Wings, Bruins 'sticking with the program'

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

Yeah yeah, ZOMG it's ESPN/hockey, blah blah blah.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?...e=lebrun_pierre

Wings, Bruins 'sticking with the program'

Saturday, November 28, 2009 | Feedback | Print Entry

The Detroit Red Wings are suddenly slumping, not so coincidentally after losing star blueliner Niklas Kronwall.

But anyone waiting for veteran GM Ken Holland to pull off a blockbuster trade anytime soon better not hold their breath. At least not at this point. For starters, Holland believes the work effort is there. But also, and perhaps more importantly, there are salary-cap considerations. With injuries to Kronwall, Johan Franzen, Valtteri Filppula, Jason Williams and Andreas Lilja, the Wings can't really take on more salary because all those players, and their salaries, will come back at some point this season.

"I'm not going to trade prospects or draft picks for a guy making $2.5 million and then turn around in two months and have to drop someone to make room for the injured guys coming back," Holland told ESPN.com on Saturday. "It doesn't make any sense."

There are no easy solutions.

"We just have to stick with the program," Holland added. "I think our guys are doing a tremendous job, they're working. We need some ugly goals. We're not getting those right now."

The Wings appeared to be back in their usual groove, holding on in Montreal on Nov. 21 to improve to 11-6-4 on the season. But after scoring a pair of power-play goals in the first period of that game, the Wings scored one goal in their next 11 periods of hockey heading into Saturday night's game at St. Louis -- shut out in back-to-back home games against Atlanta and Calgary.

But they launched 40 shots at the Flames on Friday night, which suggests the team is working, if not scoring. This is a veteran dressing room with oodles of character and Cup rings to go with it, not to mention one of the best coaches in the game in Mike Babcock. Holland believes in them and says they'll come out of it.

"Frustration is one of the worst detriments to success," said Holland. "You have to stay patient and find a way."

Filppula (wrist) is expected back around Christmas/New Year, Williams (leg) and Kronwall (knee) in early January, and Franzen (knee) sometime in February or March.

I think the hope for this team is to hang in there, get its injured stars back in the New Year and get hot down the stretch. It certainly worked for Pittsburgh last season.

Same in Boston

Patience will also be key in Boston, where I'm sure Bruins fans would love to see the team trade for some offense. But losing star winger Milan Lucic (ankle) for a month likely won't ignite trade talks.

"We will grind through this," Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli told ESPN.com via e-mail Saturday.

Despite all the injuries this season, the Bruins have hung in there and played well of late.

[redwingfan19 293]

good article, pretty much the reason I could care less how the wings play right now, because guyss are slowly going to start coming back and we should be fine. Goaltending and the PK are still issues however.....

[ben_usmc 253]

good article, pretty much the reason I could care less how the wings play right now, because guyss are slowly going to start coming back and we should be fine. Goaltending and the PK are still issues however.....

Though at times we have looked like garbage, times like this really do let us see what we have to work with. Examples being, we now know we potentially have a starting goalie in Howard which most of us were worried about. Helm/Abby have looked like a great tandem for the future. The additions of Eaves/Miller give us the option of keeping 1 if not both in the future.

It also helps reasurre some of our ideas and hopefully opens Hollands eyes: We do need another sniper, Lebda/Meech and if somehow we get Rafi (NTC) all need to be traded away.

Though I'm really hoping we have someone just break out like the Mule did years prior.

[Chunkylover 26]

Though at times we have looked like garbage, times like this really do let us see what we have to work with. Examples being, we now know we potentially have a starting goalie in Howard which most of us were worried about. Helm/Abby have looked like a great tandem for the future. The additions of Eaves/Miller give us the option of keeping 1 if not both in the future.

It's interesting how some of the biggest questions going into this season were Howard, Eaves, and our aging depth players. Up to this point our bottom six has looked real, real good, and indeed Howard has shown that he just needed some playing time.

