1/26 GDT: Coyotes 5 at Red Wings 4 (OT)

[ben_usmc 253]

You could definitely tell on tv that the Joe emptied out quite a bit, but that's expected. I would be one of those staying behind for the final horn. I paid to see the whole game and I'm going to stay for the whole game.

Ericsson looked brutal on tv so I can't imagine him looking much worse. I'm starting to think that a short trip to the press box will do him some good. Did anyone mention Rafa? He wasn't on top of things tonight.

I'm a big Jimmy fan (SURPRISE ) but I agree. It's time for Ozzie and I see no excuse for not playing Ozzie tomorrow in Minny. It's time to introduce a more consistent goalie rotation.

agree with everything

[stuck in socal 56]

Dude, the guy was at the game, so he saw it better than you.

If he says Flip fell down a lot and looked bad, it must be right.

Were you at the game? No. Case closed.

Flip played an excellent game with Bert today. He may have tripped a few times but that does not make his game play bad.

[gcom007 1,465]

I actually thought Flip had a very inspired game today. Several times in third, specifically, he looked like Datsyuk out there putting moves on guys, getting into the offensive zone with speed, and making some plays. As is frequently the case with most Wings this season he didn't end up scoring, but what else is new.

He played much better in the 3rd for sure and had those two good rushes, but the thing is, he just doesn't know what to do with it to finish more often than not. I also noticed tonight that he cherry-picks a lot more than I've ever seen, likely due to camera's. It's amazing how much you don't see watching on TV. But especially through the first two periods, he fumbled so many plays. People were making great plays to him and he'd botch them up. And he seriously falls so damn much. But again, he really can be great in our end. I've said it before and I'm more convinced than ever, Flip needs to be in a role where he doesn't have to worry so much about offense. It's blatantly his weakness whereas defense is a major strength. It's not to anyone's benefit, his or the teams, using him so much up front.

It's comical watching this game after the thread saying he should get Datsyuk's minutes because literally, Datsyuk never fails to do something great when he's on the ice. Half the time I think you miss it on TV, but the guy is just unreal every shift in little ways. He creates plays out of no where, steals pucks out of nowhere, gets open out of nowhere and the guy reads the play like Gretzky. He's just sick to watch.

Contrasting that with Flip, who again was really great in our end, is just ridiculous. Like I said, he had some good rushes in the 3rd, but he botches things up just as much by either choking up the puck or simply falling.

Oh, and the idea that he works as hard as Eaves, Draper or Helm is hogwash, though it's not really a knock on Flip. That line outworked every Wing and most of the Coyotes. They hustle like there's no tomorrow and never give up. I'm not saying Flip's a slacker, but he is not the hardest working guy on the team so long as those three guys are around. Their energy level and intensity is unmatched.

Though Datsyuk, gotta say, when he looks like he's coasting, he's just six steps ahead of everyone else as he always winds up with the puck out of nowhere and makes a play. It's unreal. I know he's amazing, but every game I go to it feels like the first time I've ever seen the guy as he is just so mind-blowingly good. He may not look as intense physically as the Eaves/Draper/Helm line, but I'm sure that intensity is boiling in his head. His hockey sense is unparalleled...

[talex 1]

1st I would hang a big sign above the entrance to the rink.

RedWings, the most successful franchise in sports for the past 18 years.

Are you the team that ends it?

Second, Sit Ericsson especially in the last 5 minutes of the game or put him on the 4th line forward and tell him to learn to hit. I think he should be punished a game or 2 and forced to sit, he has been as bad as Leino.

3rd Definately give Howard a break, if I was that kid waiting all these years to get a shot on "The Mighty Wings", get my chance... playing my ass off and had this team in front of me, it would not take long to lose heart, we have NO-ONE willing to clear out the front of our net and that is the problem, Homer takes more s*** in 1 minute of a game then we dish out in an entire game, it is pathetic.

4th Stop putting Dats and Z together for CRYING OUT LOUD! Sure you can do it when you can roll a good 2nd line so the opposition has more than 1 line to contend with, but for the life of me I cannot figure out why babs keeps doing this, Dats and Bert have something good going, so keep those to together, Z and Cleary play well together, there's you base for the top 2, add homer to dats line and pick any of Eaves, Miller, Williams, Player X until Franzen comes back, then move that player down a line, I cannot believe babs has not done this consistently yet.

5th If you have the lead in the last 5 minutes, call a friggin timeout for no reason and tell these guys that there are still 5 minutes left, pull the frikin Goalie with the lead and tell them to tuff it out with 6 men, make them play hard for a few minutes just to wake their asses up... don't just sit there and wait for the net to crashed and the tying goals to drop... do something.

and finally, what a s***ty last couple games this has been, since NY anyways, very dis-heartining.

[stuck in socal 56]

Just think if we hadn't f***ed up these last two games, we'd be 4 points up on Calgary.

Don't be a such a point *****. The Wings have 30 games left in the season to satisfy your playoff desires.

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

Don't be a such a point *****. The Wings have 30 games left in the season to satisfy your playoff desires.

Point *****?

