clutchngrab

If Dan Cleary ends up wearing the Winged Wheel again this year, I will find a new team to support until Holland is gone. Oh and by the way, all of you who think a 2-way is a good idea are delusional. GR spots are pretty valuable too - especially when you need to be re-tooling via youth and there are waiver rules AND the GM has shown no ability to make a reasonable free agent signing in a number of years - (41 year old Alfie not withstanding) I remember each and every painful game. I found it hard to not be drawn to his ineptitude on the ice.

I want to step back from the frustration that I feel about who plays and who doesn't and under what situations. Let's have a discussion about Babcock's strengths and weaknesses as the RW coach. Here's my take: What I've come to realize is that coaches like Babcock - at this point of his tenure - will make decisions which protect his own interest as opposed to what's best for the team. Every coach in one way or another tries to protect his job. With Babcock it's all about security and who he perceives he can trust. For him that means safe, formulaic decision like playing Cleary in situations where he has had success in the past - even though the current evidence suggests otherwise. I could go one about other personnel decisions, but it's clear that Babcock is a very conservative guy that wants to fall back on what has worked in the past. My belief is that he has made questionable ice time decisions from the 2009 finals going forward. He doesn't reward or punish players based on game-time performance. He has a vision of what he thinks should work and doesn't stray from it regardless of the on-ice evidence. Having said all that, I have no idea to what extent what goes on in practice effects who plays. Don't get me wrong - I think he is a heart and soul kind of guy that believes in all the good work ethic type things, but I think he lacks the game management skills that good coaches in any sport have. Coaches have to adjust to the situation at hand despite all well thought out plans. Up to recently, this ability has been less important due to the nature of the talent the wings could always put on the ice. Plug in the personnel and see what happens... Not too hard when more often then not higher skill beats lesser. However, those days are past us and the post-Lidstrom days are upon us. Babcock needs to coach in a different way. He needs to motivate as well as manage on-ice personnel in a much more dynamic way then he has had to before. Frankly, based on evidence, I don't think he is up to it - but I'd like to create a discussion around it.

Can someone explain to me why Dan Cleary gets to play with NHL players? On the ice? Really?

Babcock's system is to give players ice time based on nostalgia. Dan Cleary was horrible tonight yet the coach kept him coming, Wow!

Best case scenario: We last an extra round with an Iginla signing. Problem is: We give up assets this team needs in order to stay the mighty red wings. Though I have to say right about now I would trade Franzen for Iginla straight up.

I think there overall game has been remarkably consistent in its mediocrity. Due to the shortened season and other factors it all comes down to which team is gonna show on any given night. Tonight Minnesota is skating better and denying space better. Not to mention special teams and goaltending. And there you have it.

The North Stars are winning the special teams game - that's the diff. Coaches? Anyone out there?

This pretty much sums up my attitude towards Wings management: http://kuklaskorner.com/A2Y/comments/source-in-detroit-datsyuks-got-one-year-left

Wait, I thought the last game was the worst game of the year... lol I'm wondering what happens when we don't make the playoffs.... Wholesale personnel changes or coach firing? Frankly, I'm hoping for both and Kenny don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out as well.

I always thought Lindy Ruff was a pretty decent coach. He did a lot with some marginally talented teams through his career unlike a certain coach who has pretty much been in auto-pilot for during his red wing tenure due to the talent sitting in front of him. As I said early on in this thread, Babcock has pathetic game-time coaching skills. He doesn't adjust lines or playing time in accordance with the evidence on the ice on any given night. Not to mention the evidence over the course of 10 games. That's fine when you are not scrambling for a playoff spot and can count on the skill and talent over the course of the season to equal out - but guess what? We ain't in Kansas anymore. Time to do some real coaching and he's not up to it.

I'm curious what kind of coaching is required to coach team Canada to a Gold Medal. I would say very little. He's also lost 2 game 7s in the SC finals.

It's a sad day when we hail the second coming of Sammie as our savior over Abs and Cleary. But that's where we are....

Wondering if any of you are thinking the emperor might not actually have any clothes. Let the flaming begin!

Well when he says blatantly false stuff like this he gets what he gets.

Yes, and playing with the slugs he has will make you look worse.

My bad - probably should read: "Babcock: Can he adjust to the post-Lidstrom era" Way less emotional eh?

I'd happily create another thread about the shortcomings of said GM over the last couple years, but I'll save that for later. You do make a great point about how the relationship between the coach and GM can be subtly complex and can effect what a coach can do. I guess as a coach you need to be a bit strategic about who you bench or not - however that shouldn't change too much how ice time is divvied up.

I don't necessarily want a different coach, just one that can react to the adversity you point out in a game time situation. We've lost a tone of games over the last few years around either PP/PK, shift changes or ice time management. Every team sport is the same. You have your x's and o's and then you have the decisions you make during the game that have nothing to do with what you planned. Some (few) coaches are good at reading the game and adjusting and some are not. Babcock, in my opinion, is not. To some extent this how we blew a 3-1 lead in the 2009 finals.

My intention was not to say any change would be better, I just wanted to have a discussion around whether Babcock is still the right coach around a team that is clearly less talented than those in the past and whether is "auto-pilot" approach to bench management and ice time can work with this group.

I agree about the patchwork to a point (thanks to the GM), however, the goal is not to have a rebuilding phase. You want to breathe enough life through player development and acquisitions to fine tune every year so as to remain at least as competitive as the year before. You want to be in a position where as a coach and GM you are prepared to transition from old to young on an as needed basis. I haven't seen the wings do this very well since 2009. Look - Everyone one knew Lidstrom was retiring.

Well, on any given night it's tough to know what to expect from the wings. That's why I think ice and bench management is so important. How many times have we seen bad shifts turn into goals over the last couple years? How long does the head coach get to dodge the responsibility of the assistants? People have been hammering the assistants for 3 years now - yet the head coach bears no responsibility?

Why?

Andersson's only problem as far as I can tell is that he slower than molasses. He looks like a destitute version of Holmstrom. I like what he did against the ducks in the playoffs back in... I forget - back when he could skate.

Z and Brunner looked flat tonight which is exactly the problem. If Dats, and Z don't bring it every night or - god forbid - there is an injury to either - then we are done as dinner for the playoffs.