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This. I think the thing people don't get, is alot of us don't hate Howard. In fact, alot of us like him quite a bit. But calling a spade a spade, he's been s*** this season. He has 13 goddamn wins in March. Him getting going is the most important factor in whether we get in or not.

If we lose this game I think it's a fair bet to say that playoffs are out of the picture. Not mathematically of course, but Columbus is the hottest team in the league, and we'll need to put together a streak longer than anyone they put together for the rest of the year to make it. Or else count on another team ahead of us going on an epic losing streak.

Boy 2 points tonight would be some satisfying I tell ya.

bertuzzi, and glendening on a rush, like an old man chasing his walker

I think it's just because he has been so bad this year. You just expect the puck to go in at critical points during the game when he is in. I am a huge Howard fan, but I have very little confidence in him when it comes down to it. It's also probably because we need him to be the best player on the ice, and he flat out has been average or below average all season long. I just hope he can right the ship next season because he is making way too much to be playing the way he is.

Alfie needs to go after this season..guy has done nothing.

This is honestly how I feel too. Enough is enough. 20 years of success have been channeled into giving the Wings 1 year of nothing going right. It's gone way beyond "fire the trainers" or "we're old and fragile". Everyone gets injured, all the time, in every possible way. If we make the playoffs it will be the biggest miracle in the modern hockey era.

I like this chippy play you speak of. Don't get to see it too often.

probably doesn't want babs to bench him in favour of cleary

What else do they have to hang up?

I really hate when im forced to watch the other teams broadcast.... Especially the Jackets one, talk about brutal.

Haven't said much in this thread but I will say this... We are fickle fans. We demand Holland make more trades for impact players but then crucify him if we have to give up anything of value. The trade was never going to be Eaves a 3rd and Ferraro/marginal prospect. Nobody wants that. There's next to no value in that trade. We can all debate future and potential but none of that is certain so it's all conjecture for now. Legwand would be a core piece and top 6 guy on any team in this league. He is that good whether people want to admit that or not. No he's not a flashy/sexy player like Vanek, but he also isn't a known, pure rental and probably(hopefully) has a future here I also have faith they wouldn't have made this deal if they weren't confident he will re-sign here. No that does not equate to him being a shoe-in to come here in the off-season regardless of the trade or not. It means a lot to a player when a team pursues and "wants" you and is willing to give up assets to get you. It sends a message. Anyone can throw money come UFA time. Combine that with our culture, great group of very well-liked and respected leadership group, young future players and the fact that his he's from Michigan and you've got a great appeal and likeliness to re-sign. Starting next season (possibly this post-season if we can get healthy) we are going to have a very talented and deep group of forwards and I personally cannot wait to see what they are capable of.

I'm done arguing with you about the rest of the stuff because we been over it all 10 times.. But this part shows you clearly have no credibility in knowing what your talking about. It won't get the point across to you but everyone else reading will see it. We WERE going to get a defense-men until we lost all of our centers to injury. A center is MUCH more important than a D in order for this team to make the playoffs. The D we have now can get the job done just like they did last year, the centers we are left with could not. Franzen was being used as a our first line center and Andersson was centering our second line. You do realize how little games are left and our centers are going to be out most of the season if not all of it. You do realize how important centers are right? You do realize center is the most important role on the team to have quality players filling the position? You cannot win in the NHL without decent centers. We have no choice but to get a very capable center if we are going to make the playoffs. Picking up a D would have not helped us much. Our D isn't the best but it's an NHL caliber core that can get the job done. The centers we had left injury free were not NHL caliber. Do you understand hockey? Do you understand how important it is for this franchise to make the playoffs? Whether we make it or not we had to make a move to give ourselves a chance. Holland did exactly that, he made a move that gives us a chance and he made a good one. It was a move that HAD to be made. We don't trade often like the chart on the last page indicates, but we had to do this. It is a business and this business has a lot on the line.

Had a chance to jump all over Columbus in the first and ended up tied. Beyond that, hasn't been very pretty and you knew how the third period would end up with this team. If Nyquist and Franzen aren't scorching hot, it's a struggle to score goals and the defense is nowhere near strong enough to compensate. The other two lines besides the kids are black holes.

The motherf***ing Columbus Blue Jackets, ladies and gentlemen. Just make it ******* stop.

I hate hockey

The word "could" does not mean I expect anything Legwand has also been on pace for 60+ three separate seasons, and has never played in a system with good wingers until now. Franzen has been on pace for over 60 twice and is on pace for 70+ right now. So yeah it's something that "could" happen, especially if all this bad injury juju stops

And I bet he trash talks better than Miller

Comeau needs to get Kronwalled severely.

We ALWAYS lose the battles in front of our own net. Pretty much the most important area to win battles, and if there's a lose puck there it's always the opponent that gets a stick on it, creating dangerous shots or passes. This is something that I've noticed the last weeks/months and it has to change.

Except Mrazek is 21, and isn't making 6 million dollars / year. Howie blows this year, no stat will change that.

Good on Smith for sticking up for himself. Should definitely have been a 5 minute boarding call, and I love how they actually gave Comeau a diving penalty for that superman flop.

I would prefer: Z - Dats - Alfie Nyquist - Legwand - Franzen Tatar - Helm - Abby Sheahan - Weiss - Mantha Assuming everyone is healthy, which especially for Helm is not going to happen... Why those lines? Offense would be an absolute terror. If i recall correctly, Pavs had 48 points in 45 games last season DESPITE his wingers being (offensive) scrubs like Cleary and Abby. He could set them up for empty netters 4-5 times a game and they still would blow every chance. Now pair him with Z and Alfie..oh boy. 2nd line already showed us what it possibly can produce, and improved chemistry won't worsen that.. 3rd line has the potential to completely frustrate opposition everywhere on the ice from a defensive standpoint AND would be dangerous, too. 4th line, get Mantha playing time in the NHL. In that setup we could easily afford some mistakes in the learning process but profit long-term because of the experience he gains.

Literally all of them have tremendous consistency issues. Halak could never hold down a starting job, he is always in some kind of time share. Crawford was so up and down that he was questioned heavily as a starting goaltender after his first great half season. Hiller had two awful seasons and lost his starting job to Fasth last year just to pick it back up again this season. This is the reality of goaltending. Miller has slumped for a couple months on end. Quick has done the same. Luongo had an terrible season and a half which sparked the controversy in Vancouver a couple years ago. Lundqvist had an brutal start to this season. No goalie has ever been great at all times, all season, every season. Every goalie listed above has had struggles ranging from weeks, to months, to extending beyond one season. It happens. Roy and Brodeur, the legends of the position, have had off months and a few bad seasons. This is a fact that must be accepted if you are a fan of hockey. It's not an excuse to protect Howard, but if we had Hiller, Halak, Varlamov, Crawford, any goalie mid to high range there will always be consistency issues and we'd have a thread just like this one about them also. Period. No goalie is 100% elite at all times, all season every season.