GoWings1905

I fully support Mrazek as the starter being best for the team going forward, but a part of me really feels for Jimmy. I hope he does get an opportunity elsewhere because he is a good goalie that just fell victim to the circumstance of Mrazek blossoming into something special now.
Jimmy has always represented the Red Wings well and seems like a class act. Whatever happens, I'll always be a fan.

Sheahan! He has been great lately.
Larkin making the team has saved this season.

That is an absolutely horrendous icing call. Typical "you are losing" so here's an edge garbage.

I fully support Mrazek as the starter being best for the team going forward, but a part of me really feels for Jimmy. I hope he does get an opportunity elsewhere because he is a good goalie that just fell victim to the circumstance of Mrazek blossoming into something special now.
Jimmy has always represented the Red Wings well and seems like a class act. Whatever happens, I'll always be a fan.

I fully support Mrazek as the starter being best for the team going forward, but a part of me really feels for Jimmy. I hope he does get an opportunity elsewhere because he is a good goalie that just fell victim to the circumstance of Mrazek blossoming into something special now.
Jimmy has always represented the Red Wings well and seems like a class act. Whatever happens, I'll always be a fan.

65-27
2-47
55-25

Now, if Blash announced Ericsson was the healthy scratch on Monday night I'd be ecstatic.

I think the ice time of the Dmen says a lot about what's about to happen with this team. 65-47 led today. 52 was the low man do to him being awful. 27 is on his way back. Will Blashill actually sit a core get on this squad of the past? I gotta think Balsh is seeing the writing on the wall as far as the vets-rookie dynamic is concerned. More 21, 15, 71, 2, 25, less 13, 55, abd 52.

Nyquist looks much better today away from Tatar. Not a knock on Tatar -- they just don't mesh.

I don't think they care who wins in this scenario. I do believe they officiate based on the score and that happened again.

Meltdown in the third now? This team doesn't have any idea how to play with a lead.

That is true. Athanasiou is bigger than Helm is and can probably (?) score moreso.
I think sadly Helm is actually pound for pound smaller than Datsyuk is.. So I don't know how him being a "net front grinder" for top 6 is that practical. But someone said in the blashill thread.. Blash has to use what he's got. Helm's probably his only realistic option to stick with Datsyuk (who wants a piano mover).
But there's also Jurco, who is pretty big and has hands. So idk, maybe he should play with Dats and have Helm drop down.
Abby - Zet - Larkin
Jurco - Dats - Tatar (this was an actual line last year)
Nyquist - Richards - Sheahan
Helm - Glendog - Nosek (Miller)
I know Jurco is injured for now but just thinking..
Alternatively they could swap Datsyuk and Larkin who could center Tatar and Jurco. There's practically a "goal scorer" and a big guy on each line and the 4th line is all PK guys.

Agreed. I was thinking about this last night too. At best this season, what are the Red Wings? Maybe third in the division, wild card spot -- basically a borderline playoff team again. They are stuck in the same place and the biggest problem is, you aren't going forward soon if Holland doesn't change because your two best players are slowing down considerably.
Which brought me to my thought: it will NEVER happen with Holland, but shouldn't the Red Wings consider trading Pavel Datsyuk? If you really want to turn this around quicker, you almost have to take some risks in trades, which Holland has been extremely reluctant to do. Teams just don't let quality free agents get away much anymore, or if they do, you have to throw money around to compete with all other interested parties in that player. Howard is the most obvious trade piece, but you aren't getting anything significant back for him.
I'm not bringing this up, just based on the past three games either. This is looking big picture and the fact this Red Wings team looks exactly like the ones of the past five or six years. Talented enough to get into the playoffs, but nothing more. Mediocrity is the worst place to be in the NHL and Holland is so stuck on embracing this stupid playoff streak that it overshadows the organization from getting out of that complacency rut. Something has to be done differently. I'm sick of hearing about "24 consecutive playoff appearances." Call me spoiled, but that isn't a good enough reason to celebrate a season.

