Ansar Khan: Luke Witkowski suspended 10 games

[PelagicJoe]

You know what. Good for Witkowski for standing up for his team mates like that. That is something I miss dearly from today's NHL. I thoroughly enjoyed Mantha using his size to whoop Hamonic's sorry ass too.
I got a good laugh reading the Calgary board this morning. I haven't seen that much crying since that guy made the "Leave Britney Alone!" video on youtube.

 

[Martinez]

That sucks.
Don't change, witkowski. Im a big fan

 

[Bondurant]

You know what. Good for Witkowski for standing up for his team mates like that. That is something I miss dearly from today's NHL. I thoroughly enjoyed Mantha using his size to whoop Hamonic's sorry ass too.
I got a good laugh reading the Calgary board this morning. I haven't seen that much crying since that guy made the "Leave Britney Alone!" video on youtube.

Dilly, dilly!

Mantha is a boss.

 

[theYman]

f***in Lashoff??!?! How don't we have better options than him down in GR. Hicketts should have gotten it. Would love to see what he has. Lashoff sucks.

 

[Winger98]

I also think it is worth noting that Blashill said you hear the guys more when Witkowski is in the lineup.

For a depth signing I have really liked Witkowski and what he has brought. Stinks he will be out for 10, but he has provided value to this hockey club thus far in his role. I am always sort of surprised at how well he skates, I know we have been watching it a little while now, but for a rough and tumble guy he can really skate.

I thought this might have been the one thing really working in McIlrath's favor in getting called up. If Blashill wanted the option to keep putting an enforcer in the lineup, he'd have been the best option.

 

[GrGriffins]

****in Lashoff??!?! How don't we have better options than him down in GR. Hicketts should have gotten it. Would love to see what he has. Lashoff sucks.

But Lashoff is the perfect call up in this situation because there is a 95% chance that he is coming in "just in case" Daley can not play tomorrow night and in most reports say that Daley will dress and play tomorrow night and Lashoff will be a healthy scratch.

If there was a 100% chance that the Griffins D-man that is being called up, would be playing for the Wings tomorrow night, then I could see Hicketts, Hronek, or even McIlrath (if you need a physical presence on the blue line) being called up for a brief look.

With Lashoff being called up to Detroit, it gives Villi Saarijarvi 2 games to play for the Griffins (Fri in Iowa & Sat in Rockford) instead of watching the games from the stands.

 

[Oddbob]

Not surprised Witkowski got suspended, but I think it is quite lame that he did. He only returned after getting engaged by Tkachuk who is really looking like a little dirty coward and also sounds like a bit of an idiot, from the interview he had after the game, calling Witkowski, "that Wisniewski or whatever his name is". I know you aren't allowed to leave the bench, but that rule is for fights that start during gameplay, not for a player being escorted off the ice, who steps on the bench about 2 feet in and then returned, after another provoked him. Not that I care that he is suspended, because gameplay wise we won't lose out without him, but there is much bigger fish to fry than from this game. I know Tkachuk won't get suspended, but he should because you shouldn't allowed to provoke people in that manner, and have no consequences, especially if it leads to someone else getting suspended.

 

[Oddbob]

But Lashoff is the perfect call up in this situation because there is a 95% chance that he is coming in "just in case" Daley can not play tomorrow night and in most reports say that Daley will dress and play tomorrow night and Lashoff will be a healthy scratch.

If there was a 100% chance that the Griffins D-man that is being called up, would be playing for the Wings tomorrow night, then I could see Hicketts, Hronek, or even McIlrath (if you need a physical presence on the blue line) being called up for a brief look.

With Lashoff being called up to Detroit, it gives Villi Saarijarvi 2 games to play for the Griffins (Fri in Iowa & Sat in Rockford) instead of watching the games from the stands.

Why is Saarjjarvi not a regular in GR, how is that good for his development?

