Name?
Marlon (@marlonbrando_)
Favorite team?
There are other teams aside from the Detroit Red Wings?
Who is the most underrated player?
I think you could pick anybody from the "bro" line as underrated, whether Eaves actually plays on that line or not. I'm going to miss Drew Miller because I don't think he'll get another contract from Detroit next year, but the things he does on the PK are amazing. He may not score a lot of goals or accumulate a lot of points but he does a lot of great things that go unnoticed by a lot of people. Eaves seems to fit in wherever he's placed, too, and everyone loves Helm, hands or not. I think the weakest of the 'bros' is Justin Abdelkader - he doesn't seem to do anything extraordinarily well, and still manages to rake up a ton of penalty minutes. If he's going to be our fighter or our grinder, he's got to show more success in doing it.
Who is the most overrated player?
This year? Franzen. But who knows what sort of injuries he's going through. It's great if he can score 4 or 5 goals in one game against a team that was out of the playoff race since December; but if he's going to disappear for an entire month afterwards, is it really worth it? Banking on huge things from him in the playoffs.
What is your favorite jersey (regardless of if you own it or not)?
Number 19, Stevie Y. He -is- Hockeytown, even if he's just on loan to Tampa for a few years.
What is the most important piece of hockey memorabilia you own? I have an autographed Stevie Y card from when he did a signing in my hometown of Hamilton, Ontario in the late 80s. I was too young to actually remember meeting him. My dad took me to the signing and I still have the card.
What’s one rule you’d like to get rid of and why?
One rule? Two. I hate the puck over the glass rule. If it's intentional, fine, but if it's like a backhand that's meant to be played on the glass and out and it happens to skip over? Let it go. However, in the referee's defense it seems to be the only black and white rule that they get right. Also, I hate the trapezoid. It pretty much destroys a goalie's ability to play the puck aside from shooting it up the ice on a PP if the opposing team clears it. You won't see goalies get drafted by their puck handling abilities anymore - gone are the days of teams drafting Turcos, Brodeurs, even Osgoods to a lesser extent. Now it's all about size - look at Nashville. Pekka Rinne and Anders Lindback aren't drafted for their puck handling skills, they're drafted for their size. A guy like Chris Osgood wouldn't even get scouted these days because he's under 6'0", and that's a shame.
What one rule would you add in it’s place and why?
I don't see how you can add anything to the trapezoid rule - either keep it or take it out (and I'd prefer the latter). Going back to the puck over the glass thing I think intent should be considered. It's obvious when someone fires the puck over the glass willingly, less so when they're trying to use the boards.
Who’s creepier- Ovie or Crosby and why?
Ovie is ... a unique person. I wouldn't really call him creepy per say, except for that head in a bowling bag tv spot they had a little while ago. Crosby is creepy because he's been conditioned at such a young age to be the saving grace of hockey and I don't think he's actually matured as a person because he's had everything, including a Stanley Cup, handed right to him. He's been fed all the proper things to say to the media and doesn't seem able to think for himself. God forbid a real journalist ask him a different question. When that happens, it looks like he's about to snap.
Which team has the best logo?
I love the Winged Wheel, obviously, but if I was to pick a second I'd say it's a tossup between the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. I love the way the New York uniforms say RANGERS across the chest, it's simple and classy. The Bruins B logo looks awesome in the centre of the ice at TD Gardens.
Who is your favorite all-time player?
Stevie Y. He's the reason I became a Red Wings fan.
Who is your favorite player now?
Toss up between Pavel Datsyuk's flash while being defensively minded, and Henrik Zetterberg's charisma and leadership. I understand Nicklas Lidstrom is the captain but Hank's next in line and he's already showing it with the way he's carried himself throughout his career.
What team do you love to hate?
I absolutely despise the Penguins since the league has decided that they should be a respected team. I will never respect any team whose owner makes a big deal about losing his star player and cash cow to an incidental headshot and yet continues to employ a guy like Matt Cooke who shouldn't even be on the ice anymore. The Penguins fans consider themselves to be the greatest in the game but that doesn't hide the fact the team went bankrupt twice, and within the last twenty years. Mario Lemieux is hailed as this great person but he's just in it for the money. This is a guy who refused to put on the jersey of the team who drafted him because he didn't want to play there. The only reason Lemieux is even still a factor in this team is because he bought while he was still playing because they couldn't afford to pay him. Not cool.
