kipwinger

This isn't bloodsport, it's a business. If your employer doesn't do absolutely everything in their power to keep you safe on the job, they're liable to get sued. Put it this way, just because you work in a coal mine doesn't mean your employer doesn't have to give you a gas mask, or pump clean air into the mine. Have we seriously taken such a step back in terms of labor relations that we think employees have no rights just because they "chose" to work in a particular industry? Would any of you be ok with it if your coworker gave you a concussion at work and your employer said "you knew it was a tough job when you took it"? Obviously not.

I don't know what you guys are talking about. Everybody around here is constantly pining for someone to stand up to those "bullying" our guys. Given how we've played this season, is there any bigger bully that the opposition goal? Cleary is a hero for standing up to the one thing that strikes terror into the 2013-14 Detroit Red Wings.

I think my biggest problem with Bab's "system" is his stubborn insistence that every player is a perfect substitute stylistically (or at least could be) to every other player. Because of this, you get specialized players playing in the wrong roles, because "hey, why not". Why not put Datsyuk on Zetterberg's wing with Brunner (beginning of last season)? Why not put Filppula on Zetterberg's wing in spite of the fact that Filppula likes to pass and Z likes to shoot? Why not play Abby on every line from first to fourth? Why not make Smith and Kindl play away from their strengths? Babs' system runs utterly contrary to a couple hundred years worth of evidence that specialization works really well in most facets of life. You'd be a fool to try and grow corn in an area more suited for coffee production. You'd be a fool to build a textile factory in Silicon Valley. You'd be a fool to tell Stamkos to pass more and shoot less. But for some reason Babs disagrees with this logic. He must have skipped Econ 101 for Sports Psych 10...who gives a damn.

I've been saying this for a while, Smith's biggest deficiency is his decision making. He turns the puck over...a lot. So, considering his biggest asset is his wheels, why not skate with the puck a minute to lose the forechecker before making the outlet pass? I actually think Kindl would be money ahead if he did the same thing. Not everybody needs to do it the way Lidstrom or Rafalski did. It's about time some of these young guys were allowed to became their own players instead of trying to mold them into other guys. There were lots of good d-men over the years, with lots of different styles, most of them not named Nick Lidstrom. Maybe the development gurus in the Wings organization should give up trying to make Smith into Nick, and start trying to make him into Coffey (so to speak).

Let's be clear, I never said anything about "soft players". I simply said we don't need more forwards, but better forwards. You've added the part about "softies", which makes it look like I said something I didn't. I don't care how soft the team is if they score goals.

Thank god there's not actually a referee bias against the Wings, because we can't score five on five to save our lives. Without these powerplays we'd be in real trouble.

Dominating win by the Red Wings tonight.

We have no killer instinct...says the guy with the best shot on the team right before chooses to pass to Helm on a 3 on 1 rather than take a shot from the high slot with nobody around.

I agree with you, but even that lineup makes me want to puke.

Generally, I agree that any loss meets with utter doomsday reactions around here. But if you haven't noticed, we're losing an awful lot of games.

I can agree with that.

Wow, nice lines Babs. Ugh.

It obviously was that, you're right. But that doesn't explain all the other losses which had nothing to do with that. Nobody is saying we are a tough team. We're saying that we've got bigger issues than that. We lost exactly one game because of our lack of toughness. We lost seven in a row before that because we don't hold leads, get outplayed in the third, are terrible at moving the puck, and can't score goals when we need to. Why focus on the most recent loss as if it's indicative of something and ignore all the other ones that had nothing to do with team toughness?

I have no problem with what you're saying, but I think it obscures the fact that we didn't lose last night because Ottawa was physical. We lost because we could score on any of the three 5 on 3 powerplays we had. Hell, forget about scoring on them, we couldn't even get any shots on goal. Three shots on three 5 on 3 powerplays. Pathetic.

Apparently there are lots of ways to beat this team, since we can't seem to buy a win no matter how the other team plays. Last night was the first really physical game we've played and we lost. But the zillion games we lost before that really didn't hinge on physicality. I agree that we got beat up last night, but it's not like that's a sure fire way to beat us. We lose no matter what style the other team plays.

Might want to look at that again. Smith has asking Neil to go for quite a while before Neil dropped the gloves. Kind of a stretch to say he didn't want to fight. Also, the idea that teams are going to look at last night's game as a model for how to beat the Wings is laughable. We've lost like gang busters for about six weeks now and this is the first time that a team really took it to us physically. Hell, if you wanted a model for how to beat the Wings, wouldn't you use the last Ottawa game, which was barely physical and more of an ass whipping?

Correct, but we could use better forwards.

Haha, you're being optimistic here. Teams don't need to get all chippy to beat the Red Wings. Just playing regular old hockey will do. But it does make me feel better to think that teams will have to do something special to beat us, rather than just show up and wait for our team to blow the game late in the third. See above.

We had three five on three penalties last night and didn't convert on any of them. and only got three shots on goal during that time. We don't need to be bigger and tougher, we need a team that's not full of scrubs. Oh yeah, and we need a new coach.

Wasn't Tlusty a total stud last season? I rarely pay attention to the Hurricanes, but I thought he scored a gob of goals a season ago. Also, I'd trade Cleary and Quincey right now for Ruutu if his term wasn't so long. That guy hits everything.

I didn't say any of Babs comments. What did he say?

Bable Quincock!!!!!!!! Funniest name I've ever heard in any context. Atta boy on the GDT!

You'd think Babs would jump at the chance to shuffle the lines. Is he feeling ok? Maybe that flu bug going around the locker room finally caught up to him. #BabsFeverDreams

Don't just blame that on the Canadian fans, look back through the GDTs to see that our fans complain all the time about the officiating. I actually came here to post about it actually. So here's mine. "There's definitely not a league wide conspiracy to keep the Wings down. That's just silly." "It's not the ref's fault we're taking stupid penalties" "None of our guys were at fault, that was just a great effort by Ottawa, Boston, etc." "Gary Bettman almost certainly isn't trying to ruin the hockey experience for me personally"

It could be improved in the sense that it is theoretically possible to improve the line without changing the roster. But it cannot be improved in the more concrete sense that Mike Babcock will never, EVER, put Tomas Tatar on the top line over Danny Boy or Abby...which are really the only other options.