1/5 GDT: Red Wings 1 at Ducks 4

[edicius 3,269]

And, goooooooooooodnight. This team is an embarrassment. It's like losing to the Islanders, Lightning, Panthers, Leafs...oh wait.

[VanDer 58]

wata piss poor showing from the red wings

[Yak19 303]

noobed

fail

drop in standings

Beleskey 1st goal eva lol

Need Z and Kronner back at least not watching this joke squad until then

[gcom007 1,465]

Everyone knows Flip is not a scorer, but a better play-maker. Look at the 13 million on D that is not performing.

Last time I checked our defense is 8th in the league. What's our team GAA? Rafalski also saved Lidstrom and Howard's ass after Lids gave it up in the first on that breakaway by getting back and stifling Koivu. Raf's never been a defensive wonder, but he's not near the liability some make him out to be and he'll keep helping our offense down the stretch. Both he and Lids still contribute offensively. Lidstrom's also 5th on our team in scoring and Rafalski's 6th. Maybe you'd like to see more scoring of goals from them, but they're certainly as involved as anyone at producing goals.

But hey, keep cherry-picking your facts and make your little perfect truth pie and be happy, though ultimately wrong.

[Datsyuk2Zetterberg 1]

panthers are a good team, with a bad ass goaltender.

the next winning streak for detroit starts thursday.

[GMRwings1983 8,803]

I think this Wings team is content with using injuries as an excuse.

The star players are very inconsistent. Datsyuk was invisible tonight. Homer didn't do much either. Rafalski sucks balls.

It's like they're waiting to be bailed out by injured players returning, rather than stepping up themselves. This was just a s*** effort by everyone.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

And the Wings continue to pad goalie's stats around the NHL.

39 shots and maybe 3 quality scoring chances, including the goal.

[clutchngrab 12]

It's really a shame that Rafalski makes 6 mil a year, a real shame.

With a no trade too. Holland the genius.... This will continue to happen with all the long-terms Holland negotiated as these players age. Maybe buyouts are a legit strategy for the pizza king, but we will see. Everything he did was negotiated for the near term with the assumption that Lids and Raflaski had a couple good years left. Thank god lids 7.4 is up. One more year of Rafi's 6 mil, though.

[Aussie_Wing 354]

I absolutely HATE pulling the goalie. If a team can't score, one more player won't help.

Flip loses his + rating, Eaves falls to -3.

HATE it.

[AtomicPunk 296]

Ugh! Lost sleep for THAT?

Hope to see a much more spirited effort against a Kings team that just laid the wood to San Jose Monday night 6-2. Better bring it, boys!

[GMRwings1983 8,803]

So wait, how many fights did we have in this game total?

I know there was one sure fight, but the other three looked like *** wrestling matches.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

I think this Wings team is content with using injuries as an excuse.

The star players are very inconsistent. Datsyuk was invisible tonight. Homer didn't do much either. Rafalski sucks balls.

It's like they're waiting to be bailed out by injured players returning, rather than stepping up themselves. This was just a s*** effort by everyone.

No kidding. datsyuk was invisible except for the one shift that led to the goal.

He was our MVP last regular season, and this team needs him badly.

You're right that I didn't notice Homer either, but for him to do his job, someone needs to get a decent shot on net.

[Third Man In 2,091]

I am by no means a Lebda fan, but considering he's not a fighter, I don't blame him for not dropping the gloves with someone who is 4 inches and at least 25 lbs heavier than him. Lebda getting his ass kicked in that situation helps the team very little.

I dunno. I'm of the school that if one of the other team's star players offers you a fight and you're a role player, you take them up on it. Lebda doesn't have to get in over his head going blow for blow with Ryan, but he can muck it up enough take the guy off the ice for 5 min. That can help the team.

I'm also of the school that anytime Lebda's off the ice it helps the team.

[gcom007 1,465]

Yet Lebda doesn't take him up on the offer..

Possible. Not probable.

While some, if not all of us (ha...) might not mind if Lebda were to go on LTIR, it was probably a good call to not fight. I'm not an anti-fight guy, but we've just had too many injuries due to guys fighting that shouldn't be fighting in the last few years. In games like this where we're getting whipped a bit is when you see it so I just don't like seeing an excess of fights especially when it's guys that shouldn't be fighting.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

I dunno. I'm of the school that if one of the other team's star players offers you a fight and you're a role player, you take them up on it. Lebda doesn't have to get in over his head going blow for blow with Ryan, but he can muck it up enough take the guy off the ice for 5 min. That can help the team.

I'm also of the school that anytime Lebda's off the ice it helps the team.

I hadn't considered that angle.

Lebda going off the ice for 5 minutes and taking Ryan with him definitely helps the team. I guess I just have extremely low expectations for Lebda, and fights in general for this team.

Edited January 6, 2010 by haroldsnepsts

[gcom007 1,465]

Is it possible that we've just witnessed Bertuzzi finally getting over that mental block that limited his physical play post-Moore incident?

