When the hell is Babcock going to change the lines

[jpd88 0]

I do not understand why Mike Babcock has not changed the lines. Lets Examine:

Line 1 in this series:

Datsyuk= 1 assist

Holmstrom= 0 points

Hossa= 0 points

Does he realize that when Zetterberg and Datsyuk are together it just works?

If he doesnt change the lines soon, we can expect the ducks to continue to dominate in these close games.

oh one other thing, that call was complete bulls***. Hossa should of had his first goal.

[Jake Ryan 1]

I do not understand why Mike Babcock has not changed the lines. Lets Examine:

Line 1 in this series:

Datsyuk= 1 assist

Holmstrom= 0 points

Hossa= 0 points

Does he realize that when Zetterberg and Datsyuk are together it just works?

If he doesnt change the lines soon, we can expect the ducks to continue to dominate in these close games.

oh one other thing, that call was complete bulls***. Hossa should of had his first goal.

Screwing with the Zetterberg line is the DUMBEST thing Babcock can do. They are playing AWESOME. They are neutralizing Getzlaf and Ryan, while producing on O at the same time. Easiest change to see is the Helm for Homer change. If Babs doesn't do this, he's an idiot. It's clear as day who's the better 5 on 5 player. No reason NOT to make this move.

[Yzerman191 37]

Are you kidding me? Neutralizing Getzlaf? Getzlaf has six points in three games, compared to Zetterberg's three, two of which came on the powerplay. I'd hardly call that working, much less "awesome."

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

Babcock has done nothing right in this series.

I don't know why he's so afraid to change lines that are clearly not working.

He's making Dave Lewis look line a genius right now.

[CenterIce 83]

It is not the lines that are the issue. It is finishing plays, getting an offensive pressure, and taking the play to the Ducks. As Redmond said during the game, Datsyuk has had up to four guys on him at a time. You think putting the ZDH line together is going to change that? No, it would increase it. When one line is being defensed so heavily, you need your other lines to produce. You have to out hustle your opponent. If the Wings played all of game 3, like they did the 3rd period, they probably would have won.

[Probie 7]

Babcock has done nothing right in this series.

I don't know why he's so afraid to change lines that are clearly not working.

He's making Dave Lewis look line a genius right now.

I'm just a fan, so my opinion doesnt hold as much weight as someone with the experience and knowhow of a guy like Babcock. So, that being said, from my point of view if i can critisize Babcock about anything, and Ive thought about this many times before, its his line combinations and his poor choosing of when to use them in situations and his inability to make them work and change them once they obviously dont work.

Ive been unhappy with the jelling of the lines all year. Why not go with Z-D-H, it was considered the best line in hockey. Hossa's best jelling to me this year was when he was with Hudler.

1st: Z-D-Homer

2nd: Franzen-Hudler-Hossa

3rd: Cleary-Flip-Sammy

4th: Maltby-Helm-Kopecky

(or switch Flip and Hudler from the 2nd and 3rd lines).

To me this year, the wings are not the sum of their parts. There is a mad amount of talent, and although they scored a lot of goals, they could have scored more if the pieces worked better together. Maybe some tweeking personal wise needs to be done during the offseason.

Edited May 6, 2009 by Probie

[Probie 7]

I'm just a fan, so my opinion doesnt hold as much weight as someone with the experience and knowhow of a guy like Babcock. So, that bei9ng said, from my point of view if i can critisize Babcock about anything, and Ive thought about this many times before, its his line combinations and his poor choosing of when to use them in situations and his inability to make them work and change them once they obviously dont work.

Ive been unhappy with the jelling of the lines all year. Why not go with Z-D-H it was considered the best line in hockey. Hossa best jelling to me this year was when he was with Hudler.

1st: Z-D-Homer

2nd: Franzen-Hudler-Hossa

3rd: Cleary-Flip-Sammy

4th: Maltby-Helm-Kopecky

(or switch Flip and Hudler from the 2nd and 3rd lines).

To me this year, the wings are not the sum of their parts. There is a mad amount of talent, and although they scored a lot of goals, they could have scored more if the pieces worked better together.

and when the griffs get eliminated soon, why not throw Lieno into the mix. Sit Maltby or Kopecky. Maybe draper comes back too, and I would favor him over those two as well. Have a forth line of Helm-Draper-Lieno. That would be tight.

