GoWings!

WOW...none of our guys shot the puck at Holtby in the shootout. This is absolute rock bottom for this franchise in the past 20 years.

Are they waiting for 10 straight losses before sitting this goalie? I'm sorry but he has to have, by far, the most blown leads this year as a goalie in the NHL. I don't care how many Jimmy fans are here you simply have to find ways to avoid these consistent collapses. He looks like a teenage roller hockey goalie in a street rink. Way too far out of the net every single goal. Wings aren't playing bad. We need some big saves in clutch situations.

The only option would be to buy him out. He has a no trade clause.

Capitals up next? Oh boy...they have destroyed us the past few meetings. Here's to more than two goals scored and a goaltender who can hopefully stop a bowling ball from getting behind him in a clutch situation.

I think Setoguchi could've been the opposing goalie tonight and he would've outplayed Howard too.

Love ya Jimmy but this was some non-clutch goaltending. Did Filpulla's ghost overtake Weiss' body? How many years have to go by for this franchise to allow a player like Cleary to start on any of these lines? With Tatar and Helm the speed is there. Can you imagine if Nyquist was on the Red Wings?

I love Ozzie and he's very insightful but he seems really monotone and doesn't get excited when any goals are scored.

We have so many useless forwards or not used at all that I would hope we could use them for trade bait. I don't think guys like Franzen, Samuelsson, Bertuzzi, Cleary or Eaves really have a place here. I'm shocked they resigned Cleary forcing Nyquist to GR. I'm worried about our defense come playoff time and we haven't made it further than the 2nd round with Jimmy (not saying he sucks or blaming him entirely, but he does worry me a bit).

Bad game. Tough for this team to put together a respectable winning streak. They don't seem to get up for many games anymore. Couple this with less talent on defense and not one sniper on this team and we actually seem to fall in to the category of a "pretty good" team and not elite. We haven't been elite since 09. I hope they bring Nyquist up soon and trade for a legit defenseman maybe but damn I see teams like SJ,Anaheim,Chicago and Boston beating the teams they're supposed to beat and I remember when we used to be like that.

Please play or something. He's doubtful to be in game shape after all this time. He was a fast skater with nice energy and an excellent penalty killer but I think we are gonna need a lot more than just him coming back to get back on track. I like Helm but he's not an All Star or anything like that. We can be a good team with or without him.

Damn I remember how rare it was to see Detroit get blown out, especially at home. Babcock has been juggling lines for a very long time now. This team is lacking a powerplay qb who can also hold the blue line without Lidstrom. Gonna be hard for new guys to get acclimated for a while. Even Tatar doesn't seem to be comfortable as well. Season is still young. I do worry about Howard. Watching him has been brutal at times. Weiss has a long way to go before we regret anything more than that 11 year Franzen contract. I think Weiss will turn things around.

Howard was not good. But you gotta admit the defense didn't seem poised with Kronwall not out there. The whole team stunk it up after the 2 goal lead. I admit I don't always feel safe with Jimmy in there. I question whether he can bring us a Cup. We had a 3-1 series lead that we should've closed out against Chicago last year and I still felt uncomfortable with that lead. But the entire team did fall apart not just him. I think starting Howard was the right choice.

I have to say the Avalanche commentating was nothing short of bush league. The guy first says that Kronwall deserves getting hit like that since he does that all the time. Then says Franzen can't score on anyone in the league except Colorado. Then said "aww man" when an Avalanche player missed an empty net. I mean really? I know the Avs have sucked for a while but how about acting like a professional? What a bunch of douches. Anyway nice win. Go Wings.

Other than the first game I think our last three games have been uninspiring. Pretty lucky win against Carolina. It's very early in the season. No need for a panic but I don't want us to dig holes for ourselves with boring efforts like this as the season goes on. I think the Zetts/Dats tandem will split up eventually unless we can find someone who can score with our two playmakers on that first line. I'd like to see Alfredsson on the first line with them. 2nd line is disappointing thus far so not sure what combo to use. Franzen seems useless, too early to judge Weiss. I think it's time to use a third line that'll have Tatar, Nyquist and Andersson for some energy. Then maybe Abby, Miller and Emmerton to grind until maybe Helm raises from the dead. Although I'd hate to plug the 2nd line with anyone of Bert, Samuelsson or Cleary. I do know one thing: only guy I saw movin his legs last night and actually getting into Phoenix's zone was Zetts...

Some guys lack the hunger and drive after they've already won the championship and got the long term contract. I think he fits this description. I loved 08 Franzen and we wouldn't have won it without him but he seems disinterested and disappears quite often now. He has his moments but a hustling, grinding 25 goal scorer would suffice.