Those are points we had in the bag. Don't forget, we're only a few points away from 13th in the West. Calgary isn't the only team to worry about, and now we've given the teams above us some distance in the standings.

These last two games could have given us more breathing room.

Edited January 27, 2010 by GMRwings1983

[stuck in socal 56]

Point *****?

Those are points we had in the bag. Don't forget, we're only a few points away from 13th in the West.

Yeah, you keep on number crunching. The Wings screwed up tonight and there is no one to blame but themselves. End of story. Hopefully they can get 2 points for you tomorrow.

[stuck in socal 56]

There are still 3 games left in this week. If the Wings can somehow win all 3 in regulation I think everyone here will forgive them.

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

Yeah, you keep on number crunching. The Wings screwed up tonight and there is no one to blame but themselves. End of story. Hopefully they can get 2 points for you tomorrow.

If not, I'm going to complain some more.

I'm warning you already.

[bdavis 28]

Quite a few people mentioned that on here. Wouldn't surprise me if they were offside. That game was officiated horrendously down the stretch.

Great description of Datsyuk. Those are the reasons why he is my favorite player and why I spent $300 on his jersey.

I noticed that non-call on the offside play too... The puck was out of the zone (clearly), with Coyote players over the blue line... It was carried in, and what do ya know, NO WHISTLE. I yelled that was offside as soon as I saw the play! s***, I wasn't even at the game, nor on the ice, and could see it. Did anyone else notice the ref telling one of the PHX players that "There's 1:10 left to play."? When points are hard to come by, refs need to make these calls.

[Vladifan 680]

On the bright side, we made a comeback in this game to earn a point.

Remember, we were down a goal at one point.

More perspective on this thread. And some more humor too.

[stuck in socal 56]

If not, I'm going to complain some more.

I'm warning you already.

I'm fine with it. Most of the time, you make great posts and I understand your frustration right now.

[gcom007 1,465]

UGH I'm sorry I just can't help it. I won't go on and on but you are the ONLY one who would say anything bad about Filppula tonight. It's just painfully obvious you have something against him. I remember him falling once (though I wasn't able to watch the entire game) but the one time I saw him fall he got the puck back and that play actually ended up being a relatively good scoring chance. A lot of what you say about Datsyuk can be said (though obviously to a lesser degree) about Filppula. You have such a keen eye whenever he doesn't something slightly bad but when he looks great you completely ignore it.

Comparing him to Datsyuk (who I practically blew my load over) in our end is real negative and ignoring when he does something great? Really?

I think the guy is a weak-ass scoring threat, absolutely. The guy has got s*** for hands 90% of the time. He can pull a great play out of his ass every once in awhile, sure, but so can McCarty. The majority of the time on offense, he's not a threat.

But I am more impressed than I was yesterday at his defensive play and I've always been impressed with his defensive play. I think he really excels almost to the level of excellence (as in, Datsyuk level, as in motherf***ing Selke level) in our end.

If I just hated the guy, why would I bother even saying that?

I'm objective. I'm not emotionally attached enough to any player to not just call it how I see it.

[stuck in socal 56]

The schedule does not get any easier for the Wings either. This week and next are huge.

[Jaymz99 2]

Turnovers....................................are a *****.

[skyphoenix 153]

Well, it should have been 2 points but at least we got 1 point. Hopefully our defense decides to show up tomorrow.

[Vladifan 680]

The part of all this that's really getting scary now is that it could be or become a psychological thing with the Wings. It's happened enough now that at any time during the third period, they start thinking, "Uh oh...can't lose this game", they tense up and lose focus. You can see it happening out there.

Even if there's only a possibility that it's happening, Leadership has to come forward now. If Babcock has them start playing some idiot-type prevent defense because he's subconsciously thinking "uh oh" too; or if his thinking shows in his behavior or on his face, then he has to get the hell out of that mode and come up with something really dramatic to break that self-destructive hex. On himself and the team. Maybe all it would take is some silliness and humor, who the hell knows? As in lighten up, ahready! And I agree with those of you who've said somebody who's really respected in the locker room has to maybe not yell, but show some NO MORE OF THIS s*** attitude.

Edited January 27, 2010 by Vladifan

[Miss Wing Queen 154]

This season has had a horrible cyclical pattern to it. We kept going through droughts and then heavier scoring games, then playing 60 mins to blowing leads. The feeling right now is similar to that period of games when Draper went and ripped the team a new one. I think he (or someone else) really needs to do that again to light the fire again under this team.

I think the reason so many get so upset after losses like tonight's is that games like this reflect the whole theme of this season so far. At the beginning of the season with our offensive scoring taking such a hit in the off season, the expectation was that the team would struggle and just not live up to previous years. And with each consecutive injury, the hole we were in kept getting deeper and deeper. But the part that makes this so hard to watch is the fact that the team didn't follow expectations. Certain guys have stepped up, wins have been scraped out, and somehow this team has made it to the edge of the playoffs. But what is frustrating as hell is that, just like the finals last year, they get to a certain point and the thrusters are shut off (similar to being within a game of taking the series against the Pens and then blowing the lead we had).

