Malik with a Pretty Intense Article

[ShanahanMan 473]

Memo to the Red Wings: Shut up and win

By George Malik

October 24, 2009, 11:26PM

As the Red Wings blow yet another lead, out-shoot their opposition but urinate away power play time thanks to forwards cheating toward the net and cutesy backhand passes instead of jamming the net and continuing to jam the net...

The Colorado Avalanche defeated you by a 3-1 tally because you blew seven power plays and almost 14 minutes of power play time, could not keep a lead, and refused to make Craig Anderson's life difficult, despite the nearly 50 shots you fired his way.

You now have a 3-4-1-and-1 record over nine games for eight points. In Detroit, regardless of what Jimmy Devellano believes, struggling to make the playoffs is not acceptable, and at this point, struggling to win games because you cannot hold a lead is completely unacceptable.

Please, please, please stop telling the media how good you feel about your overall level of play and how the wins will come. That was tiresome a week ago, and you've begun to sound like you're in denial, if not simply too dumb to fix the fundamental problems plaguing your goaltending, addressing the liabilities on defense named Lebda and Ericsson, your inability to win faceoffs and keep pucks in the offensive zone on the power play, not back in to your own zone and give the opposition time and space after all too regularly failing to clear the puck or simply skating back through neutral ice like you're scared. Your goaltending is not good enough until it wins, even if several of those blocker-side shots have been tremendously difficult to stop, and until it wins, your goaltenders need to address their damn blocker hand weaknesses and quit lamenting bad bounces or breaks.

And dropping two straight to the Colorado Avalanche is hard for any Wings fan to stomach, and should be difficult for Wings players to stomach.

Stop sounding like Pollyanas. Stop saying how the opposition goaltender was just too good, or you're "getting chances" on your power play, are "looking better," that the "tide is turning"...

Anything you say can and will be used against you by a fan base that expects results, not boundless optimism. You sound like you're patronizing us, and that includes you, coach Mike Babcock.

Shut up. Win. Then tell us that you're going to fulfill the promise your team holds and your fans' expectations that you will win the Central Division instead of squeaking into the playoffs because you cannot or will not accept that you have a winning problem when you lose six of your first nine games and every road game you've played because you blow leads, blow scoring chances, and blow chunks in terms of commitment to the attention to detail and the painful but necessary work involved in clearing your own slot, not giving up the puck through neutral ice, and charging toward the opposition net, putting pucks there, retrieving their rebounds, and jamming them into the net.

If anything, please send your inner Van Gogh back to his cage, because that fancy-pants artiste within is absolutely ravaging any attempts to come back from yet another blown lead. Backhand passes, passes to the point when you've barely gained the offensive blueline, and a complete and total lack of winger support to retrieve rebounds from shots, as well as an unwillingness to crowd goaltenders' fields of view or jam pucks in, have rendered the offensive juggernaut within nothing more and nothing less than mute and neutered.

Get busy winning, stop blaming the salary cap, free agency losses, injuries, bad karma, whatever (and this means you, loose-lipped managerial Wings personnel), right your ship, and until you start winning, shut the hell up. Actions speak much louder than words.

If this year's team is facing more adversity than any other team has since the 1991-92 season, Wings fans expect their team to embrace the challenge and overcome all obstacles. It's time to put up, and shut up until you put up.

Gotta agree 100%. Though it is a bit hypocritical, as he was the one laughing off all the naysayers and critics in the offseason.

Edited October 25, 2009 by ShanahanMan

[wingnut40 176]

OMG, it was like I wrote it!!! I agree with everything he said.

[Stiffy 0]

Wonder if Mitch Albom will take on the Wings any time soon?

[Heroes of Hockeytown 694]

Malik is good when he's trollin' the webz for news articles for me to read, I've never liked his editorials.

[RedWingsRox 614]

Calling it as it is !

[stuck in socal 56]

Just replace football and hockey. The Wings will get the concept!

[Carman 387]

Get busy winning, stop blaming the salary cap, free agency losses, injuries, bad karma, whatever (and this means you, loose-lipped managerial Wings personnel), right your ship, and until you start winning, shut the hell up. Actions speak much louder than words.

Seriously? Jimmy D. built one of the best franchises the game has ever had how dare this guy insult one of the best hockey minds in the world what the hell has this guy done? I guess you are going to attractive spoiled fans if you make the playoffs 20 years in a row... The team is trying, they just aren't that good. What do you want them to say in a interview when you ask them how they are doing? Man that article is a disgrace in my opinion. Such spoiled fans, unbelievable.

[ShanahanMan 473]

Wonder if Mitch Albom will take on the Wings any time soon?

He's too busy drinking beers with Morrie and the five people he'll meet in heaven.

