How to get out of the current funk..

[NEpats1028 1]

Kenny Holland simply has to make some kind of trade or move before new years, let alone the deadline. With the way the team has played the past few weeks theres no way we can just sit and wait for Mule, Kronner, Filp, Williams and Lilja to come back. I know it's much harder to do this in a "cap era" but Holland has found ways to make magic in the past. My first few moves:

1. Get rid of Leino -- The guy has done absolutly nothing to earn a spot on the top 2 lines. He is lazy and can't make the plays that top forwards need to make.

2. Get a grinder / scorer -- A guy like Rene Bourque would be an amazing pickup for Detroit. He brings goals, grit, and youth. He had a career year last year and is off to another great start again. I know he hurt his ankle but once he gets back, bring him to the D.

3. Put Hank and Pav back together -- Both are having frustrating starts, especially Pav, but this will make the team better in the longrun.

Add your own thoughts and ideas....GO WINGS

Edited November 28, 2009 by NEpats1028

[Hossa4Life 4]

I have an idea. Trade for hossa.

[Carman 387]

And putting Bertuzzi on the first PP between Z and Pavs might help too.

[Reds4Life 51]

IMHO:

Leino, Bertuzzi, Lebda and Meech suck big time and need to be traded/sent down. Babcock must pull his head out of his ass and reunite Datsyuk and Zetterberg. Firing McCrimmon would help too.

[Wings_Dynasty 267]

And putting Bertuzzi on the first PP between Z and Pavs might help too.

I don't get it.

[Carman 387]

I don't get it.

Means just wait it out.

[VM1138 1,921]

We can't really do a trade. The only guys we'd be willing to trade no one would take.

Unless there was a team who has a lot of offense that is willing to take Bertuzzi, Leino or a defensive forward or two in exchange for a pure goal scorer.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

How would a trade work? The team is too banged up right now to just make a few tweaks. The team is stuck with what they got right now for better/worse. Just juggle lines and stuff like every other team might do when they go in a funk. Not that complicated.

[Reds4Life 51]

How would a trade work? The team is too banged up right now to just make a few tweaks. The team is stuck with what they got right now for better/worse. Just juggle lines and stuff like every other team might do when they go in a funk. Not that complicated.

Hmmm...I dunno maybe getting rid of useless players like Leino or Lebda is a good idea?

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

Hmmm...I dunno maybe getting rid of useless players like Leino or Lebda is a good idea?

Again, there is a problem with players being banged up and depth......

[evilmrt 636]

Hmmm...I dunno maybe getting rid of useless players like Leino or Lebda is a good idea?

1. Getting rid of Lebda is a great idea no matter what you get for him. I say trade him for a 5th rounder. Or just waive him. WHO CARES?!?!

2. Leino needs to be benched a while, or maybe even thrown back on Defense i.e. Fedorov/Bowman. I'm sure (hope) Babs is being tough enough on these guys, but I think theres a weak link in the coaching system. And we all know who this is:

3. McCrimmon. Fire his ass now.

These are three easy moves that could be done immediately that would improve the Wings.

[Carman 387]

Leino will be fine. Just has too much pressure on him right now. His current role is not working for him. Once the team gets healthy and is isn't relied on he'll start gaining confidence and improve.

[Miller Brew 0]

Kenny Holland simply has to make some kind of trade or move before new years, let alone the deadline. With the way the team has played the past few weeks theres no way we can just sit and wait for Mule, Kronner, Filp, Williams and Lilja to come back. I know it's much harder to do this in a "cap era" but Holland has found ways to make magic in the past.

Wings are going to get MUCH more in return before new years than Holland could ever trade for. Flip and Kronner should be back. Williams should return shortly after the new years. So come January we will have an entirely different team on the ice. The boys just need to try to stay healthy and grind out some points; they aren't going to win many. Hopefully they can find a groove and a system to grind out some nasty wins.

Instead of trading for new players (which is impossible since we have very little trade value other than Abby, Helm, Ericsson), Babcock should find a new system. I think Wings should start playing boring left wing lock hockey. They need to shut down the natural zone and not allow anyone in our zone. They need to smother their players like white on rice. Babcock needs to try a new system. We won't score many goals but if we win game 1-0 in the shootout, atleast it's a win or at the very least a point if we lose.

Edited November 28, 2009 by Miller Brew

[Datsyerberger 279]

Stack the lines. We may not win a game, but at least we might score goals to wake up some offense again. I'd try:

ZDH

Leino - Helm/Abs - Cleary

Bert - Helm/Abs - Eaves

May - Draper - Miller

or

Dats - Z - Cleary

Leino - Helm/Abs - Homer

(same)

And just get every line that's not the first to hit a lot, dump and chase and crash the net. The only way we're going to pot many goals with:

Bert

Helm

Abdelkader

Maltby

May

Eaves

Miller

Draper

Cleary

as 3/4 of our active forwards is through hard work and random chances due to aggressive play. 3 lines worth of our roster forwards at the moment are basically bangers and energy players, so that's what we need to be playing like.

