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I don't know why he hasn't played Larkin-Z-Abby, they clicked for a while last year.

If you have the puck the other team can't score. If you don't have the puck, you can't score. Possession is one of the biggest factors in winning.

HSJ is saying that Vanek is going to be out 2-3 more weeks. LTIR him and bring up MANtha. This should be done this morning so he can be in the lineup tonight. Failure of Holland/Blashill to do so is 100% completely stupid on their part.

I cant see how this shocks anyone. XO and Sproul have been the one's rotating all season. Like everyone, I want to see Sproul playing, but this is hardly a surprise.

The D used to move up in the neutral zone and cause turnovers, re enter the zone quickly now they just sit back and try not to make mistakes. Sometimes it will cause headaches like that game against the Rangers but it's better than watching this dribble. Getting dominated in every area of the game is unacceptable I don't care what the roster is like The AA situation is especially terrible because now he's creating tension with a young player that's part of our future. He'll do the exact same thing with Mantha. At this point he is just relying on Babcock's old methods because he's clueless

So, you took the time to blackout your username in the tweets, but left @daveindefiance in the replies..? <insert old lady voice> That's not how this works, that's not how any of this works.. Defiant Dave ‏@daveindefiance Oct 10 @wingingitmotown @detroithockey96 Guess we'll just have to see what kind of career Pulk has in the NHL

Ohh me too. It just HAD to be Vanek though..couldn't be E or something.

I think it's going to be on NHL Network. I'm guessing that's the reason, but I could be wrong.

I want to see Trouba sitting in the audience wearing a Red Wing shirt. It would be Scott Hall on Nitro all over again!

Glad to see Sheahan out of the top 6, still not excited about Tatar with Zetterberg, if it doesn't click, don't force it.

Found the projected Lineup for tonight: Gustav Nyquist Frans Nielsen Dylan Larkin Tomas Tatar Henrik Zetterberg Justin Abdelkader Andreas Athanasiou Darren Helm Riley Sheahan Drew Miller Luke Glendening Steve Ott Defensive Pairings Dan DeKeyser Mike Green Jonathan Ericsson Alexey Marchenko Brendan Smith Niklas Kronwall 1st Powerplay Unit Gustav Nyquist Henrik Zetterberg Tomas Tatar Niklas Kronwall Mike Green 2nd Powerplay Unit Andreas Athanasiou Frans Nielsen Riley Sheahan Brendan Smith Dylan Larkin Goalies Petr Mrazek Jimmy Howard Nikolaj Ehlers Mark Scheifele Blake Wheeler Brandon Tanev Alex Burmistrov Kyle Connor Nicolas Petan Adam Lowry Patrik Laine Marko Dano Andrew Copp Chris Thorburn Defensive Pairings Josh Morrissey Dustin Byfuglien Tobias Enstrom Paul Postma Julian Melchiori Ben Chiarot 1st Powerplay Unit Adam Lowry Mark Scheifele Kyle Connor Blake Wheeler Dustin Byfuglien 2nd Powerplay Unit Nicolas Petan Alex Burmistrov Nikolaj Ehlers Tobias Enstrom Patrik Laine Goalies Connor Hellebuyck Michael Hutchinson

Let's win this one and get Trouba on our bandwagon, I'm quite sure he will watch this game. We are rested, at home and have no excuses against a talented but inexperienced WPG. Confirmed by both Swedish media and St. James - Kronwall debutes tonight.

No it's not an "absolute" correlation in the sense that the best possession team ranks 1st, 2nd best ranks 2nd, and so on, but generally speaking the better possession teams are the more successful teams. From a game to game basis, I'll agree. Teams can win games getting badly outplayed and vice-versa, but never does a team get out-played every game, and win the majority of those games, unless you have a Carey Price (which we don't). Same goes for lines. A line can get badly outplayed in a game or two and come out on the positive goal differential, but more often than not, that line that constantly gets outplayed, and does nothing but defend, is going to lose games for the team... Small sample size. We are the worst possession team in the league, and we also have the 3rd highest PDO. Winning games at that rate is unsustainable. Something needs to change... Whether or not our 4th line has been a detriment to this teams success yet, it's only a matter of time before they start costing the team more games with those awful possession numbers. You may not think that giving those minutes to Athanasiou, Mantha, or whoever would help, but I do. We won't know unless it's tested (it won't be), but what's the harm in trying? Obviously what we're currently doing isn't working / isn't going to continue to work. You really don't think a 4th line of Sheahan - Helm - Glendening is any better than Miller - Glendening - Ott? Miller and Ott should not have a place on this team. Disagree if you want, but I stand by that statement...

Tough live is one thing, needing to pepper every ounce of praise with a pound of criticism and calling out a kid for the same mistakes you ignore in your vets is flat out stupid.

There's not 100% confirmation, but it looks like Kronwall's could play tonight. The guys sitting for him might ruffle a few feathers, but at least they're not putting Kronwall on the top pair right away.

Why is the rest of the team allowed to get away with not playing 60 minutes, but AA can't?

I think when it comes down to it, there are a lot of scape goats, but the roblrm is Holland. We spend to the cap and don't have a 1c, a 1w, a 1 or 2 d, and a 5 million dollar back up, we have a 4 million dollar 3rd liner with no hands(helm) and a poor mans lucic, backes (abdelkader) our roster is built like hell. Is it not a surprise our best player has actual size and the minute he goes down we tank hard, yet keep a 6-5 mantha who can score in the AHL... ? Management is the issue... He has his behind good drafting for years

When you don't have the players to play a style a smart coach switches styles. Blashill hasn't.

Not saying what's he's brought, I'm comparing today, this year. Not saying Z is crap, but if he thinks AA is not consistent enough, then what does he call the others? Are we giving vets a pass because of what they've done? But AA gets judged by a 2nd half of a period? This encompasses exactly what's wrong with Blashill and this organIzation. God Bless Z for what he's done, but no way has AA done anything to deserve how bad Blashill is talking about him. He has outplayed and out worked most of the team every game he's played. I'd give an advantage to Larkin, Helm, Nyquist, Vanek and Nielsen who have done a bit better, but that's it. AA is right there with them and does not deserve this criticism. Again, not saying the rest have sucked, just saying they have been more inconsistent than AA yet none get called out...this is the now, appreciate the past, but the past does nothing for the now. We all know Z is a shadow of himself and it's not fair to say AA is not playing good enough, but the likes of Z and co. are. Blashill is losing it and he's losing the fan base.

Please don't put Zetterberg in the same sentence with Abby or Tatar. One of them has been the work horse on the team and MVP on multiple occasions and holds individual franchise records for nearly a decade while the other two aren't at his level or ever will be. They're not going to criticize a guy who is in decline post-back surgery after playing like an elite forward and bringing it every night and carrying the team on his back for like 12 years. The only people who turn on a guyt like that are people on LGW.com. Because people here are unappreciative close-minded fans.

You ain't kidding. My fear is that Kronwall is going to go straight to the first pairing.

There's no conflict. It's pretty clear they should be splitting duties 60/40, with Mrazek getting the 60.

Just for the record, I've said plenty and said I'm glad he found his way back into the organIzation. Glad to have him back.