MLive oli antanut arvosanat ensimmäisestä kauden puolikkaasta Red Wingsin pelureille. Eipä noissa ihmeemmin valitettavaa.
http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/2008/01/midseason_grades_for_the_red_w.html
Forwards:
Dan Cleary:
Last season's breakthrough was no fluke, he's playing even better now. He's developed into a solid player at both ends of the ice, a terrific net-front presence on the power play and a good penalty-killer. Grade: A
Pavel Datsyuk:
As well as he plays with Henrik Zetterberg, Datsyuk seems to take charge more when he's centering his own line. An MVP candidate, he has continued shooting more and has emerged as one of the best defensive forwards in the game, once again leading the league in takeaways. Grade: A
Aaron Downey:
He sticks up for his teammates on the ice and keeps them loose in the dressing room with his upbeat persona. He's not the liability on the ice that a lot of tough guys are. Grade: B+
Dallas Drake:
He hasn't been as physical as he would like, but he'll fight when he has to, despite having to wear a shield much of the season to protect a fractured cheek bone. He kills penalties but would like to chip in a little more offense. Grade: C+
Kris Draper:
He keeps going strong, in his 14th season here. His speed and energy make him a strong forechecker, defender and penalty-killer, he's one of the best in the faceoff circle, he contributes his share of offense, and he sets an example on and off the ice with his work ethic. Grade: B+
Matt Ellis:
He got a chance after five years in the system and has shown to be a good forechecker and hard worker behind the net and in the corners. He provides energy and has been a good fit on the fourth line. Grade: B
Valtteri Filppula:
He's come on strong lately, showing that he can provide enough offense to play regularly on one of the top two lines. Terrific speed and hockey sense, but he needs to shoot more. He's just scratching the surface of his potential. Grade: A-
Johan Franzen:
His versatility enables him to move around from line to line, wing to center, offensive role to defensive role. His size and strength are important for a team that is always trying to be tougher to play against. He's still capable of providing more offense. Grade: B-
Tomas Holmstrom:
He seems to get more savvy around the net with age. He continues to be the best at screening goaltenders, deflecting shots and retrieving pucks. A perfect complement to Datsyuk and Zetterberg. Grade: A
Jiri Hudler:
He's capitalized on more ice time by putting up good numbers (10 goals, 17 assists) on his way to his best season. He has a terrific shot and needs to use it more. Suddenly, his lack of quickness and defensive deficiencies are no longer a concern. Grade: A-
Tomas Kopecky:
He needs to develop more consistency, play hard night in and night out. He can be real physical some games and hardly noticed on other nights. Grade: C+
Kirk Maltby:
Prior to his back injury on Nov. 27, he was showing signs of regaining his physical, disruptive form from previous years. Grade: B
Mikael Samuelsson:
He continues to be a streaky scorer, going long stretches with little offense and then heating up for a few games. He likes to shoot from all over the ice but is more effective when he's involved physically down low. Grade: C+
Henrik Zetterberg:
As long as he stays healthy, he should be an MVP finalist. He's been the league's most dominant two-way player since the middle of last season. He's more authoritative, shooting the puck more than ever, and the club is benefiting. Grade: A
Defensemen:
Chris Chelios:
Three weeks shy of his 46th birthday, he continues to play at a high level. It'll be important to rest him periodically the second half of the season to keep him fresh for the playoffs. Grade: A-
Niklas Kronwall:
He's made big strides from last season. He's improved defensively and is beginning to display his offensive potential. Now he just needs to make it through a full season healthy. Grade: A-
