LOL. Backes is not a dirt bag. He plays the game hard, physical and is an extremely good player. But of course...you do not understand that. Do you have to be aware of him on ice? Hell yeah, for about 2000 reasons. The crosscheck was half assed, and of course you go after it. He is just a darn good hockey player that does not play for the Wings, and you are off on him.
That is unfortunate. LOL at Oshie vs Backes comparison of how you are okay with Oshie and hate Backes. Two totally different types of players. So of course you love the skill guy, and hate the guy who plays HARD and on the edge....that is actually totally understandable as you are primarily (actually the more I read your stuff) ONLY a Wings fan. Wings have the style of player-or at least always used to...that you like Oshie. I have no issue with that.
Weber -- you hate the best defenseman in hockey. LOL. Wings pedestal again. What is funny about it all is that Backes and Weber have both been pursued by the Wings in the past...at which point you would love them.
How did you feel about guys like McCarty, Kocur, Draper, Maltby...all guys who were MAJOR contributors to your championship wins who do EXACTLY the same kind of things that Backes and Weber do on the ice. Konstantinov? Guy was nicknamed Vlad the IMPALER.
But yeah, it has nothing to do with the fact that they play for teams that the Wings fans hate. It is totally impartial.
I used to hate guys like Gretzky, Kurri, Anderson, Messier, Coffey, Fogolin, Fuhr, Moog, Ranford, Lafleur, Shutt, Gainey, Robinson, Risebrough.
Then I grew up, and realized that I was jealous of the fact that those guys were AMAZING hockey players, and just not play for the teams that I liked at the time, and was a fan of. Once I did that, I started to become someone who was a hockey person, and not just a fan of a team or teams. As a kid...Flyers, Canucks were my teams.
Then I turned 17 and realized that the guys on the other teams I hated had something to offer, and started to LOVE watching other teams play all the time. And realized...that HOCKEY was a great game, and sure there are good guys and bad guys....but it is not the WWE, which is the way you treat it. You love your faces and hate your heels.
What is your ideal roster Primis?
Mine would look something like this:
Ovechkin-Crosby-Stamkos
Tavares-Toews-Kane
Zetterberg-Datsyuk- Kopitar/Pavelski
Perry-Getzlaff-Neal
Sedin-Sedin-Backes/Benn
Keith-Weber
Doughty-Chara
Karlsson-Pietrangelo
Subban-Suter
Hedman-Kronwall
Lundquist
Rask
Quick
then it gets tough in net for me.
Please note...this is a 2 minute drill, there are going to be guys I love I missed.
Please note...this is "TEAM" with someone to fill every hole, Not "ALL STAR" team which would see more skill players on it like St Louis, etc.
One thing my team will never be accused of is homerism. That 5th line is there, because....well...the twins are freaking ridiculous with what they see on the ice. Would they ever play? Not likely.
Speed, size, skill, vision, strength, power, edge, mobility, shot, puck skills, passing...need it all to be totally amazing. Those guys all have it. Leadership too.
You can pick any one of the options on the lines I have there and that team...would be UNBEATABLE. Which is why Backes is there, guy does a little of everything (although admittedly not the smartest and not the most visionary in the world...which is why Kesler is not there)
I am guessing Primis that your ideal team would not have anyone on it who has ever hit anyone hard.