Run the Jewels
Make Detroit Great Again
You must've missed the Edmonton game.
And the Washington game at JLA. We put up like 22 shots in the first period.
You must've missed the Edmonton game.
How is Nyquist trolling Holland?
Cleary in the pressbox and Nyquist tearing it up. That was a terrible signing and anyone who followed the team could have told you as much. Nyquist's obviously not trolling him - so there's no need to be overly literal.
Over-ripeness had it's time when we were clearly stocked with good NHL talent. It's run it's course and serves no purpose when you pretend you have depth by signing guys like Sammy, Cleary and Bert. Those decisions are a big part of the reason we were so bad before we called up the NHL talent getting over-ripe in Grand Rapids or - in Tatar's case - in the pressbox.
Oh and by the way I was the only guy who had Tatar, Nyquist, Sheahan and Jurco on the team when we were creating lineups this summer.
Cleary in the pressbox and Nyquist tearing it up. That was a terrible signing and anyone who followed the team could have told you as much. Nyquist's obviously not trolling him - so there's no need to be overly literal.
Over-ripeness had it's time when we were clearly stocked with good NHL talent. It's run it's course and serves no purpose when you pretend you have depth by signing guys like Sammy, Cleary and Bert. Those decisions are a big part of the reason we were so bad before we called up the NHL talent getting over-ripe in Grand Rapids or - in Tatar's case - in the pressbox.
Oh and by the way I was the only guy who had Tatar, Nyquist, Sheahan and Jurco on the team when we were creating lineups this summer.
That's true about your line-up but in fairness Jurco almost definitely won't be in the line-up when the team gets healthy, and its possible Sheahan won't either.
No way he goes down. He's a million times better than Luke and Joker. But he probably will
The least talked about aspect about icing the best possible lineup is that you're likely to spend less time on the PK. The more Detroit has the puck and spends time in the offensive zone the less penalties they will take. So not having your "regular" PKers becomes even less of an issue. And once again, it's not like we lack players who can PK.
According to most, Sheahan did and was very good on the PK. And I can only imagine he played PK at Notre Dame as well since he was considered the best defensive forward in the league.
Helm and Miller are likely in any lineup scenario. There's your top PK unit that will get the most minutes. Then you basically just need two of Sheahan, Datsyuk, Z, Alfie, Franzen, Abby, Weiss, Andy, or whoever's in the lineup to handle about a minute and a half a game. It's really not asking too much since we have many forwards who have PK experience.
The least talked about aspect about icing the best possible lineup is that you're likely to spend less time on the PK. The more Detroit has the puck and spends time in the offensive zone the less penalties they will take. So not having your "regular" PKers becomes even less of an issue. And once again, it's not like we lack players who can PK.
There's no reason for Babcock to keep Glendening over Sheahan.
There's no reason for Babcock to keep Glendening over Sheahan.
Here's what I'd like to see when Weiss and (hopefully) Franzen return.
Nyquist - Zetterberg - Abdelkader (currently too good to split up, Franzen present or not)
Franzen - Datsyuk - Alfredsson (good scoring line)
Tatar - Weiss - Sheahan (also quite good)
Miller - Helm - Eaves/Andersson (excellent checking line)
And whatever defensive pairings.
Glendening deserves the AHL more than Sheahan---though Babcock may, idiotically, send Sheahan down instead because he's obsessed with hardworking grinders, and Cleary can have fun with the Griffins also. This will leave Eaves and one defenseman on the bench.
I see a huge difference between Sheahan and Glendening.
Sheahan can play "up and down" the lineup, which gives him added value. Glendenings maxed out as a 4th liner. Sheahan can win draws better. Sheahan is a better penalty killer, though he hasn't been used there for whatever reason.
Maybe you could say Glendenings better defensively, but if that is true, it's by a tiny amount. Meanwhile Sheahan is a better offensive player in every single way by a big gap (passing, shooting, hands). Also, he looked good as the "net front guy" on the PP. Would put him there on the 2nd unit over Abby/Bert/Cleary any day. And if Franzen continues to stay out, we need a big body to assume that role.
So IMO there's a huge difference between the two. And I actually like Glendening as a player, and don't mind him on the 4th line.
Also if you keep Sheahan, I don't think you're limiting the decision to just picking a "4th line center". He can play pretty much wherever in the lineup.
I really think Sheahans played too good for them to send him down, and they will find a way to keep him. I mean Babcock emphasized putting the "best 12 guys" on the ice, and that has been Sheahan all day.
Sheahan being able to move up the line-up is irrelevant if the team is healthy.
He's not going to push Helm, Weiss or Datsyuk down the line-up and he's not going to see PP time on a healthy team. Of course, if there are injuries he'd be the first call-up but in the rare case that we're healthy the only role on the team for either Glendening or Sheahan would be as a 4th line center and penalty killer. You said yourself that they're not using Sheahan as a PK guy.
As much as I prefer Sheahan overall, I think in that role it wouldn't be surprising to see Babcock keep Glendening up and send Sheahan back to GR. He's frustrating as hell of opposing players to play against, he's been a great penalty killer getting a lot of minutes there, he's a right hand shot which we lack, and he's comfortable playing center or wing.
I'm still laughing at Babcock having used Cleary on the PP instead of Abdelkader. Err, hmm, Abdelkader is faster, stronger, and actually able to shoot the puck, and at no point during the past 30 games has he had any less than twice the number of points Cleary has had. But noooo, Babcock just wouldn't give up the hope that Cleary might return to his form from three seasons earlier. Danny was as much a black hole for offense on the power play as he was for any line on which he was played.
To illustrate just how much of a crime playing this thoroughly unsuited man on the power play was, consider these statistics: Cleary was given 1:30 of power play time per game, including numerous games on the 1st power play unit... and to go along with his zero goals and zero assists on the power play, he was on the ice for one(!!!!) power-play goal for. That's right: ONE. He was worse than useless out there. His ability to screen the goalie amounted to nothing, especially next to his general incapacity to play hockey. By comparison, Abdelkader, who still trails Cleary by a full 30 seconds in PP TOI/game (and who has only recently received time on the 1st unit), has been on the ice for six PPG for, and has three power play points in addition to his ability---vastly greater than that of Cleary---to properly play the net-front role on that unit.
The more I think about Babcock's horrendously irresponsible fixation on Cleary, the more it irks me.
While annoying, it's not going on anymore, might as well let it go. Especially since the team is playing so well.
I still live in fear of Babcock going back to Cleary. His months of overplaying the guy last season were bad enough, but his insistence on doing so this year as well---with Cleary playing even worse---made games hugely frustrating for me to watch.
I've got a sneaking suspicion that Babcock still plans to play Cleary in the playoffs.
Second line is a mess. None of those players shoot first. All look to pass. I'd honestly do:
Nyquist-Z-Abby
Franzen-Dats-Sheahan
Tatar-Weiss-Alfredsson
Miller-Helm-Glendening
Helm will play a lot of minutes. Plus, we'll never be completely healthy. Sheahan is not going anywhere. Jurco has been good, but not to the level that there's no way that he's going down.