GoWings1905

Really strong period by Jimmy. Get this 4th line off ASAP from the faceoff.

Watching Helm with Pav and Z really makes you appreciate how much better Abby is in that spot.

The Magic Man off a remarkable effort by Z. That 4th line is always out there.

Fans that have emotions that follow the flow of a game? Yeah, I'm sure that's exclusive to this forum.

Gus! That's a bad goal, but I don't care a bit. Just win this game however possible.

Down a goal. Glendening's line will probably get 12 minutes this period.

Babs just kills everything and everyone from an offensive standpoint. Why you would be content to let this defense blow games (they always do) is beyond me. It doesn't matter how well this defense suppresses shots -- they are eventually going to do something stupid.

This is ridiculously pathetic lack of intensity.

That's what happens when you have Babcock trying to win every game 2-1 or 1-0.

Joakim Andersson is not good at hockey.

This is the best roster the Wings have had since 2009 by far. Babcock certainly bears some responsibility for this.

I don't feel secure enough in the Wings ability to win games right now to do anything but root for the Penguins tonight.

If everyone gets healthy... Z - Pav - Abby Cole - Sheahan - Tatar Nyquist - Helm - Weiss Miller - Glendening - Andersson/Jurco

Detroit's philosophy has always been to bring their prospects along slowly and no coach has come anywhere close to getting the results Blashill has in Grand Rapids. Furthermore, Blashill has seen a significant portion of those said prospects jump to Detroit during his coaching tenure and he still keeps winning. There's really no doubting Blashill's ability to develop young players and prepare them to compete in the NHL. Blashill is going to be a head coach sooner than later. Obviously you never know, but Babcock didn't have any professional coaching experience either at one point. Everybody has to start somewhere and Blashill is an ideal fit since he has already worked with most of the roster. Babs is a great coach. Nobody here (I don't think) would argue that point. It's more about the message and coaches do get stale; especially one that has been around for a decade now. I think both parties need a fresh start and I would have said that long before the Wings started playing like trash the past month.

Two up with three to go and two games against Carolina. The Wings have no one to blame but themselves if they don't get in.

Ottawa is within two and probably one soon because, well, Toronto.

They have the potential to be a point up at the end of the night. How is there no doubt that they are getting in?

Agreed. I guess I'm just not very confident in those two games being as easy as they should be on paper to win. The Wings look defeated and either gassed and/or injured as a group. Helm and Nyquist are the only players that looked like they had anything in the tank tonight.

That's what you get for not starting on time and trying to play come back against a very good goalie and Trotz as coach. The Wings played well in the second and third period, but they aren't skilled enough to win games with 40 minute efforts. Both Carolina games are must-wins and maybe try to steal a point in Montreal. It's truly astounding that it has come to this point. What a collapse.

Jeff Blashill?

I would do anything for a shootout loss even at this point.

Boring strategy, but effective if you can pull it off. The Wings aren't skating well enough to dump and chase through the trap. That blown 5-on-3 seems extremely costly.

Wait, so Wilson can run around like an idiot with elbows flying and that's legal, but Zidlicky makes a clean check and now it's a penalty?

Change the lines. Put Z and Pavel back together. Babcock is so damn stubborn. Things aren't working and he will wait until 10 minutes left in the third to try something else.

Miller had a chance to get the puck out once and couldn't. Oh good, now another too many men. Babcock has checked out.