VM1138

Yes, here we go! I say we get 6.

I don't care what Babs said about no trades. He was just talking tough to keep up what confidence is left o nthis team. If the team keeps sinking there WILL be trades, and big ones. Who do we have that is decent that would be the most replaceable? Keep in mind you have to give up talent to get talent, we have plenty of role players but not enough goal scorers, clearly. Cleary for a pure 2nd line goal scorer from a team in need of a defensive, veteran forward? (Does he have a NTC?) Howard for a proven backup from a team willing to take a risk on an unproven goalie but in need of youth and a future? I can't really think of any other combos that would work.

This team needs a good brawl. Not just a quick, tactical fistfight, but a good multiple-fights-going-on-at-once brawl to get the juices pumping. Like the old days.

We can't really do a trade. The only guys we'd be willing to trade no one would take. Unless there was a team who has a lot of offense that is willing to take Bertuzzi, Leino or a defensive forward or two in exchange for a pure goal scorer.

I don't see the problem everyone has with Homer. We all know his weakenesses, but he's doing what he's always done. But with Bertuzzi doing absolutely nothing, the puck is having a harder time getting to Homer, so there's not much he can do. I agree about Datsyuk's attitude, though, I don't get it.

Lines have been shuffled, it doesn't work. This current crop is too reliant on role players and aren't using enough pure scoring and defensive talent. I don';t know what the hell is going on with Datsyuk and Z. The past few seasons the story has been how they are so much better than anyone else and they were getting better and better and more dominant....and now this. Even s***ty teams have dominant scorers. No excuse for Datsyuk and Zetterberg not to be scoring, even with crappy linemates. You can rearrange suck but it'll still suck. Hopefully our stars will remember who they are.

Missed the game, but I don't see how a team with Datsyuk and Zetterberg, supported by Cleary, Lidstrom, Rafalski, can't score goals? I mean, all other considerations aside, even without Franzen and Flip, how are we not scoring any goals? Datsyuk and Z are world class players who should be able to score at will. Tons of terrible teams have a single superstar that tears up the charts, we have two bonafide world class superstars who just can't score? What the hell is going on?

I agree. This season is frustrating, but with all the cap space for next year, the Wings will be right back to form. The only reason we're struggling aside from injuries and bad karma is that we didn't have the cap space to really make the team better. Bertuzzi, Williams, etc. are all stopgap measures. I hate hearing people talk about the decline of the WIngs because in all reality, it's one mediocre season forced by circumstance followed by a season right back on top. It's not a general decline of the franchise. Anyone with hockey awareness would know this.

Old people? I hate how everyone in sports thinks you're washed up at 30. A lot of players (enough not to be rare) are huge players at 35, 36. Numbers on a page mean nothing, it's how they perform that matters and I don't see anyone out there being slow and old, just lazy and mistake-prone.

At this point I'd just be happy if they scored a goal or two.

Realistically, Lidstrom can still play the game better than anyone. However, there has been a noticeable decline in his offensive ability, and he has been getting injured a bit more frequently than usual over the past 2 seasons. (Still, not very often but compared to his history). He could get big bucks on the open market but consider this: He's already made big money in his career, he loves Detroit, he's a smart guy and knows the team is in a bit of a pinch financially and could really use extra cap space. I see him taking anywhere from 4.5-5.5 million, depending on how many years (1 or 2) the contract is for.

Since Babcock has joined the team (I believe 5 years now?) we've made the SC finals twice, the Western Conference Finals 3 times, and his first year here the team nearly broke records in the regular season. He's not going to get fired because the team struggles after losing half its offense and a bunch of its main players out with long term injuries. He's doing the best he can with what he has, which isn't much at this point.

I'm so tired of people bashing Hossa for the playoffs. The guyw as a beast in the playoffs the year before. He was working hard for the Wings. In case you hadn't noticed, a lot of people disappeared in those playoffs and they're continuing to be AWOL this season. The past two seasons have been beyond bizarre, their inability to perform defies explanation. Hossa is, was, and always will be a beast and Chicago is going to be tough to beat. Making fun of Hossa for "disappearing" is only a way to make yourself feel better about losing him. But it looks like the team is a lot worse without him, doesn't it?

