IF the Wings DON'T Make the Playoffs

[ch777 0]

There is still lots of games left for Detroit to sort it out. Detroit missing the playoffs should only be discussed if it happens. If Detroit can get things going then we can still be a legitimate Stanley Cup threat this year. They just need to get hot, and we have to support our team all the way to the finish.

[Broken 16 381]

Even if we do make it, the same troop of people will start the "We barely made it, therefore, we will not make it past the first round"

Followed by:

"We got lucky in the first round, we won't make it past the second round."

Rinse and repeat until Lidstrom lifts the Cup... then those same people will be hanging off his bean bag.

[GoWings1905 2,694]

These threads after every loss just prove that this is a truly spoiled fanbase.

Look, I want the Red Wings to make the playoffs. I'm as frustrated as anyone with these tough losses. It appears more every week that this isn't the Red Wings year and time running is out. Free agency, a ton of injuries, fatigue, the list of tough circumstances the team has faced would be an uphill battle for any organization -- including one as exceptional as the Red Wings.

I want them to succeed. We all do in part because we know no other way. If they don't make the playoffs, it's not the end of the world. If they make it and lose in the first round, then so be it. They have given us more to be thankful for than some fans get in a lifetime from their hockey team.

If nothing else, don't count the Red Wings out. There is plenty of hockey left to be played.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

What do you think will happen? Will Babcock be replaced? I mean, 19 years of making the post season and with the same core team that made the SCF two years in a row and then you don't make the playoffs? There are a few coaching "decisions" I have seen that I do not agree with, one of them being Lebda playing games. But I don't think that will ever happen with this organization as long as the Wings are winning... oh, wait...

Or could not making the playoffs finally mean a REAL rebuilding year? Dropping some big contracts and focusing on developing our potential stars in GR. Tatar, Kindl, etc. They need to be in the NHL sometime and a failure of a season gives a great excuse to go a different direction. Some players that may be left on the side of the road are the UFAs this summer and the players that have passed their prime (Draper, Maltby, Rafalski, Lidstrom, Holmstrom).

After seeing the game tonight, I see that we do not have a goalie tandem that will bring us a Cup. Osgood has been reliable in the post season but shaky during the regular season, and the showing by Howard tonight shows that he isn't 100% ready to be a starter. Too many bad decisions, rough puck handling, and TOO MANY REBOUNDS! Are his pads too new? Is that why the puck seems to bounce out of his reash EVERY time it hits him?

Anyway, most likely thing to happen if the Wings don't make the playoffs is what usually happens after an early exit. The status quo. Try to keep as many players as possible and attempt to fill the gaps of the players who leave. No huge signings, no big trades. I don't think that a Hossa-like signing is in this team's future as long as this team has Datsyuk, Zetterberg,, Franzen, and Kronwall on the team.

Babcock won't get fired.

[Kwame_Kilpatrick 0]

we are still a cup contender dont worry we will survive

[hokeychik22 17]

few weeks ago i've decided that if wings dont make it i'll be fine, it will be painful/hurt, but i'll be fine. will be a long offseason til training camp. but i still hope a miracle happens and we do make it

[superstarsingh 23]

Right now, it's 50/50 at best that we make it.

The Pens however are well on their way to making the playoffs. Just sayin......

Where were the Pens when the Red Wings were in the 2007 WCF?

[Guest Lidstromboli]

1. they miss playoffs

2. WHAT, THEY DIDNT MAKE THE PLAYOFFS? THERE'S NO MEANING TO MY LIFE... IT JUST ISN'T WORTH IT. HOW COULD THEY DO THIS TO ME IT'S ALL OVER

[cupforwings 138]

I'm honestly starting to think that many, many Wings fans have no idea what it feels like to be in an honest to goodness playoff hunt. One of the few times in life when ignorance isn't bliss.

We're not even at the trade deadline and people are talking like the season is over. What a sorry bunch of sacks.

Agreed. It is very sad... someone on last page said "if we make we will just get embarrassed in the first round". Really??? Some of the people on this site are ridiculous. If we make it to the playoffs (and there is still a very very good chance that we will), how can you say we would be embarrassed... This team has plenty of tools to get the job done, it's just whether they can all turn it on at the same time... some people need to stop being such awful fans and start supporting their team more... think about all those s***ty teams that, every year, would kill to be in the position we are in right now... this season is not over by any means.

[Real1 2]

To the OP, you're an idiot. Coaching has nothing to do with this. Babs has done his best giving the injusry bug we got this year.

IMO, Babs is the best coach in the game.

[ilmickeyli 40]

They aren't making it, guys.. You need to accept this.

[GoWings1905 2,694]

They aren't making it, guys.. You need to accept this.

Good to know. That will open up my nights more from now until April.

[titanium2 867]

I used a random fortune cookie with the question of whether or not the Wings will make the playoffs and it gave me this:

"You have remarkable power which you are not using."

The lucky numbers: 11, 2, 47, 13, 29,

Mega number: 8

So... Cleary, Datsyuk, Williams and Abdelkader?

[Broken 16 381]

They aren't making it, guys.. You need to accept this.

And if they don't, hopefully they put up a fight till the end. Won't be the end of the world. Aa a matter of fact, I'll be mildly relieved that the players will get a nice long rest and the coaching staff will have a nice long summer to re-tool and get things back on track.

