3/9 GDT: Flames 4 at Red Wings 2

[Drake_Marcus 890]

No doubt!! Such a bad season after back to back cup appearances is unforgivable.

So you've enjoyed watching our boys play this season? I definitely have felt more disappointment than joy so far. You'll have to forgive me for being disappointed in the Wings. I understand the situation they're in and why they're in it but that doesn't change the emotional toll these let-down games have had. As a Wings fan I've been spoiled by my team and I understand that. But I can't just emotionally detach myself from these losses because the Wings do mean a lot to me. That's just the nature of having an emotional investment in a sports franchise.

[Andy Pred 48 337]

If everyone can just be realistic for a minute, we have gained 2 points in 2 games. Now how many on here expected us to win in Chicago? and lose at home to the Flames? We just earnt the points arse about face so we head into Thurs game against the Wild with the total amount of points that we expected to have. Just a downer that we couldn't capatalise on the great road win Sun by doubling the points last night.But thats the beauty of this game, its just doesn't go to plan, I mean the Ducks fans must be having kittens watching their team keep blowing games.The biggest bane for the Wings this year apart from all the injuries has been all the OT loses, I mean 12, if we had won halve of those the picture would look alot more rosy.

This year was a transitional one and if we do make the playoffs then I think we have reached the goal set out at the start of the season. We are not and if we had stayed healthy all year, going to win the SC this year,going 2 rounds would be good for us. Hopefully we can strenghten in the off season and get some fresh blood/legs onto the roster to

have a genuine challenge in what will be Nic's last season.

[stormboy 47]

If by some lucky fat chance that at the end of the regular season we see a #8 beside our team, it sure's hell won't be because we earned it.

unless we play great for the rest of the season. sure, if the past is any indication, we probably won't, but you never know.

and just as a thought...obviously this game was pretty close to a "must win" for us...to me it was the most important game of the season thus far (though points are points and stealing two in chicago in some small way begins to make up for this loss), but it was even more of a "must win" for calgary. they won, and they're a point up. if they lose, they're three points down. for us, it was a must win in terms of putting distance between us and cal. for them, it was a must win in the sense that they'd have an even bigger hill to climb. so, in a way, i see them as being more desperate than us just because of that.

not an excuse, but you have to give credit where credit is due, and note that calgary was battling for their lives out there.

[stormboy 47]

If everyone can just be realistic for a minute

*snip*

DON'T YOU KNOW WHERE WE ARE???

[RedWings 79]

And when it comes to lack of "heart": this is Babcock hockey. Ever since 06 this team has pissed away leads in the third because they have hung back into a terrible defensive game

2002 Bowman redwings were playing the trap in the third period, and we had a record like 30-2 when leading after 2 periods.

I think our defense is weaker. The solution is better defense. Too much offense in the 3rd period with a 1-goal lead leads to turnovers, I don't want that, I want the Wings to lock the game.

Problem is that we let opponents play in our defensive zone! I never saw guys playing there in 5vs5 seasons before.. This was forbidden zone for Bowman Redwings, only superstar lines could go there. Now crappy Flames are enjoying there..

Edited March 10, 2010 by RedWings

[Firehawk 305]

I swear sometimes i get the impression that the older wings have had enough success and are playing a 'safe game', meaning, they don't want any serious injuries before they retire.

How do the wings continue to play so lackluster? I just don't understand it. I am not blaming Howard. This game was all on the defense. But, you can't expect to win games by scoring 2 goals or less most nights, either.

I can't remember the last time I saw the wings scrambling in their own ends as much as they have done this year. It's rather pathetic.

Edited March 10, 2010 by Firehawk

[ilmickeyli 40]

I'm just as dissapointed as the rest of you, but if we can beat Minnesota tomorrow and Calgary loses against the Sens, we'll be back to where we were before last night (sans the great opportunity).

Not time to call the season, yet..

[Inultus 12]

Other than a couple mishaps (like the Williams giveaway) I thought the team looked great until the 3rd. Too many naysayers here.

