What does it say about the wings when they played like crap all season

[55fan 5,133]

Their offense is good. The defense isn't playing on all cylinders.

Maybe they should train with the Pistons?

I agree that there's something not there. There's too much "been there, done that" mode. Something's not clicking.

Who knows? Maybe Kronner and Stuie are waiting until the playoffs to start knocking people around because they don't want to wear out their bodies (or in Kronner's case, break something) during the regular season. Maybe if they start playing like that- with fire in their bellies- it'll spark the D.

I have to wonder if the turnovers aren't a symptom of the general lack of energy.

There's no Drake factor this year. It's not "do it for ______". Hossa came to win a Cup, but he has a career ahead of him. It's not do or die like it was for Dally. I hope those guys sit down before the playoffs and watch the parade and all of the festivities and remember how great it felt. The 3- and 4- time winners on the team know how hard it is to get themselves up to do it again. Some of them were the ones who commented last year that it meant more to play for Dally than to play for themselves because they wanted him to have that great feeling that they already knew.

Whatever it takes, they have the parts, they just need to get the energy to run the machine. They need a power source, a spark of some kind. Hopefully they find it by the playoffs.

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

... they played like crap all season

No.

... Wings has played awful ...

No.

Next.

[stormboy 47]

Stat: Rank.

Goals For: 1

Shots on Goal: 1

SOG differential: 1

Shutouts: T-6

Powerplay %: 1

Goal differential: 4

Wins: T-1

we've had four 5+ game winning streaks.

obviously there are a lot of defensive stats (penalty kill, save percentage, GAA) that make us look like we've played poorly. but i have to say, arguing we've "played like crap all season" is a bit of a stretch.

[shanny is the man 0]

The team is not playing as if it is committed to team defense as it has been in several past seasons.

I believe it's part of a "Cup Hangover" phenomenon.

Also, and I'm sorry to say this, but IMO Ozzie has been brutal this season and Ty is just not used to carrying the load this many times this deep into a season. I hope he can hold out and/or that "playoff Ozzie" will reappear come the post season.

I hope I'm completely wrong, but soemthing ain't right.

[Drake_Marcus 890]

That this team is downright scary.

EDIT: It should say: What does it say about the wings when they played like crap all season and still tied in points for number one. For some reason the thread header cut that part out.

definitely not a troll thread. Sorry.

That they can score lots of goals in the regular season?

They're currently at 205 GA with 14 games left. Last year they had 184 GA after 82 games.

The PK is 27th overall. Last year it was top 3 in the league.

This team is scary. Scary porous.

I'm scared as hell about the playoffs. And my stomach won't be settled until they're in the second round and have a respectable GAA and PK%.

We've all see playoff hockey- the 07-08 Wings were built to be playoff monsters. This year our boys aren't looking quite so fierce. They've earned the right to be favourites this year by their play last year, but anyone who thinks there's a magical switch to be flipped is kidding themselves. To play 20+ games of the best hockey of your life- you have to be conditioned to play that best hockey day in and day out.

[Drake_Marcus 890]

Detroit is a sleeping giant by its very definition. The only question is whether it's a nap or a coma.

This.

[stormboy 47]

That they can score lots of goals in the regular season?

They're currently at 205 GA with 14 games left. Last year they had 184 GA after 82 games.

The PK is 27th overall. Last year it was top 3 in the league.

This team is scary. Scary porous.

I'm scared as hell about the playoffs. And my stomach won't be settled until they're in the second round and have a respectable GAA and PK%.

We've all see playoff hockey- the 07-08 Wings were built to be playoff monsters. This year our boys aren't looking quite so fierce. They've earned the right to be favourites this year by their play last year, but anyone who thinks there's a magical switch to be flipped is kidding themselves. To play 20+ games of the best hockey of your life- you have to be conditioned to play that best hockey day in and day out.

i addressed this basic idea at (probably-over)length in the "sjs drops the ball" thread...and again, i see you're point and am not saying that it's wrong. and i'm not saying i'm NOT nervous at all about the playoffs, it's just interesting to me that you assume that the wins' offense will be adversely affected by the playoffs but their defense will be none improved by it. i agree that you can't just "flick a switch" but we've got a lot of guys who have tasted a lot of playoff defeat and a good amount of playoff victory--they know what it takes, and they know what happens when you don't give it your all. i'm not saying you can just flick a switch, but i have to believe, with the amount of skill and experience this team has, there will be a new resolve in the playoffs.

and, just for the record, i do expect our GAA to be up this year from last years' playoffs, but i certainly expect our GFA to be up as well. it's basically the same offense plus hossa. sure, they might not all be pretty, but i expect to see more 4-3 games and perhaps even some more 5-4 games than have been seen in recent detroit playoffs. whether we'll be on the winning or losing end of those i can't say, but i bet there are a lot less 2-1 games in detroit series this year.