I think we could've beat anyone the way we went up 3 games to 1 on Chicago. I think we definitely could've beat LA if we brought the intensity every game. I think the refereeing in Game 6 sealed our fate. We'll get em next year with a younger, non floating, rejuvenated group.

I love Babcock and unlike someone like say..Tortorella, it's never all about him. He rarely cries about calls,never calls out anyone, never throws childish tantrums, never gets nasty with the media and he's always a class act in every interview. The game 7 Cup loss and these three straight melt down games are a bitter pill to swallow indeed. I'm not sure what his motivational tactics were but I think he did the best he could with the squad he was given. This one stung for sure. We should've beat this overrated team but that's the way it goes. Future looks bright for the young guys and maybe we can shed some of that fat that's holding us back in the offseason and bring in some muscle.

Doesn't matter to me but I'll bet the farm it's Pittsburgh vs. Chicago.

To me Lundqvist is not great. He hasn't really done anything that Luongo hasn't done either and we all know how it went with Luongo. He is called a King and to me he is not great yet. Solid yes. A great goalie will steal a playoff series. He has yet to do this when it counts. Devils certainly weren't an offensive juggernaut either. Brodeur took a Devil team that scored two less goals than the Rangers in regular season all the way to the Finals for a 5th time with that franchise. I'm sorry but that is the definition of a great goalie. I also think the Rangers have a better defense in front of their goalie than the Devils do. So again this is just my opinion but you could say Luongo was great as well if you go with certain statistics but all in all you gotta at least make it to the Big game(SCF) before being considered King. Edit: Sorry about the double quote.

Well I never said Lundqvist wasn't good but I just think he needs to win a Cup before considered a King. He does have solid numbers but his playoff record is 25-30 and he has had a lot of talent in front of him since 05. I think he tends to disappear in some big playoff games and lets in a few 3rd period softees. Rangers always have that high payroll with not much to show for it but they do have some young talent which is good now. We'll see what Nash does. Regarding the Kings,I think they got hot,had no pressure and anyone in the West would salivate at getting to play the choking Canucks,an unproven Blues team,friggin Phoenix and a 6th seed Devils team in the Finals. Anyway maybe the Kings will prove me wrong but for now I stand by what I say. Philly was putting up football scores with Pittsburgh and then ran into a team that has something they never seem to have: decent defense and an actual good goalie. Brodeur carried a good team all the way there. If Kovalchuk scored a little bit they could've won a Cup. I gotta give credit to NJ. They are very similar to Detroit and they seem to almost always make the playoffs and compete regardless of personnel.

I believe the Kings were a fluke this year. They had a nice run but I still see them not winning their division and seeding lower than 6th next year. Just my opinion. Overrated: Fleury,Gaborik,Lundqvist(he's solid but totally worshiped and hasn't won anything yet so if he's king,what's Brodeur,God?) and Mike Green.

Sergei Fedorov was a great player. I could care less about celebrities/players' personalities. Business is the name of the game. He played second fiddle to Yzerman and rightfully so. But nevertheless he was a huge factor in those three championships. No one is Steve Yzerman though. So that's an unfair comparison. Always had to keep your eye on 91. Scotty Bowman even got him and Yzerman to start back checking more and then they started winning Cups with the defense first concept. Damn,I miss those days. I think he deserves it.