[Uncle Danny 155]

It's interesting how some of the biggest questions going into this season were Howard, Eaves, and our aging depth players. Up to this point our bottom six has looked real, real good, and indeed Howard has shown that he just needed some playing time.

Indeed. I'll eat my Howard flavored crow now. The kid's been playing pretty well, considering that most (myself included) were ready to feed him to the pigs before the season even began.

This slump, provided we manage a playoff berth and late season surge many are predicting, has been great for the development of guys like Abdelkader and Helm. Amazing to think that the Wings have been semi-regularly fielding five rookies. As much as we are all looking forward to a fresh legged Mule come March, I hope these kids still have some legs left after the long season and heightened pressure on them. None, aside from Ericsson is getting crazy minutes, so I think they'll be fine. (and his minutes aren't crazy for a d-man)

And, as you pointed out, it's been nice to see Draper get some of his swagger back.

Edited November 30, 2009 by Uncle Danny

[cupforwings 138]

Indeed. I'll eat my Howard flavored crow now. The kid's been playing pretty well, considering that most (myself included) were ready to feed him to the pigs before the season even began.

This slump, provided we manage a playoff berth and late season surge many are predicting, has been great for the development of guys like Abdelkader and Helm. Amazing to think that the Wings have been semi-regularly fielding five rookies. As much as we are all looking forward to a fresh legged Mule come March, I hope these kids still have some legs left after the long season and heightened pressure on them. None, aside from Ericsson is getting crazy minutes, so I think they'll be fine. (and his minutes aren't crazy for a d-man)

And, as you pointed out, it's been nice to see Draper get some of his swagger back.

I agree. Howard has shut everyone up on whether he would be able to handle the NHL, including myself. He isn't quite ready to be a starter, but I do find myself feeling more confident with Howard in goal rather than Ozzie sometimes. With Ozzie, you have to hold your breath on every shot (because of style and size), with Howard, who is finally getting some games to play, you get the feeling he has to work less to make the "easy" saves.

Also, all these injuries, although they hurt now, can only have a positive outcome for the development of our future players like Abby, Helm, and Leino... Sticking with the program is the reason why we are successful year after year

[Jake Ryan 1]

It's not like Osgood isn't playing well right now, too. He's only given up a few goals each game lately.

[cupforwings 138]

It's not like Osgood isn't playing well right now, too. He's only given up a few goals each game lately.

your right, Ozzie is playing pretty well right now. Just sometimes, it looks as if some shots are harder to stop for Ozzie than for Howard. It has always been that way. Ozzie is still the obvious starter

[Evans_18 4]

Yea we cant go and immediately blame goaltending when our offense is not putting it in the net, or our D is just letting them do what ever the hell they want in front of the net.

[cupforwings 138]

Yea we cant go and immediately blame goaltending when our offense is not putting it in the net, or our D is just letting them do what ever the hell they want in front of the net.

Yep. Think about it, letting in 2 goals a night is usually good enough to win a game around the league. Our goalies have been good for us this season, we are just not scoring enough goals to win games, and the goals they are letting in are odd man situations where its not the goalies fault.

Edited November 30, 2009 by cupforwings

[Jake Ryan 1]

Yep. Think about it, letting in 2 goals a night is usually good enough to win a game around the league. Our goalies have been good for us this season, we are just not scoring enough goals to win games.

Which should be expected seeing as Filppula, Williams, Franzen, and Kronwall are all hurt. These 4 aren't exactly chumps, either.

[Evans_18 4]

Yes but our whole team has to be responsible in our own end with or with out injuries.

[Chunkylover 26]

I don't remember who said it exactly, someone over at ESPN, but the Wings struggles were the result of the loss of too many soft Europeans and the addition of too many gritty North Americans. I'm not griping, I love our third and fourth lines, I just think it's funny how the supposed cure for the Wings a few seasons ago is now their part of the problem.