[ShanahanMan 473]

Seriously? Jimmy D. built one of the best franchises the game has ever had how dare this guy insult one of the best hockey minds in the world what the hell has this guy done? I guess you are going to attractive spoiled fans if you make the playoffs 20 years in a row... The team is trying, they just aren't that good. What do you want them to say in a interview when you ask them how they are doing? Man that article is a disgrace in my opinion. Such spoiled fans, unbelievable.

I guess the Jimmy D bit was pretty harsh, I actually commended Jimmy D for coming out and setting the Wing fans straight. However, I do agree with everything else, especially the "we did things right, it'll come" attitude.

[stuck in socal 56]

so Carman, going from one game from winning the cup to playing like crap the next season is acceptable? Seriously?

[Doc Holiday 0]

I found it funny and true what he started out with, but then he was acting like Detroit has been making excuses.

The first half is good. The second, where are you getting this from?

[Carman 387]

I guess the Jimmy D bit was pretty harsh, I actually commended Jimmy D for coming out and setting the Wing fans straight. However, I do agree with everything else, especially the "we did things right, it'll come" attitude.

As a team you have to stay positive especially to the media. Focusing on the negatives does no one any good. Hell if they wanted to the Wing's could fill a 2 hour show on dissecting how many mistakes they make in a game, but so could other teams. I'm a hard critic usually on the Red Wing's, but I think they have done enough the past two decades to not be a dominate team that wins 50 games this year. I'm happy with watching the young players improve. I just don't know what the guy want's the team to do so early in the season...

I'm not saying it's acceptable to be this bad, I just don't understand what the Wing's are supposed to say to the media in interviews, do you want the whole team turning into Mike Richards' and not say anything?

[Theophany 110]

so Carman, going from one game from winning the cup to playing like crap the next season is acceptable? Seriously?

If they were playing like crap it would be one thing, but people seem to think that the entire team sucked tonight when we had FIFTY shots on goal.

Anderson was hot tonight. It happens. Ericsson and Lebda made some mistakes that cost us a goal and most of our momentum.

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

He's right. They talk too much and dont get results, or havent this year. It's little basic concepts that they dont do, and a couple practises could help if they really wanted too, but game after game same fancy garbage that doesnt get the job done. Ah, I miss 08, it was a much easier year to deal with, I have sympathy for Leafs fans, that is truly hell.

[sureWhyNot 19]

Amazing write up. I tend to stay away from commenting on a lot of things George writes, but this one deserves a round of applause for it sums our situation up perfectly - I mean we're talking 100% spot on.

[rage 24]

Please. This is just annoying to me.

I guess I'm the only one not in full panic mode about this team and this year's start.

[TheOwl 77]

I don't really care about stats, but as long as Detroit is playing competitive hockey I'm happy. But their not. Last season was brutal, but it was extremely exciting. 5-6 loses, 5-1 wins, blowing huge leads, coming up with miraculous comebacks in the final 5 minutes in the 3rd. It was nail biting, frustrating but fun. After each game, I wanted to watch another, I wanted more. But this season is just flat, blah, uninspired hockey. The games aren't exciting at all, in any way. Detroit can blow leads all day long, as long as they make an effort to come back. Their playing like a defeated team.

Maybe because Franzen is gone, but I just find this team boring to watch. I don't have the belief that they can really pull it out. Like Game 6, and 7 of the Cup final. Even until the last seconds I was 100% sure Detroit would make a come-back and win it all. But they didn't. I've lost a bit of faith, and without Franzen for 5 months, I don't see this team turning anything around for a while.

What plagues the mind is, other then Franzen, it doesn't seem like anyone on the team is really a get it done kind of guy. Ovechkin alone can win his team games. Brodeur alone can win his team games. It seems like nearly every team has one stand out player who can turn a game around. Detroit doesn't seem to have that. Franzen can be that kind of player, with his clutch goals. But everyone else, Zetterberg and Datysuk included play with the team. Team play bad, Zetterberg and Datysuk play bad. Team plays well, Datysuk and Zetterberg play well. Their no one man army approach. Either everyone is playing well, or everyone plays terribly. Theirs never a stand out player in these losing games. Everyone is just meh.

[rage 24]

Amazing write up. I tend to stay away from commenting on a lot of things George writes, but this one deserves a round of applause for it sums our situation up perfectly - I mean we're talking 100% spot on.

Love the avatar! I use that too!!

[ben_usmc 253]

The only thing that bothers me is wondering if Babcock, Jimmy, etc actually believe we will turn it around. I know they won't ever say it to the media, but I'd like to know if they actually believe in this team.

