that we didn’t really need to think about…

Posted by Mike from La-La Land on 05/19/08 at 04:53 PM ET

@ Osrt: 

Thank you for sharing, but I don’t think we needed quite that much information, sweetheart.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 05/19/08 at 05:27 PM ET