What needs to be improved after 2 games?

[MadMan Mark 0]

I'm not one to push a panic button after 2 games. I understand many opinions where if we still have these issues in December, as some have suggested, then we can start bitching. Fellow Wings fans, if we still have these issues in December, it will be a looooong season.

I can lay off of the goaltending because the D looks miserable.

Howard showed exactly what Howard has. I'm not expecting more, but I would like to be pleasantly surprised. I do think he will continue to underachieve and lose his place to Larsson or a seasoned backup come trade deadline time.

Lebda on the ice for all even-strength goals against, hmmm. . . I could understand this if it were a rookie and it's just a learning curve, but Lebda has experience. If this continues, I say bring up Kindl and give him a taste of the NHL.

Typically, Wings come out strong in Oct/Nov and set the tone. It is not good for this team to play catch up early in the year. That, along with the Olympics, will kill our legs and, IMO, lead to an early end to the season.

Put the puck on the net. Enough with the extra pass. The Blues threw the puck at the net and beat us. . . TWICE.

My final ***** is at the coaching staff. If you want me to believe you learned anything about last year, show me the improvements/changes that were made on the D and PK, our two worst categories last reg season and post-season.

Here's hoping the Wings shove it up the Hawks ass on Thurs!

Edited October 5, 2009 by MadMan Mark

[deetroit dario 27]

We'll talk again about this in mid/late October... (when we've got something to talk about!)

or at least after 2 games played on NHL-sized ice...

[Broken 16 381]

or at least after 2 games played on NHL-sized ice...

I thought the ice was adjusted to NHL size for the regular season games...

Either way, rink size isn't an excuse. The Blues had to play on the same ice. I know homers LOVE to make excuses for the Wings but rink size is extremely weak.

[OsGOD 3]

I didn't vote because there was no "other" choice that i could see.

What needs to be improved after 2 games played... is obviously the AMOUNT OF GAMES PLAYED

thats all.

[Dominator2005 558]

Need to change everything - same old story as last season...

Last season:

Def sucked - this season same old story, WHY Lebda is still IN??? How are we better def team than last season? Holland said that we are going to score LESS but we are going to allow LESS - You are wrong Holland.

PK units sucked - same old story - nothing was done (in offseason) to improve our PK units. No BIG stay-at-home def, no Betts, Moen, Grier...

PP 2nd unit - same old story - Sammy > ****** Williams - let'S be honest here, forward (with choice of forwards that we have) at point just doesn't work... Why not Montador or Boynton???

Energy line - gritty line - NOT IN DETROIT...

Goaltending - I think (and I really hope) that Osgood will be better. He can be better and he need to be better. Need to support Osgood!!!

Edited October 5, 2009 by Dominator2005

[evilmrt 636]

Fire McCrimmon.

[deetroit dario 27]

I thought the ice was adjusted to NHL size for the regular season games...

Either way, rink size isn't an excuse. The Blues had to play on the same ice. I know homers LOVE to make excuses for the Wings but rink size is extremely weak.

i'd forgotten that they adjusted the size, so for that oversight i must own my mistake.

and in any case, i wasn't making excuses...merely adding to the "its been 2 effin' games, folks" sentiment.

as for being a homer, well...

the wings are my #1 team, yes. but hockey is my sport. i'll be watching both games tonight, as many games as possible tomorrow night, and on off days i'll be watching KHL (our leauge really needs "solid gold dancers" too!) since its easy to find streaming links for their games.

so you can call me "wrong", or at the least "incorrect"...but "homer" is overstepping it a bit, considering you've no proper basis for such a claim.

Edited October 5, 2009 by deetroit dario

[Motown4013 350]

I went with special teams, but goaltending isn't far behind.

The sad thing is that you CAN win games with lackluster special teams, a poor powerplay...you can win with a struggling offense and playing a bit complacent BUt, it is impossible to win with sh#tty goaltending. You cannot expect the boys to score 5 goals a night to get the W.

I know its only 2 games in the season...but honestly, Osgood has looked poor and Howard as I have always stated is NOT a NHL goalie. He was sub par at the AHL level. its impossible to think this guy is gonna shine at this level.

Lets face it- we need better goaltending. Enough said.

