Back to Back Games = LOSS

[Zeta Power 40 1]

You can pretty much see it coming before we ever play the 2nd game. We always dominate the 1st day and we never are able to take it with us the 2nd. I have a pretty bad feeling about next week Fri-Sat. Edmonton - Fri and @ NASHVILLE - Sat. This team needs an enforcer or we can kiss any kind of chance winning the cup. No one helps each other out after whistles. We just watch our team get our ass kicked.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

Yes, because an enforcer is the end-of-all-end solutions that will put the Wings over the top........

Playoff games are rarely played on back-to-back nights.

Quit panicing.

[Hockey13Playa 240]

Yes, because an enforcer is the end-of-all-end solutions that will put the Wings over the top........

Playoff games are rarely played on back-to-back nights.

Quit panicing.

Agreed!

Also, they are playing with an un-experienced goaltender right now, and when you are in Detroit one night for a game and have to fly all the way to Philadelphia for a game the next night, its exhausting. Like what was quoted above playoff games are rarely played back to back nights, and if they are they would be home and home or away and away, they never schedule back to back home/away games.

so quit the worrying and watch some hockey

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

Until they start playing Hasek in back to backs and the wings show up for the second game (Hasent happened yet) we wont win any back to backs this year

[Guest Crymson]

Yes, because an enforcer is the end-of-all-end solutions that will put the Wings over the top........

Playoff games are rarely played on back-to-back nights.

Quit panicing.

No s***, it's the typical "this is the simple, be-all end-all solution that will solve all our problems, and if we don't do it then we will have no chance in the playoffs."

Blah, blah blah.

[interminded 1]

I have a pretty bad feeling about next week Fri-Sat. Edmonton - Fri and @ NASHVILLE - Sat.

With a little bit of luck we'll have Dom and Ozzie back.

That's not a guarantee for anything, but it improves our chances..

[Zion 93]

Wow, you guys will just accept anything... it's okay to lose in the 1st round again, then, right?

There is no excuse for putting up 1 goal against the worst team in the league, and the worst team at home.

They were taken off of their game with a little physical play. It will happen in the playoffs, especially against SJ or Anaheim, and what will your excuses be then?

[Guest Crymson]

Wow, you guys will just accept anything... it's okay to lose in the 1st round again, then, right?

There is no excuse for putting up 1 goal against the worst team in the league, and the worst team at home.

They were taken off of their game with a little physical play. It will happen in the playoffs, especially against SJ or Anaheim, and what will your excuses be then?

Go, then-- go and create a team that will win 100% of games against teams that you consider "bad." I suggest you start by using over-20 players in the pee-wee league.. this might do the trick.

[Zion 93]

Why don't you just admit that putting up a total of one goal vs. St. Louis and Philadelphia is inexcusable? If I told you my picks on the GDT threads were: St. Louis 1, Detroit 0 and said Philly blows out Detroit, you'd tell me I was nuts and that it would never happen... especially if I told you Legace would be removed from the game.

[OsGOD 3]

Wow, you guys will just accept anything... it's okay to lose in the 1st round again, then, right?

There is no excuse for putting up 1 goal against the worst team in the league, and the worst team at home.

They were taken off of their game with a little physical play. It will happen in the playoffs, especially against SJ or Anaheim, and what will your excuses be then?

Just because some see an enforcer not being the end all answer doesn't mean they are "accepting" another first round loss.

Our team loses mainly when we don't score... Getting an enforcer, while another great band-aide solution (Like our need to add another new shiny goalie every year) is not the end-all answer that will determine a cup or not.... We need more scoreres or people that are able to score goals when needed during the game. In the playoffs our goal scorers don't show up as they have done in the regular season. Its not becuase the other teams are manhandling us (those teams don't make it to the post season). It's because our players make the opposition goalie out to be some super human and then turn dumb when it comes to putting the puck in the net.

We like to get rid of playoff performers though, so it wouldn't shock me if we lose another in Lang to pick up some putz who might be able to hit 1 or 2 guys before leaving the game with a misconduct.

Edited February 13, 2007 by OsGOD

[esteef 2,679]

Its not becuase the other teams are manhandling us (those teams don't make it to the post season).

Is this implying that Edmonton didn't man-handle us last year? Or even Calgary? Wow.

Edited February 13, 2007 by esteef

[Zion 93]

Denial is strong on this thread.

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

Wow, you guys will just accept anything... it's okay to lose in the 1st round again, then, right?

There is no excuse for putting up 1 goal against the worst team in the league, and the worst team at home.

They were taken off of their game with a little physical play. It will happen in the playoffs, especially against SJ or Anaheim, and what will your excuses be then?

