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Haha....

Not cool to be disrespectful to a post like this. It's creative and creates an interesting hockey discussion. If you think it's a bad idea explain why. Good way to learn. I concur that with the defence pinching, it transforms into an inferior 3-2. And you are hancuffing the offense from creating any real chances.

Babcock needs to be take the blame for keeping Dan Cleary in the lineup despite the fact the guys is just plain terrible this year.

Interesting that "subtle interference" by the Wings is now called "a little bit of a screen" by Eddie O when the Hawks do it. Such a douchenozzle. And cheap hit by Shaw on Pavelski at the end of the game. esteef

"FIne" as in...losing in the first (maybe second) round again because of the same bad habits, glaring weaknesses, etc. that've spelled ultimate defeat for this team for the past however many seasons? Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate not wanting to get down on the team. And I can appreciate the argument that this may just be injuries taking their toll. And, true enough, that's gotta be at least a minor factor here. The real problem, though? Again: same old crap. "Let's come out flat, then flip a switch for a strong ten minutes to finish the first, then let's start the second with five minutes of glorious, God-powered wrath and fury--BUT ONLY FIVE MINUTES! because we have to spot them a lead on their third shot of the game (versus our 400, all but nine of which were fired from center ice, because, HAVE YOU SEEN HOW BIG THAT DEFENSEMAN IS? What, you expect us to GO NEAR HIM?!), and this'll break our collective back for a good period and a half, and Datsyuk might score or something--WAIT. WHY DO I CARE? I'M MAKING MILLIONS! AND KENNY WILL NEVER CUT ME LOOSE! BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT HE DID LAST SUMMER!" This is the Detroit Red Wings. Y'know, Hockeytown, USA? Class of the Western Conference? What happened to our high standards and expectations? What happened to "To whom much is given..."? Warm and fuzzy and endlessly patient and understanding and people-pleasing and overly-sentimental is ok...but too much of it for too long turns everything to mush. (See: "We need more joyyyy!!!") And that is why Ken Holland needs a wedgie. [/rant]

Obviously, you don't know the definition fo a goon. Why are you even comparing Tootoo to Hossa?

(almost) Everybody was asking for Drake type of player who can: Skate : check Hit : check Fight : check Agitator : check With some offense : check Signed: Tootoo

Franzen's "ruling himself out"?? He must have plans for the weekend.

Another nice thing is that our prospects are overripe in the minors, while crappier players take up their roster spots in the main lineup. Don't know if that's on Babcock or Holland, but some accountability has to go somewhere.

Per Arthur Staple, Isles reporter for Newsday... First person to say "Make it happen, Kenny" will be forced to wear an "I'm an idiot" sandwich board in their town's busiest street corner for 3 straight days. And I can't resist bringing up the past. Anyone remember with Brent Johnson from a few seasons back?

RIGHT NOW, it is a perfect storm of injuries and subpar coaching from the entire staff. As I've said before, while Bertuzzi, Franzen, Helm, and Smith would improve the lineup, they would not be replacing the players who deserve to be scratched, but rather the young guys who have been steady and energetic throughout this mess. Replacing pluses with pluses provides limited returns when compared to replacing minuses. If the staff, Babcock included, had the balls to grant ice-time based on merit, not seniority this team would not be losing games as often now, and they would be much better off when certain healthy players return. This has been a problem with the Wings for a few years now. Also, Renney's powerplay is dreadful, and yet nothing is being done to change it. Given these problems, I don't think you can attribute any of this season's limited success to coaching, but rather huge performances out of Datsyuk and Zetterberg on any given occasion. That said, this team in its healthiest state is not built well, and that lies squarely on Holland's shoulders. Bringing in spare parts, past-their-primes, and glass men to replace great players is not a solution, but its what we've seen since 2009. As others have said, Bertuzzi while decently solid has had his share of injuries and is getting old, and he is the best acquisition not named Brunner the Wings have had since Hossa. A healthy Sammy and Cola does nothing but force out more young players who have earned their spots. Overriping has turned into wasting away and this team is too old, too fragile, and too complacent, with players forced into positions they don't belong (Kronwall as #1 D, Cleary/Sammy as top-6/PP, etc.) As bad as this team is injured, payroll to returns comparison looks much worse with it healthy. TLDR: Injuries suck, but ice-time needs to be merit-based and it isn't. Coaching has not kept us afloat, individual performances have. Injuries and coaching aside, Holland has done nothing to build a winner and insure the future in almost 4 seasons and should shoulder the majority of the blame for the sad state of things.

If Lidstrom comes back as the 3rd d-man, I'm all for it.