 

[Redder Winger]

Not surprised Witkowski got suspended, but I think it is quite lame that he did. He only returned after getting engaged by Tkachuk who is really looking like a little dirty coward and also sounds like a bit of an idiot, from the interview he had after the game, calling Witkowski, "that Wisniewski or whatever his name is". I know you aren't allowed to leave the bench, but that rule is for fights that start during gameplay, not for a player being escorted off the ice, who steps on the bench about 2 feet in and then returned, after another provoked him. Not that I care that he is suspended, because gameplay wise we won't lose out without him, but there is much bigger fish to fry than from this game. I know Tkachuk won't get suspended, but he should because you shouldn't allowed to provoke people in that manner, and have no consequences, especially if it leads to someone else getting suspended.

You think people should be suspended for provoking?
The consequence, I imagine, is exactly what Tkachuck wanted.
After Witkowski ragdolled the Flame on the ice after his fight, he looked up and called over more flames to fight. I think sort of provocation from Tkachuck and the Flames was well deserved.

I want a guy who can fight on this team. But Witkowski came off looking like an idiot yesterday.
Maybe McIlrath should have his job.

 

[Oddbob]

You think people should be suspended for provoking?
The consequence, I imagine, is exactly what Tkachuck wanted.
After Witkowski ragdolled the Flame on the ice after his fight, he looked up and called over more flames to fight. I think sort of provocation from Tkachuck and the Flames was well deserved.

I want a guy who can fight on this team. But Witkowski came off looking like an idiot yesterday.
Maybe McIlrath should have his job.

Not provoking during gameplay, or in stoppages, but in this instance Witkowski is already getting kicked out and escorted off, that means there should be no shit from either side during that part, and Tkachuk was just being a whiny little chicken tapping him and then hiding like a little girl.

 

[Redder Winger]

Not provoking during gameplay, or in stoppages, but in this instance Witkowski is already getting kicked out and escorted off, that means there should be no **** from either side during that part, and Tkachuk was just being a whiny little chicken tapping him and then hiding like a little girl.

i Do have a question about the layout at the Joe. Do guys usually get escorted out of the game right through their own bench like that?
Just seems like the situation is made for that kind of trouble.

 

[Claypool]

You think people should be suspended for provoking

For opposing players that make physical contact? Yes. If Witkowski gets an automatic 10 games for stepping back on the ice and not really doing anything, then a player should get an automatic 10 games for touching him. Don't even care if it was a love tap.

On a side note, it seems like one minor design flaw with the player entrance for the Red Wings is that it's so close to the opposing bench. I bet we'll see similar situations like this.

 

[GrGriffins]

Why is Saarjjarvi not a regular in GR, how is that good for his development?

At the start of the season for the Griffins, you had the following D-men in their roster:

Joe Hicketts
Robbie Russo
Brian Lashoff
Dan Renouf
Dylan McIlrath
Ryan Sproul
Filip Hronek

Saarijarvi started the season in Toledo (ECHL) because you had 7 d-men ahead of him and with the Wings putting Sproul on waivers and he cleared, force Vili to start in the ECHL and Hronek was sitting out the first 4 games as Nelson likes to play 12 forwards & 6 d-men. When the Wings made the trade to the Rangers in getting rid of Sproul, it opened up a roster spot on d for Saarijarvi, and it created playing time for Hronek.

 

[Oddbob]

i Do have a question about the layout at the Joe. Do guys usually get escorted out of the game right through their own bench like that?
Just seems like the situation is made for that kind of trouble.

Yeah that is the normal procedure, but like Ken Daniels pointed out, the linesman in this case failed to do his job, he is supposed to keep up with the player and stay between the opposition to keep garbage from happening. Really the linesman should get into some blame from his bosses for not doing his job. Obviously players will be players and always do this kind of crap, but Tkachuk shouldn't have been allowed to just skate in to start something. Also, I think you mean LCA, not the Joe.

 

[Oddbob]

At the start of the season for the Griffins, you had the following D-men in their roster:

Joe Hicketts
Robbie Russo
Brian Lashoff
Dan Renouf
Dylan McIlrath
Ryan Sproul
Filip Hronek

Saarijarvi started the season in Toledo (ECHL) because you had 7 d-men ahead of him and with the Wings putting Sproul on waivers and he cleared, force Vili to start in the ECHL and Hronek was sitting out the first 4 games as Nelson likes to play 12 forwards & 6 d-men. When the Wings made the trade to the Rangers in getting rid of Sproul, it opened up a roster spot on d for Saarijarvi, and it created playing time for Hronek.

