kipwinger

I'm probably the only one, but I agree with Zetterberg. We won the 5 on 5 battle last night. But its hard to score when all your offensive guys are off the ice. I liked our game minus the penalties. This team is going to be fine.

Well, you can't take penalties all game long and expect to win. Also, 3 on 3 is stupid. It's not hockey. It's garbage. We traded a breakaway competition for a 2 on 1 competition and think it's better. Stupid.

Awesome PK by Helm.

Two games in a row where we get scored on after Glendening loses his stick. Hang on to your twig Luke!

Can anybody on our team take a slap shot without teeing the puck up first?

Haha. Well I'm drinking less these days so I try to find other things to do while I'm waiting. But yeah, a few years ago I'd have already been at the bar for a couple hours lol.

Totally legal Griffins radio feed, just in case anybody wants something to do before the Wings game. http://www.iheart.com/live/WOOD-Radio-1069-FM-1300AM-1165/

No idea. Been trying to figure that out. They are pretty deep at forward though.

We are fifth in the league in shot attempts against. Our goalies aren't bailing us out. Our team defense is actually making their job VERY easy relative to other goalies.

Keeping with more of the same after a good win in Ottawa. Keep on grinding. Wings: 4 (AA, Datsyuk, Helm, Nyquist) Wash: 2 This. Is. Survival of the Fittest.

Torts would straighten him out. Getting him blocking shots and punching guys. It's the role he was born to play. Smith for Rychel. Straight up lol.

He's pretty clearly not a very smart player, but I think part of that comes from trying to do too much. If he simplifies his game, makes the easy, safe, pass coming out of the zone he could limit his mistakes to a greater degree. He's still have a lot of work to do on his zone coverage, which is generally terrible, but it's easier to improve in that regard when you're only focused on being a one way defender. His offense would be almost non-existent, but that's the case anyway. Like I said, best case scenario. More likely case, he continues to struggle, bounces around after his contract is up (or gets traded) and falls out of the league before long. In today's game, everybody can skate. It's not that big of a leg up for him. If he doesn't find a way to contribute I don't see him catching on with anybody. There's a reason why he's struggling to maintain a roster spot, and it's not because the guys ahead of him (or competing with him) are otherworldly good.

I think the BEST case scenario for Smith is that he develops his game to be a bit more like Johnny Oduya. He's a tough, fast skating, defenseman with oodles of athletic ability too. He doesn't score much, but he's made himself useful in other ways. He's a good penalty killer, a good shutdown guy, and moves the puck safely. I've said this before, so forgive me if I'm a broken record, but Smith doesn't have the shot to be a point producer in the NHL. With the exception of freak talents like Karlsson, Doughty, or Subban (who do it all), most defensemen contribute offensively by getting their shots through and picking up assists on rebound goals. Smith's shot rarely gets through. It's what separates him from Kindl at this point in their careers. If he wants a future in the NHL he's got to stop thinking of himself as an offensive d-man and add value in some other way. He's certainly a good enough skater, and a tough enough dude, to play a shutdown role. But he's got to embrace it. Bryce Salvador is another guy like that. Had a good career without being offensive OR being a traditional club footed stay at home guy.

I don't believe that we have a "need on D". We're top ten in the league in 5 on 5 goals against AND top ten in the league on the PK. Plus out goalies are playing well. Defensively we're fine. You could argue that we need better puck movers, but I'm not really sure that's true either. While Kronwall isn't playing well, there's no reason to believe that he won't pick it up at some point. He's consistently produced points throughout his career. Likewise Green and Kindl are moving the puck well given our offensive woes. Even Dekeyser is a capable puck mover, albeit not his specialty. I think a lot of the lack of production from the back end (as well as the forwards) was the result of learning to get comfortable in a new system which asks more of our defensemen than they've previously been expected to contribute. As the offense picks up steam, and our shot differential improves, so will the defensemen's numbers. I do think that it wouldn't hurt to have a power forward type who can bang and crash around the net. But even that seems less necessary when you consider that Richards' return will likely push AA to the wing and given that Sheahan is currently playing wing (and looking good). That gives us decent size on the wings for the first time all year. However, if we are absolutely sold on acquiring a big, gritty, forward, I'd take a look at Kerby Rychel for Columbus. He was drafted one spot ahead of Mantha, plays a physical game, and is rumored to be on the block. Columbus is also rumored to want a defenseman in return, and lord knows we've got a bunch of those. It's a pretty low risk move even if the kid doesn't pan out. Otherwise I'd say stand pat. We've looked better the last 5-6 games against better competition, we're not slipping in the standings, and I think there's every reason to believe our guys (and coach) are finally finding the right fit for the system they're playing.

