1/23 GDT: Kings 3 at Red Wings 2

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

The Wings deserve to make the playoffs like I deserve to have a threesome with Jessica Alba and Jessica Biel.

Let's face it, if we make the playoffs, we aren't going very far. Who wants to see a series full of blown 2 goal leads and bad third periods by this team?

[Z and D for the C 712]

Wow, I think your obsession just surpassed some of the hardcore Osgood Slappy's of the last few years. I hope you're just trying to get a rise out of people.

No one has worked harder while looking better and performing better. Helm is close and has definitely been one of our best forwards but not as good as Flip.

Maybe I am over-rating his play lately but it's not like I'm completely off the reservation. Flip has been one of our hardest workers and if you don't admit that then you've just surpassed some of the Hasek haters from a couple years ago.

Edited January 24, 2010 by Z and D for the C

[Guest Howard He Do It?!]

He started off the year okay, but he's been just plain ordinary since he came back from the shoulder problem. I don't know if they rushed him back from that, but he has looked indistinguishable from, say, Dan Cleary since then, and that's not a compliment to someone of his caliber.

He's playing like a 4th line winger who is out there just to get ice time. It won't matter when Franzen comes back, if Z and D don't score then this team doesn't do well in the standings.

[commadore183 103]

Would it be too much for Babcock to put Zetterberg on the 4th line with Leino?

That might send him a message.

Now, I'm all for sending a message to the team, but that's just too cruel, man .

But something needs to be done to spur our "star" players. Line demotion, benching, whatever, just do something to light a fire under their asses. Right now, Flip looks like a superstar player compared to what Zetterberg and Datsyuk are putting out.

[Guest Howard He Do It?!]

The Wings deserve to make the playoffs like I deserve to have a threesome with Jessica Alba and Jessica Biel.

Let's face it, if we make the playoffs, we aren't going very far. Who wants to see a series full of blown 2 goal leads and bad third periods by this team?

The opposing team.

[beepbeep 3]

Everyone mentions Datsyuk a lot, but where has Zetterberg gone? Looks like he got too comfortable with that big contract.

Well between the cushy contract and livein ***** I guess he feels pretty comfortable, no need to impress anymore.

[gcom007 1,465]

Have you noticed that all those teams are better than us and play a lot harder?

That's all that counts. This team isn't headed in the right direction. They're too lazy and probably don't belong in the playoffs.

I think there are teams playing harder than us, but I absolutely do not think they are better than us for a second. I think some things need to be addressed, don't get me wrong. But we're in the hunt, we've got important guys coming back and we still have around 30 games left. I've got a sneaking suspicion they'll find a way to work it out.

Remember February last year? Remember how awful they looked and what their record was? They worked that out, didn't they?

Franzen, Holmstrom and Kronwall are absolutely bound to help us score goals far more easily. Kronwall and Lilja returning will help us prevent more goals. That's going to be a good thing for team morale. Getting past the Olympics as a healthy squad headed towards the playoffs will be a real good thing for this team.

There's been a lot of bright spots in this period as well, don't forget. Not many people thought Bertuzzi would get going and he's looking like a guy who will be a big help down the stretch. Eaves has come in out of nowhere and earned himself a spot and filled a role quite nicely. Howard's been great for us for awhile now. Helm's continued to improve and impress.

These are good things.

Lids and Rafs are also starting to look better and produce more, which isn't entirely surprising as Lidstrom's been a second-half player for awhile now.

The biggest hurdle of our guys lately has been stupid mistakes in our end and the lack of scoring. A lot of that does go back to Dats and Z, and I'm not sure what to say about that. Maybe both aren't as healthy as they'd like to be. Maybe Z is still finding his stride and it's going slower due to coming back too quick or not being 100%.

I think Dats has been far better than many are giving him credit for. He's made a lot of great plays that just haven't lead to goals. They will again more frequently soon enough, I have little doubt. He's still doing a lot of things right, and if you keep doing that, things work out. That's not "blind hope," that's just how life and hockey works.

Again, I don't like everything I've seen and my assessment of this game was "this is pathetic." But there's too many things that point towards success down the stretch in my mind for me to be too negative. We'll be fine when it matters.

[redwashington2000 42]

What a team efort way to go wings, Babs need to quit if he is not fixing the team or GM needs to trade some big names on the wings to send a ******* clear

message.

[beepbeep 3]

The opposing team.

