12/23 GDT: Blackhawks 3 at Red Wings 0

[Yak19 303]

We will now slowly start to get bodies back in the lineup. We gotta try to sneak into the playoffs as a 6th-8th seed if not better which i know this team is capable of. Lets not get too down about where we are it could and should be a lot worse with all of these injuries. Wings are keeping in the hunt and that's what we need until we are healthy. The Red Wings will get it done when it really matters.

Merry Christmas LGW'ers

GO WINGS!!!

[Miller Brew 0]

If it wasnt for Nabokov, I think the hawks would have made the third statement of the year against them.

*If* Wings had healthy players Wings would be in 1st place. *If* Wings stopped one goal against Dallas the other night, they'd be in 8th place right now. *If* Nabokov plays like that in the playoffs, they'll sweep Chicago (if they meet).

[Vladifan 680]

I haven't had a chance to watch the game, but I'm half way through reading the posts. And nobody's mentioned Rafalski. Did he play tonight?

[Miller Brew 0]

I haven't had a chance to watch the game, but I'm half way through reading the posts. And nobody's mentioned Rafalski. Did he play tonight?

No he was out with the flu. Kindl played. http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/injuries/

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

I haven't had a chance to watch the game, but I'm half way through reading the posts. And nobody's mentioned Rafalski. Did he play tonight?

Nope. Out with the flu.

Another casualty of the curse Hossa left behind.

Edited December 24, 2009 by Hockeytown0001

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

Oh wait, silly me. We can't even entertain the mere thought that missing 8 regulars might have something to do with sub-par play. Detroit is expected to beat Kane, Toews and Hossa with Ritola, Kindle and Janik. Not having Zetterberg, Franzen, Kronwall and Cleary to name a few had NOTHING to do with it.

Edited December 24, 2009 by Hockeytown0001

[Firehawk 305]

Wow i didn't know that Rafalski wasn't playing lol, and I even watched the game. Good lord, ANOTHER WING OUT! Come on. Sooner or later this has to stop. Well, at least 'the hair' isn't injured.

[Vladifan 680]

And in all that time, you couldn't find a Blackhawks board. Sad.

:rotflmao:

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

Wow i didn't know that Rafalski wasn't playing lol, and I even watched the game. Good lord, ANOTHER WING OUT! Come on. Sooner or later this has to stop. Well, at least 'the hair' isn't injured.

Off topic, but I always get a kick out of your sig.

[The Mule 0]

Sharp also expects the Wings -- who've won the Central Division in each of the last eight seasons -- to get healthy and regroup as the season goes on.

"It feels good to win these last two games," he said. "But we're realistic. We know that the Wings are going to come back with a great team towards the end of the season. It's unbelievable what's going on in their dressing room as far as injuries are concerned. You never want to see that, especially against your No. 1 rival.

"They're going to be there at the end of the season, and until we can beat them in a playoff series or finish higher than them, they're the champs."

Very respectable comments from Sharp.

[Miller Brew 0]

Sharp may be on the block next year when Hawks are forced to have a fire sale.

[Nev 1,085]

It feels good to win these last two gamesBut we're realistic. We know that the Wings are going to come back with a great team towards the end of the season. It's unbelievable what's going on in their dressing room as far as injuries are concerned. You never want to see that, especially against your No. 1 rival.

They're going to be there at the end of the season, and until we can beat them in a playoff series or finish higher than them, they're the champs

Congratulations kid, you get it. As I've said before, if we manage to scrape in the playoffs, and we're healthy, no-one but no-one is going to want to play us, 8th seed or not.

[Guest Lidstromboli]

trade datsyuk and lidstrom for sharp

[The Mule 0]

Sharp may be on the block next year when Hawks are forced to have a fire sale.

Sharp is one player I really wouldn't mind seeing here next season.

[Miller Brew 0]

Sharp is one player I really wouldn't mind seeing here next season.

You sig is annoying.

[Guest Lidstromboli]

it is?

[The Mule 0]

You sig is annoying.

Thanks. I love you, too.

[hankzet40 233]

I guess losing to one of the two best teams in the conference is not the worst but getting shutout twice in a row by said team and at home again certainly is.

[Shady Ultima 40]

It won't matter come playoff time.

While I respect Joel Quenneville, and believe he is a good coach, he has never beaten Detroit in the playoffs. Not on any of his teams. You'd think he would have gone to the Eastern conference by now...

[Guest mindfly]

[Vladifan 680]

Sharp also expects the Wings -- who've won the Central Division in each of the last eight seasons -- to get healthy and regroup as the season goes on.

"It feels good to win these last two games," he said. "But we're realistic. We know that the Wings are going to come back with a great team towards the end of the season. It's unbelievable what's going on in their dressing room as far as injuries are concerned. You never want to see that, especially against your No. 1 rival.

"They're going to be there at the end of the season, and until we can beat them in a playoff series or finish higher than them, they're the champs."

Thanks for this. You'd think it might give his opponent's fans some perspective? Then again, mebee not.

[FlintGangster 47]

Hi, Blackhawks fan from the South Side of Chicago here. I read this entire thread and something that seems to mystify many Red Wing fans is that the Wings struggle 4 on 4 and even 5 on 4 but seem to do well 4 on 5. Why is this? I think it is the Red Wings' lack of speed that is killing them. No offense, but the difference between the Sharks and Wings is night and day. When Chicago went 4 on 4 last night, I knew it was a major advantage for the Blackhawks because the Wings just lack team speed right now. And sure enough, the 4 on 4 play resulted in a goal for the Blackhawks.