This probably doesn't deserve it's own thread, but I didn't want to derail another one given the recent emphasis on keeping things on track. Anyway... Just look at this. This guy is on a whole different level. Take a look at the score as well. 5-1 through two periods. I thought Barry Trotz was a defense first coach? Lol.

Apparently Kindl took Blashill seriously tonight. 6 shots on goal for the Jak. I thought he and Marchenko looked strong again tonight. Green too.

One way or two way?

You realize that you can't "steal" a coach that's under contract right? I mean, its against league rules. It's not one of those things people say "can't be done" just because it's hard. In this instance you really CAN'T steal a coach. So Trotz was out of the question. You'd have to choose between guys like Tortarella, Bylsma, McClellan, and a bunch of guys worse than them. There was only one first rate coach who wasn't under contract, and he was leaving Detroit, not staying.

I realize now that my previous use of Ted Nugent was a bit cavalier. The Wings just aren't there yet. This isn't a team that's so good they can goof off. This is a team that's still on the grind. And a team on the grind needs something a little more aggressive. Wings: 3 (Larkin, Sheahan, Green) Senators: 1 I'mma rip this s***, till my bones collapse!

I think we already have. After our first few games we looked REALLY bad against Carolina, Ottawa, and on our Western Canada road trip. We looked absolutely abysmal against bad teams. Since then I felt we played better, even when the win/loss column didn't reflect it. We played some pretty good teams recently, and I thought we looked good. We beat Tampa, beat Toronto (not a good team), lost to Dallas in a closer game than the score indicated, beat Washington in a strong performance, lost a good game to San Jose, and lost a stinker to Boston. Lately it seems (with the exception of the Boston game) that we're playing good for periods of time, against pretty good teams. Earlier in the season we never played good, even against bad teams. We're coming along. It's going to continue to take time. However, if we can hang around the standings (thankfully we're doing fine so far), I'd expect to see a dramatically better team after the new year.

To tell you the truth, I think I'd rather this team struggle to begin the season and finish strong down the stretch. Last year the Capitals struggled badly during the first part of the season after Trotz came on board. Everybody expected immediate improvement considering Trotz is one of the better coaches in the league but presumably learning a new coach's systems and adjusting to massive personnel turnover took some time. However, once everything clicked they finished strong and were one of the hottest teams heading into the playoffs. We'll find our stride.

Well look who decided to show! How you been you mangy son of a *****?

Wow. Holland is now being criticized for bad trades he was rumored to be considering, but never actually made? This is getting silly. I used to get so annoyed when people said, "Red Wings fans are spoiled". I thought it was elitist and patronizing. But there may be something to it when some of our fans are critical of things their GM was rumored to have thought about. It's not enough that he doesn't make bad trades, he can't even to rumored to have thought about bad trades. Lol.

He'll get it sorted out. He's not a bad coach, he just needs to make sure the guys realize that just because they don't play for Babcock anymore, doesn't mean they don't have to play the game the right way.

I think the problem is coaching actually. Or one of the problems anyway. But not in the way some folks think. I think we have a bunch of skill guys who, after losing hardass Babcock, thought that meant they had the green light to go out and be ultra cute. Half our team wants to play like Datsyuk, but don't have the ability. Babcock demanded that they simply their games, and play more north/south hockey. And for guys like Tatar, Nyquist, etc. it made them better. Tatar is a real threat when he's being fiesty and driving the net. He's got great hands in close. But he's only an ok player when he's out on the perimeter trying to dangle. Like any young coach, I think Blashill has to enforce some accountability. If he's telling them to play simpler, and they aren't, he needs to make it clear that he's not ******* around. If he's not telling them that, and he thinks these guys are better when they're being cute, he needs to have his head checked. There are plenty of skilled, highly effective, hockey players in the league who don't dipsy doodle like Datsyuk does. He needs to really drive that home.