The pain wouldn't last long, just 4 games

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

I think there are teams playing harder than us, but I absolutely do not think they are better than us for a second. I think some things need to be addressed, don't get me wrong. But we're in the hunt, we've got important guys coming back and we still have around 30 games left. I've got a sneaking suspicion they'll find a way to work it out.

Remember February last year? Remember how awful they looked and what their record was? They worked that out, didn't they?

Franzen, Holmstrom and Kronwall are absolutely bound to help us score goals far more easily. Kronwall and Lilja returning will help us prevent more goals. That's going to be a good thing for team morale. Getting past the Olympics as a healthy squad headed towards the playoffs will be a real good thing for this team.

There's been a lot of bright spots in this period as well, don't forget. Not many people thought Bertuzzi would get going and he's looking like a guy who will be a big help down the stretch. Eaves has come in out of nowhere and earned himself a spot and filled a role quite nicely. Howard's been great for us for awhile now. Helm's continued to improve and impress.

These are good things.

Lids and Rafs are also starting to look better and produce more, which isn't entirely surprising as Lidstrom's been a second-half player for awhile now.

The biggest hurdle of our guys lately has been stupid mistakes in our end and the lack of scoring. A lot of that does go back to Dats and Z, and I'm not sure what to say about that. Maybe both aren't as healthy as they'd like to be. Maybe Z is still finding his stride and it's going slower due to coming back too quick or not being 100%.

I think Dats has been far better than many are giving him credit for. He's made a lot of great plays that just haven't lead to goals. They will again more frequently soon enough, I have little doubt. He's still doing a lot of things right, and if you keep doing that, things work out. That's not "blind hope," that's just how life and hockey works.

Again, I don't like everything I've seen and my assessment of this game was "this is pathetic." But there's too many things that point towards success down the stretch in my mind for me to be too negative. We'll be fine when it matters.

I dont' think this team looks that much better than what they did in December, when a lot more players were injured.

I'm just not seeing any improvement. Kronwall and Homer will likely help, but who are they going to replace in the lineup? Our role players are playing better than the stars right now.

[Guest Howard He Do It?!]

I think there are teams playing harder than us, but I absolutely do not think they are better than us for a second. I think some things need to be addressed, don't get me wrong. But we're in the hunt, we've got important guys coming back and we still have around 30 games left. I've got a sneaking suspicion they'll find a way to work it out.

Remember February last year? Remember how awful they looked and what their record was? They worked that out, didn't they?

Franzen, Holmstrom and Kronwall are absolutely bound to help us score goals far more easily. Kronwall and Lilja returning will help us prevent more goals. That's going to be a good thing for team morale. Getting past the Olympics as a healthy squad headed towards the playoffs will be a real good thing for this team.

There's been a lot of bright spots in this period as well, don't forget. Not many people thought Bertuzzi would get going and he's looking like a guy who will be a big help down the stretch. Eaves has come in out of nowhere and earned himself a spot and filled a role quite nicely. Howard's been great for us for awhile now. Helm's continued to improve and impress.

These are good things.

Lids and Rafs are also starting to look better and produce more, which isn't entirely surprising as Lidstrom's been a second-half player for awhile now.

The biggest hurdle of our guys lately has been stupid mistakes in our end and the lack of scoring. A lot of that does go back to Dats and Z, and I'm not sure what to say about that. Maybe both aren't as healthy as they'd like to be. Maybe Z is still finding his stride and it's going slower due to coming back too quick or not being 100%.

I think Dats has been far better than many are giving him credit for. He's made a lot of great plays that just haven't lead to goals. They will again more frequently soon enough, I have little doubt. He's still doing a lot of things right, and if you keep doing that, things work out. That's not "blind hope," that's just how life and hockey works.

Again, I don't like everything I've seen and my assessment of this game was "this is pathetic." But there's too many things that point towards success down the stretch in my mind for me to be too negative. We'll be fine when it matters.

Could you imagine this team going through their annual February slump?

I agree with a lot of what you say, but I am worried that "in the hunt" will turn into 8 am tee time.

[Guest Howard He Do It?!]

3rd time in 4 games that the Wings blew a 2 goal lead.

[MTU_Huskies963 398]

This is really sad I called it in my head I knew that 2 goal lead was too good to be true.

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

3rd time in 4 games that the Wings blew a 2 goal lead.

Today's was the worst.

