frankgrimes

Watching Excel sheets doesn't replace the game of hockey it just satisfies some math freaks. This annoying development will go away as fast as it came hockey is much faster than baseball and there are too many intangibles involved.So who cares you either have work ethic and dedication to the and or you don't.. you either score or you don't...I don't need excel just basic logic

All a letter on the chest means, these guys are the ones talking to a ref. If someone is a leader he will lead and won't need a letter on his chest to do that. But I think the next captain will be Danny D. with Larkin getting an A and Nyquist getting the other one

I don't care about Jurco he is obviously very skilled but seems to lack dedication and work ethic This is a win win situation for both sides he either gets it going to the point where he might be a valuable addition or at least increase his trade value for some defensive help.

A team in transition that seriously lacks the entertainment value it once had. Be it in terms of skill or truculense. It's nice to see the 2 high-end prospects Larkin and Mantha developing but there will be more high end talent needed with Pasha soon gone and Z getting up there in age. So yeah the best way to describe them would be a team in transition that really could use some use toughness and nobody knows where the transition will lead but the fact is this team has won its last cup almost 7 years ago and isn't close to getting their again so Z, Pasha and Kronner likely won't won't win another cup with this team which is a shame

Sadly for us this is going to end Quick

http://nhl.nbcsports.com/2015/11/15/report-tyson-barrie-could-find-himself-on-trading-block/ If this is true Holland has to be on the phone and get this done .. Maybe one of Nyquist , Tatar and a second? Granted under the condition of him signing an extension.

Ya I'm sure playing 20 minutes of three on three in a meaningless game, while other players can enjoy the time-off with their families is a lot of fun.

so add another gimmick to a gimmicky event, brilliant idea.

it's Eichel's to lose with McDavid out but I think Larkin has a small chance and at least he will be in the conversation

Koala chose Edmonton and I wanted him too but sadly he wanted Edmonton. How is this team too good to be floating around .500? They've added a PP QB in Green and a good third liner in Richards other than that so far the best player on this team has been a rookie named Dylan Larkin. Kronner has taken a step back, and Pasha will need some time to find find his hockey-gear again. It's been said a few times now but it is true the best coach in hockey had troubles, getting them into the playoffs so if a team isn't significantly improved - which this team isn't! - how is a rookie coach supposed to have them play better? Even as someone who wanted the koala he would have struggled too because even if coaches are having the same philosophy their will always be differences in terms of system - so a learning curve has to be expected. The problem is, some people went into this season with way too high expectations and now that they are facing the reality they are starting to freak out. I mean, the Oilers are last again so fire McLellan, the Bolts aren't in the playoffs by now fire Cooper? This thread also shows how blessed the Wings fans have been with Babs and his system maybe now even the Anti-Babcock crowd will appreciate his accomplishments (especially the last few years), even more. Do I think Blashill will be as great as Babock? No but I think he will be a good and maybe even great coach one day..not even can be a Scotty Bowman or Mike Babcock.

Shadow OV, screen Holtby and win please

good for the Wings and him because it means a better return come trade dead line

Everything under 100 is a joke really , Wings had a 74 mill salary in 2002..and still didn't have the highest ones so it would be logical to assume an even higher one by 2015..

plus the dominator, Drapes god such an awesome roster back then the discussion was who besides the Wings has a chance to win the cup now there is way too much parity which sucks the fun out of hockey

This might be a show your worth contract I like it it's basically minimal salary and if he earns a bigger pay check it would help the defense a bit.

Nobody is against you it doesn't even matter what we discuss here. The thing is you want Blashill fired fine, it's your opinion but with whom do you replace him? Sorry, but the Leafs didn't steal Babcock the Wings gave Babock the freedom to talk to other teams and he decided to take on the massive challenge in Toronto - in fact we are getting a second rounder from them at some point in the next 2 years Figuring out who your best players are and how to use them in a new system is always going to take a lot of time. Look at the Penguins they have Crosby, Malkin, Kessel, Letang, MAF and Maata yet after almost 2 years their coach hasn't figured out that's the point when you can say ok this coach might not work here but after 18 games? I don't think so. I mean who could have predicted such a fall from grace from Kronner? Yes I am for real would Q or Scotty have a different team? No, as good as both guys are (especially Scotty best coach EVER) it would still be a new (= non Babs system), so it would take the Wings time to figure it out.

# Great job with the GDT This should be a win, Ottawa has an average at best defense and it seems like Turris will be out for tonight.

