yave1964

Yes my bad I knew that with Braun and it slipped my mind. Trying to keep too many players whereabouts in my head gets harder with age, lol

I put this one off for a bit because wow, what an awful year. I mean, the Wings have been in a six year stretch of ineptness, but nobody expected anything other than a bit of an improvement this year which happened. There is not much worse than when you expect your boys to be good and then they are not only bad but on most nights unwatchable, as a Bengal fan for fifty years and as someone who cut my teeth as a Hockey fan when the Wings were the dead things in the late seventies and early eighties I am something of an expert when it comes to unwatchable, lol. On the bright side, a lot of

I must have had good luck streaming Jones in Fantasy the few times he played well then, lol

PRESESON OUTLOOK Well they entered the year with it being a quarter century since they had last won a series in the postseason. They have been building something special in Sunrise, they were hopin for a series win, maybe more. FINAL RECORD 58-18-6 122 points first in the Atlantic. Defeated the Capitals in six games before a quick 4 game sweep by the Bolts ended their season. HIGH POINT OF THE YEAR They began the year guns a blazin' going 10-0-1 to start the year scoring 4 or more in 9 of the games outscoring their opponents in that stretch 46-24 and it was on and poppi

PRESEASON OUTLOOK A remake was done to the team, Ryan Ellis and Ristolainen were brought in to stabilize the defense, enigmatic Ghost was given away to the Coyotes. Martin Jones long time starter for the Sharks was signed to back up Hart. The player the fans loved to hate, Voracek was shipped out for Cam Atkinson, a little guy with a lot of heart and a great shot. Last minute Yandle was added to give them three defensive pairs that could move the puck. Kids like Morgan Frost and Ratcliffe were expexted to give the forwards additional spark. Truth? It was considered a near lock that they would

The problem with Risto is the price they paid, a first, second and Hagg, he was an UFA and they simply had to sign him long term or what they gave up would have looked even more ridiculous than it already was. So essentially they made two bad decisions, one giving up way more than he was worth and then to avoid losing him signing him long term. I like him a bit more than a lotta you guys but he is, at best a second pairing/second power play guy. Used right in that role he has some value but not nearly enough to justify what they paid for him and not nearly enough to justify what they are now g

That would be absurd unless he is dealt for a 1c or 1d. Anything less is a sellout.

That team was awesome. I love AHL Hockey, I take the grandkids to half a dozen Monsters games a year and the AHL versus the NHL is so kid friendly. That Monsters team that won the Calder Cup was stacked, Bjorgstrand won the playoff MVP that year. Only a few NHLers came from that team, Josh Anderson, Sonny Milano Bjorgstrand, Werenski, a couple of good goalies in Forsberg/Korpisalo, other than that the Lake Erie Monsters were loaded with a bunch of mostly career AHLers playing out the string guys like Jamie Sifers and Ryan Craig and a friend of mine, Brad Thiessen who kept trying to retire but

I on the other hand LOVE what he did in Columbus. He took over a team that was not a laughing stock, you have to be relevant to be laughed at, they were barely an afterthought. They had never won a single postseason series and only made the playoffs once in sixteen years pre-torts, they made it four times in a row, damn near upsetting eventual cup winners Pittsburgh and Washington before a sweep of the Bolts in year three and upsetting the Jackets in year four. Yes, he wears thin as Dubois will tell you but for every Dubois there is a Jenner or Foligno who would run through a brick wall for th

PRESEASON OUTLOOK A lot of people thought they would contend for second place behind the Avalanche. I cant lie, I thought they were more smoke and mirrors and didnt have enough centers to compete. I was wrong. FINAL RECORD 53-22-7 113 Points 2d in the Central. Lost in six games to the Blues in opening round HIGH POINT OF THE YEAR Lets see.... opened with a four game winning streak...After another four gamer in early November they were at 9-3-0 An eight game streak in December pushed them to 19-6-1 that eight game streak might be it, they beat a bunch of very good teams

My opinion may not be popular in here but truth is I love Torts, he is an A-Hole but has personality and the right guys on the team tend to love him, the right guys seem to hate him. He is always a short term band aid for a two to four years until he reaches the inevitable expiration date but he is never boring and neither are his teams. You could do worse. You HAVE done worse. I wouldnt be upset if the Wings snagged him knowing he is the last of a dying breed. So many coaches and players are cookie cutter with all their replies, cut/paste same stuff blah blah. Not Torts. As I said, never bori

Flyers reportedly interviewed Tortorella for head coach opening (msn.com) AAAAND discuss

PRESEASON OUTLOOK Rask out-Ullmark in. Krejci off into the sunset, Coyle moved into his role. A team that is always in the conversation with some changes but mostly intact looking for another run. FINAL RECORD 51-26-5 107 POINTS 4th in the Atlantic. Lost a 7 game series to Carolina in the first round. HIGH POINT OF THE YEAR All Eight spots in the East were basically decided before Christmas, Boston was in it was a matter of fighting for position. Boston got red hot in mid February, they defeated the Sens on February 19th 3-2 the first of a five game winning streak and

Beware the Penguins comes from the old Bud Ice commercials.... PRESEASON OUTLOOK Every year the Pens demise is predicted by some, others feel that any team with Malkin and Crosby and Letang has a chance at one more run so as it has been for five years now since their back to back cup wins the jury is divided. FINAL RECORD 46-25-11 103 points, 3rd in the Metro. Lost a heartbreaking 7 game series to the Rangers. This is their fourth straight first round loss. HIGH POINT OF THE YEAR Probably the back to back trounces of the Rags in games 3 and 4 of their serie

PRESEASON OUTLOOK THIS HAS TO BE THE YEAR!! year after year of first round knockouts, five straight elite level regular seasons shot to Hell in the first round with losses to the Caps in 6, the Bruins in a heartbreaking 7, the Bruins Again in 7, the Jackets in an embarrassing 5 games, and last years loss to the inferior Habs who they had down 3-1 in the most humiliating first round exit yet. THIS HAS TO BE THE YEAR, DOESNT IT? FINAL RECORD 54-21-7 115 points 2nd in the Atlantic. Lost a nail biting seven game series to the World Champ Lightning. HIGH POINT OF THE YEAR