I cant believe that Holland would go through another year with Ozzie if he even plays the way he did in last years regular season. The boys had to work sooooo hard to bail him out. Howard isnt the answer. The answer to to trade for a goalie and it has been for a year now. No one has mentioned this but perhaps part of the reason the wings were tired for the playoffs was because they had to work so hard last year to get wins. From playing sports, i know its hard to constantly try and forge a comeback. Something has to give here...

I watched a lot of the games on saturday and thought...OMG, If the Wings had Thomas, Kipprusoff even Emery...we would simply DOMINATE!

[Doc Holiday 0]

The sad thing is that you CAN win games with lackluster special teams, a poor powerplay...you can win with a struggling offense and playing a bit complacent BUt, it is impossible to win with sh#tty goaltending. You cannot expect the boys to score 5 goals a night to get the W.

I know its only 2 games in the season...but honestly, Osgood has looked poor and Howard as I have always stated is NOT a NHL goalie. He was sub par at the AHL level. its impossible to think this guy is gonna shine at this level.

Lets face it- we need better goaltending. Enough said.

I cant believe that Holland would go through another year with Ozzie if he even plays the way he did in last years regular season. The boys had to work sooooo hard to bail him out. Howard isnt the answer. The answer to to trade for a goalie and it has been for a year now. No one has mentioned this but perhaps part of the reason the wings were tired for the playoffs was because they had to work so hard last year to get wins. From playing sports, i know its hard to constantly try and forge a comeback. Something has to give here...

I watched a lot of the games on saturday and thought...OMG, If the Wings had Thomas, Kipprusoff even Emery...we would simply DOMINATE!

If the Wings had Thomas or Kipper, then the Wings would be over the cap.

Think about it for a second. Jesus.

[Broken 16 381]

i'd forgotten that they adjusted the size, so for that oversight i must own my mistake.

and in any case, i wasn't making excuses...merely adding to the "its been 2 effin' games, folks" sentiment.

as for being a homer, well...

the wings are my #1 team, yes. but hockey is my sport. i'll be watching both games tonight, as many games as possible tomorrow night, and on off days i'll be watching KHL (our leauge really needs "solid gold dancers" too!) since its easy to find streaming links for their games.

so you can call me "wrong", or at the least "incorrect"...but "homer" is overstepping it a bit, considering you've no proper basis for such a claim.

Ok... I'll buy that. Sorry.

It doesn't take two games to see that Howard is an issue. It was obvious in the pre-season. Goaltending WILL be a HUGE issue if Osgood decides to take another season off.

[gcom007 1,465]

Stop with the goalie bulls***.

Seriously people.

2 games.

In Sweden.

2 games!!!

Osgood didn't play much in the pre-season and it's Howard's first real season in the NHL.

Just stop. For once in your lives, just chill and let things be for awhile.

Just relax, for once...

That's all.

Hmmmmmm........

Red Wings 3, Blackhawks 2

Associated Press

THREE STAR SELECTIONS

1st Chris Osgood

Goalie - DET

SAVE PCTG: 0.941

[Rivalred 630]

Voted...

Bas passing and turn overs

[Doc Holiday 0]

Voted goaltending because two goals is too many!

[Jake Ryan 1]

Voted. REMOVE TOMAS HOLMSTROM FROM LINE-UP. That guy stinks. Behind the play ALWAYS.

[mmamolo 287]

Lebda on the ice for all even-strength goals against, hmmm. . . I could understand this if it were a rookie and it's just a learning curve, but Lebda has experience. If this continues, I say bring up Kindl and give him a taste of the NHL.

Typically, Wings come out strong in Oct/Nov and set the tone. It is not good for this team to play catch up early in the year. That, along with the Olympics, will kill our legs and, IMO, lead to an early end to the season.

First of all you should know Meech would be next in line. The Wings dont have the cap space to bring Kindl up nor is he ready. The kid, although i think will be very good one day, still has trouble with turning the puck over int he AHL. He'd get whipped right now. Let him progress and see where he is at later in the year.

Second, the Wings never start off well. Every year the Wings have a bit of a rough first 5-8 games. They come out of the gate slowly in the season just as they do in games.

I cant understand some of the assanine comments made in this thread. This isnt directed at the quoted post but some of the other posts in this thread are mind boggling. It seems like a lot of ppl on this forum have little to no understanding of hockey, the cap, or realistic expectations given certain situations.