kickazz

How do you know that?

It's a mix of things. Ansar Khan says it best : "Players who tired of Babcock’s voice welcomed the change. Blashill was the obvious choice and the right selection, given his success with the Grand Rapids Griffins and familiarity with most of the players. But it hasn’t worked. The roster isn’t as good as it was during Babcock’s final two seasons (namely, no Pavel Datsyuk and Niklas Kronwall playing on one leg), but this team shouldn’t be 28th overall." Basically the same as what I've been saying. Blashill isn't working AND this team is NOT as good as it used to be on paper either. We're not that talented and our coach isn't that good either. We shoudn't be 28th overall but that doesn't mean we'll be one of the top 16 either. We could be 16 maybe 17 at best with a better coach. In order to make a definite stand in the top 10 we will definitely need better players or hope Larkin/AA/Mantha hit their primes sooner rather than later (still doesn't solve defense problem though).

He's not only burying the Blashill system but also the Babcock system. "I played that third-, fourth-line role so it's in me now," Jurco said. "I have that bad habit sometimes to play safe and chip it in. When I played juniors (and) in the AHL, I was a creative player, so it takes a little while for me." http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/hockey/blackhawks/ct-tomas-jurko-adjustments-blackhawks-spt-0312-20170311-story.html Btw I did notice something hilarious in his statements "In the AHL, I was a creative player" implying that in Detroit they can't be and are asked to make safe plays. Um.... HIS COACH IN THE AHL WAS JEFF BLASHILL HIMSELF lol.

Sad!

Like I said though, last year Tatar and Nyuist were centered by Sheahan and underperformed. Last night they play with Z and you saw the results. Two years in a row Abdelkader scored around 20 goals playing with Z then gets demoted to third line this year and has no production. Rid Blashill, but also bring a center too. Bring Nolan Patrick!

I just don't see how this team is considered talented. We have a decent amount of secondary scorers sure but we have no legit top center or defenseman. We don't have a legit power play quarterback besides Mike Green. We don't have a legit sniper. We don't even have consistent goaltending. Even with Blashill's "bad coaching" on paper we don't have ANY key pieces. (1C, 1D, 1G, 1-2 PP specialists). We have a lot of good secondary pieces but literally no primary ones. Technically Mrazek is the primary goalie but he's had a rough year. Just look at how well Mantha, Nyquist and Tatar perform when they play with Z. But when these guys get demoted to third line or even second line all of a sudden their production drops. We need primaries. We need to draft Vilardi at the very least and if we're lucky Nolan Patrick. Then hope to get a nice D man by trading up the other picks. ps: when I say secondary I mean wingers for the most part, or the non-200 foot guys in the classical sense. Basically the guys that need a driver for their production/role.

Toews exposed , Zetterberg being zetterberg, Howard stood strong. Somehow Nyquist and Tatar look like they're supposed to look, oh wait that's because they aren't being centered by Riley Sheahan but rather an actual NHL centerman.

Yep.

Easier to do it to young kids on cheap RFA contracts too probably. (AA, Mantha)

I agree , but I guess I'm at a point with Sheahan and Miller where I'm hoping neither are part of this team come next year so I'm basically shrugging it off as a fan for now.

I'm on Blashill's side for scratching Mantha. He might not be an amazing coach but if he's using this as a teachable moment for Mantha's own good then I get it. Sometimes young players need it. And there is clearly behind the scenes issues. Maybe Mantha is being a dips*** to his coach and needs some disciplining. Maybe not. As for anyone wondering why Sheahan, Miller aren't scratched, who cares about them. They don't mean a thing to this organization. Mantha/Larkin are going to be the face of this organization they're important and so is their development.

"Victims" don't realize just how important they are to the "suspects".

Hit on Kase AND Cogliano in December. A double KO by Kronwall.

You must not be watching Red Wings games with the way you've been talking lately. Kronwalling hasn't been taken out or stopped. He's just gotten older. But he messed up Rielly Smith pretty bad this year. Got him all bloodied up with a huge hit. Not often do you see players get hit into bloodyness. Kronwall still is one of the best open ice hitters whenver he wants to be. He straight up said in an interview once that he doesn't do it as often because he's getting older. Add that to the suspension. See below

I don't think our roster is better than it was in 2014. We had younger Datsyuk and Zetterberg, hall of famer Daniel Alfredsson, younger Kronwall, Franzen, younger Howard. We no longer those players or have a fraction of those player's skill levels. Larkin, Mantha are not better than Alfredsson or Franzen. Not even older versions of those guys. We need a player and a personell change imo. Rid the coach, rid some players, draft good ones.

Gotten soft over the years. But now that we're being made great again we will stomp everyone in our path.

Or Holland gets a contract extension

And imagine even with that they somehow give the goal to someome else like Tatar or somethimg because it touched his sick last between Sheahan being tripped and the whistle was blown. Like they give it to Sheahan first but then change it to Tatar's goal with Sheahan as the first assist.

Utterly embarassing. What a disgrace. Playoff streak is broken after two and a half decades and one sole player is breaking all the wrong records.

I prefer Ivanka.

Still should go.

Malkin should know his place. Got his ass kicked. Good stuff.

The point that Blashill and others (Redmond, Daniels, etc) are making about Zetterberg "willing the team" into the playoffs in the past is that he has the ability to elevate his game above his limits and trying his best. As in he's putting all his effort in and more. He's not SUPPOSED to be doing that. It's unnatural for a 36 year old player (with his injury history) to be scoring and playing like he is right now. Basically Zetterberg is OVERPERFORMING for his age. That's where the whole narrative of "willing the team" comes in, especially now. As in, the player isn't technically physically supposed to be able to do all this but the mind/ will is helping him to keep pushing himself to score at the rate he is. It's like having a runners high after running the first 2 miles. So no, the argument wouldn't necessarily work the other way because if he doesn't will the team to the playoffs, that would be the normality; it's expected. No one player can do it. But if he somehow does it, that's abnormal, unusual, spectacular. The thing that's being said about Z is that he's done it in the past with some help; (2013 for instance he turned into a beast the last 10 games or so). Also had lots of help from Howard who stood strong in net. . But this time he's all alone without any help and THAT'S what's making all these people impressed.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/if-bergeron-doesnt-win-who-fills-nhls-selke-trophy-void-201919246.html Selke winners have to have a: 1 – Faceoff winning percentage among the League’s best. 2 – Positive plus-minus rating, and especially a double-digit one. 3 – Offensive stats that are above average, even though this shouldn’t be a primary factor in defensive prowess. On the positive side, PHWA voters have made an effort to dabble in analytics to make a Selke nominee’s case. Corsi and possession metrics are seen as mandatory in 2017; one hopes that further context will follow. --- So for a couple years now LGW posters have been adamant about Corsi/Fenwick being an important way of judging defense. Selke trophy is given to the best defensive forward and it looks like the voters for the trophy will be taking a look at the advanced stats when deciding.

Eye ball tests are near impossible without the element of bias and the amount of games played by each player.