Still think the Wings are a one line team?

Question

2/3rds of the Wings top line is hurt tonight and was also hurt when they spanked the Wild on Saturday.

It has been a consistent argument of Sens fans and other detractors that the Wings were one injury away from being just and average NHL team. I encourage all of you who I have had to read spew that nonsense to pay attention for the next few Wings games and watch that average team function without 2/3rd's of its top line.

Now take away 2/3rds of the Heat, Spez, Alfie line, can you say the same thing about the Sens?

I am too lazy to dig tonight, but I have read it time and time again on here and its always a different excuse as to why the club continues to excel. It used to be they bought their team before the cap, most recently it has been that if you neutralize their top line, they are average. Wrong again.

Wow, I guess the male cheerleader came out for this one. Nice work Corky.

LITY- agreed and I don't mean to take anything away from the Sens. I am directing the question more towards those who have entered into the Wings-Sens debate using depth as primary reason to claim that Ottawa is superior. Detroit is flaunting their depth right now and those know-it-all's should take a good look so they can come up with a new argument.

Mike- Tomorrow will be huge test for the Wings. Back to back road games without Hank and Homer. It will definitely be an uphill fight, but a good measuring stick to see how they can handle that offense and a team that is great a home. No bets on this one, you have everything in going your favor.

Holmstrom, Zetterberg, and Maltby.
Smyth, Sakic, and Arnason. Call it a wash to me. But if you really want to compare point production between the 2 groups..........

You sure you don't want to list your Lake Erie injuries as well?? Come on, Sauer and Richardson??
Its in your barn after a Wings road game the night before, what more could you ask for? Be reasonable for once.

No doubt you have watched more Avs than me, so I will take your word for it. But from what I have seen, I am way more impressed by Liles and Finger than Sauer.

I am very impressed by his +/- though, especially with that goaltending behind him..

Hartigan and Ellis are all that I am aware of as far as playing tomorrow is concerned.

MIKE- Liles may not be having the season YOU expected, but last I checked he was leading the Avs in points for defense, tied for 15th in the NHL in points for defenseman, and still putting up a respectable +5. So you would put Sauer in front of Liles, god I wish you were their GM. lol

I obviously expected more from Liles, I drafted him in every league I am in. But, come on. Lower on the depth chart than Sauer??? Wow.

Answer 1

Poor Mikey- Sauer/Richardson over Liles?

I will say this Zam, I don't think they are a one line team BUT come play-off time they could not get away with a couple of key injuries (not many teams could) BUT I look at a gritty take abuse in front of the net player like Holmstrom and if he were to go down in the play-offs, he is hard to replace. I think we saw it last year in the play-offs, they were certainly a different team (especially on the PP) with him in there. Seems to me, that is their weakness, I actually think come post season, they could get away without having a skill guy or two, but they are thin on toughness and need those guys healthy. I know Holmstrom is one of the guys out right now but we also know that the play-offs are a different beast.
As for the Sens, that top line attributed for most of the Sens scoring last post season so take away them and they are not the same team to be sure.

Answer 2

I was a concerned when Maltby and Draper both went down, because they have been rocks for years. Draper came back, then Holmstrom anf Zetterberg went down, and I wondered what would happen. What's happening is Fillpula, Kopecky, Hudler, Cleary, and a bunch of other guys are getting ice time and making the most of it.

Datsuk again made some people look silly tonight. In the third period two guys came at him together. he started to make a move and both defenders stopped, and then backed up three paces, afraid what would happen if they got too close.

Mind you, I'd hate to go into the playoffs without Holstrom, Zatterberg or Maltby - but better to have this now than in April.

Oh, and Osgood got another shutout, and moved his record this year to 16-2-1 and his three year record to 47-11-12.

Good times - big game against a hot Avs team tomorrow.

Answer 3

LOL! In all of my past arguments about why the Wings suck, I have never used the "they're a one line team" argument. The Wings have to be the deepest team in the league. One line? Come on, whoever says that is just simply an idiot or doesn't follow hockey closely enough. They have 4 very capable lines.

Speaking of injuries; the Avs have a half-dozen regular players out. Will tomorrow's game be the injury-bowl? (it is bowl season lol)

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Everything going in my favor? Dude, what are you talking about?? I just said that 6 regular Avs players are injured:

Joe Sakic!
Ryan Smyth!
Kurt Sauer (our 3rd Dman)
Tyler Arnason
Brad Richardson (one of our best PKers)
Jordan Leopold (he doesn't really count though. He's a very very good Dman, but we've had him for two seasons and he's played like 2 games, he's injured all the time.)