Just got home from the game. Here are my thoughts from seeing them in person: Lebda sucks beyond belief. I don' tknow how much of him was seen on TV but he was brutal in person. The passing game was way off. Every pass was intercepted or just a few inches too far. Datsyuk seemed to miss the puck a lot when trying to receive it. Holmstrom did exactly what he always has, I don't see why anyone is on his case. He was about the only Wing with a few good scoring chances. The first period was the best, especially the power play, but again, everything was deflected or blocked. Defensive breakdowns (I don't know who was on the ice) in the 1st and 2nd killed the Wings. That second goal should not have gone in from seeing it right in front of me. Right through the five hole. Oldest trick in the book. So...once again, fix the defense, finish the shots (nearly 40 shots and not a single goal?) Pavelic wasn't hot, he was amazing, he only faced a handful of actual quality shots. No jump, no energy, the Wings were flat everywhere. Even Lidstrom looked shaky. Stuart looked good, made smart plays, but again Ericcson seemed a bit lost. I'm usually an optimist, I've made it a habit to try and see the bright side of things, and lets face it, they still can come out of this with a great finish to the season. But I'm worried. I don't expect them to win any night lately. The way NOBODY can seem to finish worries me, because it defies logic and reason. If there's no reason for this inability to perform, there's no solution really.

Hossa very well could put them over the top. I wasn't on the Hawk bandwagon earlier on, but with the way the Wings are playing and the addition of Hossa now to the Hawks, I don't see the Hawks going on a massive losing streak and the Wings going on a massive winning streak. The Hawks just might take the Central this year after all. EDIT: What I want to know is why a player would sign such a big, long term contract with a team he's never played with before. Seems like a serious career risk. If Chicago doesn't work out, he's stuck there it would seem.

I'll be going to this game, so they better show up!

I'd say goaltending is #3 on our list of "Needs to fix." Offense and defense needs to be rebuilt.

Ah, that would be why. I've got better things to do than keep track of who is playing for the Preds, the least interesting team in the league next to Atlanta and Florida.

I'm telling you guys (and you too Babcock!): Abdelkader-Datsyuk-Homer for a game. Just watch. It's got pretty good balance, can give Abdelkader confidence and might ignite a scoring touch. Although I wouldn't protest Helm-Datsyuk-Eaves, either.

I think in the 2nd they kept calling a Wings player Franzen. Not only that but they called him "Fraanzen" instead of "Frahnzen."

I think they're all playing well, except for Leino. Ericsson, like others have already said, has made some big blunders, but they're rookie mistakes. The thing no one has mentioned though is that he usually follows up a blunder with a huge move that saves the day in the same play. Like last night, he passed to the wrong guy and immediately dropped and swung out his stick a ridiculous distance from himself and swept away a pass that would've certainly scored. So you can tell he knows what he's supposed to do. He consistently shows these flashes that explain his lapses as rookie mistakes that he'll more than make up for. Helm has been about what we expected. He can't score (he's had 3 breakways in the last two games and botched all of them) if he has to move his hands, but his speed and hockey sense forces opponents to make vital mistakes so someone else can score. Abdelkader started off slow I thuoght but is really kicking into gear. This kid is going to be a legit scorer when his time comes. Leino has LOOKED good, stylistically, but he's not scoring and not creating much havoc. So he's a disappointment, but a lot of people don't realize it because he's making flashy plays that ultimately end up nowhere. Like the whole team, flash doesn't mean anything if the puck doesn't go in the net. Eaves has looked really good as well, he's going to fit into this team nicely. Howard....well...he's trade bait. Anyone who really watches him during games can see he has no rebound control, is terrible at positioning, and his confidence is easily shaken. The confidence thing could simply be because he's a rookie, but as he's older he has less time to adjust and prove he can hang in the NHL. The positioning and rebound control is what will kill him. It takes many goalies a summer or two entirely devoted to those things to really improve, and I'm not sure the Wings will be willing to take a second chance on him next season when funds free up to find someone else.

We could get stronger down the stretch. Who knows, the Wings could be the team this year that gets really hot after a really poor first half and goes tearing into the playoffs.

Central matchup, must win for the Wings. It's kind of sad we're getting "must win" games in November. Pretty evenly matched on paper, but they have the typical "hot young goalie" so we'll see. I have faith!

See, I feel exactly the opposite. IF the Wings make playoffs, they can go deep. They have the experience and as we saw last year, they don't have to give 100% to make it to the Finals. THere are very few teams that pose legitimate threats. The trouble is getting this team to play well enough to win games to make the playoffs. I still believe this team has the "on" switch once they reach the playoffs, though.

Helm-Datsyuk wouldn't work. But Abdelkader-Datsyuk-Holmstrom couldn't be worse, but it could be the spark the team needs.