This Team is Too Lazy at the Beginning of Games

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

How come we always have to be down by a few goals before we start playing?

For much of the Anaheim series, and every game in this series, we not only get scored on first, but basically put Ozzie under the bus for about 10 or so shots, before we start playing.

Babcock needs to do a better job lighting a fire under this team to start games off.

No hitting and no intensity at all during these starts. It's become an annoying pattern.

[YoungGuns1340 1]

I'm starting to get sick of this ******* "I'll play when I feel like it" attitude.

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

I'm starting to get sick of this ******* "I'll play when I feel like it" attitude.

What pisses me off is that we haven't had many games in the playoffs where we just come out with passion and energy, and take a multiple goal lead in the first period.

We haven't done that since the Columbus series if I'm not mistaken.

However, it's happened several times against us since.

We were fortunate to win game 2 after quitting in the 3rd, but this time it didn't work.

[Stiffy 0]

But in all fairness didn't we start tonight with a lot of energy and hits galore? That is what I saw. Then the calls and of course was the biggest hit of all... you know the rest. Honestly, if you look at the very beginning of the game the Wings looked like they came to play.

[10 Minute Misconduct 104]

Wings wern't too bad at the start tonight. Chicago certainly didn't come out like i thought they would. They took over after thier first goal tho. Penalties didnt help.

[NHLrules? 32]

This team tries to out talent every team every game.

Unfortunately superior talent doesnt usually equal wins in the play offs.

In the play offs, will is king.

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

But in all fairness didn't we start tonight with a lot of energy and hits galore? That is what I saw. Then the calls and of course was the biggest hit of all... you know the rest. Honestly, if you look at the very beginning of the game the Wings looked like they came to play.

If the Wings played like they're capable of, being ready to play means we'd be jumping on the opposition just about every game.

The first 2 goals occurred before Kronwall's penalty. The Wings didn't look ready to me until they had to kill of the 5 minute PK, by which point they were already down 2-0.

That's exactly what I mean when I say that this team has to trail for some reason before they start playing hard.

[ComradeWasabi 109]

Poor starts have plagued this team since the beginning of this season. It's getting more than a little tiring.

[HadThomasVokounOnFortSt 878]

Um.. ok.

[b.shanafan14 733]

The Wings have had some horribly slow starts.... tonite was not one of them.

4 minute double minor for High Stick

5 minute major for "interference"

2 minute minor for can't even recall, just remember laughing

Thats 11 minutes of PK after 6 good minutes of 5-on-5 hockey in the first 20 minutes of play. The refs were hilariously bad tonite, and the fact the Wings were able to get such a game to overtime still baffles me.

[pjgj13 30]

The officiating in the 1st period was a ******* JOKE!! Since when is the a 5 minute major and a game misconduct for interference? Havlat missed the puck and Kronwall made a CLEAN hit. No penalty was going to be called until he didn't get up. The Wings had 11 minutes in penalties in the 1st period ond were shorthanded 5 times. I said after the 1st period s***cago was NOT going to get another PP opportunity unless it was a blatant penalty.

I didn't know that CLEAN hits were considered 5 minute major penalties. They made a great comeback and controlled pretty much the rest of the game after the 1st period.

Seemed like everyone wanted the Wings to lose and when they came back and tied it, they were like "s***, what do we have to do!!".

[thedisappearer 291]

Hey... who were the refs tonight?

Oh.

We were lucky to get outta the first down by 2, regardless of what we actually did.

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

The Wings have had some horribly slow starts.... tonite was not one of them.

4 minute double minor for High Stick

5 minute major for "interference"

2 minute minor for can't even recall, just remember laughing

Thats 11 minutes of PK after 6 good minutes of 5-on-5 hockey in the first 20 minutes of play. The refs were hilariously bad tonite, and the fact the Wings were able to get such a game to overtime still baffles me.

The high sticking was a valid penalty and could be attributed to lack of concentration at the beginning of the game. If we got off to a better start we wouldn't have been in that position and may have even killed off that PK. Instead, unsurprisingly, they scored on the first chance they had.

Like I already said, we were down 2-0 before the penalty on Kronwall was even called.

It was a bad start for the Wings.

[pjgj13 30]

The high sticking was a valid penalty and could be attributed to lack of concentration at the beginning of the game. If we got off to a better start we wouldn't have been in that position and may have even killed off that PK. Instead, unsurprisingly, they scored on the first chance they had.

Like I already said, we were down 2-0 before the penalty on Kronwall was even called.

It was a bad start for the Wings.

While true, if the major was not called, it POSSIBLY could have cost a regulation win by the Wings.