Edited November 28, 2009 by Datsyerberger

[OsGOD 3]

...there is no funk!

This is EXACTLY what Jimmy D said we should expect from this bunch of guys. Why is everyone so shocked?

[chrisdetroit 189]

Kenny Holland simply has to make some kind of trade or move before new years, let alone the deadline. With the way the team has played the past few weeks theres no way we can just sit and wait for Mule, Kronner, Filp, Williams and Lilja to come back. I know it's much harder to do this in a "cap era" but Holland has found ways to make magic in the past. My first few moves:

1. Get rid of Leino -- The guy has done absolutly nothing to earn a spot on the top 2 lines. He is lazy and can't make the plays that top forwards need to make.

2. Get a grinder / scorer -- A guy like Rene Bourque would be an amazing pickup for Detroit. He brings goals, grit, and youth. He had a career year last year and is off to another great start again. I know he hurt his ankle but once he gets back, bring him to the D.

3. Put Hank and Pav back together -- Both are having frustrating starts, especially Pav, but this will make the team better in the longrun.

Add your own thoughts and ideas....GO WINGS

We aren't going to trade our way out of this 6 game slump.

And lastly it hasn't been "the past few weeks". It has been 6 frickin games.

Last 6 games 1-4-1

Previous 10 7-2-1

The 6 game slide started on November 18 which was 10 days ago.

You need to get a grip on reality.

[Carman 387]

...there is no funk!

This is EXACTLY what Jimmy D said we should expect from this bunch of guys. Why is everyone so shocked?

But Jimmy D is old and senile! He knows nothing about hockey or this team!!!!1

[chrisdetroit 189]

1. Getting rid of Lebda is a great idea no matter what you get for him. I say trade him for a 5th rounder. Or just waive him. WHO CARES?!?!

2. Leino needs to be benched a while, or maybe even thrown back on Defense i.e. Fedorov/Bowman. I'm sure (hope) Babs is being tough enough on these guys, but I think theres a weak link in the coaching system. And we all know who this is:

3. McCrimmon. Fire his ass now.

These are three easy moves that could be done immediately that would improve the Wings.

If you trade Lebda right now for a 5th rounder who plays defense in his spot? Kindl? And Kindl with zero NHL experience is going to be an improvement over Lebda immediately.

Bad idea.

The last thing we need is another AHL player playing every day.

Bench Leino and play who in his place? Brad May? Maltby? and how many goals is May or Maltby going to score? With Leino, at least he has the potential.

Bad idea also

[Miller Brew 0]

I think peoples expectations are just a tad bit too high right now. Especially since most of our top players our out injured.... I can't think of a single team in the entire NHL that could win with this kind of bad luck.

Wings will just need to play through it like Babcock said. Personally, the only thing I would change is the way they play defense. I would prefer to watch them play lock-down boring hockey and completely smother other team's players on every inch of the ice. We don't have enough talent in the lineup to play this style of hockey. Wings should play for 0-0 hockey to force OT just to get the point... and hope Z and D can score in the shootout for the extra point.

Edited November 28, 2009 by Miller Brew

[cupforwings 138]

...there is no funk!

This is EXACTLY what Jimmy D said we should expect from this bunch of guys. Why is everyone so shocked?

Yeah but he predicted this for our COMPLETE TEAM, not our injured one... I guarantee you with a full team we are not in the position we are in right no

[Carman 387]

Yeah but he predicted this for our COMPLETE TEAM, not our injured one... I guarantee you with a full team we are not in the position we are in right no

Jimmy D understands the foundation and potential of this team more then you.

[stevkrause 1,247]

The sky is falling, the sky is falling!

Everyone calm the f down, were missing 3 of our best 7 players... ANY team would be in a funk under these circumstances...

RELAX.

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

Bench Leino and play who in his place? Brad May? Maltby? and how many goals is May or Maltby going to score? With Leino, at least he has the potential.

Bad idea also

Maltby has the same amount of goals, points and a better plus minus in 6 less games then Leino. You cant defend him, he's been garbage this year so far, potential? That was Kopecky's thing the past 2 years, yeah.. didnt work out so well.

I'm not saying a trade is the answer, but lines must be juggled and if a guy needs to sit, he has to sit.

[Miller Brew 0]

Jimmy D understands the foundation and potential of this team more then you.

Aren't you the kid who was questioning/criticizing Wings' brass for keeping Howard on this team after only his first 3 starts this year? You even pulled up Howard's stats for the past 3 or 4 years to prove your point. I think you were going all crazy in the "Biron" thread with your failed logic.

Jimmy D's comment about lowering expectations was dead on, but we can still hope the Wings would prove him wrong. I believe if this team was 100% healthy, we'd be top 3 in the conference.

[GMRwings1983 8,803]

Mats Sundin or Markus Naslund.

Or give steroids to our players to help them heal faster.