I thought that a bit...I don't think that would've happened a month ago. Like I've been saying, redemptions sweet, and it heals. Bert's on his way...

He looked pretty good tonight too at times. The play in the 3rd when he's down and still controlling the puck and setting up the shot shows how strong and hungry he is. I do think he'll continue to improve as well.

[Heroes of Hockeytown 694]

All of the teams that were at 51 points have predictably won today or yesterday. The Wings are losing ground.

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

So wait, how many fights did we have in this game total?

I know there was one sure fight, but the other three looked like *** wrestling matches.

I think Janiks counted. Too bad May and Bertuzzi didnt get a chance to reanact Van/Col 04 tonight, we know what there capable of.

[Heroes of Hockeytown 694]

Lebda going off the ice for 5 minutes and taking Ryan with him definitely helps the team. I guess I just have extremely low expectations for Lebda, and fights in general for this team.

Game was over anyways. I think we can forgive Lebda if he doesn't agree with most of LGW that he'd contribute more if he were on IR with a broken face.

[ShanahanMan 473]

I think this Wings team is content with using injuries as an excuse.

The star players are very inconsistent. Datsyuk was invisible tonight. Homer didn't do much either. Rafalski sucks balls.

It's like they're waiting to be bailed out by injured players returning, rather than stepping up themselves. This was just a s*** effort by everyone.

Man, you keep being able to take the words right of my mouth. Spot on. Many people seem to forget that even when we HAD our full team without injuries, we still got absolutely destroyed by the Blues and won a game we didn't deserve to against the Hawks. Plus, top players are simply not playing like it. Lids was a freakin -3 this game and Dats was no where to be seen.

I have to say that people are in for a rude awakening when the team is back to being full and scratch their heads when we still lose games. The players on the ice NOW, need to step up NOW.

Edited January 6, 2010 by ShanahanMan

[Third Man In 2,091]

I hadn't considered that angle.

Lebda going off the ice for 5 minutes and taking Ryan with him definitely helps the team. I guess I just have extremely low expectations for Lebda, and fights in general for this team.

And to be fair, it would have made a lot more of a difference if the Wings weren't already losing by 2 with a few minutes to play.

[clutchngrab 12]

Last time I checked our defense is 8th in the league. What's our team GAA? Rafalski also saved Lidstrom and Howard's ass after Lids gave it up in the first on that breakaway by getting back and stifling Koivu. Raf's never been a defensive wonder, but he's not near the liability some make him out to be and he'll keep helping our offense down the stretch. Both he and Lids still contribute offensively. Lidstrom's also 5th on our team in scoring and Rafalski's 6th. Maybe you'd like to see more scoring of goals from them, but they're certainly as involved as anyone at producing goals.

But hey, keep cherry-picking your facts and make your little perfect truth pie and be happy, though ultimately wrong.

So you are telling me you are completely happy with the bang for the 13 mil? That's a lot of coin for not a lot of offensive production. In Lids case I give him 4 mil slack for his defensive prowess (except for tonight), though with Rafi, one must question his value if he doesn't bring the offense. C'mon, the reason these guys are paid more than Brad Stuart is because they have a 2 - 4 M offensive upside. Maybe that's the real problem - paying any defenseman more than 5 mil is a joke.

[gcom007 1,465]

All of the teams that were at 51 points have predictably won today or yesterday. The Wings are losing ground.

Umm, I'm pretty damn excited and confident about where we're at considering we don't have Franzen, Cleary, Z, Kronwall, etc...I mean, seriously, we're right there in the hunt. That's right where we need to be. When this team gets guys like Franzen, Kronwall and Z back, our offense will be helped dramatically. Those three guys are rather major offensive losses for us, and we're still right there in the hunt.

And what's cool is, we still have half a season to play...

I'm not worried. I love that the regular season actually matters for once, but I'm still not even slightly worried about whether or not we'll make the playoffs. If we were doing worse, I wouldn't be worried. I'm honestly thrilled that we have the record we do. Our only issue this season is SCORING!!! And that's rooted largely in injury issues. Our defense has gotten their s*** straight and our goaltending is solid. Our kids are growing up well and guys like Eaves are finding roles. Bert's back to being Big Bert and scoring.

There's a lot to be excited about with this team. So long as the goaltending gets balanced out and solid down the stretch and we get guys back and stay reasonably healthy, we've got as good of a chance as anybody to make a run for the Cup.

[ShanahanMan 473]

Oh, and not signing Afinogenov is starting to look like a pretty wasted opportunity for a team struggling to score. The guy has 19 points and whats his salary? 800,000.

Giving up Quincey, signing Ralfalski for an astronomical long term deal, signing Draper to a long term deal, resigning Williams.....

Some of his decisions have been.......questionable.

[Heroes of Hockeytown 694]

Oh, and not signing Afinogenov is starting to look like a pretty wasted opportunity for a team struggling to score. The guy has 19 points and whats his salary? 800,000.

If the Wings had anyone playing at Kovalchuk's level (paging Mr. Datsyuk) they'd be doing great with whoever was on his line too.