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Abel to Yzerman

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Wednesday Night Digging

by IwoCPO on 09/26/07 at 08:48 PM ET
Comments (8)

Dave Waddell of the Windsor Star is another reporter, like Bruce MacLeod, I find myself delinquently forgetting about.  And that’s too bad because he’s another anti-digger.

By putting Datsyuk and Zetterberg back at their preferred centre positions, Babcock has solved one problem for his team and created some headaches for the opposition.
In Zetterberg, Babcock has got the so-called second-line centre he needed to replace the departed Robert Lang creating some challenging match-up problems for the Wings’ opponents.
Teams now have to pick their poison on whom to match-up their checking line against.

Waddell disappoints me a bit in another story posted tonite.  He claims Igor Grigorenko could very well be headed to Grand Rapids (not gonna happen), then provides a variety of quotes from Uncle Mike that don’t require a whole lot of reading between the lines.  He’ll be starting the season in Detroit.

“I know he wants to be here. We sure like the skill level that he has. Can he get a pace and a tempo to his game so he can help us, only time will tell.”

Woops.  I read a newsgroup today, one of those usenet things the geeks flock to--which makes me one too, I guess.  Anyway, some nimrod toolbag was claiming that no one in their right mind is picking the Wings to finish “anywhere near the top of the Western Conference.” Actually, it’s getting difficult to find someone who isn’t picking the Wings to win the West.

Coach Mike Babcock’s players allowed the second-fewest goals against in the league last season, and team defence will be even better now that former Devil Brian Rafalski has been inserted alongside perennial Norris Trophy winner Nick Lidstrom.

Add the offensive brilliance of Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg and scoring depth throughout, and this is a well-rounded lineup.

There’ll be worries that injuries might hamper Dom Hasek, who turns 43 on Jan. 29, but similar concerns were expressed a year ago and The Dominator was outstanding.

The Wings gave Anaheim a scare in the 2007 conference final and they are better on paper today than 12 months ago.

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Comments

I don’t want the Wings to be picked as a favorite. Too much pressure.

Posted by The Freak on 09/26/07 at 08:39 PM ET

I think any pressure is something they are familiar enough with to handle.  But don’t worry, every prediction will be couched with the “but” of playing in a weak division, so a lot of people still won’t take them seriously.  No pressure. 

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 09/26/07 at 08:44 PM ET

Splitting Datsyuk and Zetterberg solves the 2nd-line-center problem, true. But if you split them, you have Datsyuk-and-two-pluggers and Zetterberg-and-two-pluggers.

By playoff time, Babcock will have both of them on the same line again out of necessity, just like he always does.

Posted by Thomas on 09/26/07 at 08:57 PM ET

Maybe we should draft some players, eh Thomas?

So Chief, you neglected to quote this little diddy from Babblecoach: “Maltby in the last little while has been as good as I’ve seen him here.” Perhaps the old horse is feeling the pressure and stepping up. There is a lot of sentimental attachment that’s keeping him around but, to ride my hobby horse, I think he has too much experience with this system not to be a valuable model for the younger guys.

As far as Grigs is concerned, I’m inclined toward your perspective only because our division is so weak that we can afford to have an extended test run with him. I would rather see him in GR for a while, if only for assurance that he is committed to making the NHL specifically and not just playing hockey generally; I want him to prove that, which I realize is partly absurd after his near death experiences. Also, I don’t think he will be sent down because being around Dats will help with the cultural transition.

Let the puck drop and heads roll...I mean, not in that public drunken exhibitionist kind of way...except its during a Cup parade, then you’ll see me next to Nick on the float biting the head off one for every mile we ride down Woodward!

Posted by srt on 09/26/07 at 09:30 PM ET

I swear I’m not trying to bait but George posted bit of NHl.com’s preview on Snapshots; check it.

On Hudler:

“This is why there is always playoff hockey in Motown—because the Wings always draft well”

Posted by srt on 09/26/07 at 09:47 PM ET

...if you split them, you have Datsyuk-and-two-pluggers and Zetterberg-and-two-pluggers.

Well, Tommy Boy, apparently our “pluggers” are better than your stars because the Wings went to the Western Conference Finals last season while your boys went golfing.

It never ceases to amaze me how you find so much to criticize about the Wings and so little to praise about your own team..or any team for that matter. Could it be you’re only “happy” when you’re putting someone else down?

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 09/26/07 at 10:25 PM ET

whats sad is that the #1 offense in the west last season outscored the #2 seed in the east(njd) by nearly 60 goals, and didnt even make the playoffs.  So they made their #1 priority signing a 6+ mil forward.  Who needs goaltending and defense anyways?

As for those “pluggers”, as early as it may be, they are all tearing it up. Instead of having 1 dominant line, it now appears we have 2 dominant lines. Z has 7 points in 3 games ffs.  Homer has 6 points in 3 games, sammy has 6 points in 3 games, franzen 4 goals in 4 games.  It may be preseason, but apart from the rags game, the wings have only been dressing 1 offensive line, and the teams they have been playing have been attempting to match decent defensive players with no luck.  When they finally did dress the full roster, against the majority of the rangers full lineup, the wings scored 6 goals and hit 5 posts.  Not bad for a bunch of pluggers, and a bunch of pluggers who know how to play defense.

Posted by aTTicA on 09/26/07 at 11:51 PM ET

SRT, is this “blame the other blogger syndrome?”

Posted by George James Malik from South Lyon, MI on 09/27/07 at 03:07 AM ET

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