11/7 GDT: Red Wings 1 at Maple Leafs 5

[Drake_Marcus 890]

Mind-boggling stat of the night:

Even-strength ice time for defensemen:

Jonathan Ericsson 16:05

Brett Lebda 15:33

Brad Stuart 15:07

Niklas Kronwall 13:44

Brian Rafalski 13:19

Nicklas Lidstrom 11:51

Why is Lebda playing that much more than Kronwall, Lidstrom, and Rafalski at even strength??

I can understand why Rafalski and Lidstrom were out less-- the game was out of hand with tons of time to spare in the 3rd. Why burn out vets for a game that's not winnable? But Lebda should've been told to go tape some f***in' sticks.

[EastLansingNative 1]

YES!

[gcom007 1,465]

In regards to Quincey/Lebda, wasn't Lebda coming off a solid playoff performance? I don't really remember for sure, but I feel like that was the reason at the time. Sure, it was the wrong decision, but people make mistakes and the reality is, Lebda could goto another team and get his act together and Quincey couldve stayed here and sucked. It's tough to call how some of these young guys will develop. Detroit isn't the right place for everybody.

[eva unit zero 271]

Trade Lebda for Kopecky.

I'd be good with that. We have more than enough defensemen who can play as well or better than Lebda. Meech is like Lebda, only younger and cheaper, and will actually get better and learn as he plays more. Kopecky would provide us a player who is familiar with the coach and system and wouldn't need an adjustment period.

[HOCKEY MATTERS 167]

The Wings looked flat and uninterested. Again. That made an average performance by the Leafs look like a hard ginding effort. Leafs played solid, but the Wings rally made them look good. Ozzies' gotta button up that 5 hole and quit letting in beachballs. All that said........

Shake it off, boys and come out on fire next time.

[RedWings Gone Wild 6]

Just wanted to add yes there were big saves...but 3 on 1 = a goal most of the time, a goal 100% of the time when it's only Lebda and he's screening Ozzie. Ozzie did his part, the D and the poor forechecking is what killed us.

As I said in an other thread, you can't expect Ozzie to cover as much as the other goalies, especially the monster...(The guy is taller, if not almost, than Ozzie ON HIS KNEES). Ozzie is a small goalie...you have a 3 on 1 he can't just sit there...

Meh, I'm not going to explain...It's either Ozzie sucks or Ozzie didn't do anything to win the game. As I said before, I feel bad for the guy because of the fanbase.

You know, I'm not going to blame Ozzie for this loss at all, but the fact of it is we've been anti-goalie as Wings fans for a long time, and of all the goalies, Osgood's been treated near the best. I've seen many more Legacy and Hasek haters than Osgood haters.. about the only goalie who gets more "it was never his fault" fanaticism is Vernon.. It's the nature of the position, it invites scrutiny.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

It's sadder that at the time Quincey couldn't outplay Meech or Lebda for a spot... then he goes to LA and plays out of his mind Talk about a mindf***.

The decisions were made by the coaching staff and management. Not Quincey.

Obviously the Kings (and now Colorado) saw something in him that the Wings didn't.

[brett 1,029]

i think the problem is no one has chemistry anymore

dats z and homer have been split up for too long

and every game babs has to switch up the lines to get something going

or someone gets injured and is forced to switch up the lines

idk this s*** sucks

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

CBC just said Babcock announced that it was a broken leg for Williams. Not good.

And wow, what a scary injury to Cam Ward, taking a skate to the groin area and bleeding onto the ice through equipment as he's being helped off. Hope he's okay.

[skyphoenix 153]

i think the problem is no one has chemistry anymore

dats z and homer have been split up for too long

and every game babs has to switch up the lines to get something going

or someone gets injured and is forced to switch up the lines

idk this s*** sucks

Especially with all the injuries. Its hard to get chemistry going when the lines are different game-to-game.

[RedWings Gone Wild 6]

Just ridiculous how many injuries there are league wide right now....

[gcom007 1,465]

Cam Ward in the hospital after getting cut by Nash's skate in the (deep breath boys) groin...trail of blood on the ice from him being taken off sent chills down my spine...

[Drake_Marcus 890]

Ok, what the hell was Babcock thinking???

TOI

21:37 Stuart

20:56 Kronwall

20:36 Lidstrom

20:03 Ericsson

18:21 Rafalski

16:35 Lebda

Anything look a little off?

Nope. Rafalski's been absolutely brutal defensively. Plus, like I said before-- no point in wasting the veterans late in the game when it's well out of hand. On a winning night you'd see Rafalski and Lidstrom far higher up the list.

[Aussie_Wing 354]

I miss Eaves. And Filppula, our 2nd PP unit is terrible without him.

Call up Ritola please.

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

This has definately been the strangest year in recent memory when it comes to injuries.

[egroen 384]

Nope. Rafalski's been absolutely brutal defensively. Plus, like I said before-- no point in wasting the veterans late in the game when it's well out of hand. On a winning night you'd see Rafalski and Lidstrom far higher up the list.

I'm sure that definitely skewed it, but man, that third pair seemd out there an inordinate amount of time from the beginning.

Edited November 8, 2009 by egroen

[Guest Lidstromboli]

YES!

hahahaha

[Z and D for the C 712]

I miss Eaves. And Filppula, our 2nd PP unit is terrible without him.

Call up Ritola please.

I honestly think we miss Filppula a lot more than Franzen.

[Drake_Marcus 890]

That's sick.. babcock must have given up early...

If Babcock gave up early just imagine when you'd have given up!

[eva unit zero 271]

In regards to Quincey/Lebda, wasn't Lebda coming off a solid playoff performance? I don't really remember for sure, but I feel like that was the reason at the time. Sure, it was the wrong decision, but people make mistakes and the reality is, Lebda could goto another team and get his act together and Quincey couldve stayed here and sucked. It's tough to call how some of these young guys will develop. Detroit isn't the right place for everybody.

Lebda was unremarkable in the 2008 playoffs. He was better in the 2009 playoffs, but still the worst defenseman on the team to see any significant time.

As I said then, Lebda was a defensively irresponsible player whose only notable skill was speed, he was not showing any signs that he would improve beyond the level he was at, a level he has pretty much played at his entire career with the Wings. Quincey was a young defenseman with decent skating skills and solid two-way play, and Meech brought good puck skills and quick skating. All three were basically equal in ability and price. Lebda was the only one who was pretty much locked into a 3rd-pair or 7th defenseman spot for his career and he is also the oldest. I thought it was a pretty obvious choice.

[brett 1,029]

raf lebda and ericsson need some time off

bert needs to step it up

Edited November 8, 2009 by brett

[Drake_Marcus 890]

The decisions were made by the coaching staff and management. Not Quincey.

Obviously the Kings (and now Colorado) saw something in him that the Wings didn't.

Huh? Did you watch Q before he was waived? He was horrendously bad. FOR 18 MONTHS STRAIGHT. He got a wake up slap in the face when he was waived and he responded with the kind of play the Wings asked from him earlier.

[egroen 384]

I honestly think we miss Filppula a lot more than Franzen.

Absolutely not, this team needs somone who can bury the f'ing puck.

Filppula has frustratingly few finishing skills.

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

Just ridiculous how many injuries there are league wide right now....

You can add Chris Drury to the list now.

[Drake_Marcus 890]

I'm sure that definitely skewed it, but man, that third pair seemd out there an inordinate amount of time from the beginning.

I guess Babs is trying to give Ericsson the maximum amount of time to develop as a young player? That doesn't excuse having Lebda out there, though.