gcom007

Why bother right now? We're tied for 2nd in the league. The team for the most part looks great. Sure, it may be reasonable to say we're operating on a best case scenario trajectory, but right now, it's working. If it keeps up, we'll be a destination at the deadline and the fact that we don't really need to make any major moves will give us a bit of leverage. Maybe then we find a halfway-decent 3/4 defenseman to tighten up the pairings. That's about all we really need at this point. Sure, some of the kids could dry up, it wouldn't be the first time, but we've got more of them who could come up and perhaps play well. But all in all, I just don't think offense is or is going to be our problem, and I think we should wait and see what opportunities arise closer to the deadline now that we might actually make it on to a few guy's lists. Otherwise, there's just no compelling reason to shake things up right now.

Datsyuk is having an unbelievable year. If we're going by points per game, he's up there with Seguin and Crosby, literally. I think Dats and Tatar are going to really run away with the scoring for the Wings this year. Nyquist still seems to be a bit streaky thus far. But to be as thread-centric as possible, you've got to love what Tats has been doing lately. He's really turned it on. All that pushing they've been doing seems to be paying off. If he can keep his head straight, he should be able to keep it up. Him and Datsyuk seem to really be developing some solid chemistry and that should be a lot of fun to watch as the season goes on.

Datsyuk is really killing it this year in the points department. He hasn't played as many games, but he's putting up points at the same rate as Seguin and Crosby right now. If he keeps it up, I really hope he gets some serious Hart consideration this year. The guy has really just been putting on a show so far, despite having to battle injuries and having a few rough games coming off sitting a couple times. This year is clearly about the youth movement, but Datsyuk's proving why he's still one of the best hockey players in the world even at age 36. Just another thing to cherish about this season.

It's funny that this thread is still a thing.

I could see that, for sure, but for a guy who talked quite a bit about bad execution, everything about the press conference screamed "BAD EXECUTION!

Loved that, and I love that he's getting back into the swing of things.

Well, anyone watching this press conference has unequivocally learned at least one thing: man can fail.

When you say you've got 4 coaches that are preaching the same message and the result isn't changing, how in the ever living f*** do you not question whether the message isn't just f***ed to hell??? 4 guys supposedly preaching the same thing and it all boils down to lack of execution??? I'd totally buy that execution is part of it, but come on...

It's just a sad situation in just about every way a situation can be sad. Not much to see.

Yeah, not quite. For those curious, live stream:

Come on, you just miss your Flipper...

I'm pretty sure all the lusting for Yandle on LGW has ensured that the universe will never allow a deal to happen. If the Wings ever did acquire Yandle, there'd surely be some sort of time-paradox and reality and humanity and things of this nature would cease to exist.

Good for him. Class act until the end. I would've loved for him to get a Cup, but he's had an outstanding career all the same. I'm glad he's getting to retire a Senator. It's the way it ultimately should be.

I was in a bar in Northport with my family and when we went down 4-1, everyone was groaning, I said, "Mrazek will bounce back and this team will come back, just wait. Certain games this year you just kinda get a feeling. They've been flat a few times as a team for sure, but in other games, they've just got that sort of spark that seems to give them a chance this year.

I really don't have enough words to say how much I love this team this year, warts and all. It ain't always pretty, but we're finding ways to win and coming out on the right side of a lot of ugly starts. You've got to be proud of this club. And if you're not having a riot watching this team, then I'm genuinely sorry. This is the most fun I've had watching the Wings in years! Never been prouder to say GO WINGS!

I have not been shy about saying that I think this team is playing well enough to make a real stink in the playoffs. I haven't been so excited watching a Wings team in some time, and I really think even with no moves made, they've got a real good chance to make some noise. For them to make a real run though, Howard will have to be at his best in the playoffs. He's fully capable and I think he's had a great bounce back year, so I'm really, ridiculously, and exceedingly excited to see how things go down the stretch. It's going to be fun fun either way if the start is any indication.

So far, so good.

I see that as a rather easily resolvable issue with a bit more time, hence why I'm not too concerned with the way things have gone thus far.