Glad to see he'll be okay. Story "Thank you for all your prayers. Made (it) home, (feeling) better,"

Can we be hopeful and think that we made room for Bobby Ryan? Ryan O' Reilly? A girl can dream

Weebles wobble, but they don't fall down. Clearly based on evidence, Abby is no Weeble. He spent more time on his face than on his skates playing the Homer spot.

I want to just make some thing clear for some people suggesting various things about this 2-3 system. Well any system really. You can run ANY system with ANY 5 players. I have ran a 1-1-3 offensive zone in my career (used when you are substantially weaker than your opponent). This means that you have 1 hard forchecker, one secondary forechecker that reacts with strong side pressure and 3 across the blue line. You essentially then pinch wherever you need to, middle left right. You then have 2 D back the whole time. This is almost identical o a 2-3 system referred to. You just simply have players that need to be in a certain area regardless of their designated position. Also there are a few things about the transition from offense to defense. Say you had Datsyuk and Franzen as the two offensive players. You are almost 100% limiting them to covering the opposing teams D in the defensive zone. Now when you think about it that is a complete and utter waste of talent to station Datsyuk up there. Every team in the NHL has 2 D and 1 Center playing down low in their own defensive zone. That center can be the guy who takes faceoffs or the first guy on the backcheck who knows what he's doing. That center while he is considered a forward on paper, is a defenseman in the defensive zone until we break out. This is why guys like Datsyuk, Bergeron, and Backes are far more valuable in hockey than just their stats. This is the purpose of a center for the most part, granted there are some centers that are so offensively gifted that their defensive liabilities are overlooked. So just so everyone has this straight: Offensive zone systems are about filling a PLAYER into a need. That player can have any designation they want on paper, but as long as they perform the specific duties of a 2-1-2, 1-3-1, 1-1-3, or any other combination the coach deems appropriate they can run it. Defensive zone has various ways to play defense against the other teams but that is more dependent on what the other team is doing. So for simplicity sake you have 3 PLAYERS responsible for the individuals playing down low. While 2 other PLAYERS are responsible for the Defenseman of the other team. The actual make up of who plays what designated position is almost irrelevant. Granted you want to have the best players suited for each role in their specific role. The real question is should we be more passive in the system or more aggressive or let things play out. Right now we clearly don't have the defenseman to leave them by them selves, I wouldn't mind seeing a more passive counter attack type of game while our injured get healthy. But it also doesn't matter your system when your team makes really bad turnovers that lead directly to goals.

My memory might be fuzzy, but I don't think Quincey had anything to do with Ericsson. I think Quincey was waived to keep Chelios and Meech. Quincey was waived at the beginning of the 2008-2009 season, Big E started in Grand Rapids that year if I'm not mistaken.

Technically, the neutral zone trap is 1-4. Lot's have teams have done this obviously. I have seen Detroit go 0-5 a few times this year too.

This is an absolute gem haha..For all the things that I completely 100% disagree with that you say this makes up for it kinda. Lemaire would be proud. Just bottle up the whole arena.

Next time we go up 2 goals, we should go into the 1-4 formation. "Park the bus" as they say in soccer.

Of course he or anyone else couldn't say that but thats not to say we don't need players skating out there just like tootoo or mac anyone like that.

LOL I've heard several people on LGW calling for a "house cleaning" and on top of guys like Cleary, Sammy, Kindl, Quincey, etc, I heard Mursak's name too. Basically, dump the garbage and play the guys who deserve to play. Now they waive him, and people are losing their minds and suggesting that the team should keep Mursak and send Andersson or Tatar down because they are waiver exempt? Both these guys are better than Mursak. I think it's a good sign that they keeping A & T up and in the line-up. I think it's a good thing that this team isn't factoring in minor league waiver options when putting their line-up together. Yada yada yada. Etc etc etc,

The injury thing shouldn't matter. Is our team THAT bad we think Bertuzzi, Mikael frickin Samuelsson, Carlo frickin Colaiacovo will help when they come back? Give me a break... Franzen & Helm will help for sure, maybe Smith. But your top guys are healthy (for the most part, dats one game and fil is hurting) Face it people, when our offseason consists of replacing great players with journeyman it spells trouble. There is absolutely NO reason Cleary and Abby should even be on this team let alone in the top 6 with arguably the best player in the NHL. TLDR: our team isn't good.

I won't agree it always comes down to JUST the players. The players are on the ice, they have to perform. The way that the lines have been thrown together and the changes come down to Babcock. Tater should not be on the 3rd line still, just as Abdelkader should not be on the 2nd line with Datsyuk. Datsyuk has enough of a task trying to drag Cleary along all the time.