b.shanafan14

Tell the other goaltenders in the league who stop more pucks that they don't need to worry about the screened shots or anything that might constitute a decent scoring chance. It would be one thing if he let in one or two, here or there, but he seemingly never makes the save.

Our PP may have scored another goal or two, and PK would have been better in terms of skaters, but the way Howard was dodging pucks out there, I don't know how much better things would have been. He got 3 goals worth of support, but let in 5 for good measure. Not only is it the goals themselves in terms of the scoreboard, but when he lets in a stinker he is noticeably rattled, and the team seems to pick up on that and deflate. Like I said a few weeks ago, the number one indicator is whether I am expecting a shot on our goal to be saved or end up in the back of the net. When Gustavsson is in goal, I expect the former. When Howard is in goal, I expect the latter. Things were the same late in the 2008 season with Osgood and Hasek. I don't care who is supposed to be number one, I care who is stopping pucks.

Shhh. The trick is to be an unrelenting optimist. No one played poorly. No one made mistakes. It was just our turn to lose. Only happy thoughts.... Seriously. The team I love just choked from 3-1 to 3-6 behind terrible goaltending yet again, am I supposed to feel something other than frustration?

Did that 29 save shutout "so soon" make us forget his now 6-8-6 record? I hope not. The trend is terrible; the shutout was the exception that proves the rule.

Jimmy Howard is god awful. Time for another time-out for Jim-meh while Monster actually does some goaltending.

Well, Jimmy got plenty of goal support considering Pav and Z are out of the lineup, and took a dump in goal again. I have zero faith in his ability to make the big save. The Flyers entered the game 29th in goals-for. Maybe someone should tell the rest of the league's goaltenders that its "not their fault" if they are screened, or face a decent wrister, or decide to get stuck behind their goal, or kick out sloppy rebounds, or... you get the picture. Goaltenders earn their contracts on the difficult saves, not the fluff. I have no patience for excusing soft goals as anything else. Howard has been garbage and it should be Gustavsson's goal to lose from hence forth. Also, maybe I missed one, but Quincey has been on the ice for every goal I've seen.

http://redwings.nhl.com/club/blog.htm?id=404&navid=DL|DET|home Turns out this is happening, though Franzen is moving to center and Weiss playing wing. We'll see how it goes, especially since we need that line all the more.

Another great grades post. Agree with everything, but would bump Weiss down to D- based on expectations, incapability in the role and salary for which he was signed, while giving both Kindl and Smith a bump up to B- and C+, respectively. I think both have been much better overall, while both suffer from inconsistency, high peaks and low valleys, but for the majority have improved. Also, a case could be made for lowering Howard's grade to a C+, based on his inability (up until his last game) to make the big save or just not allow a closing-minute stinker. He'll get better, but over the first third of the season I don't know if he could have been much worse, with lack of goal-support still giving him the benefit of the doubt.

Weiss has been terrible, but by all accounts, he is ineligible for buy-out this summer. If that is the case, we are stuck with him and his salary for the next 4 years and change. Like it or not, we need to get SOME production out of him. Its one thing when we had Datsyuk and Zetterberg healthy and Helm and Andersson playing great, but without the first two, we should at least try him a few games in the Top-6 center position. After that, I don't know what to do. He is our disappointment until 2018, so we better figure something out. Franzen-Weiss-Nyquist Abdelkader-Helm-Alfredsson Tatar-Andersson-Miller Cleary-Emmerton-Samuelsson Philadelphia is 29th in goals for and the Wings have been playing great team-defense lately, that could free up a line with a hot Franzen and Nyquist to help get Weiss off the shneid. And not to defend Weiss because he has been worthless since day one, but he did start the season with an equally unfamiliar-to-the-system Alfredsson and a completely invisible Franzen; maybe this time around with an engaged Franzen and the energy and skill of Nyquist will be different. Either way, we don't really have a choice but to get him going.

If Weiss is ever going to break out, he has to do so when Pav and Z are out. However, since we continue to practice/play Weiss on the fourth line with the other two hanger-on plugs, one could guess that we have already given up on him. I can't for the life of me think why Weiss wouldn't have been promoted during these tough times at center unless he was on his way out after less than 30 games. Don't get me wrong, Weiss has been a terrible disappointment and I have very little faith that he'll significantly snap out of it (read: earn his $5M per year contract), but if you were ever going to test it, now would be the time.

NOOOOOOOOO! Z has had back trouble in the past, but this could be serious. As Helm and Bertuzzi has shown, back injuries can really get drawn out. He seemed a bit hampered the last few games (though still playing great). Figures it happens when we are already missing important bodies AND he is in the hunt for the league points lead.

LOLZ.

Embarrassing game. Can't compete physically. Can't make them pay for it on the powerplay. Finally win one game and the team and media make it sound like they are finally hitting their stride. Pathetic.

This game is almost unwatchable.

Bad 5-on-3 again. Why didn't Franzen just leave his hand on the stick?

Makes you wonder how the Wings can't draw penalties all season when you see gang rape like that being let go consistently. Inevitably the Wings are going to get a call against them that'll make us all think "THAT?! What about this other dozen you let go in the 2nd?"

About time they call something.

Lots of hooking and holding being let go for Ottawa... It'll be interesting to see the next one they actually call, and who for.

Ughhh... They are being allowed to clutch and grab, and the refs seeing Franzen flop and play dead isn't going to help.

I was so excited to see this team sans-Dan, too...

Wow... Good on Smith to stand up to Neil, albeit totally out matched. Hopefully Smith keeps playing his game after getting it handed to him a bit. He's been great thus far tonight.

Nyquist did great to draw back-to-back penalties and then they all turned into Samuelsson. High and wide. And... Ladies and gentlemen: Dan Cleary. Clumsy f***.

Ughhh, just hit the net, boys!

Honestly, as goaltending goes, the number one indicator of performance to me is this: when the puck is shot or there is a scrum around our crease, do I find myself expecting a save or a goal? Howard this season reminds me of Hasek late in 2008. He is number one by default, but I fear almost every shot on goal. When a puck gets by him, he is getting visibly distracted by it, and his performance just continues to slide. We can argue about whether one goal or the next is his "fault", but the fact remains that he isn't out playing the opposition goaltender.

Cleary scratch? Nope. Powerplay time? Yuppp.