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You're dead wrong there Zam; Sauer is our 3rd best defenseman after Clark and Hannan. He was having a great year too before getting a concussion/neck strain. Richardson was in the lineup the whole season last year and is a promising youngster, he had 3 SHG last year. He's our best PKer after Guite. Dude, I'm serious, I'd much much rather have those two guys than Arnason.

We'll probably have 5 minor leaguers playing:

Cody McLeod
Cody McCormick
David Jones
TJ Hensick
Kyle Cumiskey

How many minor leaguers will the Wings have?

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Liles is having a horrible season. He was bad in his own end before, but he is completely non-existent on D this season. And the worst thing is that his offensive numbers are also down. No wonder rumors are flying that we'll trade him. I don't want to trade him, but those turnovers in our own zone are killing the team. Finger is a solid Dman, him and Sauer are almost the same, Finger is a better hitter, but Sauer is a little better defensively. And, as you said, his +/- is really really good.

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Zam, those numbers don't mean anything! Liles is the most turnover prone guy on the team. I'm telling you man, at times he reminds me of last year's Brisebois *shudder*. Look at Yahoo's depth chart: http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/teams/col/depthchart;_ylt=AkMYpu8zOIu3DVmXFjql0xNivLYF They have him 5th! Yes, I absolutely will rank Liles below Sauer, until he picks up his defensive game and gets back to at least last year's level. Like you said Zam, you don't watch the games; you don't see the turnovers. Over at some of the Avs forums Liles is public enemy #1 for all the giveaways he gives.

Who has more potential? Liles. More talent? Liles. But who is better defensively? Sauer. Right now, the Avs have plenty of offense, defense is more important. Sure if you ask me which of the two I would rather have on the team, I'd say Liles. But who deserves the playing time more right now (or at least before Sauer's injury)? It's Sauer. What I'm saying is that this year, Sauer has been the more useful defenseman, which is why I put him ahead of Liles on the depth chart. Don't question my Avs knowledge, I don't question your Wings knowledge.

Answer 4

Psssht, the Pens have the Lightning and the Senators beat. They're like a one... player... team.

Excuse me while I weep openly now.

Oh, and about Ottawa... Of course Ottawa's top line is good because the three forwards click, but most of all it's just because they're all individually very talented. Did you notice that they still seem to do fine whenever Spezza's out? Happened last season, and this season. While not having Alfie would hurt the PK, they got one of the best shotblockers in the league (in Anton Volchenkov, who I think is hurt right now though) and Antoine Vermette gets a lot of PK time. As long as Dany Heatley's still on the top line for the PP and even-strength, they have a huge threat. Most of his goals are just one-time bombs, so all a man has to do (even though I know it's easier said than done) is get the puck to him when he's set up. Also, IMO, Mike Fisher's pretty underrated. They have solid goaltending too. They're deeper than they get credit for. I think keeping most of their core, a core that got to the Stanley Cup finals, is undoubtably responsible for their great start.

ADD: While Heatley, Spezza, and Wade Redden all had 3 points tonight each, and Alfie had 2... Look who also scored! Antoine Vermette scored first. And Mike Fisher got the game winning goal.

Answer 5

Actually, the fact that both teams are where they are in their respective divisions is due to the chemistry up and down the lineup. I can think of several teams who are more one-line teams than either Detroit or Ottawa.

I think the reason that Anaheim beat Ottawa was not that they shut-down the one line, but they shut down the entire Ottawa team.

So, I believe if you take away 2/3 of that line, that Ottawa would adjust and still win the majority of their games.

And, I believe that if you subtract Lidstrom from tonight's lineup that Detroit is still an excellent team!

Answer 6

Last year got me thinking, but this year the way Hudler and Flipula have stepped up has amazed me. Its about time Babcock gave them some time. Dan Clearly has also impressed me. IMO letting Lang lose for some youngsters was an excellent move, he couldn't adjust to there style of play. We got all kinds of skill and speed this year that we didn't have last year.

Answer 7

No. watching the sens game today,Neale pointed out that the big three account for 48% of the Sens scoring. If two of those three went down, they would be having big problems.

Answer 8

it's eay to understand why people would call the Wings a one line team because they are good players but the other lines pitch in with their share of points too

the Sens are in the same position, great 1st line and good players in reserve just in case the big names don't perform on the night

Answer 9

Its nothing but jelousy, when these people rip the Wings. There are a ton of teams, that would love to suck as bad as the Wings, LOL. Nothing but a bunch of haters, that look for anything to say, to make themselves feel better about their little teams, and little talent. Keep hatin Hockeytown, because as long as we are beatin you, we love you all.

Answer 10

Yes! With too many men on the ice of 18 players!! lol