Your team came to play for the 1st period and certainly outplayed the Hawks through one intermission. However, it seemed like your team kind of let up as soon as Patrick Kane, or as you call him 20 cent, scored a goal. Right now, the Wings just don't have confidence that they can come back from a deficit even if it is a one to nothing hole.

I believe the Wings are in 10th or 11th place. Hopefully, the Wings return most of their banged up stars (like Zetterberg, Franzen, and Kronwall) by mid-January or they could be out of the race if their stars stay out much longer.

Good Luck from here on out.

Edited December 24, 2009 by FlintGangster

[Doc Holliday 1,888]

Hi, Blackhawks fan from the South Side of Chicago here. I read this entire thread and something that seems to mystify many Red Wing fans is that the Wings struggle 4 on 4 and even 5 on 4 but seem to do well 4 on 5. Why is this? I think it is the Red Wings' lack of speed that is killing them. No offense, but the difference between the Sharks and Wings is night and day. When Chicago went 4 on 4 last night, I knew it was a major advantage for the Blackhawks because the Wings just lack team speed right now. And sure enough, the 4 on 4 play resulted in a goal for the Blackhawks.

Detroit doesn't have the skill right now. It is pretty much a bunch of role guys being plugged into scoring roles and it just doesn't work against the top tier lines that other teams have. With a 4 on 4 the Hawks had more space to make things happen, while for the Wings they had more ground to cover because they didn't have another guy. A four on four situation gives an advantage to the more skilled teams.

Your team came to play for the 1st period and certainly outplayed the Hawks through one intermission. However, it seemed like your team kind of let up as soon as Patrick Kane, or as you call him 20 cent, scored a goal. Right now, the Wings just don't have confidence that they can come back from a deficit even if it is a one to nothing hole.

Indeed. They were able to provide pressure without much to show for it (such as the same pressure a grind line would provide) and the Hawks just endured and waited for a good opportunity.

I believe the Wings are in 10th or 11th place. Hopefully, the Wings return most of their banged up stars (like Zetterberg, Franzen, and Kronwall) by mid-January or they could be out of the race if their stars stay out much longer.

Good Luck from here on out.

Right now Detroit needs to beat every single team they have a shot at beating, and at least try to play 500 hockey till they get back. Franzen probably won't be back until the playoffs so I expect Holland to try a deal at the trade deadline (assuming the Wings are in a playoff spot). Thanks for the input and glad to see a rival fan with an unbiased perspective.

[The Mule 0]

Hi, Blackhawks fan from the South Side of Chicago here. I read this entire thread and something that seems to mystify many Red Wing fans is that the Wings struggle 4 on 4 and even 5 on 4 but seem to do well 4 on 5. Why is this? I think it is the Red Wings' lack of speed that is killing them. No offense, but the difference between the Sharks and Wings is night and day. When Chicago went 4 on 4 last night, I knew it was a major advantage for the Blackhawks because the Wings just lack team speed right now. And sure enough, the 4 on 4 play resulted in a goal for the Blackhawks.

Your team came to play for the 1st period and certainly outplayed the Hawks through one intermission. However, it seemed like your team kind of let up as soon as Patrick Kane, or as you call him 20 cent, scored a goal. Right now, the Wings just don't have confidence that they can come back from a deficit even if it is a one to nothing hole.

I believe the Wings are in 10th or 11th place. Hopefully, the Wings return most of their banged up stars (like Zetterberg, Franzen, and Kronwall) by mid-January or they could be out of the race if their stars stay out much longer.

Good Luck from here on out.

Don't you think this all has just a little bit to do that almost half of our lineup, including a handful of top-flight players, weren't playing?

Just to make it clear, last night, we played without the following:

Henrik Zetterberg

Brian Rafalski

Johan Franzen

Niklas Kronwall

Danny Cleary

Jason Williams

Valtteri Filppula

Jonathan Ericsson

Andreas Lilja

To put that in perspective, let's make some parallel subtractions from the Hawk's roster:

Patrick Kane

Jonathan Toews

Brent Seabrook

Cam Barker

Dustin Byfuglien

John Madden

Kris Versteeg

Niklas Hjalmarsson

Jordan Henry

With all of those players missing, do you really think you'd have shut us out twice in a row?

That's what I thought. We'll see how you fare against an NHL-level Red Wings squad when the time is right, not the Grand Rapids Griffins.

[Hocketownwest 11]

Hi, Blackhawks fan from the South Side of Chicago here. I read this entire thread and something that seems to mystify many Red Wing fans is that the Wings struggle 4 on 4 and even 5 on 4 but seem to do well 4 on 5. Why is this? I think it is the Red Wings' lack of speed that is killing them. No offense, but the difference between the Sharks and Wings is night and day. When Chicago went 4 on 4 last night, I knew it was a major advantage for the Blackhawks because the Wings just lack team speed right now. And sure enough, the 4 on 4 play resulted in a goal for the Blackhawks.

Your team came to play for the 1st period and certainly outplayed the Hawks through one intermission. However, it seemed like your team kind of let up as soon as Patrick Kane, or as you call him 20 cent, scored a goal. Right now, the Wings just don't have confidence that they can come back from a deficit even if it is a one to nothing hole.

I believe the Wings are in 10th or 11th place. Hopefully, the Wings return most of their banged up stars (like Zetterberg, Franzen, and Kronwall) by mid-January or they could be out of the race if their stars stay out much longer.

Good Luck from here on out.

Like others have said, you beat the GR griffins, good job

You might want to spend your time analyzing why your team outshot the Sharks 3:1 and still lost, instead of faining constructive criticism to rub in a win.