[rage 24]

I don't really care about stats, but as long as Detroit is playing competitive hockey I'm happy. But their not. Last season was brutal, but it was extremely exciting. 5-6 loses, 5-1 wins, blowing huge leads, coming up with miraculous comebacks in the final 5 minutes in the 3rd. It was nail biting, frustrating but fun. After each game, I wanted to watch another, I wanted more. But this season is just flat, blah, uninspired hockey. The games aren't exciting at all, in any way. Detroit can blow leads all day long, as long as they make an effort to come back. Their playing like a defeated team.

Maybe because Franzen is gone, but I just find this team boring to watch. I don't have the belief that they can really pull it out. Like Game 6, and 7 of the Cup final. Even until the last seconds I was 100% sure Detroit would make a come-back and win it all. But they didn't. I've lost a bit of faith, and without Franzen for 5 months, I don't see this team turning anything around for a while.

What plagues the mind is, other then Franzen, it doesn't seem like anyone on the team is really a get it done kind of guy. Ovechkin alone can win his team games. Brodeur alone can win his team games. It seems like nearly every team has one stand out player who can turn a game around. Detroit doesn't seem to have that. Franzen can be that kind of player, with his clutch goals. But everyone else, Zetterberg and Datysuk included play with the team. Team play bad, Zetterberg and Datysuk play bad. Team plays well, Datysuk and Zetterberg play well. Their no one man army approach. Either everyone is playing well, or everyone plays terribly. Theirs never a stand out player in these losing games. Everyone is just meh.

One could argue that Detroit has been sucessful because of thier depth. Who in the last 5 seasons besides Hossa was the "Ovechkin" or "Brodeur" type player that could alone win the Wings games???

Yzerman and Fedorov were the last besides Hossa I'd put in that Category followed by Zetterberg and Lidstrom has a special way of keeping us in any game along w/ helping us win a game.

We are a depth team. Sure we have the guys like Dats/Zetts/Rafi/Lids but they like to setup more than just score. We win w/ 3rd and 4th lines playing better than the enemies 3rd and 4th lines a lot of the time.

Let's hope Zetterberg picks it up and starts burying some pucks.

[Broken 16 381]

That article is disgusting. "Shut up and win." Are you serious? This team has been chugging like a frieght train for over a decade and this is the thanks they get? Red Wing players and staff deserve much better than that article and the legion of mouthbreathers that actually agree with it.

[ShanahanMan 473]

The only thing that bothers me is wondering if Babcock, Jimmy, etc actually believe we will turn it around. I know they won't ever say it to the media, but I'd like to know if they actually believe in this team.

Yeah. See an article like this: DetNews is EXACTLY what I'm talking about. This is what pisses Malik and me off.

Instead of telling it like it is by saying something like, "things aren't clicking, we need to reorganize and turn it around", they go into denial and "better luck next time!" mode by saying things like:

"Eventually, it has to go in for us."

"We just have to stay positive and believe in what you do, keep doing the right things and don't analyze too much,"

"We will be all right," Cleary said. "We just have to stay upbeat and stay with the program."

Seriously? Will they say the same things if they lose ANOTHER three in a row? It's time to call themselves out and admit they have NOT been playing as they should. Shrugging it off and saying "we'll get it!" just is not the right strategy.

Edited October 25, 2009 by ShanahanMan

[Carman 387]

As a coach you have to manage the "media teeter-totter" when things are going well and the team wins you will see Babcock point out the negative things the team does, but when they go on a losing streak he focuses on the positives. It's what all good coaches do. You will never get a real candid answer from Babock because he understands it can and will be used against his team.

And as a team you have to stay positive no matter what. They aren't going to start pointing fimgers at each other through the media, because that does nothing but complicate an already negative situation. You really think Babcock and the team is happy with their performance so far in the season? If you do then you are severely underestimating the commitment of a core of players that have achieved the highest level of the game almost twice in back to back season.

Edited October 25, 2009 by Carman

[Drake_Marcus 890]

Malik is good when he's trollin' the webz for news articles for me to read, I've never liked his editorials.

This.

[Drake_Marcus 890]

As a coach you have to manage the "media teeter-totter" when things are going well and the team wins you will see Babcock point out the negative things the team does, but when they go on a losing streak he focuses on the positives. It's what all good coaches do. You will never get a real candid answer from Babock because he understands it can and will be used against his team.

And as a team you have to stay positive no matter what. They aren't going to start pointing figures at each other through the media, because that does nothing but complicate an already negative situation. You really think Babcock and the team is happy with their performance so far in the season? If you do then you are severely underestimating the commitment of a core of players that have achieved the highest level of the game almost twice in back to back season.

Another astute response to Malik's diatribe. I agree 100% Carman.