And absolutely brutal call tonight by the Ref. The technicality of the rule is rediculous. How is that fair and justified given the circumstance...oh god....

Edited May 6, 2009 by Probie

[skacore 2]

let's toss Downey on the 4th line instead of Kopecky, maybe our boys will get their balls back

[papasgut 0]

Suddenly the depth of the Red Wing's has been reduced to a kiddie pool because they lose 2 games. I admit they played like garbage the first 35 minutes, but if I'm not mistaken they did fight back only to lose on a technicality. If they can win game 4, they will be in pretty good shape. It also won't hurt if they can get Rafalski healthy and back in the line-up. Don't rule them out yet.

[YoungGuns1340 1]

He won't change them. Did you hear him tonight?

"I'm a big believer in just keeping doing what you're doing, and things will come."

He doesn't realize that we could just have TWO MORE ******* GAMES TO GET IT RIGHT.

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

Where was this great Franzen - Zetterberg - Cleary line that everyone here kept raving about after last game (which we BTW lost)?

The 3rd line has also done nothing in this series except get dominated on the boards. Flip falls down each time anyone lays their body into him.

Fact is, all the lines suck right now, thus a complete line overhaul is needed.

[rcTycoon 0]

Where was this great Franzen - Zetterberg - Cleary line that everyone here kept raving about after last game (which we BTW lost)?

The 3rd line has also done nothing in this series except get dominated on the boards. Flip falls down each time anyone lays their body into him.

Fact is, all the lines suck right now, thus a complete line overhaul is needed.

Its NEVER been there. The Z line is scoring, which makes it look better than Pavel-Hossa-Homer but the Z line isn't containing the Getzlaf line. Everytime the Getzlaf line is in Detroit's zone, against Zetterberg, they're in control of the puck, they hold it and cycle for an entire shift until Osgood makes a great save and holds the puck.

Its obvious that Anahiem prefers playing Getzlaf and friends versus Zetterberg because its a favorable matchup. In that sense, Zetterberg's line isn't a "Shutdown line". Anahiem is simply playing power versus power, which is what we should have been doing from the beginning.

Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Holmstrom vs Perry-Getzlaf-Ryan.

[Wingsallwin 0]

He won't change them. Did you hear him tonight?

"I'm a big believer in just keeping doing what you're doing, and things will come."

He doesn't realize that we could just have TWO MORE ******* GAMES TO GET IT RIGHT.

I did not hear it.. if the bold part is true, we have to fire him. This lose is soley on Babcock.

"I'm a big believer in just keeping doing what you're doing, and things will come" <<-- the things will come up is the word of L.O.S.I.N.G T.O T.H.E F.U.C.K.S A.G.A.I.N.

[Reds4Life 51]

Zetterberg - Datsyuk - Homer

Cleary - Franzen - Hossa

Hudler - Filppula - Samuelsson

Maltby - Helm - Kopecky

PLEASE!

[datsyukismyfriend 4]

Screwing with the Zetterberg line is the DUMBEST thing Babcock can do. They are playing AWESOME. They are neutralizing Getzlaf and Ryan

getzlaf has 6 points in three games. i'd hardly call that neutralized. he's pretty much doing what he wants out there.

[Wingsallwin 0]

Let me grade the line:

Perry-Getzlaf-Ryan(or Selanne) : A

Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Holmstrom : A-

Zetterbetg-Cleary-Franzen : B

Datsyuk-Hossa-Holmstrom : B- or C+

--------------

It is better to have 1 perfect line, 1 good line, 1 normal line than to have 3 normal lines. The thing is, Babcock is drugeed so he does not know what is going on.

[rcTycoon 0]

I did not hear it.. if the bold part is true, we have to fire him. This lose is soley on Babcock.

"I'm a big believer in just keeping doing what you're doing, and things will come" <<-- the things will come up is the word of L.O.S.I.N.G T.O T.H.E F.U.C.K.S A.G.A.I.N.

What else is new? Its been his MO the entire time hes coached this team...

He never changes things until its too late. This series will go to 3-1 Ducks and then he'll go with the D-Z-H line. We'll come close to winning game six but will fail miserably and Babcock will make excuses about not playing tough enough and not catching breaks.

The D-Z-H line should have been reunited in game just to throw off Carlyle.