[UKWING 8]

their slow starts are indeed frustrating but what is of greater concern to me is the way they finished the last 2 games. before game 2, the wings had owned the 3rd period all playoffs long but in the past 2 games they did not seem to have any jump whatsoever and have looked very tired. last night the game (and series) was there for the taking in the 3rd after a great 2nd period but the wings just did not seem to have anything left and it allowed the hawks back in.

i am hoping that last night's fatigue was due to being without their best forward, being down a d-man for virtually the whole game and also due to the amount of energy they spent killing those 1st period penalties.

however, i worry that the ducks series might have taken too much out of them - especially the defence who played most of that series without rafalski.

tomorrow's game should provide the answer.

[tdinc 45]

Totally agree. Skating around watching the puck is the Wings issue. Their defensive zone play is pathetic.

I am not worried. but Please Step it up Red Wings!!!

GO WINGS

[jjudson 6]

Crappy calls aside, the Wings are very well known for three things:

1. Being a 3rd period team (what, you mean there's 60 minutes in a game?)

2. Sitting on two-goal leads until they are fighting for their lives

3. Bread basket shots galore

The first two put a lot of pressure on Osgood, which makes you wonder if he's even better than we think he is (and that's pretty good in my book).

It's pretty frustrating sometimes to watch the Wings play. It seems on many occasions that they just think they "deserve" to win.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

There's another team out there playing too. Sometimes the other team plays good as well...

[HadThomasVokounOnFortSt 878]

It's hard when your killing penalties all period you know?

[Wombat 26]

There's another team out there playing too. Sometimes the other team plays good as well...

Exactly! No one should expect a 60 minute beatdown by the Wings. Chicago was playing a MUST WIN game and absolutely should have had more jump into the game.

[Rocket Queen 30 1]

Crappy calls aside, the Wings are very well known for three things:

1. Being a 3rd period team (what, you mean there's 60 minutes in a game?)

2. Sitting on two-goal leads until they are fighting for their lives

3. Bread basket shots galore

The first two put a lot of pressure on Osgood, which makes you wonder if he's even better than we think he is (and that's pretty good in my book).

It's pretty frustrating sometimes to watch the Wings play. It seems on many occasions that they just think they "deserve" to win.

Seriously... I couldn't agree more. Who knew there were 60 minutes in a game? I am so effin sick of this squad waiting til 20 minutes are left to make a push. I know they're good. Hell... EVERYONE knows they're good... but really... start with some intensity and put a team away early.

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

There's another team out there playing too. Sometimes the other team plays good as well...

When you're consistently getting off to slow starts and allowing your goalie to get peppered with shots, that means there's something wrong with your team's mindset and preparation.

It's happened enough times since the Anaheim series began, to not give credit to the other team for these slow starts.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

When you're consistently getting off to slow starts and allowing your goalie to get peppered with shots, that means there's something wrong with your team's mindset and preparation.

It's happened enough times since the Anaheim series began, to not give credit to the other team for these slow starts.

The other team has something to do with this sometimes as well...

It is impossible to realistically expect a team to play balls to the wall an entire game just taking people to school on the scoreboard or physically. I don't always like it just like everyone else but it's not possible. There are momentum swings in the game, the other team plays good, etc. Happens in all sports.

[zrf 0]

When you're consistently getting off to slow starts and allowing your goalie to get peppered with shots, that means there's something wrong with your team's mindset and preparation.

It's happened enough times since the Anaheim series began, to not give credit to the other team for these slow starts.

Both teams have been guilty of it thus far, though until game three you guys had been consistently better at remaining focused.

Chicago's lack of focus, particulary in maintaining an aggressive forecheck and defensive style, was the key cog in Detroit's late 2nd period comeback. After the PP goal, I knew we were in trouble as Campbell and co. quit denying the zone and started spectating on defense. We will get ******* thrashed if we play like this for an extended period of time. Needless to say we yielded 2 more goals and I thought we were in line for yet another meltdown. Thanfully for the Hawks it didn't fully come to fruition.

If yielded skating room in the offensive, both teams will score in bunches if given the opportunity. The key for the rest of the series will be which blue line steps up, and if the Hawks can continue to cut down on the sloppy miscues (horrible line changes, TOs, and penalities).

At this point anything can happen, and I'm eager to see if the Hawks can thwart themselves back into the series by winning game 4.

[MudBruneteau 0]

When you're consistently getting off to slow starts and allowing your goalie to get peppered with shots, that means there's something wrong with your team's mindset and preparation.

It's happened enough times since the Anaheim series began, to not give credit to the other team for these slow starts.

but didn't we see that for much of the reg season too ? Since gm 1 there has been an element of indifference with this team that I never saw last year.