It would be so much easier if the team just outright sucked, but instead they giving us a reason to believe they can do this, and it's disappointing that they can only give 80% most of the time when we know they are so much better than this. Is it just that they are so tired from being in the playoffs the last 18 years (and when you add it up, have played enough hockey to equal 3 extra seasons) that they just can't push themselves anymore? Is that really a good enough excuse? Yes and no.

And I don't know about anyone else, but I was hoping Phoenix would score first because I thought I heard our record was better when the other team got the first goal. Sad, I know.

[Phazon 24]

how did kronwall look?

Atleast Nashville lost.

[Guest ToMaToToWnWinGsFaN_24]

well

i called it before the game...yotes were gonna win

i was hesitant about the wings winning tonight...i felt they needed to prove to me that they can defend a lead and play well as a team...now look at the end result..now im more hesitant then before. if the wings win tomorrow their will be some light at the end of the tunnel...but if they lose..i just dont know anymore..

maybe the olympic break is what the team needs...maybe go over drills and stuff..maybe have dats, zetterberg, lidstrom, and raffy on via skype and they could all just ..vent over how terrible the first part of the seasons gone and what they need to improve to win games, defend leads to result in victories...

when the olmpics are all over and done with..maybe..just maybe they can refocus and start playing well AS A TEAM! and the injured players who will be coming back can benefit from that..

so..im not totally out of the woods with the wings..but by no means if things dont look up and things continue to fail come the olympic break...then..i think im gonna start focusing on the tigers off season...

wow..i havent vented like that in a long ass time!

and electrophile you rock!

Edited January 27, 2010 by ToMaToToWnWinGsFaN_24

[Datsyuk2Zetterberg 1]

how did kronwall look?

Atleast Nashville lost.

I was wondering the same thing, from the responses he was ok.

I wonder if this will get 50 pages lol, about 25 is complains on the blown win

[Drake_Marcus 890]

I can't help but laugh that people are throwing this steaming pile of s*** on Ericsson's lap.

Ericsson: -1, 1 turnover

Stuart: -3, 3 turnovers

Kronwall: -1, 1 turnover (gets a pass because, unlike Ericsson and Stewie, he wasn't bad tonight)

Rafalski: +3, 3 turnovers (the three turnovers are inexcusable from a 1st pairing d-man)

Team: 19 turnovers, 6 minus players

Did Ericsson make stupid plays tonight? Absolutely! Was Stuart worse? Absolutely.

On a team that made 19 turnovers I hardly think Ericsson's 1 turnover warrants his trip to the gallows on here.

Stuart was on the ice for every single goal against tonight.

But Ericsson is the goat? lol

[Drake_Marcus 890]

The part of all this that's really getting scary now is that it could be or become a psychological thing with the Wings. It's happened enough now that at any time during the third period, they start thinking, "Uh oh...can't lose this game", they tense up and lose focus. You can see it happening out there.

Even if there's only a possibility that it's happening, Leadership has to come forward now. If Babcock has them start playing some idiot-type prevent defense because he's subconsciously thinking "uh oh" too; or if his thinking shows in his behavior or on his face, then he has to get the hell out of that mode and come up with something really dramatic to break that self-destructive hex. On himself and the team. Maybe all it would take is some silliness and humor, who the hell knows? As in lighten up, ahready! And I agree with those of you who've said somebody who's really respected in the locker room has to maybe not yell, but show some NO MORE OF THIS s*** attitude.

Agreed 100%. These blown leads, inability to stop turning over the puck and bad penalties have to stop. This is where a veteran team is supposed to be able to pick themselves up out of the muck and start turning things around. Right now they're playing like a bunch of rookies out there.

[gowings00 545]

Bandwagon or not...WE HAVE to play better....We need wins. We need playoff effort out there every night. This game was so frustrating. Every time they show a game on AFN (Armed Forces Network) we lose. I would advise not airing future games but then I wouldn't get to watch any.

[gcom007 1,465]

I can't help but laugh that people are throwing this steaming pile of s*** on Ericsson's lap.

Ericsson: -1, 1 turnover

Stuart: -3, 3 turnovers

Kronwall: -1, 1 turnover (gets a pass because, unlike Ericsson and Stewie, he wasn't bad tonight)

Rafalski: +3, 3 turnovers (the three turnovers are inexcusable from a 1st pairing d-man)

Team: 19 turnovers, 6 minus players

Did Ericsson make stupid plays tonight? Absolutely! Was Stuart worse? Absolutely.

On a team that made 19 turnovers I hardly think Ericsson's 1 turnover warrants his trip to the gallows on here.

Stuart was on the ice for every single goal against tonight.

But Ericsson is the goat? lol

I've never been one to rag on Ericsson too much, but I was there, and he was awful. I'm not blaming the loss on him entirely at all, but he was really, really bad. He just looked lost out there so often. It's not even turnovers in my mind. He just seems to have no hockey sense lately. He makes many stupid passes, misses coverage, floats around, doesn't skate hard. Stuart didn't have a good night by any means, but looking at the whole of the game, from where I was seated, Ericsson looked awful. He made Lebda look like a steady, solid defenseman...