Look back at the 2007 series versus the ducks. Game six, the Wings are facing elimination, Babcock finally makes a change to our terrible power play unit. He switches Kronwall and Lidstrom, so that Lidstrom is on the right side, thus allowing him to one time the puck. What resulted was two quick goals by Datsyuk in the final minute nearly tying the game.

Babcock has a proven history of not changing until its absolutely too late.

[rcTycoon 0]

Let me grade the line:

Perry-Getzlaf-Ryan(or Selanne) : A

Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Holmstrom : A-

Zetterbetg-Cleary-Franzen : B

Datsyuk-Hossa-Holmstrom : B- or C+

--------------

It is better to have 1 perfect line, 1 good line, 1 normal line than to have 3 normal lines. The thing is, Babcock is drugeed so he does not know what is going on.

Too generous. The PK pairing of Datsyuk-Hossa has had more offensive opportunities than the Datsyuk-Holmstrom-Hossa line.

[Wingsallwin 0]

They are playing AWESOME. They are neutralizing Getzlaf and Ryan, while producing on O at the same time.

HUH? WHAT? WHEN DID YOU START TO WATCH HOCKEY? YESTERDAY?

[rcTycoon 0]

I think its telling that Hossa's best sequence of this entire round was in today's game on a line with Hudler and Flip.

[Wingsallwin 0]

I think its telling that Hossa's best sequence of this entire round was in today's game on a line with Hudler and Flip.

I did not watch the 3rd period so I could not watch his shift with Filp and Huds but it does not look good to me.

ZDH

Hossa-Franzen-Cleary(or Filppula)

Huds-Samuelsson-Filppula(or Cleary)

Maltby-Kopecky-Helm <<<-- cannot complain for these guys, have been better than our thoughts.

The thing is, I would rather call Leino than Samuelsson now. Samuelsson is a GARBAGE now. Maybe for a long time but his stats hided it a bit.

The bottom line is that, DATSYUK-ZETTERBERG-HOLMSTROM SHOULD BE REUNITED. The most important fact is though, BABCOCK IS AN IDIOT.

[Jake Ryan 1]

HUH? WHAT? WHEN DID YOU START TO WATCH HOCKEY? YESTERDAY?

Did you watch game 3? They added Getzlaf onto that Neidermayer goal. That was just stupid scoring. Other than that, Getzlaf was invisible out there. Lidstrom, Ericcson, and the Zetterberg line shut his ass DOWN. That was the only encouraging thing I took from that game: that they'd figured out how to stop Getzlaf, Ryan, and Perry from looking like they're going to score everytime they're on the ice.

[webwing91 4]

It is not the lines that are the issue. It is finishing plays, getting an offensive pressure, and taking the play to the Ducks. As Redmond said during the game, Datsyuk has had up to four guys on him at a time. You think putting the ZDH line together is going to change that? No, it would increase it. When one line is being defensed so heavily, you need your other lines to produce. You have to out hustle your opponent. If the Wings played all of game 3, like they did the 3rd period, they probably would have won.

Yes god dang it, if ZDH was together it would change Datsyuk having four players on him? What you just said is exactly why they need to be together! Datsyuk has no support. You can see it. Last year if they tried to do it to Datsyuk, he would just pass it to Z and instant scoring chance. I understand that the Z, Franzen, and Cleary line is the best we have right now, but even they didn't play great all game, just at the end. ZDH would be a better best line then ZFC! They are dominant. And they are the best defensive line too. They open space for each other. And this would have a trickle down effect. All the lines play better when the top line gets it going. I knw Babcock knows better than I, but I know he's going to keep the lines the same. I almost wish we had lost this one worse and ZFC had been crap all game too so he would change it. ZDH > ZFC. You can juggle the other lines around if needed. But for god's sake, just put Datsyuk and Zatta on the same line! Dats had little support half the time he fought around two or three guys. He can't skate past the whole team himself!

I'm not usually a Sammy basher, but for god's sake! With the exception of one powerplay when he played ok, what the heck is he doing! Everyone else does a lot of work, and then he just takes the puck and throws a soft shot on net. And where is the traffic? The whole first half of the game there was barely any traffic in front of Hiller. We know how this goes from plenty of painful playoff memories. We're not going to beat him with any pretty goals or shots, ugly goals like the one Z scored, or the one Hossa got robbed off. Which means one thing! Traffic Traffic Traffic!

Regardless, we can still win this series. I'm reallly only this angry because of the loss coupled with the terrible Phx news. All I ask for is ZDH!!!