When someone is described as the best coach in hockey (= superlative) it means, that everyone else is not as good. So no matter whom the Wings would have hired the person would have been "inferior". You've stated your dislike for Blashill after 4 games in, after 8 games in and now after 18 games in. So please tell who from the available candidates would have been better? Don't get me wrong I would have been happy if the Wings had interviewed more guys but they didn't and I still believe Blashill will be a good maybe even great coach one day, the guy has won at every level so far. But right now he is in for his biggest challenge AHL --> NHL this is a huge step up for everyone not just players because things that might work perfectly inthe AHL aren't going to fly in the NHL which includes strategies, PP variants . There simple is a different if you coach a guy like say AA against some other AHL defenders or let him do the same thing against a guy like Doughty, Keith. So again whom would you have prefered? Babcock accepted the challenge elsewhere there is nothing the Wings could have done to avoid that and judging by the way some players talked about him (with a bit of disrespect) after he was gone...maybe it was time for that step, because both sides were ready to move on. What Blashill will have to going forward is simple: bench players that aren't willing or capable of following his system this is his team now he is the coach and maybe some players need the tough love? People were laughing when some people stated that Babs has the Wings playing over their abilities and only 18 games in it seems like that was exactly the case. Even one of the best coaches (John Cooper) needed time to adjust to the NHL game once he did Tampa took of (also thanks to the captain and the unbelievable rebuild he did in just 4 years!). I would bet my house that not even Scotty Bowman in his haydays, Quennville, Darryl Sutter or McLellan (who would have been my top replacement priority) could change much? Let Blashill learn and if Blashill still hasn't figured out by the same time next year maybe revisit this debate again. I'm just not a fan of blaming rookie coaches (there are for sure exceptions like that coach in Edmonton who threw a water battle at Hall..). Like you've said this team has experience and it's time for the leaders to step up their game and get the job done - if they aren't able to ...well then find players who are able and willing to do so. You can quote me on that I think Blashill will turn out to be a good (maybe even great) coach. Edit: Don't even think for a minute that Kronner, Z or Pasha would have been willing to put up with a coach like Tortarella and neither would Tatar, Nyquist, Green and for sure NOT Richards (he hates him).

Looks cool let's hope he is here for a looooong time

See and that's where I beg to differ. This team lacks the scoring instinct and especially defensive capabilities to do so. They are able to hang in there for a few games but in the end they lose we've seen this story top much the last few years. As far as Blashill he is 18 games into his NHL coaching so growing pains are to be expected, aside from the Anti-Babcock crowd most people didn't expect a seamless transition here. Green is what he is a pp qb who needs other players to cover up for his mistakes in the defensive side of the game, Richards is a serviceable 3 line center so I don't know why both additions got so over hyped. Yes I'm looking at our version of the rebuild and it has me very concerned because there is nobody with even the potential to fill the defensive needs and we all have to hope Larkin continues his impressive play because Pasha is soon gone A traditional rebuild would have us left with 3, 4 top ten picks and the possibility to reload for another cup run in a few years. But you are right the systems currently in place are making the NHL a boredom fest...our second Christmas (July first) is gone, fights and physical play gone, linebrawls gone and GMs are limited in what they can..so yes I do understand that Holland has limitations but I would prefer if he at least tried to pull of some block busters because the UFA classes aren't what they've used to be which sucks the fun out of it. Blashill is not in an easy position here but he will figure out whether some players are able to adapt needs to be seen if some aren't it's like I've said time for trades..to shake things up a bit. People can laugh at Edmonton all they want but with McDavid, Hall, RNH, Nurse and Draisaitl plus Talbot in goal their future is very bright whether we like it or not.

I'm not afraid because if things aren't going into a play-off direction come mid January he has to at least consider a shake up.Pasha has 1 year left so we wouldn't get much in return but I'd love to see him winning another cup and it ain't going to happen here for him. Anyways Z would fetch a nice return but it only happens if he asks for a trade and he has a few years left in his deal so that could reduce the return a bit. Maybe a package around Kronner

Time to really say (again) no. A coach can only work with the roster given by his GM

Wings won their last cup with grit in the line up this is more than just a coincidence I think this team needs and has needed a culture change for quite some time now. Maybe it's time to trade one of the big guys to light a fire under this team ass?you can miss the playoffs because the team isn't good enough but don't act like you don't care down 0;3 play physical take some well worth it penalties and go down fighting and don't just accept defeat. that being said I think Holland will wait till the trade deadline and if things aren't better by then he will finally do something drastically to shake this stale locker room up.

I've wanted a rebuild since Lids retired and would have been happy with one since our last cup run too.I'm on record saying that whatever happens this year won't be on Blashill. I still think they either barely make or miss the playoffs...which dimishes the chance to draft a possible elite center or defender in the up coming draft. But I mean at what point is stuff like almost equal winning and losing streaks combined with first round exits getting old? Personally I don't think it's fun watching a team with no identity getting bounced in the first round without 1 exception. I also think some people went into this season with such unrealistic expectations that they are now shocked when in reality this is what most experts expected from the Wings this year. Does Blashill shift players around? Of course but what else is he supposed to do if the practice line combinations aren't working? Keep in mind even the best coach in hockey was barely able to get the team into the playoffs While the addition of Richards and Green is nice neither of them is a much needed game changer...which Boychuck would have been. Do I expect them to be this bad in March ? No but I also don't expect this team to be much better either baring some miracle trades on Holland's part.

thing is if the team would have started the real rebuild after Lids retired .. we would have a bunch of top 10 picks ready for go time by now. Man losing against a Boston team which lost Loooch, Hamilton is . I know average teams are going through some winning and losing streaks but some identity would be really nice..something that's been lacking since the last cup run. yeah a shutdown guy who can be paired with Kronner would have been nice hence why I wanted Franson over Green. But this team also needs someone who can create space and finish I hope Mantha will be that guy in the future If only we could have beat that damn 2 second rounders for Boychuck offer .. back then Jurco had some value. Not a fan of line juggling but if a line can't generate anything what else is there to do? Blashill has been put in a tough situation some players just need to put in solid 60 minutes each and every game not just when the feel like it! btw. Mrazek should learn to stay in the net and stop his let me play the puck out of my zone attempts. anyhow I just hope we will go into the rebuild mode of this is the season where the streak ends. Patchworks and first round exits are not wings style