Coaching

[hotwings 0]

I thought I would ask the question. With playoffs just around the corner and how poorly we are playing ,what do you think the chances of a coaching change are? Not many teams go through a slump like this without it even getting mentioned. I now we have a banged up team but we should still be better than this. I can't see it happening but Ottawa was playing better than this .

[lfd250 1]

It's not about the coaching, may be motivation. However, I believe in Ottawa they had the full team. We do have inj. (Not an excuse) but if the guys that are playing can't step it up, then may be they should go. I was hoping that huds and flip would come around now they know they weren't being traded, but that doesn't seem to be the case. We were out shooting teams by double figures, now we are being out shot. There's just a lot to work on.

[therock48880 14]

I don't think there will be a change, but as I was laying in bed last night unable to sleep because I was so pissed that a goal was allowed to be scored after the puck hit the netting, i started thinking about Babcock's coaching career. In Anaheim, he had the Ducks play out of their minds for a year and they almost won the cup. Shortly after that, his hard practices and constant pushing wore thin on the players and he "lost" them. Watching the game last night, I thought the wings looked disinterested. They weren't skating hard, had no forecheck, no backcheck and lost most battles in the corners. I hope Babcock isn't "losing" the interest of these players with his hard approach to practices and games. They just didn't seem to have much motivation with their skating last night until the bulls*** goal was allowed.

[hotwings 0]

I don't think there will be a change, but as I was laying in bed last night unable to sleep because I was so pissed that a goal was allowed to be scored after the puck hit the netting, i started thinking about Babcock's coaching career. In Anaheim, he had the Ducks play out of their minds for a year and they almost won the cup. Shortly after that, his hard practices and constant pushing wore thin on the players and he "lost" them. Watching the game last night, I thought the wings looked disinterested. They weren't skating hard, had no forecheck, no backcheck and lost most battles in the corners. I hope Babcock isn't "losing" the interest of these players with his hard approach to practices and games. They just didn't seem to have much motivation with their skating last night until the bulls*** goal was allowed.

First of all you were thinking apout Babcock when you were in bed last night ? Just joking .I dont get to see many games, but if the players are floating around and not going the extra mile to get out of this skid mabe there needs to be a shake up ,the coach is responsible for the way the players preform .Should they sit out some forwards who are not preforming?

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

I thought I would ask the question. With playoffs just around the corner and how poorly we are playing ,what do you think the chances of a coaching change are? Not many teams go through a slump like this without it even getting mentioned. I now we have a banged up team but we should still be better than this. I can't see it happening but Ottawa was playing better than this .

No chance whatsoever.

[hockey&beer 16]

I don't expect to see a change in personnel, but hopefully there will be a change in procedure. With all the recent injuries, continuity has been lost. Babcock's system relies on crisp passing and near constant puck control. Right now, everything is just a little off. Too often last night (SJS) the Wings puck carrier skated right into the path of a teammate basically allowing one defender to cover two Wings. Even worse the play was usually along the boards and as the play progressed they would end up near the blue line and then there is 3 Wings within 6 feet of each other.

It seems that right now the only answer may be to "dumb-down" the current system. D-man to forward to get out of the zone, forward over blue line dump that puppy in with the other 2 forwards full speed ahead. Extremely simple, especiall yif you take a look at the last few games. Some of the best scoring chances have been when one of the D was charging up ice and was first into the zone while the forwards were standing still at the blue line waiting for the puck to catch up to them. This is why we seem to miss Rafalski and Lidstrom so much... good first pass to keep the players skating up-ice.

Also, I'll just throw this out there, I think Hank is having some issues with his back again. I've noticed over the past 4-5 games that he has been skating a little slower and when he makes the inside-outside swim move when coming into the zone he hasn't been turning his upper body as much, which allows the defender to simply bump him off the puck.

[Elshupacabra 0]

0.00% chance

[IceMunkee 15]

I thought I would ask the question. With playoffs just around the corner and how poorly we are playing ,what do you think the chances of a coaching change are? Not many teams go through a slump like this without it even getting mentioned. I now we have a banged up team but we should still be better than this. I can't see it happening but Ottawa was playing better than this .

What is this Ottawa? Our losses are not due to coaching. Maybe injuries and poor officiating, possibly lack of scoring depth. Babs, definitly not the reason.

Edited March 1, 2008 by IceMunkee

[HkyTwn 5]

0.00% chance

yeah pretty much

[RyanBarnes! 293]

Detroit is a contender with Babcock coaching, but chanceless without him.

[eva unit zero 271]

I thought I would ask the question. With playoffs just around the corner and how poorly we are playing ,what do you think the chances of a coaching change are? Not many teams go through a slump like this without it even getting mentioned. I now we have a banged up team but we should still be better than this. I can't see it happening but Ottawa was playing better than this .

Ottawa also had their full roster, and last year's coach who took the team to the finals was available to take over instantaneously, because he was the one who fired Paddock.

