BuckeyeWingsfan80

I think this is a valid concern, especially if you go forward beyond this year. Look at the teams around Detroit - virtually all of them got better or will get better. Columbus is already better (just look at the season results) and they play the exact style which beats Detroit every time. But look at the East - Washington/NYI/NYR/Philly/Carolina are all teams Detroit will have to contend with next year - all the while playing a similar or tougher schedule given the new division they will be in. It's really too bad this franchise/fanbase is too proud to get the needed rebuild process started now, because eventually Boston/Pittsburgh/Montreal are all going to run into cap issues and age problems, but Detroit won't be ready to take the reins in the East.

5-1 Win tonight over Calgary. 24 saves for Bob again and Foligno scored 2. Seeing is believing....I don't think they're going anywhere but up. Maybe not this year (I do think this hot streak will end and they'll fall back a bit), but damn this might be the first time since 2009 that Columbus has had a buzz about the Blue Jackets. They even had 14000 in the stands on a night when Ohio State was playing, that's pretty damned good for them.

up 4-2 on Trashville and it honestly hasn't been that close either. Same blueprint, the CBJ bodied up on Nashville and netted their scoring opportunities. They did lose nick foligno which may cause them some issues down the road. Check that, it's 4-3....looks like they let up when it got to 4-1 a few minutes ago.....

People on here seem to discount the fact the BJs have taken the Blackhawks to the very limit 3 times in a row now, and all of those were during the Blackhawks streak. They aren't the 87 Oilers on offense to be sure, but they are big and fast and they aren't afraid to take the body on teams. They look a lot like some of the late 90s/early 2000s Devils teams (Obviously without the star power). As long as Bob stays healthy and hot, they can beat anyone. If they had one more scorer they'd easily be a playoff team with how hard they play night in and night out. When they meet up with unmotivated teams (Vancouver, Detroit are recent examples), their overall lack of talent is overcome by hard work and physical play. I will say that they have probably turned the corner as a franchise. There seems to be somewhat of a cohesive plan now. Nash wasn't the problem, but everyone needed a fresh start in that scenario.

holy s*** another pp goal? The world is clearly coming to an end lol

Or if the players will take the blame for quitting. The shots are like 25 Edmonton to 14 for Detroit. That's PATHETIC. If they want to skate along the boards like a bunch of little girls, just release everyone and call up the kids. Their play is resembling a certain part of female anatomy.

I'm starting to wonder if they'll even score tonight....

True, but he would have had that GM scouring the league for quality d-men when Schneider left as the heir-apparent to Rafalski, since we already Kronner.... I'll say it. The Wings aren't a contender right now, and to be honest, they weren't really a contender last year, win streak be dammed. But you're right, coaching is irrelevant right now. This team's struggles are a lack of talent to fit into the system that Babcock runs. This system has been shown to work very well since he's been here, when he has the right players. If they aren't going to give him the right players, they need to let him go now so the rebuilding can begin. Otherwise, get cracking Holland.

You're right of course. Hell Scotty Bowman wouldn't be more than .500 right now with this group. The coach can only do so much and these are allegedly professionals here. When this forum accepts the fact that the losses due to FA and retirement mean this team isn't anywhere near talented enough to really be a contender, that will be the day that LGW and threads like this one become more bearable. Reality check time, this team is mediocre.

I don't think you can really pin a lack of depth or high-level talent on Babcock. He's trying to win with what he has....and it's not like he has Lidstrom/Hossa/Rafalski/Stuart/Hudler/Maltby/Holmstrom and Draper to roll out there anymore.

No, this team won't win the cup. But that's not necessarily the worst thing in the world, at least they compete hard. Err wait. Anyway - If you look at the upcoming schedule, previous results and you do the math and see that teams 2 points behind them have multiple games in hand - the Wings need to win and win now. It's only a minor understatement to say this team doesn't pass the sight test. I don't think that's much of an over-reaction. With a lack of logical moves that can be made, I don't think this team really has that high of a ceiling this year.

Columbus can't go against Detroit's skill players and try to play Detroit's game, so they try to compete harder and grind on them. When it works, and it has 4 games in a row now for them, they usually win. When they can't overcome the skill gap they have against other teams, they end up losing, usually pretty badly. Yesterday was the first game in 5 for them that didn't go into OT, and they are 4-0-2 in that stretch including yesterday's game.

Since I live down here, I watched a lot of that game in particular - they basically dominated Vancouver all night long. This CBJ plays hard every night and when a more talented team (like Van and the Wings) don't match the intensity, the games can go the other way really really fast like it did today.

After this "performance" today, the last place team will probably be Edmonton...The CBJ have won 4 in a row, but that doesn't excuse what we saw on the ice from the Wings today. At all.

This realignment plan does set up Seattle and KC as easy to see possiblities for the next expansion round.

I don't think it's panicking to say this team needs a serious infusion of actual, proven talent on the blue line. And I also don't think it's panicking to say this team really isn't all that good right now.

Tyutin sucks. If you think the Wings are Charmin soft now, Tyutin wouldn't even swat at a fly.

I don't think the time is right quite yet to go down this route. Babcock has had a legit HOF'er Dman retire on him and he's been left with a patchwork. That said, eventually this question will raise it's head when the Wings eventually (probably within 5 years) head into a rebuilding phase.

A lot of the same people said the same crap over and over again about Ozzy and now they likely love him. It's just morons being keyboard heroes on the interwebz....

Howson wasn't working out, but he wasn't the problem. Columbus' player development people all need to be fired as well. Until that changes, nothing will improve with columbus.

Howard would start for at least 25 other teams. Get a grip.

Gotta do two things with the BJ's... They are a rather young team past the vets like Prospal/Wisniewski/Johnson/Dorsett/Umby. Get on them fast. Also, don't let them hang around like in the last game which kind of goes to the first point. Unlike last year, this version of the CBJ play the entire game and eventually luck will side with them in a tight game, so make it not so tight early on.

Yeah how about that Zetterberg guy?

Some people in this thread need to seriously lighten up.... Refs are by nature incompetent.