Couple of grades since I watched practically every game this year(I'm lifeless). Not going to grade everyone... Zetterberg: B+ Absolute stud. Not quite the goal scoring year for him but his hustle and turning it up a notch in the playoffs after a quiet start(injury plagued) makes him our MVP. Datsyuk: B. Our best playmaker and carried us for a good portion of the season. Has a tendency to be a little too flashy at times and sometimes disappears playoff time(late season injury slowed him down this year). Franzen: C- Not much to say here that hasn't already been said. Too many expectations because of 08 and his work ethic results are no longer mule like. Not a leader. Filppula: B Good skater with a breakout season. Good playmaker. Lacks in the physical aspect and was an absolute no show in the playoffs. Hudler: C Benefited from excellent linemates. Gets knocked off the puck like a toddler and decision making with the puck was shoddy at best. Goal scoring was the only positive thing I can say about him. Lidstrom: C+ Still not too shabby for a 41 year old but he lost a step and then his injury left him barely noticeable in the playoffs. It's going to be hard to replace his presence but we had to do it for all our other stars as well. He'd make a nice defense coach though. Holmstrom: C. Just for work ethic alone. Franzen should take notes. It's been a great ride but its time for some youth. Thank you for being the hardest working Red Wing the past 15 years. Stuart: C- Aside from some nice hits here and there he was pretty bad in decision making especially in our own zone and seemed lost and disinterested. Asinine playoff blunders since 09. Thanks for 08 though. Kronwall: B. Had the chance to step up and shine with all the injuries but didn't. Bone jarring hitter with a knack for scoring but his defense and passing took a step back. White: C+ Surprised me with a pretty good plus minus this year. Easily pushed off the puck and was lost when Lidstrom went down. Nothing compared to Rafalski regarding pinching up for some offense at the right times. Bertuzzi: C+ Probably the only guy that showed some tough guy mentality and intensity. Unfortunately the team never feeds off it. Very streaky and his shootout goals gave us a few points we needed in the regular season. Unfortunately for him there are no shootouts in the playoffs and he was nonexistent there. Nyquist: B. A player with some decent speed besides Darren Helm. Showing glimpses of a promising future. Can actually skate into the offensive zone without lame puck dumping strategies. Too much line juggling for further grading. Helm: B. Good speed,penalty killer and work ethic. Can't really complain much other than his lack of scoring. Ericsson: B- Still not physical enough for his size but surprisingly solid on defense especially after his injury. Better decision making with the puck this year. Cleary: C- Difficult to watch him this year. His grade gets a break for him playing hurt but he seemed to be a human mass that pretty much just dumped the puck back to the opposition on every shift. Good playoff hustle but that's just about it. Quincey: C- Not worth a first rounder and didn't fit in well with us when we needed him especially playoff time. MacDonald: B- Pretty reliable backup before he went down to injury. Maybe this grade is a comparison to Conklin. Conklin: D. Disappointing backup at the beginning of the year. Not that much better after MacDonald went down. Could've used a few of those points we lost because of him for playoff seeding. Howard: B. Solid goaltending before his injury. Pretty much carried the defense every game since that unit took a step back this year. Not the same after his injury and he wasn't bad in the playoffs. Miller: B- One of the main bright points to an awful penalty killing regular season unit. Solid on the same line as Abdelkader and Helm. Good cycling on the boards this year. Abdelkader: C. I just don't know what to think about him. He does hustle and bangs the body around but he doesn't score and you sometimes don't even hear his name in numerous games. Kindl: C- I don't know if he was having a competition with Stuart for biggest bonehead plays by a Wings defenseman but he is just not a player I like in the lineup. He did look decent at times this year and he wasn't really that much worse than Quincey. Emmerton and Mursak: D. Combined to form the most useless 4th line in the NHL. Enough said. Babcock: C+ Something hasn't seemed right since that 09 SCF game 7. There have been far too many big games where there just seems to be a lack of emotion and motivation. Always having to dig themselves out of holes and waiting til the 3rd period to start hustling. This team should've at least made a Conference final the past 3 years. In his defense I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt regarding some older players and injuries. Line juggling can be difficult with players who's skills have declined. Don't get me started on his coaching staff. Anyway,this isn't the end of the franchise. A couple of things need to be addressed. Speed(especially on defense),tougher players and a legitimate 35 goal scorer that hustles. We have a good core of guys here and if(Big IF)Holland uses his brain we can keep this team elite.

I think fans have a reason to be negative. Odds are against them and pretty much have been since the home win streak. You can say "I won't stop believing in my team" or "We got this" but the truth is we have been disappointing for a supposed elite team. Now saying Red Wings suck and Holland's a ****** blah blah is ridiculous. 21 straight years is insane and not many franchises will ever be able to achieve this feat. But we can all see that this isn't a Wings juggernaut not getting the lucky bounces like the 03 and 06 teams. This team has serious holes and a lot of quicker and more physical teams are now exploiting this. It's tough but we can't demand perfection from an imperfect team. But maybe this team has some drive and a not quitting attitude starting tonight...Hope so! Love this team no matter what. Go WINGS!

I have to say the lack of motivation since mid February has to be a major coaching problem. I've been disappointed in Babcock since that 09 SCF game 7. There's no urgency and I don't care if they are outshooting the other team because this only really happens because they're horrendous out of the gate. This game 4 will be the last test on whether they are for real because I'm highly doubting they have that comeback mentality like they had in 02 down 2 games to the Canucks. Not to mention that team was a hell of a lot deeper as well. I'd love for Lidstrom to be our defensive coach when he retires and for Yzerman to come back to this organization as a head coach. Wishful thinking I guess. These guys are talented but they went to two Cups already with almost the same team and won and then pretty much have been packing it in. Proud of them forcing a game 7 against the Sharks but again had they just came out with a little urgency they wouldn't be digging these big holes to try to get out of.