Scotty Bowman is the only guy in the organization who could step in and coach better than Babcock is...and Bowman isn't interested in another coaching job.

[awingsincebirth 0]

I don't expect to see a change in personnel, but hopefully there will be a change in procedure. With all the recent injuries, continuity has been lost. Babcock's system relies on crisp passing and near constant puck control. Right now, everything is just a little off. Too often last night (SJS) the Wings puck carrier skated right into the path of a teammate basically allowing one defender to cover two Wings. Even worse the play was usually along the boards and as the play progressed they would end up near the blue line and then there is 3 Wings within 6 feet of each other.

It seems that right now the only answer may be to "dumb-down" the current system. D-man to forward to get out of the zone, forward over blue line dump that puppy in with the other 2 forwards full speed ahead. Extremely simple, especiall yif you take a look at the last few games. Some of the best scoring chances have been when one of the D was charging up ice and was first into the zone while the forwards were standing still at the blue line waiting for the puck to catch up to them. This is why we seem to miss Rafalski and Lidstrom so much... good first pass to keep the players skating up-ice.

Also, I'll just throw this out there, I think Hank is having some issues with his back again. I've noticed over the past 4-5 games that he has been skating a little slower and when he makes the inside-outside swim move when coming into the zone he hasn't been turning his upper body as much, which allows the defender to simply bump him off the puck.

I think that this is a GREAT point. Our team obviously plays a very skilled puck possession game. However, the problem is, we've lost our two most important skilled guys at getting the play started from the back end (and defense IS the most important aspect of our system). Thus, when you try to plug in some minor leaguers, who, quite frankly, don't have the skill necessary to play the system effectively (not now, at least), and you push up the depth d-men in the healthy unit right to the top of the pack, the result is a very messy, broken game, that is very hard to watch.

There are teams out there that have about the same skill as our team does, even with Lids, Rafalski and Cleary out of the lineup. However, those teams manage to win their fair share of games because they play a system that accomodates their abilities and non-abilities by negating skill and emphasizing hard work. With the Wings, it's puck possession or die, and the fact of the matter is, without the skilled guys to play the system, it really falls apart, and we have an incredibly hard time winning games.

So, there are some positives and negatives to this, I think. Positives, once Lids and Raffi get back, are team should be able to progress back up to what they once were. Negatives, I can't see it getting any better until they get back, or as the post I quoted says, we just simplify our game. Dump and chase. Negate the importance of skill, emphasise the importance of hard work, and this team will start to win some games again.

Unforetunately, as I recall one poster writing on another thread last week, Babcock seems to be pretty stubborn, and almost entirely disinterested in changing up the style of play. All he really seems to do it jumble up the lines, but the system remains the same. I honestly think that is the key problem right now - we just don't have the personelle to make this system work (it already looks better with Stuart and Kronner back in the fold, but....) - and guess what, it shows.

Edit: O ya....and....Babcock isn't going anywhere!

Edited March 1, 2008 by awingsincebirth

[al48 1]

Detroit is a contender with Babcock coaching, but chanceless without him.

Unless Bowman is brought in to finish out the year.

[cirov19 1]

Uh no, having a coaching change is probably the worst thing you can do. Like others said the team seems to be playing without motivation... they don't seem interested enough and they are playing extremely slow. Too many mistakes. This is not from Babcock's coaching. Without Babcock they wouldn't have ever had that 17 point lead on the rest of the league.

It's just time for a change in play. I like the 'dumb it down' idea. Sounds like it would be perfect... we clearly have the best set of forwards in the league, who could definately capitalize on that.

Things can only get better from here. Our remaining injured d-men will soon be returning... that'll spark some interest hopefully.

I couldn't stand watching this though without Babs. He's clearly the bomb and if he left I would then begin questioning Holland's sanity, for real.

[sverige 0]

I think dumbing down the system should have been done when we had the entire Grand Rapids Griffins. The problem was, Datsyuk seems to be the ONLY forward willing to go in after the puck once it has been chipped in, oh and Dallas Drake, but unfortunately his offensive skills are not all there. I wanted Drake and Datsyuk on the same line. Because at least they would be able to keep the puck in the zone.

As for the Flip haters. He had a goal and an assist against Edmonton. He had won the game and then the unfortunate clearing attempt...

[Barrie 900]

The losing streak is due to injuries and a number of questionable calls against us at very important times in games. Unlike Ottawa, who's losing skid was with their best players in the lineup, there are things we can look forward to to get us back on the winning track, i.e. the return of Lidstrom, Rafalski, Chelios, Cleary and McCarty.

I for one don't care if Dallas or anyone else in another Division passes us in the standings. Just as long as we win the Central Division.

[gcom007 1,465]

No one's made this exact same thread like everyday since the first loss. No, serious.

Yeah, they're going to fire our coach b/c we're losing when half the team including the best defensemen in the world is injured. Right.

It's obvious many of you haven't gotten out of high school yet...you really need that drama to keep you going, eh?