What player do you love to hate?
So many to name but here's a handful: Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, Drew Doughty, Matt Cooke, Roberto Luongo.
What are your thoughts on Puck Bunnies?
I could take them or leave them. If they're buying jerseys of guys who they think are hot, teams are getting money and revenue is being made. With a league as shaky and poorly run as the NHL, every little bit helps. I just don't want to talk hockey with them.
What player do you like that’s not on your chosen favorite team?
Steven Stamkos. The kid is a beast, plain and simple.
What team surprises you the most this year?
I really did not think that Steve Yzerman could turn around the Tampa Bay Lightning as drastically as he did but he's done it. Whether or not they'll go deep in the playoffs is to be seen, but fans in Tampa have to like what they've seen so far. Guy Boucher is a great coach (having seen him do his job many times as the coach of the Hamilton Bulldogs), and they've made a lot of interesting moves that have put them from a bottom dweller to a true contender.
What is your favorite hockey memory?
All things come back to Steve Yzerman. When Detroit won their back to back championship in 1998 and the Cup was given to Vladimir Konstantinov.
Which team has the worst jersey (third jerseys included)?
I hate all third jerseys that use the blue body and beige piping with the round logo in the middle. Off the top of my head that's Columbus, Florida, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis. For every day use I can't stand the Atlanta Thrashers jerseys.
Of the floundering teams which team should pack up and move to a new market? Do you think the NHL will ever let that happen?
Atlanta consistently shows that they can't fill an arena, as does Phoenix. The Florida Panthers seem to have accepted this and now advertise directly to OPPOSING fans to fill the seats which is never a good thing. The Islanders are floundering but I think hockey can still thrive there if their management and ownership issues are resolved (ie. slashed and burned and hired anew).
Do you follow other sports besides hockey or are you a one-sport fan?
Hockey's my number one but I follow golf and as of three or four years ago have gotten back into baseball.
What player from all the other teams that would you love to have on your team?
Steven Stamkos. He's young enough that he can still learn playstyles as coaches see fit, he's got a wicked shot, and he's got heart.
Do you believe that a fan can cheer for more than one team and still call themselves the biggest (insert team name here) fan?
I'll cheer for any team on any given night as long as the end result of a game means the Detroit Red Wings benefit in some way. I consider myself to be a Tampa Bay fan (back in the Dave Andreychuk days, then fell out of favour when they couldn't figure out how to continue being a respected team what with ownership changes and other nonsense) but I will never ever root for them over my boys in red and white.
Keep it or Get rid it
Ticket Stubs: Keep.
An email from Colin Campbell: Keep - never know when you might need them for blackmailing or court proceedings.
Swedish Style Tailoring: Keep. Swedes dress well. Just ask Henrik Zetterberg or Henrik Lundqvist.
Stephan Walkom: Get rid of. He's an idiot.
Biz Nasty: I can't stand this guy. I don't know how he's so popular for a healthy scratch. He makes other hockey players look like morons simply because he's affiliated with the sport.
Touch up Icing: Hard to say. I hate to see players getting hurt going for a puck at the end boards but I just don't think no touch icing can work. It stinks in the IIHF tournaments and it would stink the NHL.
Shoot out: 4vs4 for 5 minutes, 3vs3 for 5 minutes, THEN skills comp. I hate watching a team sport for 65 minutes and then have it decided by one on one garbage. Gotta feel for the goalies more than the players.
Colin Campbell: This guy's a moron and has constantly proven he's not suitable for the job he has.
Tickets to an Oilers game: Free? Keep. Hockey's hockey. Paid? No thanks.
Puck from a losing effort: Indifferent. I have enough crap in my house as it is.
Puck Bunnies: Hot puck bunnies? ;)
Wooden Sticks: Bring them back. When sticks break as players make passes, let alone wrist or slap shots, you know something's wrong.
Sean Avery’s sloppy seconds: Having met Elisha Cuthbert in person, I'd say keep. She's foxy. And actually very nice, too.
A signed Sidney Crosby picture just for you: I'll keep that. Right next to the lighter fluid and pack of matches.
Darren McCarty on Twitter: The best thing that's happened to Twitter since @zombie.
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