Z-Dats-Abby
Rich-Lark-Ny
Jurco-Shea-Tat
Helm-Glen-Nosek
or these top 2 lines would be good too since I'm not sure Rich Lark-Ny would work:
Ny-Z-A
Lark-D-Rich

Funny how Jurco looks much better on a line with other actual NHL players. Helm's continuous placement in the top-six is nuts, though. If we want someone to skate around real fast, call up Athanasiou since he might actually finish some chances.

This.
I've rarely missed a wings game in 10 years, and I've had little to no interest in the past 15 games or so. I just don't get excited for games this year and even when I watch I find myself not wanting to pay attention. Larkin is the only player who seems to play hard and does anything remotely exciting.
I'm over Blashill as well. How long are we going to keep Dats with Helm and Richards??? An infant could realize we need to mix up the lines but that seems to fly over his head.

Losing is one thing, but man this team is so damn boring to watch on top of it. Besides Larkin and occasionally Tatar and Nyquist, there's very little to get excited about anymore. Z and Pav are shells of their former selves now.
The Wings aren't retooling on the fly like Holland claims. They are just treading along in mediocrity seven years in a row.

Losing is one thing, but man this team is so damn boring to watch on top of it. Besides Larkin and occasionally Tatar and Nyquist, there's very little to get excited about anymore. Z and Pav are shells of their former selves now.
The Wings aren't retooling on the fly like Holland claims. They are just treading along in mediocrity seven years in a row.

Agreed. Anything would be better than wasting Pav's final few years with Helm on his wing. I would definitely like them to at least give Mantha a look sometime this season.

If we pursue the trading Howard line of thought, we have to consider who gets bumped up. If Mrazek got hurt, do we have a viable starter to fill in? I'm not so sure. Everyone says not having one starting goalie means your goalie situation is insecure. I disagree - the best part about the Howard/Mrazek duo right now is that our contribution from the goalie position is more secure than any other team in the league, even if there's an injury.

Smith and Kindl both stink. Ouellet-Quincey would be a great third pair.

Correct, because Howard always gets those bottom feeders with T like Tampa Bay, while Mrazek has to play cap era dynasties with C like Carolina.
I'm pretty optimistic this one will be better than the last one against the Hurricanes. Tats is due with a goal and we did look fantastic at home so far so I'm going with 4:1 Wings (Tats, Pulks, Abby, Jurco).

I think in general the team seems to be freer to make decisions for themselves, and play a more fluid game.
Blash is a lot like Cooper in that regard. And both remind me of coaches like Vigneault and Laviolette. Their philosophies seem less prescriptive. Babs' system seemed much less so. Other than a handful of guys (Dats, Z, Lidstrom, Kronwall), guys didn't seem free to make a play if it weren't part of the overall strategy. Hard to argue with Babs' system, he won lots of games. But I'm not sure its the right one for a team full of skill players. Guys like Dats, Z, Nyquist, Tatar, Larkin, Richards, Pulkkinen, Jurco, Green, Smith, Kindl were drafted because of their offensive creativity, playmaking ability, speed, vision, etc. Not their ability to take a hit to make a simple play. There are a million guys that can do that. IMO, taking away their freedom to create cuts down on their effectiveness tremendously.
I'm sure I'll get a thousand responses explaining how Babcock was a superstar at letting his players play, and that I'm biased, and blah blah blah. And obviously we've only got 3 games under Blash to compare, so we need to see how things pan out over a full season. But it sure SEEMS like our guys are getting up ice quicker, dumping the puck less, creating higher quality scoring chances, etc.

Put Helm in Ferraro's place. I think he's probably too good for the 4th line, but I don't know who else you move out at this point.

I think Larkin's plan is to ultimately wear #17 and the #71 is just temporary since Richards grabbed it, but he's probably only going to be here maybe one year.
Anyways, so pumped for tonight. Most excited I have been for a Wings season since probably 2009. New coach, the youth movement, potential to be good this season and the foreseeable future make it a fun time to be a fan.
LGRW!