Grim

True... but how have our Red Wings been looking as of late?? our Wings should be practically making the playoffs with Datsyuk, Zetts and Lidstrom alone.

cut Babs some slack all you want... the Canadian team looks terribly out of sync compared to the other hockey powers. this is undeniably a coaching issue. Its also hard to deny how good Rafalski looks on team USA. just maybe Babs isn't using him right? Notice all the long range shots put on Miller last night? You'd hope a decent coach would ask his team to adjust sometime before the end of regulation.

anyone watching this game?? crazy intense!!

this season is a lost cause for the Leafs. essentially they gave up spare parts for Giggy and Phaneuf. things will look brighter for them next year. sucks that they spent that first rounder for Kessel, oh well... not as if our Red Wings aren't guilty of doing the same.

Kenny won't think that far ahead... when the roster crunch comes, he'll waive Leino. ho-hum.

I am so sick of the Wings' tired old offensive style. everything hinges on the d-men moving the puck up ice and those quick, but smallish forwards to dig it out from the corners. Sorry, but the league seems to have caught up with these younger, more athletic players. Our forecheckers are rarely first to the puck. I am hoping beyond hope, that slower-paced, grinding playoff-type hockey will reap our team more success... but I'm starting to doubt it. this team is first round fodder as it is.

you guys are squabbling over semantics. Look at Kenny's track record... he's a softie for retreads. consider us lucky that Schneider and Dandenault haven't gotten calls. If Big Bert wants to be here, you can guarantee that Ken will table a decent offer.

I share the sentiment *exactly*! which means trading our backup *Ozzie* in a package for a decent defenseman at the deadline. we fans can harp all we want. all that matters is whether Babs will start him.

bash or no bash... Ozzie has been relegated to an overpaid backup. unless he has a NTC, I don't see the point of keeping him especially if Babs won't use him. Maybe package him to an East coast team and get some other team's backup.

Wings are currently 4th in Home AVG attendance... Espn attendance stats I don't think this is so terrible, especially considering the economic beatdown in the region and the dilapidated state of the Joe.

if he cleared waivers, which i think he will.... won't teams need to trade for him?? would carolina take Leino?? ;-)

trade him to the Sharks for a bunch of prospects

If the Wings miss the playoffs, the team loses gobs of expected revenue. The team could also end up at the short-end with potential free-agents, exacerbating matters. not fun...

Babcock has been preaching eversince he was hired here... perhaps worsened so after the 2008 Cup. he spews on Canadian tv about the values of defense and good fundamental hockey. Has he even been watching his own team play?? none of our players will be even close to a Hart trophy this year, so I'd rather see them play solid fundamental TEAM hockey, which they apparently cannot.

Babs is an overrated coach. The team has been slipping defensively for the past few years, despite the recent Cup win. Team Canada will regret picking this guy as their head coach.

Kenny has no choice but to get tougher... he's got the team handcuffed with cap issues signing all these finesse players to lucrative terms. The only sad part is he can only consider castaway tough guys.

everyone expects Lids to re-sign next year at a marked pay-cut no less... I say, the further his game slides the more likely he'll hang up his skates at this season's end.

oh please... to somehow pin this all on Ericsson must be a collosal joke. the kid came up HUGE for us this past postseason. no way does this team get as far as it did last postseason without a godsend like Big-Rig, literally! The team simply changed its focus on defense. No Lie... they "flipped the switch"! notice how many icings there were?? the team cleaned up their zone well despite the (few) juicy rebounds that Ozzy was giving up. I am also loving all this icetime that Helm and Eaves are earning!

if any moves are made, it will be for a goaltender.

I've had the equivalent of CI here in Canada for the past two years. I think I will take a pass on this season. Center Ice is totally useless for the Playoffs.

From what I saw at Thursday's home opener, Big Bert was flying out there... maybe somewhat too much. He just needs to click again with Z's timing.

Mike had the city over a barrel with that lucrative franchise-favored lease. by not taking the renewable option, you can surely bet Ilitch has done so for some special considerations down the road...

I agree with some... why all the spurned feelings since Bert left for more money in Anaheim? Did Mathieu Schneider not do the same darn thing?? its simply a business choice, folks. it actually comforts me, in a sordid way, that Anaheim is still on the hook for some of his old salary.

Kenny did just that this past season... and got snookered at the deadline. We lost three UFAs, an RFA (Hudler), and potentially Lilja. You can bet Ken will add at least one body.

Abby is going to GR only cuz he's still eligible... and the two-way contract helps our cap woes.