[Pucks 66]

Other than a couple mishaps (like the Williams giveaway) I thought the team looked great until the 3rd. Too many naysayers here.

They made terrible decisions in their own end in the first, but it didn't cost them. They then made those same type plays in the 3rd and it cost them. This team starts trying to play hold on defense when they get the lead. The problem is that's not how this team is built. This team plays defense by carrying the play in the offensive end. When they stop moving forward they get in real trouble. Babcock has told them not to do that but it happens anyway.

They would have given the Chicago game away also if there was another 5 minutes left in the game.

Edited March 10, 2010 by Pucks

[ben_usmc 253]

If you honestly want the team to tank (which is the worst business philosophy you can think of) then you are no Wings fan.

And when it comes to lack of "heart": this is Babcock hockey. Ever since 06 this team has pissed away leads in the third because they have hung back into a terrible defensive game, and only because of the amazing puck possession and talent of the 07-09 teams they were able to get away with it. Now that the talent is not there, the Wings are unable to hold a lead because they aren't talented enough to keep the puck on their sticks long enough and they get sustained pressure in their own end multiple times.

It pains me to see a guy like Howard (who wasn't great but wasn't the cost of this game) possibly on the road to having a downswing of a career because the team is unable to understand what a third period lead means.

Well I don't know about that because I'm a lions fan and I was happy we went 0-16 for one it got our GM fired, purged the team, and was funny. BUT as far as the Wings go I don't want them to dump for a better draft, I'm just saying those were those 2 options and it seemed like Holland choose neither, he choose to be mediocre which is disappointing to me.

[ben_usmc 253]

Other than a couple mishaps (like the Williams giveaway) I thought the team looked great until the 3rd. Too many naysayers here.

Holland should be slapped for even bringing williams back to this team

[GMRwings1983 8,793]

Maybe it's a good thing that we lost game 7 last year.

It'd be embarrassing to win two straight Cups and miss the playoffs the following year.

[Hockeytown Red Wings 245]

I'd like to know how my drinking at this time correlates to my drinking at this time last year. I bet it'd be troublesome.

[Drake_Marcus 890]

Maybe it's a good thing that we lost game 7 last year.

It'd be embarrassing to win two straight Cups and miss the playoffs the following year.

You're nuts.

Holland should be slapped for even bringing williams back to this team

It looked ok before he was injured. If Williams had a full year I think it'd be a different situation.

[clayjoh 3]

2002 Bowman redwings were playing the trap in the third period, and we had a record like 30-2 when leading after 2 periods.

I think our defense is weaker. The solution is better defense. Too much offense in the 3rd period with a 1-goal lead leads to turnovers, I don't want that, I want the Wings to lock the game.

Problem is that we let opponents play in our defensive zone! I never saw guys playing there in 5vs5 seasons before.. This was forbidden zone for Bowman Redwings, only superstar lines could go there. Now crappy Flames are enjoying there..

Lidstrom and Rafalski are better snatching pucks away on the rush and out manouvering guys with angles when things are moving but last nite as in all season when they have to hunker down and play a physical style in front of their own net things go awry

#'s 5 and 28 on for 2 goals last nite and #'s 55 and 23 for the other two

I expect better from the big four

there's some fatigue out there that just won't go away even with the olympic break and even if we get in to the post season this team might get embarrassed badly looking like Sonny Liston when he met the much younger and faster Ali

end of an era boys and we didn't see it coming !!

[brett 1,029]

lol wut?

Ericsson was better tonight than Lebda was in either game. The difference is our team s*** the bed in the 3rd. I think you're getting Brett Lebda confused with magic.

im not saying ericsson played bad or lebda was a superhero, im saying with lebda in the lineup 2-0 ericsson comes back 0-1.....

[Drake_Marcus 890]

im not saying ericsson played bad or lebda was a superhero, im saying with lebda in the lineup 2-0 ericsson comes back 0-1.....

And I was saying that when you look deeper at the situation there's no reason to believe that the Lebda-Ericsson switch has to do with the difference in scores. Plus I wanted to make a magic joke.