He couldn't have been any worse than anything on Edmonton's blue line

Lovely. Wings' defense is tearing the team apart (even coming close to costing them a game against Buffalo), and it's hard to fix the problem because we're up against the cap, so the solution clearly is to sign someone who is maybe our third best defenseman on a good day (and fully capable of game breaking giveaways at any time) to a cap-crushing number. Excellent idea. Not up there with 4.9 mil/year for Stephen Weiss, but what is?

Before anyone who follows the Wings jumps on the idea that defense is the problem: c'mon. We can't get the puck out of the zone. Everyone forechecks us with impunity because we are zero threat to punish it, and that's because the fast, accurate outlet pass is never there. On the other hand, what is there is several giveaways per game right in front of the goal, which have been leading to an average of a goal against.

Even now that Nyquist is where he belongs, this offense is not going to make up for spotting the opposition a goal every night, with about 20 minutes of O-zone time and usually no odd-man rushes.

fwiw I still have him as the next Scott Niedermayer

Murs

No cap space, or desire to waste a roster spot.
And I've got an idiot on a Kangz board telling me that Regehr would be claimed on waivers.

Also, a nice big "**** you" to Jared Cowen, the officiating corps who let him get away with the elbow to Datsyuk's jaw, Shanahan and his minions for deciding that it would look unacceptably biased to suspend someone for elbowing a Red Wing in the head, and the (many, I gather) commentators who opined that Datsyuk dived on the play. Quite a diving performance, staying in character by missing at least three games (one down, one tonight, said not to playing against the Isles, and questionable for the Ottawa).

Lombardi, a somewhat savvy GM, gave Regehr an extension, so i have no doubt some of the GM's out there would pick him up off waivers

He has been relatively decent since being moved off Doughty's line at least. He still blows, but at least they can hide him a bit and he doesn't have to chase top lines around hte d zone as much

Sens made a huge leap with their jersey for the indoor/outdoor game against Vancouver later this season.

Ottawa's Heritage Classic jersey...



Ottawa's current third jersey...

Sign college was a long time ago: spent 5 minutes trying to parse out this equation. failed.

Ericsson is a good player for his 4.25 caphit. He's easily the Wings 2nd best right now and you can make a decent argument that he's better than Kronwall too.

DeKeyser has about as many giveaways and coverage breakdowns but much more upside, because even with his limited experience he seems to have better vision and passing ability. So I don't agree that he's the second best d-man, no. (Yes, Kronwall isn't playing all that well, but he's not so bad that I think E is better.)

I'm not saying Ericsson is bad. I'm saying that he's not worth $4 mil when that isn't really going to help the team much. We need someone who can soak up 25 minutes a game and be good; failing that, we need some offense. Now, with Weiss's contract making things hard (and being unwaivable — he has a NMC) that may simply not be possible, but it still leaves a sour taste in my mouth that we're signing someone who isn't part of the solution and is arguably part of the problem.

I'll get over it. You're right that it isn't as bad as I'm making out. Just... grrrr.

There are about 5 players in the league who can soak 25 minutes and be good. It's not that easy and you pay superstar dollars for that. Not 4M

I wasn't saying it was available for $4 million. But $4 million reduces our ability to get what we actually need.

Again, I guess I'm really just bitching about the effect of the Weiss contract.

right on cue, urbom is aids-ing it up.

****ing Marty...Cory should have started this game

TIME FOR BRUINS

Caps must have read Murs' posts today

thank goodness, now i can stop watching that game

time to loLeafs!

Brooks Laich definitely must have

After that third Caps goal Craig Anderson let in, think I'll watch the Leafs too.

Wow, NYI looking like a powerhouse. Jets are stupid-heads.

This getting stuck in your zone, I was going to mention from the posts above, is exactly what vision should solve. Sometimes a defenceman will make a play that makes himself space and you sigh to yourself, "ahhh", because it seems so calm and in control.

LolLeafs

spend 110 seconds of the opening 120 seconds in your own zone and end up conceding. This is going to be a mauling

[x] Wendy Clarkson put off the ankle in warmup
[x] Nazeem falling in warmup
[x] shaky Bernier start with the giveaway to Malkin
[x] early domination by the home team
[x] Pens goal by some nobody 2 minutes in
[x] loLeafs

Did i see the Clarkson injury right, in that during warmup, while he was standing still, a teammate just wired a shot straight into his ankle from 6 feet away?

That was a beauty tip-in by JVR

thought i saw him skating across the top of the crease / slot area
not stationary