A hundred dollars says if the Wings had won 1-0 last night, you wouldn't have said any of this.

[Draper4$1 0]

While I agree that an enforcer would not be the be all end all, I do think it is a necessary addition. When watching the Calgary game, I couldn't help but notice that when we were up by a bunch guys were taking liberties with Zetts. Case in point, I don't remember who it was, but when he and Hank met in the Calgary corner he punched Hank in the head about 3 times and took a penalty. But nobody on the Wings did anything about it.

Last night, Gagne takes a hit, and immediately there's guys there to defend him. If the Wings don't bring in a physical presence that will make opponents step up to the plate if they choose to take liberties with our stars, then we will see another early exit.

[SwedeLundin77 460]

Playoffs are going last maybe the second round. I would think that Dom won't last that long at the current pace of his usage.

Then I would say you have absolutely no clue about what you are talking about sir. Enough said. Freakin' naysayers, I'll tell you, at the slightest form of adversity throughout this sesaon, people just throw in the towel - can anyone say fairweather?

[Zion 93]

A hundred dollars says if the Wings had won 1-0 last night, you wouldn't have said any of this.

If they would have played a 60-min. game and had been strong defensively, then no, I would allow the "they're tired" excuse. Even Lidstrom was bad. THIS LOOKED LIKE A PLAYOFF GAME.

While I agree that an enforcer would not be the be all end all, I do think it is a necessary addition. When watching the Calgary game, I couldn't help but notice that when we were up by a bunch guys were taking liberties with Zetts. Case in point, I don't remember who it was, but when he and Hank met in the Calgary corner he punched Hank in the head about 3 times and took a penalty. But nobody on the Wings did anything about it.

Last night, Gagne takes a hit, and immediately there's guys there to defend him. If the Wings don't bring in a physical presence that will make opponents step up to the plate if they choose to take liberties with our stars, then we will see another early exit.

Exactly my point. Eager was right when he said "They've got nothing". They're bigger, stronger and faster. They may have well have been the San Jose Sharks last night, because that is how a series with them would look, and we follow the Sharks, as well, so we know how they play under Ron Wilson.

[arnoldbuck 0]

A hundred dollars says if the Wings had won 1-0 last night, you wouldn't have said any of this.

I know that bet was placed to Zion, but in my opinion if Detroit had won 1-0, I'd be happy with the 2 points but still dissapointed that we only managed 1 goal against the leagues bottom feeders.

I get both sides here. I wont go to say hit the panic button ... we are doing well and are pretty much gaurenteed a playoff spot. However, we have had a few solid chances to make some significant ground on Nashville, even pass them last night and we lose to St. Louis and Philly. Now I know we aren't going to beat these times 100% of the time but you have to capitalize on these chances.

It was mentioned somewhere else by another LGW'er that Philly last night looked like Edmonton last April. It is a reality that we will have to face. We are a much more skilled team than most we come up against but that doesn't mean we are going to beat them. I know we have our style of game, and for the most part, I absolutley love it, but when these challenges to come and a team hits us with a different type of game, we have to step up.

Edited February 13, 2007 by arnoldbuck

[superstarsingh 23]

Use some logic in your posts. Make sure you dont sound ignorant because it seems that you're saying that if we have an enforcer we wont lose back to back games. ALSO WE KNOW THAT WE NEED A PHYSICAL PLAYER. Next week we should have our goalies back and Mac can sit down and watch. Why are you so worried after one loss? Did you watch any of the games leading up to the one in Philly last night? Apparently not.

Edited February 13, 2007 by superstarsingh

[Heroes of Hockeytown 694]

Wow, you guys will just accept anything... it's okay to lose in the 1st round again, then, right?

This is always my favorite part. "Lose to Philly during the season = playoff exit."

wat

There is no excuse for putting up 1 goal against the worst team in the league, and the worst team at home.

Uh oh, Some Guy From The Internet returns to tell us how inexcusable and unacceptable this loss is.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

Should we have our expectations for the Wings to bow out in the first round? No. We understand they’ve bowed out early, they’ve choked leads against LA in 2001 and Edmonton last season and such. I certainly understand it, and it is a concern. Let me try to put a different spin on things though.

Forget playoffs for a minute. Up to this point in the season before the playoffs are even two months away, what more could you ask of our of the current team in terms of production? They’ve performed above a lot of everybody’s expectations IMO with so much change and uncertainty and are almost at the top of the league. They can only do so much sometimes…

Now, I’m not promoting Philadelphia as playoff contenders now, but they are improving over the closing part of the season and still have players who can wreak havoc from time to time in Forsberg, Knuble, Gagne, Zhitnik, Hatcher, etc. They certainly aren’t playing like the worst team in the league right now.

