dat's sick

We really have a problem offensively and it's our d-men. They either completely whiff on their shots, or it gets blocked, or it misses the net, or if nothing else it's an easy catch for the goalie leaving no rebound. Doesn't matter if we have people in front of the net, they don't get anything to work with.

Some of the most solid 40 minutes in a while. Let's see if they can do 60. Losing this would be terrible, just terrible.

Winnipeg's got nothing in this game. Why do I feel like we're going to lose anyway? Someone score please.

We aren't paying him to be a star player. I don't think he looks that bad, that line has been good. But he certainly seems to be lacking confidence, he doesn't really challenge and drive the net like he can. Also one wants a decent setup man on his line because he CAN score when given chances.

I thought the 2nd line was very good in that period. A lot of pressure, maybe not great scoring chances but even sustained offensive zone time isn't something we're used to seeing from any line but the 1st. Helm obviously isn't 100% there yet, looks like he gets really tired at the end of his shifts, but the actual look of the line is good. You got Helm's speed and hustle, Alfie's brains and puck possession, and Mule's... Mule-ness. Bad luck on the Jets goal, Z and D got crossed up at the blueline and Z lost his stick. Usually one of them will be back as the 3rd man defensively breaking up those kind of odd-man rushes, but give Winnipeg credit they're a fast team and transition from defense to offense really quickly. Overall a good period, but no amount of good play is gonna cut it unless we start scoring. I want a 2nd line goal, I want a 3rd line goal, I want a goal from the defense. Yeah, I want it all.

PP has to start doing something now. If we can't count on Z, D, Alfie and Kronner to combine for something on the man advantage we are in some trouble.

Terrible giveaway by Miller leading to that chance. Nothing comes easy for this team, literally everyone has to improve.

Yeah and even if we win this one, and go on to win a couple in a row it will be hard to be overly happy about it until the team shows they can lose a game and stop at that, instead of always going on losing streaks. Lots of things for this team to prove in order to win back some trust.

Well there was one guy on hfboards saying he had a reliable source claiming Mule's injury is a burn to the right side of his body. Still don't know why there would be so much secrecy around it though. The whole "I'll tell you when it's 100%", "Thought I could tell you today", sounds to me like something other than injury or sickness, but I guess we'll know soon enough.

One step on the long road towards Nyquist in the lineup.

I'd go:Kronwall-Ericsson Karlsson-OEL Edler-Brodin Could see Hedman taking Ericsson's or Brodin's spot but I don't like him on big ice.

Yeah I have no doubt he'll make it if he continues to play this well. He's a clutch guy and not many swedes have his kind of shot. Franzen-Z-Alfie Sedin-Sedin-Eriksson Steen-Backstrom-Hagelin potential top 9.

Alfie is the other option, but yes Z should have it.

Lash can be a servicable 6th/7th D, but I don't think he fits into the Wings style. Atleast not what used to be our style. I don't really see a good first pass from him, he usually makes very simple plays, often up the boards. He's not good with the puck, he's got absolutely zero offensive ability. If we can go back to being a team that has the puck more than the other team has it we won't care so much about having big d-men who don't make a lot of mistakes. Pair up Almqvist with Dekeyser and that's a great puck-moving d-pair. Let Kindl/Lashoff/Smith/Oullet fight for 5th and 6th. The Griffs are tearing it up. We need Nyquist, but why settle for that? Jarnkrok is adapting to the NA game and is a great puck-possession player. Nyquist-Jarnkrok-Tatar on the 3rd line anyone? Andersson? Another unspectacular "doesn't make a lot of mistakes" player that I don't see in the Red Wings system. Stop being a dump and chase team, stop exiting the zone by shooting it up the boards. We should be beating teams by using our skill and playing the Red Wings way again.

He's the embodiment of what's wrong with this team though. Too many passengers. Too few guys who actively contribute positive things on a nightly basis. That's why I'm not a fan of Lashoff. Should he be in the lineup because he's not terrible? Because he doesn't do a lot of mistakes? Or should we try Almqvist or Oullet/Sproul as regulars who may do more GOOD things? AA managed to stand out in a positive way more in 2 games than Lashoff has done all year.

That joke is getting old. Babs is coming around. Cleary on the 4th line despite a depleted lineup? Safe to say we're past the worst I think.

I have to say Almqvist deserves to be on the team. Quincey, Kindl and Lashoff can't get the puck to our forwards cleanly. Even with lots of time they manage to give the puck away or just shoot it up the boards so the forward has to fumble with the puck. AA has issues in the d-zone but it's a tradeoff for what he adds in puck movement and offense which we so badly need. My patience is wearing thin. Our November schedule is as easy as it's going to get. We're wasting it so far.

Whole team was awful, we had no business getting 1 point and much less 2. A win may actually have fooled Babs/Holland into thinking we are better than we are. Because we are not good. Must have been 20+ giveaways in our own zone tonight. Worst PP I've seen, nothing dangerous offensively except for 2 fluke deflected goals. Tampa had about 15 chances to kill the game in regulation. Win 2 Lose 2 Win 4 Lose 4 Win 3 Lose 3 For real? That is a ridiculous record and not good enough for the Red Wings. 1st order of business: getting Nyquist into the lineup. 2nd task: getting Quincey out of the lineup or giving him drastically reduced minutes. Get this team in order Holland/Babcock. This is far from okay and it's extremely frustrating to watch.

Terrible game. If we somehow get 2 points it will be the most undeserved points ever.

We are really bad. This game can't be a 0-pointer for us..

Why is no one able to control the puck or make passes tonight?? We seriously look like a bunch of drunks out there. Sad.

This. Tampa's not playing amazing by any means but we're giving them the puck over and over. Even Datsyuk has been mishandling pucks in the 1st period. And we're losing a lot of faceoffs so that doesn't help. 2nd line looks pretty good. Lashoff messed up on the goal. Quincey sucks.

I don't have numbers but I think we're doing a bit better, combined with an easier conference we shouldn't have to fight for a playoff spot. And yeah we're mediocre, but we WILL be better with Ericsson back and Nyquist inserted in the top 9. That 1st line is superb and the 3rd is solid, if we find a 2nd we're looking good. Defense is a big issue though, starting to look like Quincey should not be in the lineup when everyone's healthy.

Not too upset with this loss as it felt more flukey than the complete disasters we had during our last losing streak. Howard didn't have a great game, we had zero PPs, and we made a few too many individual mistakes. Fingers crossed we'll break the "win X, lose X" cycle next game.

I think you're on to something here.