That is the thing I don't get though, I know the Griffins want to win, but they are also there to develop our talent, and Renouf, Lashoff and Russo are not NHL'ers and really neither is McIlrath, so how much worse can our youngsters be than any of those four. At least Hicketts, Hronek and Saarijarvi have a shot to make it with us, so they should be guarantees each night. The Griffins aren't playing well anyways, so makes no sense to stick with the less talented veterans. When winning maybe it is a different story but they are playing .500 hockey right now aren't they?

 

[GrGriffins]

That is the thing I don't get though, I know the Griffins want to win, but they are also there to develop our talent, and Renouf, Lashoff and Russo are not NHL'ers and really neither is McIlrath, so how much worse can our youngsters be than any of those four. At least Hicketts, Hronek and Saarijarvi have a shot to make it with us, so they should be guarantees each night. The Griffins aren't playing well anyways, so makes no sense to stick with the less talented veterans. When winning maybe it is a different story but they are playing .500 hockey right now aren't they?

If you follow the Griffins since the start of the season, you know what is going on. Our forwards missed a lot of games so far and most of them are back in the lineup. Bertuzzi & Svechnikov missed most of the Wings training camp and when they were sent down to GR, Svechnikov missed the first 5 Griffins games and Bertuzzi missed the entire month of October before coming back from his injury. Then you had Lorito miss 3 games in a row, Street missed 3 games in a row, Holmstrom missed 2 games, and Campbell missed 2 games in a row. Your 3rd/4th line of Turgeon, Campbell, & Elson was our top scoring line to start the season. I think there were 3 games to where Nelson had the same lineup so far this season. You had Esposito, Carey, Sadowy, & Shine filling in for the injured players to where each game, you had at least 2-3 different players inserted in the line-up.

Our PP was terrible and were giving up shorthanded goals to boot at the beginning of the season, but still remains inconsistant. Griffins took way too many penalties early in the season to where our PK units were great, except for a 4 game stretch where they could not kill a penalty. Then the Sproul trade was made to where the Griffins got Matt Puempel and it took him a bit to get used to a new system. Our d was terrible as Renouf struggled early, Hicketts was making too many mistakes on the PP and in the netural zone, McIlrath played good at times, but had his issues, Russo is having a terrible season here so far, Hronek is starting to come around, but he has problems on defense that he is slowly working on, Lashoff is slow and he missed a couple of games due to injury, & Sproul played terrible on defense on the 5 games he played here to where the Wings had to make a move to clear him out. Saarijarvi I have only seen him play 1 game here in GR so far as the the other 2 games he played were on the road, so I can't judge his play right now.

 

[Number1RedWingsFan52]

10 games? Well worth it.

Yup it's not like he was going to get much playing time here, Any ways definitely well worth it.

 

[GrGriffins]

****in Lashoff??!?! How don't we have better options than him down in GR. Hicketts should have gotten it. Would love to see what he has. Lashoff sucks.

Jeff Blashill explains why Red Wings recalled Brian Lashoff over Joe Hicketts

 

[Hatter of the Beach]

Lackluster Lashoff ovet heavy hitting Hicketts? Sad!

Was hoping for a Bertuzzi and Hicketts call up

 

[newfy]

Dilly, dilly!

Mantha is a boss.

Mantha is a true friend of the crown... dilly dilly!

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

Jeff Blashill explains why Red Wings recalled Brian Lashoff over Joe Hicketts

I still think it'd be worth bringing him up for a game. I understand not wanting them to bounce back and forth, but it's clear from the start that it's temporary until Dekeyser comes back. Why not give the kid a taste of the NHL?

I guess tie goes to the veteran...

 

[Claypool]

I guess tie goes to the veteran...

He just explained it. He wants them up for multiple games, not just one.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

He just explained it. He wants them up for multiple games, not just one.

To be clear, I was kidding.

I read his explanation. Personally I still think it'd be worth giving the kid a game.

 

[Ezekial]

Tkachuk got a game, I'd link the twitter but it's been f***ing up my browser.

 

[TheMule93]