Brett Lebda:
His speed enables him to win races to the puck and take some chances offensively. He's settled in nicely the last two seasons as Chelios' partner on the third pairing. Grade: B+
Nicklas Lidstrom:
Might as well hand him his sixth Norris Trophy right now, because there's a tremendous gap between him and the league's second-best defenseman. He has only four goals, but his production tends to pick up in the second half. Grade: A
Andreas Lilja:
He makes costly turnovers and gets caught pinching on occasion, but he has re-established himself as a top-four defenseman. He's playing more physical, something this skill-based defensive unit needs. Grade: B
Derek Meech:
It can't be easy stepping into a lineup as talented as this when you're a rookie and have been sitting for weeks at a time. A two-week conditioning stint in Grand Rapids will benefit him. He must be ready in case of injury. Grade: Incomplete
Brian Rafalski:
His skating and passing are perfectly suited for a highly skilled team that generates so much offense from its defense's ability to move the puck. He's been an ideal partner for Lidstrom. Grade: A
Goaltenders:
Dominik Hasek:
An early-season slump raised concerns that he might be losing it, but he always seems to need a couple of months to heat up. He won't play as much as he's accustomed to, but he'll still be the starter in the playoffs. Chris Osgood will be pushing him, however. Grade: B
Chris Osgood:
He's shown extreme dedication by reinventing himself toward the end of his career and is playing the best hockey of his life. Having someone of his ability and experience will be a tremendous luxury in the playoffs. Grade: A
Coach Mike Babcock and assistant coaches Paul MacLean and Todd McLellan:
This staff has the team prepared to play and has instilled an excellent work ethic. Babcock, the leading candidate for the Jack Adams Award as the top coach, has cultivated depth by helping develop the young players and has put players in a position to succeed. Grade: A
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Tässä sitten vielä projektoidut pisteet tälle kaudelle. Joukkue on nyt sopivasti pelannut 41 ottelua, eli ollaan tasan tarkkaan runkosarjan puolessa välissä.
Henrik Zetterberg 77g, 53 + 58 = 111p
Pavel Datsjuk 82g, 32 + 68 = 100p
Nicklas Lidström 82g, 8 + 68 = 76p
Tomas Holmström 72g, 37 + 31 = 68p
Brian Rafalski 82g, 12 + 56 = 68p
Tästä on helppo nähdä ketkä pelaavat ykkösylivoimassa.
Jiri Hudler 82g, 20 + 34 = 54p
Daniel Cleary 82g, 26 + 26 = 52p
Mikael Samuelsson 78g, 13 + 33 = 46p
Valtteri Filppula 82g, 26 + 18 = 44p
Niklas Kronwall 78g, 4 + 36 = 40p
Tästäkin selviää aika näppärästi ketkä pelaavat pääosin kakkosylivoimassa.
Kris Draper 73g, 16 + 16 = 32p
Johan Franzén, 72g, 16 + 5 = 21p
Brett Lebda 82g, 4 + 16 = 20p
Kirk Maltby 62g, 8 + 8 = 16p
Andreas Lilja 81g, 4 + 12 = 16p
Tomas Kopecky 78g, 6 + 6 = 12p
Chris Chelios 75g, 2 + 10 = 12p
Matt Ellis 60g, 4 + 6 = 10p
Dallas Drake 70g, 2 + 4 = 6p
Aaron Downey, 60g, 0 + 2 = 2p
Hyviä saldoja on jokainen nakuttamassa. Toki noita heikompien pelaajien saldoja parantaa hetkelliset isommat roolit parempien pelaajien ollessa loukkaantuneena, mutta kyllä puoli kautta jo suuntaa antaa. Secondary scoring näyttää ihan mukavalta, kun kakkosketjullinen miehiä on menossa yli 40 tehopinnan. Eikä tuosta Franzéninstakaan oikeen vielä tiedä mihin vireeseen mies yltyy, jos vaan saa kiekollista roolia.
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Mikäs muuten on tämä AHL-sääntö, kun Derek Meech lähetettiin nyt Griffinsiin hakemaan pelituntumaa? Kun aiemmin alkukaudesta mies olisi pitänyt lähettää alas waivereiden kautta, niin onko vuodenvaihteella joku ratkaiseva merkitys, että nyt Meechin pystyi lähettämään alas tosta noin vaan? Hyvä asia että jamppa saa taas pelejä alle ja pääsee jossain välissä takaisin ylös huilauttamaan Cheliosta.