And the Wings have played four games in six days with games on back-to-back nights twice, with traveling involved. There is jet lag and fatigue involved, along with your body worn out from playing past games. Your body would be tired from such travel and physical play too, I don’t care who you are, professional or amateur. I know mine would be.

I’m not going to declare mayday over one bad game against a team that is not going to make the playoffs and that the Wings rarely see anyway. If they go on an extended losing streak, then we can talk. We don’t really have to worry about Philadelphia or many other teams in the East Conference, regardless of if they are seeded 1st or 16th. One game against one team that we probably should have won at least on paper, but we didn’t, and we aren’t seeing them for a while. It’s done, over with, let’s move on, we won’t see them again for like ten years.

A bad game happens where the wheels fall off for every single team where almost nothing goes right, and you cannot predict when. It happened in San Jose over a month ago giving up nine goals. Los Angeles recently beat Nashville at home when Nashville was steamrolling through most teams, and we know where those teams stand. It is unrealistic to think that games like this are a normal activity, for any of the 30 teams in the NHL. I’m not going to pull my hair out over one awful effort that might occur once every 20 games, because you don’t know when that sub-par effort might hit. It might not even happen at all again this season or in the playoffs for the Wings.

It is also impossible to expect any team to bring the heat every single night when the schedule has 80+ games when every team has to play back-to-back nights during certain points of the season multiple times. It’s physically demanding on both the tough guys and the finesse/skill players for any team.

Let’s cut the team some slack and have some more reasonable expectations throughout the course of the regular season before the playoffs even start. Let’s worry about the playoffs when the end of March or April comes around and the season is concluding. There’s still over a month before that happens and plenty of time to win a lot more games and get some good chemistry going immediately before playoffs whether if it is with the current roster, an extra tough guy or two, or an extra skill guy. While I’m not denying getting a bit grittier/tougher might help, don’t put all your eggs in one basket with that. We might find out it might not be as important as we want. It might be, it might not, we just don’t know yet.

I’m definitely not one of these kumbaya, let’s hold hands in a circle and be constantly happy kinda people, but it’s just pre-mature to me to freak out and it’s going to rain thunderstorms for the rest of our lives after just one lackluster loss and when you don’t know exactly what is going to happen, good or bad, two months from now in the games that really matter with the current or somewhat different roster. I’m concerned, yes, and am well aware of some of the Wings flaws, so don’t give me any B.S. like I am in denial, I get it. I really am trying hard to see the other side of the argument and not give a completely 100% rosy, unrealistic sense of things, but it’s like it’s all over before the playoffs have even started from some posts in here. It's just ridiculous sometimes. I understand this mentality to an extent given past recent playoff results, but let’s try to have some shred of optimism, we don’t know what exactly will happen in a few months.

Again, one bad game after being worn out from 4 games in 6 days against a team we do not have to face again for a good while, for better/worse. That’s all it is to me right now. Nothing more, nothing less.

[royedwards 0]

I just checked the Preds' record in the second of B/B games this season. If I'm not mistaken, they are 11-1-1! Incredible. So no more excuses, guys. The Wings need to step it up.

[Guest Crymson]

Denial is strong on this thread.

Right on, man--if it makes you feel well to think that you're the only one who truly sees things as they are, then have at it. However, you'll get nothing material out of it, as you have no control over the workings of the organization.

So no more excuses, guys. The Wings need to step it up.

Doesn't this statement strike you as a bit odd? You make it seem as if the Wings are remote-controlled by members of this board.

What a mess that'd be..

This is always my favorite part. "Lose to Philly during the season = playoff exit."

wat

Uh oh, Some Guy From The Internet returns to tell us how inexcusable and unacceptable this loss is.

Yeah, it's the same thing whenever we lose once to a crappy team, or have 2+ games without a win.

And yes, omnipresent is the guy who comes along acting as if our (as in we of this website) actions are responsible, and thus as if we need to accept that things are wrong and make changes. Uhm, ok, armchair coach. Try playing, coaching, or managing hockey and then get back to me on the viability of any team being utterly perfect.

Edited February 14, 2007 by Crymson

[royedwards 0]

Doesn't this statement strike you as a bit odd? You make it seem as if the Wings are remote-controlled by members of this board.

What a mess that'd be..

Agreed! The Wings will take care of their own business. But fans are entitled to speculate about the reasons for their success or lack of it, and I'm not buying the 'scheduling fatigue' theory.