Comments on: Wings ring in 2010 with W over Coyotes

By: Michael Petrella

Michael Petrella — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 23:45:07 +0000

Oh don't you worry. You'll be doing the damn song.

By: Andy

Andy — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 23:35:34 +0000

okay. They count then. I kinda wanna do the song though…

By: Michael Petrella

Michael Petrella — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 21:41:21 +0000

Good point, JJ. Fact is, Bertuzzi will RARELY be on the ice with an empty net at the other end, and generally EN goals ARE earned, one way or another.

It looks like they're going to count...

By: J.J. from Kansas

J.J. from Kansas — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 21:37:45 +0000

I say let empty netters count. It takes some good defensive play to get the chance at an EN goal.

It should count double if he does it the same way Helm did last night.

By: ChristineRWBNB

ChristineRWBNB — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 21:20:08 +0000

Tough call. I'm all for Andy singing the Todd Bertuzzi song (can we hear a Norwegian language version on the B-side, too?) But I'd like to see the banner as well. Especially it if were to involve you and Bert in a Shanny-Yzerman type pose.

Ah, decisions, decisions...

By: Michael Petrella

Michael Petrella — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 21:07:00 +0000

Christine, I would love Leino to prove us all wrong and net 20. It's just a long shot at this point, I gotta think...

The empty-netters Andy and I are referring to are Todd Bertuzzi's. We have a little bet going. If Todd Bertuzzi scores 20+, I'm changing the banner of TPL to a Bertuzzi Love Affair-type thing. If he fails to net 20, Andy is recording an acoustic version of the Todd Bertuzzi Song and throwing it on his blog (and you better believe it'll be here, too).

What do you think? Should Empty Net goals count in this quest for 20? I don't think Bertuzzi will get many (if any), but he was close last night, so it's something that needs to be established before it happens. HA

By: ChristineRWBNB

ChristineRWBNB — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 21:04:30 +0000

I wouldn't pay 97 cents a year for Leino at this point. Of course, I'm kind of a b*tch when it comes to my favorite little Finn. But I will say once again that I'd adore it if he'd prove me wrong by actually, you know, playing some hockey. Wouldn't that be a kick in the pants, huh?

@Andy Oh, I still count empty netters, espeically when they come off Helm's stick. At this point, he can pick up and carry the puck into the net if that's what it takes to build up his touch. Maybe with all this practice, he'll start potting some shots now and then.

By: J.J. from Kansas

J.J. from Kansas — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 19:55:52 +0000

I couldn't agree more on Rafalski. Whenever I bemoan the Wings' cap situation that led them to losing Hudler, Samuelsson, and Hossa, Rafalski's contract is one that makes me stop just short of bemoaning. The guy's good and he puts up points, but he is overpaid for the way he's played over the last season and a half. The only thing that keeps me from tearing my hair out and looking more like him is that he's probably only overpaid by $500k-$1M, which isn't enough cap space for us to have kept those guys anyway.

For all the crap we Wings fans give Mebdeech (tm Kyla @ BDS) for poor passing decisions behind their own net and for getting beat out for position low, I think Rafalski gets a free pass for being another with that tendency (see the Avs 2nd goal on New Year's Eve for more). Still, the guy was money against the Yotes'

The last thing that keeps me from putting a hit out on Rafalski, for being mildly overpaid, he's still head-and-shoulders better defensively than Chicago's ginger albatross and he gets paid a bunch less.

By: Michael Petrella

Michael Petrella — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 19:20:44 +0000

@Jenn -- totally agree. Plus, I was watching the Coyotes broadcast, so they don't really go out of their way to make sure they mention everyone or alert you that they're in the game. But, as a rule, anytime you don't see Lebda or Meech, it's probably positive.

@Andy -- I don't know about Empty Netters. I was just being funny on Twitter last night, because Todd Bertuzzi has no business being on the ice when the other net is empty. What do you think?

@Baroque -- I'm with you. I'd love to have that grind line for the next decade. Maybe Drew Miller fits in for Draper when Kris decides its time to hang 'em up? I dunno...

@JJ -- I'm not sure I'd pay 97 cents a day for Ville Leino. Imagine how Ken Holland feels paying 700k.

We all know Brian Rafalski is a good hockey player, and an unbelievable passer, but this season I feel like he's had more brainfarts in 41 games than he usually has in 82. Perhaps he's feeling the pressure of missing players more than the others. But if I had to pick one guy who isn't living up to his contract (besides Leino), it's Brian Rafalski and his 6 million.

By: J.J. from Kansas

J.J. from Kansas — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 17:10:15 +0000

Janik had a couple of *gasp* moments in the game, but was overall solid. I've been keeping an eye specifically on Leino because for reasons even alien to me, I feel like I've adopted him as a project (yes, for only 97 cents a day, you too can help a former Finnish Elite League MVP not turn into the next Robert Lang, call now). Leino actually hit somebody last night. That was the first one I could remember in a while. I liked his effort last night.

Rafalski was flat-out good with the passing. I thought Datsyuk did more to make the first goal happen, but Raffi's assist was very well-earned as he was pressured by Doan immediately at the point at the end of the power play and got a cross-ice backhand over to Lidstrom for the eventual tipped-in shot. Later in the game, when the Wings were cycling back trying to get through the Yotes' trap, I remember Raffi bouncing one off the boards from inside his own zone to a full-speed Datsyuk at the blue line that he took in and got a real quality scoring chance against Bryzgalov.

Still though, with how well Helm, Datsyuk, Bertuzzi, Lidstrom, Homer, Filppula, Eaves, Ritola, Draper, Miller, and Maltby played, those guys were pretty easy to overlook. The whole team looked good last night