I have Verizon Fios. For some reason that's all they offer. Kinda sucks, but at least on Saturday nights I get HNIC on the NHL Network.

I was on cable the past few years and only got one HD channel for Center Ice. I've heard Directv has multiple HD CI channels so I can't wait.

I dont usually get it because I usually stream the games over the PC attached to the TV, but I think I will get it this year. Just to many things I want to watch this year.

Doesnt DTV have a multigame viewing option?

Not on my DirecTV.....but any game that is broadcast in its locality in HD is available in HD on DirecTV....usually about 80% of the games for me.

1.) This is easy to say. It's like the guy who gets dumped by his girlfriend "I hated that ____ anyway". Sure you did :-), but they left you so who's to say. If you were posting about how bad Blake was, fine. The issue remains. He may have been over the hill, but still talented and ate up a lot of minutes on the blueline; especially on power plays and penalty kills. Nabby, I'll save that for number 2.

2.) I didn't ask why you wanted Niemi. I asked why it's different. Niemi had a great rookie year, so did Howard. You put Howard down saying goalies who have good rookie years often fall flat the following year. Why is it any different for Niemi? I know he started less games, but I don't think the goalie sophomore flop is primarily based upon endurance issues. I almost forgot to ask, how to you measure "showing of nerve"? Both goalies took over for very good teams that expected to win. Both jobs came with a ton of pressure.

3.) Yeah, yeah, yeah Sharks won faceoff percent this past year. Look who's dominated that stat for a decade, the Wings. The year before Draper lead all players with a 60.3% and the Wings lead all teams with 55.1%. Not to mention Datsyuk has been very good and creeping up the list past couple years too. Last season he was 12th at 55.1%.

BTW, you missed the beginning of the article you linked to. See below:

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=5...vid=nhl-search

The reason I included that was many people only care about the star's point or goal totals. While some third/fourth line center may be good at faceoffs, the fact is Datsyuk or Thornton will be on the ice much more. I noticed Joe's not bad at them either. That point is somewhat moot. Having a perenial Selke/Bing winner as your 1st line center goes a long way. The Wings have two of the best two-way centers in the league, and Madano will have an impact as our third line center. With him between Hudler and Cleary, they compose arguably the most potent third line in the NHL.

Um...it's not hard to understand what he was saying. If you have 3 good lines and an OK 4th you have depth. If you're missing 3 players "taped together" from your top two lines, now you have 2 good lines and 2 OK lines and you lack the depth you once had.

Sorry, very weak argument on a quote taken out of context.

Right when you have most of your players out due to injury, then you won't have any depth. Which is what we both have been saying! Looking at a completely healthy roster we have the depth. I don't see anywhere that he said, by looking at our healthy roster we don't have any depth. I believe at one point they had 9 regular players out. I think that proves we had depth beyond our stars and were able to stay in the playoff picture even though we were injury riddled.

1) No its what I wrote all year. I ripped Blake and Nabby a lot its there. I was the most critical poster of the Sharks all year. Dont come at me attempting to put thoughts in my head or say what I am thinking with a useless reply like that when I have proof and its posted in the thread. Would you want me to do the same?

2) I never said it was different I said I wanted to sign him. "that would be sweet." Is what I wrote. You agaiin are imagining/ creating in your head. I never said it would be different. Please read it again. I only listed possibilities that might be different after you asked. Which is when I stated why I wanted to sign him. LONG TERM. Not a savior this year. I imagine he wont be that hot this year. But then I never said he would be. As a side note though I dont think much of the rookie we have or the goalie we signed so Niemi may be better then either. :-) That was not really relevant and I didnt say that prior to now.

3) Again WTF? you asked what the Sharks would do without Malholtra to take faceoffs. I was responding to your question and showing you why it was okay. You asked I answered.

4) Had/has nothing to do with the conversation. I didnt miss it or avoid it. Again I was replying to your question. Why would I include unrelated facts in my reply?




:-) Sad.
The Sentence reads with commas so you understand each comma represnts a new statement or line of thought which is tied to the whole discussion, they are not dependent on each other as you two are implying.
1)"We're trying to get back to being the Red Wings,
2)not like last year when we were taped together all year,
3)had no depth and we rode people too hard so when we got to the playoffs we were exhausted," Babcock said.

So you are not confused he is saying "We had no depth and we rode the players we did have so hard that when we got to the playoffs we were exhausted. :-) We will just agree to disagree

Mike,

You keep moving the target, changing your argument. This should help us get back on topic.

1.) You said "Don't be surprised if Howard is this year's Mason". I asked what makes Niemi different. Term of contract was never even brought up. I asked the question because you said signing Niemi "would be sweet". Why the big worry about Howard but not about Niemi? If you can't make a logical argument that one is worse then the other, then why make the first statement about Howard being Mason if the same applies to Niemi?

2.) I was being sarcastic about Malhotra. You cited him as a significant addition to Vancouver due to his faceoff abilities, yet you scoffed at the Wings bringing back Hudler. My argument was Hudler put up almost twice as many points as Malhotra, and that the Wings have always been good at faceoffs. I thought it was illogical for your to tout one and scoff at the other. I used your own praise for Malhotra against you in sarcastically asking who would be left to take faceoffs for SJ. So let me ask again, why is Malhotra a significant addition and Hudler is not?

3.) Depth has been the other debate. You can take Babcock's words to make them sound better or worse. I think that has been established. Prior to that I presented stats that showed that per Man*Games (Not lost to Injury) the Wings generated the most points of any NHL team (102). This stat is used to show how productive the rest of the team was. You ignored it and busted out the cliche about the Wings being old and fading. Yet Christos mentioned that they had the best record in the second half of the season. Strange because doesn't fatigue set in at the end rather than the beginning of the season?

What curse?

Image

:-) in

2008 | 2002 | 1998 | 1997 | 1955 | 1954 | 1952 | 1950 | 1943 | 1937 | 1936

I think the cup has been on loan for too long. Time for it to come back home to Hockeytown.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fQ4Kmz4zeU

The Minnesota Wild say they have agreed to terms with veteran center John Madden on a one-year contract.

a Janet Jackson refrence? Tom, you didn't strike me as a JJ fan.

Mike I have never moved the target or changed the argument. I have stated the same things since last year. I wont be getting back on topic as I never left. I am not the one putting thoughts and words not written into your posts. It has become painfully obvious that no matter what I write be it direct quotes from a coach or stats we are not going to agree. I have no intrest in continuing this as I fear it will result in Tom having to get involved. I appreciate my friendship with Tom too much to put him in that situation. So I will for the second time in a row post. Lets just agree to disagree. :-)

This appears to have been done to help fill the void left by Malholtra on the PK. I still think they need a really good stay at home D man as I am not sold on either of our goalies. It would look as though the Sharks forwards better score early and often to help win games.

I'd love to see the Wild do well. Such a great market up there. Plus I like watching Latendresse play. :-)

Oh mannnnnnnnn. He was my 2nd favorite player behind Brent Sopel. Seems my favorite players dont last very long.

Nah, it was a Detroit Red Wings reference, Mike.....read between the (arguably most potent third) lines. :-) :-)

Chelios finally retiring?

http://www.foxsportsdetroit.com/08/0...03&feedID=3701