[Crashnburnluder 385]

6. Colorado 57 Gp 70 Pts

7. Calgary 59 Gp 67 Pts

8. Nashville 57 Gp 66 Pts

9. Detroit 58 Gp 64 Pts

Im confused... we are two points out of a playoff spot... possible one point with the same amount of games as Calgary if we win on Tuesday. Yet I hear everything saying we have a 30% chance of making playoffs or a 50% chance of making playoffs... wow... Look at LA they were in the same situation 2 weeks ago and got on a small win streak for 6-7 games and now its not even a question for them... We are one small streak away and everyone is acting like its doom and gloom... or the fact that if we do make it we will be embarrassed... PS... We are 3-0 against the team that is looking at taking the western conference...

Keep in mind since game number 2 we have not had a full line up.. and we still havn't...

I know Franzen wont be a savior but we all know he can win us a game or two.... and guess what.. at this point... thats all we really need...

I HAVE FAITH... WE WILL BE IN PLAYOFFS....

Panic all you want everybody... but dont lose faith yet.. and never say that it would be best for our team to miss playoffs... for a pick that might be 10 or so picks earlier...

GO WINGS!!!

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

And if they don't, hopefully they put up a fight till the end. Won't be the end of the world. Aa a matter of fact, I'll be mildly relieved that the players will get a nice long rest and the coaching staff will have a nice long summer to re-tool and get things back on track.

I don't know, as others have said the last week or so, it'd be horrible to miss by only a point or so. Then we'll be thinking about all these games that we blew, like this LA game or the Phoenix game.

It's like failing an important exam. If you're going to fail, you might as well fail BIG. Not miss passing by just a point.

[Broken 16 381]

I don't know, as others have said the last week or so, it'd be horrible to miss by only a point or so. Then we'll be thinking about all these games that we blew, like this LA game or the Phoenix game.

It's like failing an important exam. If you're going to fail, you might as well fail BIG. Not miss passing by just a point.

"Mike, the team is really playing poorly... how do you explain that?"

"It's real simple Pierre... I told the guys that we are 2 points out of a playoff spot before the Olympic break. The season is over and I won't tolerate total failure. I expect epic failure on a massive level. I want our guys to embarrass themselves. I think if we can do that, we can look at ourselves in the mirror."

Get real. This isn't college.

[Stiffy 0]

If if if.... I don't want it to happen, but if it does, the magnifying glass should be turned on everyone with nowhere to hide - every player, but just as important every coach. There is something systemic going on with a team that just doesn't show up and it has to be addressed.

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

This thread reminds me of the O.J. book, "If I did It"

[chrisdetroit 189]

The neagitivity on LGW has reached an all time high.

Guess what. We are 2 fricking points out of a playoff spot with 24 games to go and people are throwing in the towel.

In case you haven't been watching, the teams in 7th and 8th place have also tanked. Both Calgary and Nashville have only won 3 out of their last 10.

Oh and we get that Franzen guy back on Tuesday.

But go ahead, throw in the towel. I just don't want to see you people back on the bandwagon in April.

[Guest Lidstromboli]

yeah, you're all a bunch of bandwagoners

[Broken 16 381]

The neagitivity on LGW has reached an all time high.

Guess what. We are 2 fricking points out of a playoff spot with 24 games to go and people are throwing in the towel.

In case you haven't been watching, the teams in 7th and 8th place have also tanked. Both Calgary and Nashville have only won 3 out of their last 10.

Oh and we get that Franzen guy back on Tuesday.

But go ahead, throw in the towel. I just don't want to see you people back on the bandwagon in April.

What do you expect? 90% of these people have no idea what it's like to not be leading the conference. Someone took their blanky.

[ilmickeyli 40]

We're two points out tonight. You think that Nashville will lose to the oilers tomorrow? Probably not.. So it could easily be 4 points before our next game. We are incapable of holding leads, and it's seemingly impossible for them to get a win streak.

I'm not a badwagon fan -- far from it. Live in Michigan, watched them for over twenty years.

This team has not looked right since the finals, pure and simple

Edit: And for the record, they currently have a 35.8% chance of making it

Edited February 8, 2010 by ilmickeyli

[VM1138 1,921]

I don't know if this has already been said, but here I go:

The reason this team has been so successful is that Holland doesn't have knee-jerk reactions. He's very calculating and usually knows exactly what to do to keep this team competitive. If the Wings miss the playoffs, he won't be looking at superficial fixes (i.e. firing Babcock), he's going to find out why we didn't make it (lack of scoring, stupid defense) and fix accordingly.

This season was ALWAYS intended to be a sort of interlud. They told us what to expect. The cap pretty much forced Holland's hand this year, and he's evaluating the season based on HIS expectations, not ours. Considering he was pretty much forced to sign Williams, Bert, Eaves, Miller, and call up Helm, Ericsson and Abdelkader I think he's probably only slightly disappointed.

Holland doesn't take a hack saw to fix things, he takes a scalpel.

Changes that we might be able to expect: With some cap space freed up, he will be more picky about who he adds and removes from the team. Depending on Lidstrom's move, expect defensive moves and obviously offensive moves. Howard is set in goal for next year, as is Osgood.

He may put pressure to fire McCrimmon and try to get Babcock to find someone (if that's how it works) who actually can make the Wings play decent defense, but he won't fire Babcock who has made very few mistakes in his tenure.

Fans here take so much for granted. They think a defensman of Rafalski's caliber is just waiting to come in, they think coaches like Babcock are a dime a dozen. If these people ran a team it'd look like Toronto the last decade.

[Guest Lidstromboli]

good post