Are we physical enough to win a cup?

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

Way to overreact. So, because he stated a fact (that Datsyuk and Z didn't play well on the road) he should become a Ducks fan? I guess maybe I should become one also because one of the Wings' biggest weaknesses last year was the lack of production from the top line on the road.

I was being sarcastic, since I always get accused of such things whenever I mention any criticism of anybody on the team.

It's popular now on this site to accuse someone of not being a real fan if they criticize any aspect of the team, so I was just trying to blend in with some of the so-called good guys.

[YoungGuns1340 1]

Beating the Wings is a simple strategy. Play tough against Datsyuk and Zetterberg and take them out of the game. Dump the puck to the corners and get on the Wings d and hurt them. Force them to turn and pound them into the boards. Force the game to the boards and grind. Simple strategy, but execution is key. The Flames and Sharks couldn't do it. The Ducks did. It's the key again this year.

If that strategy is so simple, why dont more teams use it to beat the Wings?? I mean, the Northwest conference is a hell of a race right now. Why then didnt they just apply this simple strategy to win themselves some freebee points? Why is it then that the Northwest division didnt decide to kick the Wings asses all around the ice instead of what? Winning all of 3 or 4 games against the Wings amongst the entire division???

Also, I do find it ironic that the Ducks were the only team that got the benefit of the Red Wings being without Mathieu Schneider and Niklas Kronwall. I also think its funny that the Ducks "manhandled" us when they had to get a weak call to go their way in order to turn around Game 5, which they were less than a minute away from losing. And then also almost letting Game 6 slip away - which Ironically was NOT on home ice and Hank and Datsyuk DID play well in. Hmm. Funny.

Edited April 3, 2008 by YoungGuns1340

[awingsincebirth 0]

They also put a hurting on some of our players with their physical play. Hence why I think that we can win a cup but we aren't going to win it if the series comes down to physicality.

People say we didn't lose to the Ducks because of how physical they were. Well fine. But quit making excuses for bad luck. If we didn't lose because of physicality then why did we lose?

For as potent as our offense was we only outscored the Ducks 17-16 in goals for.

What's telling to me is that in 1 goal games we were 1-3. You can read whatever you want into that. Blame the 1 goal losses on Lilja or Franzen's clearing plays.

That's the easy thing to do because you can't put a statistic on how tired players are. You can't register how beat up guys are, especially in the 2 OT games we lost.

You can't prove or disprove that the physical nature of the Ducks had anything to do with them beating us.

Most people don't want to believe it had any effect because it shows a weakness the Wings may have. Furthemore they don't want to believe it because they know there's nothing we can do to outmuscle or be physically superior to the Ducks. So of course the easy thing to do is just say we stood up to them and physicality is not why we lost.

I don't really believe that. I think they pounded on us. I think we couldn't (not even Lidstrom) contain the Getzlaf line. Just rewatch the games. The Getzlaf, Perry, Penner line absolutely manhandled us in our own zone and how many crucial goals did they score?

You can't put a price on how important the physical aspect of the game is. I for one think it's huge.

I don't like the fact that the Ducks are taller, stronger and meaner almost to a man. I don't like that just about everyone in their lineup hits and many of whom hit freaking hard.

Being smaller and not as strong or good at dishing out punishment was a factor IMO. Will it be this year? I dunno. Drake and Stuart helps a ton. Downey and McCarty, well if they are playing I don't know if that's a good or bad sign.

Real good post man. I agree big time.

As far as I see it, when the Wings and the Ducks play, it is more than a battle between two teams. It is a battle between the two clubs who best exemplify the styles which they employ (Style v. Crash'n Bang). A lot of people around the league are saying that the Duck's style is superior because, well, it won them the Cup last year. This year will give the Wings another chance to prove a skilled, puck possession style can win a Cup in the new NHL. I believe that it can, and I think a lot of us here do.

We CANNOT beat the Ducks at their own game. We can't match hit for hit with them or we will be screwed. But, isn't the question "Are we physical enough?" for Wings fans kind of like hte question "Are we skilled enough?" for the Ducks? They CANNOT beat us at our game either. Thats why I want so much to get a crack at them.

[therock48880 14]

I was being sarcastic, since I always get accused of such things whenever I mention any criticism of anybody on the team.

It's popular now on this site to accuse someone of not being a real fan if they criticize any aspect of the team, so I was just trying to blend in with some of the so-called good guys.

Sorry about that. I didn't pick up on the sarcasm.

[Guest Hank=FutureCaptain]

Real good post man. I agree big time.

As do I.

[calfan 0]

If that strategy is so simple, why dont more teams use it to beat the Wings?? I mean, the Northwest conference is a hell of a race right now. Why then didnt they just apply this simple strategy to win themselves some freebee points? Why is it then that the Northwest division didnt decide to kick the Wings asses all around the ice instead of what? Winning all of 3 or 4 games against the Wings amongst the entire division???

Also, I do find it ironic that the Ducks were the only team that got the benefit of the Red Wings being without Mathieu Schneider and Niklas Kronwall. I also think its funny that the Ducks "manhandled" us when they had to get a weak call to go their way in order to turn around Game 5, which they were less than a minute away from losing. And then also almost letting Game 6 slip away - which Ironically was NOT on home ice and Hank and Datsyuk DID play well in. Hmm. Funny.

Cuz, like I said - simple strategy, but execution is key. I should have added that execution isn't easy.

Quite frankly, that is the same strategy to beat most teams in one shape or another. I wouldn't necessarily say its a Wings strategy, at least not the pound into the boards part, but they definitely do their best to get on the d, rush that first pass and bottle teams up in their own zone. You hear ad nauseum how the Wings play a puck control style - when they don't have the puck they press very hard to get it back.

Many people will tell you the key against the Wings is to keep the puck away from Lidstrom as much as possible. Dump it to the other corner. Get on him quickly to force him to pass before he wants to. If other teams know this, so do the Wings. Don't you think the coaches will have good strategies for defending against that strategy?

I don't think the Wings are easy pickings - I just think that if you are going to beat them, that's the way you will have to do it. A team like the Calgary Flames certainly isn't going to win playing the Wing's game up the centre of the ice. That's an easy strategy for losing.