It looked like they stopped playing altogether after that Rafalski goal.

That last shift of the first period set up the rest of the game for LA.

[Datsyerberger 279]

It's obvious who our hardest working player has been. His name starts with an F.

You mean that guy whose name I yell every couple minutes while watching the Wings? What's his name again?

Oh right, "f***".

[Guest Howard He Do It?!]

Today's was the worst.

It looked like they stopped playing altogether after that Rafalski goal.

That last shift of the first period set up the rest of the game for LA.

Yep. the Wings of the first period packed it up and said this game is over. The rest is history.

[Guest malelion55]

What's going on???

Red Wings win or lose???

What was the score???

[Z and D for the C 712]

You mean that guy whose name I yell every couple minutes while watching the Wings? What's his name again?

Oh right, "f***".

Lebda?

[Guest Howard He Do It?!]

The Ducks just tied it up against the Blues to force OT.

[Z and D for the C 712]

Interesting quote.

I'll say this: I think Leino's going to be a great player but I'm not near as expectant as some are for him to have a big first year. I think he'll have a typical rookie campaign and I'll be THRILLED if he nets 12-15 goals and hits 30 points. I'll be exuberantly happy.

That said, I also think he's more likely to hit 50 points this year than Flip.

Connect the dots.

[gcom007 1,465]

No one has worked harder while looking better and performing better. Helm is close and has definitely been one of our best forwards but not as good as Flip.

Maybe I am over-rating his play lately but it's not like I'm completely off the reservation. Flip has been one of our hardest workers and if you don't admit that then you've just surpassed some of the Hasek haters from a couple years ago.

I've never said he doesn't work hard, but that doesn't make his work consequential to this team. Draper outworked Flip and then some every night in his day. Everyone used to say, man, if that guy just had some hands he'd be amazing as he's got all the work-ethic in the world. Draper's a great guy, but he doesn't put up a lot of points, and thus he's been paid (though he's quite overpaid lately too if you ask me) accordingly. He's also given minutes accordingly. Flip's supposed to be a scoring line center, with 2nd line potential according to some at that. His numbers don't line up with that.

You have the audacity to come in here and say that Dats should be benched and his minutes given to Flip. You then say Flip's got as many points as him since he's returned. I'd bet a fine amount of money on nearly every single one of Datsyuk's points being far prettier and far more "playmaker" oriented than Flips, and I think you could then trace gametape and find at least 3-4 great scoring opportunities that Dats has created out of nowhere for every point he's gotten recently. No one gets them all, but Dats has been unlucky lately. He'll come around if he keeps working hard.

There's another couple things I almost want to count and keep track of through a GDT just for you. I'd love to count how many times Flip chokes up the puck in the offensive zone trying to make a play that is beyond his skill set and how many times he simply falls and chokes up the puck. Oh, and how about how many passes does he make that completely miss the target in the offensive zone, especially on the power play? I think you would really enjoy that.

Hey, I don't bust Draper's ass too hard because he's generally been paid accordingly to his role (though he's overpaid too). I would be fine with Flip's lack of offensive prowess if we struggled more defensively, if he was signed for around $2 million and if people like you didn't hype him to the heavens. I've never once said he was a bad player or a player that I didn't like on some level.

He's just too overpaid to be so inconsequential to the Red Wings success. We'd be better off trading him in an effort to land a scorer. That's what we really need.

And please, have the sense to not reply with, "Flip scored a goal tonight!" Yay! 4 now this season..........

[Heroes of Hockeytown 694]

Move over Detroit vs Colorado, Z&D vs gcom wants to be the big rivalry on campus.

[commadore183 103]

This is really sad I called it in my head I knew that 2 goal lead was too good to be true.

I can actually see the Wings give up a 5 goal lead with 1 second left This team seems to find ways of making it hard for them to win games and get valuable points.

[beepbeep 3]

He started off the year okay, but he's been just plain ordinary since he came back from the shoulder problem. I don't know if they rushed him back from that, but he has looked indistinguishable from, say, Dan Cleary since then, and that's not a compliment to someone of his caliber.

Seems like I remember him missing most of training camp because of a groin pull and stunk like s*** when he started the year.....

[Heroes of Hockeytown 694]

Seems like I remember him missing most of training camp because of a groin pull and stunk like s*** when he started the year.....

Early on he had trouble getting his legs going but his hands still seemed to be working, now none of his body parts are doing their job.