I'm definitely not saying that, I'm just saying it doesn't help matters either. We need to get our kids playing like they are capable no matter who's in the lineup, and no one would ever really say that we're a better team without Datsyuk. The sooner the team gets used to playing as a mostly-complete team, as in not missing major pieces like Datsyuk, the better we'll be. It just boils down to inexperience and lack of familiarity with roles to me. I know, I meant it more generally. Believe me, I don't think anyone on this forum in their right mind is going to say such a thing and mean it.

I've been saying since last year that I think Nyqvist in particular is better when Dats is out of the lineup, and I think Tatar falls into that category as well. It's almost like they're intimidated when Dats is around and loosen up when he's out. But if those guys are worth a damn to this team, which I absolutely believe they are, that will work itself out in time and translate to a better, more balanced team overall. Plus, Datsyuk hasn't been 100% when in the lineup, and I think he's bound to get healthy again and be better than he's been at times so far this year. I'm just not sweating that side of things working out. Great players will find ways to be great players when push comes to shove, and as frustrated as I've been about some of the kids not playing up to their potential when Datsyuk is around, I'm not about to start running around saying that we're a better team without Datsyuk. There's just some kinks that need ironing out, and I think in due time they'll all be fine and making this team that much better, and subsequently more consistent.

I see it as a product of where this team is at right now. There's two cores in a sense; one is young and inexperienced, one is getting up there in age. On top of that, Datsyuk, arguably still our best player, has been in and out of the lineup and not always at 100% when playing. We can't really complain about goaltending, the defense has been better than they have any right to be, and our young guys are continuing to get better. But it's going to be a bumpy road for awhile still because some of the guys that I do believe will carry this team down the stretch are still getting their feet wet in the NHL. And when Dats is healthier and playing on the regular, it'll help a fair amount. And if Weiss is able to come in and contribute on some level, that could be a big bonus. But I really do think come the December-January timeframe, we'll be stringing together more and more wins if this team can stay healthier on the whole. There's a good deal more positive consistency happening in certain areas of our game this year than in the last couple of years, and consistency in other areas will come as guys continue to develop. Put it all together, and I'm pretty happy with where the team is at now, and pretty excited for where they'll be in a few months.

I have no problems with how things have gone so far. It hasn't been perfect and there's obviously stuff you could nitpick, but so long as enough guys stay healthy and chemistry and experience build, I think this team is only going to get better and better as the season goes on. And I'd rather peak in the playoffs than in November.

It beats the ever living s*** out of being the 3rd period team we were last year!

Hell, I'm not convinced we don't stand a chance to make a stink in the playoffs this year, even if we don't make any deals. We're certainly more poised than we've been the last couple of years with this roster playing as well as they have been. If Babcock can get them to elevate their game for the playoffs and Howard really locks it down, they just might surprise a whole lot of people.

I am not a Cleary hater at all, and while I don't think we should have brought him back this year, I don't have a blinding hatred for him at all. I even mildly defended the signing last year. But I think using "great" is going more than a little too far when describing his play this year. Has he been better than the haters expected? Sure, absolutely. Has he really been great? No. Could we have done without him? Oh, indeed. Again, I like the guy and have been a fan of his for the most part over the years, but I have no faith in him being able to play down the stretch at even the moderate level he's played at thus far, and I don't think that's an unreasonable standpoint to take given his age and struggles the last few years. He's a wildcard at best to be around when the playoffs hit. I get why Holland did what he did, but I think it would've been better for the team had Cleary not taken Holland up on his offer. The team is turning over a new leaf and I think the team would have been better served having our new kids in the lineup on a regular basis with the core leadership group on this team that stands to be around and playing most nights for at least the next few years. Cleary is not a part of that group, and he absolutely has complicated our ability to have team we probably should have on at least a small level. It's silly to get too hot and heavy about losing Nestrasil because he wasn't much to lose even if he has some potential, and it's not fair to flat out blame the Cleary deal on it. But you really can't be surprised people are running with it given the way things have gone. It might not be wholly logical or rational, but compared to a lot of the bulls*** slung around here, it's fairly understandable. Cleary wasn't going to get exposed, but as said, back in the summer he should've said thanks for the opportunity and walked and it'd be one less complication on a team that has had too many avoidable roster complications the last few years.