Nightfall

The top scorers on each team I did pretty well on. Got 91 out of 120.

QFT He was a great player and a key for 3 Stanley cup wins in Detroit.

In an 82 game season, if you miss the playoffs by 1-2 points, there are going to be many opportunities that a team can look back on. Most of them will be within their control. If they just had worked harder on this game or that game. The teams that bring it every night look on a situation like this, shrug, and play the next game. Teams that have no fortitude or work ethic look at this game and ***** about it for 2-3 weeks.

You would think after all the winning seasons, playoff appearances, president's trophies, and stanley cups we have won since Holland has been GM that we would just assume that he does have a plan. This isn't Charles Wang making some dumb move to sign someone to a 20 year deal. Holland needs to veteran leadership and he has already taken away the AHL's best players from the Griffins. The rest of the Griffins squad needs time to get some experience in the minors. Holland has a plan...

Gotta have one of the two goal scorers in the mix. Z should be #3.

Give him time. It took years for Yzerman to buy into that system. It will take Ovechkin to do the same.

Heck, lets start blaming the ushers in the aisles. As you said, its a free for all.

Well, this is a welcome change of pace. Can't blame the goalie? Can't blame the defense? Lets go off on the coach.

Got season tickets for the first time. I will be there all weekend long.

Wings went 2-3 in their first five games back in 97-98. Outcome was a stanley cup, but people are quick to forget that and hit the panic button around here. I agree. 20 games is a good mark to evaluate.

Wow, Maltby is finding the back of the net right now. I love it.

If anyone here is blaming Osgood for this 4-3 debacle so far, you are one of two people. 1. Someone who doesn't know hockey. 2. Someone who hates Osgood. That is all.

What crap defense.

The defense has let him down today. I am not impressed with what I have seen so far in terms of the "new defensive focus" by the Wings.

Its a sad story. I was really pulling for him as well. I really hope he plays hockey somewhere, even in the minors so he will come to Grand Rapids so I can see him on the ice. I got a chance to see some of his highlights and I think he would be a great player to watch, even in his twilight years.

Thats NHL ready now? No one. You mentioned them all. Leino is borderline ready for me as well. I hope he really kicks it in the ass for the Wings in training camp. The rest of the players need time to develop. Thats where they should stay. Thats why Bert was signed.

What they should tell you is that they think the kids in GR need more time and that is just what they need. The only ones from GR that are ready to move up this year is Leino, Helm, and Errickson. The others need more time down in GR. Especially Abdelkader who had a great rookie campaign with Haydar last season. It will be interesting if he can have more success with different linemates on the Griffins. You know know by now that the Red Wings like to bring up their players through the farm system a lot more efficiently than other clubs. People will remember how Kronwall sat in the farm system as a dominant player in the AHL. I remember going to Griffins games and just knowing that Kronwall was ready to move up. Yet the Wings waited and let him come up only when he had outgrown that league. Gotta give the other kids in GR time to get better in the AHL.

This is very true. Questioning should not be an issue. Bashing is another thing. Maybe I am being a bit harsh.

Its my hope that we improve defensively. We scored 257 goals and allowed 184 goals when we won the cup in 2007-2008. Last season we scored 295 goals (a +38 improvement) but allowed 244 goals (a +60 difference). So in essence, we played WORSE defensively with the same team that won the cup the previous season. I think we should concentrate less on the scoring output from last season and concentrate on bringing the goals against down to the level it was when we won the cup in 2007-2008.

One of the reasons the Wings have been good is because of the farm system they have. Everyone has had to pay their dues in the farm system. Kronwall stayed in GR a year too late according to many who watched him in GR. I have no doubt that the kids in GR will stay in GR this coming season. Abdelkader will also be down in GR this season and to be honest, that is where he belongs. These kids require 1st line minutes and more growth. They will get that this season in GR. Helm and Lenio will come up, but the rest of the Griffins players last season will be playing in GR again. You would think everyone here would stand behind Ken Holland. Instead it looks like about 40% of the people don't stand behind his decisions. Hell, look at the success the Wings have had in the last 12 years. The Stanley Cups, the Conference Championships, the Presidents Trophies, and so on. After you look at that track record, how can you look at a deal Holland makes and say that Holland was a moron? Give the guy some credit and stand behind your team. I guess there is a reason why I took a break from these forums. Too many fairweather fans and people who call themselves fans who cut down on the players and management. The level of true hockey fans on this board has declined so much over the years. Instead of real hockey fans and more importantly, fans of the Red Wings, we have childish asshats who like to do nothing but stir the pot, bash players, and the management. I hate to say that a majority of the fans here give the real Red Wings fan a bad name, but its true. Sorry for the vent.

I agree. After winning the cup in 2008, everyone in Detroit thought things were going to be great next season. They were when we signed Hossa. Lose Drake and gain Hossa? Awesome! Lose Hasek and gain Conklin? Awesome! Last year was our best chance to win another cup. When we lost in game 7, I just knew we were going to have a tough time next year. I knew keeping that team together was going to be impossible. Next season we are going to be fine. We will have to improve defensively to make up for the lack of goal scoring. I think Sykora is a good option because he is a good defensive forward.

They won We lost Deal with it /thread

Our best chance to win a Stanley Cup was last year. Lose Hasek and Drake Pick up Conklin and Hossa You want to talk about a loaded team we had last season. Alas, it wasn't meant to be. Maybe the Wings need a shakeup.

I am sure if you were put in the same situation, and you made a decision that was right for you, would you care what someone on an internet forum thought of you? Besides, I fail to see how you should lose respect for this. He isn't holding out. He isn't under contract right now. He isn't abusing 8 year old kids. Meh, some people take this crap too seriously.