104 replies to this topic

[cupcrazy]

I think the entire team has failed,after making the hard fought push to make the playoffs since the olympic break the entire team looks gased to me.Also I just don't think Howard has what it takes to make it in the playoffs. He's like Legace,a great season goalie,but come crunch time he just isn't good enough.

We all know at the end of the day it's a team sport,but we just don't have the goaltending this year to get the job done.I had to work tonight and didn't get to see the game,but being up 3-1 midway in the 3rd,there's no excuse for losing this game.We have to find a number one goalie this summer,or next year will be more of the same.

[Rockitman]

I think the entire team has failed,after making the hard fought push to make the playoffs since the olympic break the entire team looks gased to me.Also I just don't think Howard has what it takes to make it in the playoffs. He's like Legace,a great season goalie,but come crunch time he just isn't good enough.

We all know at the end of the day it's a team sport,but we just don't have the goaltending this year to get the job done.I had to work tonight and didn't get to see the game,but being up 3-1 midway in the 3rd,there's no excuse for losing this game.We have to find a number one goalie this summer,or next year will be more of the same.

In otherwords Howard sucks

[asmith18]

I'm amused at this poll, as much as I hate Crosby he has nothing to do with the 2nd round. Now if the wings were playing them in the 2nd round I'd agree.

Basically Howard is either hot and lets a lot of goals in. The defense is not playing up to par, the offense needs to score more. After the Olympic break the wings played amazing and earned a spot in the playoffs. It's like they ran out of gas or stopped trying. For all their hard work they should try harder as if every game is the last one they will play.

Hindsight, the past few years we've gone far in the playoffs, 19 straight years in the playoffs, championships in 1997, 1998, 2002, 2008. Each team has transition years and I want the wings to win every year, but thats not possible. I'm happy we got to the second round. I'd like us to advance, its been a rough year with injuries, the olympics.

[NEpats1028]

Howard. Not that its his doing..when was the last time we've seen a rookie goaltender carry a team to the finals? I can't remember one. Hopefully he learns from his mistakes and comes back next year knowing what it takes to win in the playoffs. Its been said before, no way you are going to win in the playoffs if you have to score 5+ goals every game to beat the other team. Maybe that worked in GR but this is the NHL. Welcome to the pros, kid! Kudos on a solid rookie year though.

[Buppy]

Blame lies solely with GMR. Before that dumb thread about 3rd period comebacks, we were a very good 3rd period team.

[cboth686]

After tonights loss definitely Howard. That 3rd goal was SO deflating. Anyone watch the game on TSN, and see the way Ericcsson, Lidstrom, and Kronwall reacted to him when he came over for a squirt? Pretty awkward.

The 1st goal was pretty weak too, he had plenty of time to push off and slide over, but him being a rookie shows in little misteps (or extra steps) he takes that results in him lifting his pads off the ice.

Don't get me wrong, without his stability down the stretch of the RS we wouldn't have even made the playoffs perhaps, so I'm not tottally throwing him under the bus and saying: "put ozzy in". But defintely, this one sits on Howards shoulders, a goal like that shouldn't ever go in on an NHL goalie, I'd even feel ridiculous giving one up like that in the mens league I play in.

Who knows? Maybe philly will sign Turco, and we will snage Emery for cheap!

But it's like it's been said, 4 goals a game is a little much, and right now Howard isn't stealing or really being solid enough for us to win games.

[stormboy]

for those blaming howard...i see your point, to a degree. it's tough to win playoff games when you let in four goals a game. that short-side goal-line shot, for example, should not have been let in tonight. it seems like he's had one of those every game -- one goal that he should have gotten. and we've lost all the games by one goal. so maybe that IS the difference.

at the same time..yeah, so we're probably going to get bounced in the second round this year. it's our 19th straight trip to the playoffs, so we can't be that bummed, can we? maybe this a good learning experience for howie and for the future of the wings. you can't expect a cup every year. i'd rather have howie have a mediocre first playoff experience and keep building on that than have a cam ward AMAZING first playoff experience and then not make the playoffs for a bunch of years in a row afterward. i would say that, in some ways, this a rebuilding year for the wings, but for us, a rebuilding year means only getting to the second round. for most teams, "rebuilding" means a sub .500 record and no playoff berth. so, honestly, i'll take it. don't be too quick to s*** all over howard for one imperfect playoff run.

[ShanahanMan]

It's a very strange case with Howard. When I watch him, it seems like he stops all the hard/amazing shots yet the what-should-be gimmie saves are the ones that get by him. Weird.

[stormboy]

I think the entire team has failed,after making the hard fought push to make the playoffs since the olympic break the entire team looks gased to me.Also I just don't think Howard has what it takes to make it in the playoffs. He's like Legace,a great season goalie,but come crunch time he just isn't good enough.

We all know at the end of the day it's a team sport,but we just don't have the goaltending this year to get the job done.I had to work tonight and didn't get to see the game,but being up 3-1 midway in the 3rd,there's no excuse for losing this game.We have to find a number one goalie this summer,or next year will be more of the same.

i just don't agree with the bolded part. you're basing a guy's career value on one playoff run. sure, he's an "old" rookie, but dude's still an NHL rookie. like i said before, cam ward had an amazing playoffs in his rookie year, but it's not as if that's led his team to be a perennial cup contender. i just don't want to see howard getting totally thrown under the bus when he's had once chance to prove himself as a playoff goalie. IMO we've seen him improve a lot in the last few years from GR to detroit, and it seems to me that, as of right now, there is no reason to assume that he won't be better in the playoffs next year, assuming we make it.

[Osgood4President]

Howard. Not that its his doing..when was the last time we've seen a rookie goaltender carry a team to the finals? I can't remember one. Hopefully he learns from his mistakes and comes back next year knowing what it takes to win in the playoffs. Its been said before, no way you are going to win in the playoffs if you have to score 5+ goals every game to beat the other team. Maybe that worked in GR but this is the NHL. Welcome to the pros, kid! Kudos on a solid rookie year though.

I think Patty Roy went to the finals (and won a cup?) in his rookie year.

I agree with the fact that it's hard to win when you need to score 5 goals, but the blame shouldn't fall solely on the goalie. Howie has been facing a good number of shots per game.

I'm not saying he should have let in all the goals he has, but come on. Goaltending is not our only problem.


Here's hoping Jimmy picks himself up along with the rest of the wings, and we can pull off some amazing stuff to finish this series.

[DatsyukianDeke13]

In the poll, not a single person put blame on the forwards. Interesting...

[MacAttack25]

I voted other. I would have to blame the San Jose Sharks. We aren't going to win if they keep beating us

[Shoreline]

Definitely Crosby.

[EasyMark]

I voted other. I would have to blame the San Jose Sharks. We aren't going to win if they keep beating us

Yep, that's my vote as well.

I am curious: would these same "flaws" (goalie, defense, coaching, etc.) have done in the Wings against Vancouver and Chicago?

IMO, the answer is no.

[F.Michael]

In the poll, not a single person put blame on the forwards. Interesting...

I always get the impression forwards get off a little easy...You'll always hear how it was the defense, or the netminding that led to a lost series, but rarely ever do you see the finger pointed at the guys responsible for scoring goals.

[thegerkin]

Defense. The forwards spent more time backchecking because the defense could not get the puck out of the defensive zone to save their lives. WAY too many defensive zone turnovers.

Howard did okay for a rookie, but I think we relied too much on him during the regular season (where he was lights out). By the time the playoffs rolled around, I think he was just mentally spent. A 7 game first round, and the first 3 games of the second round with an approximate GAA of 4.00 or higher, I just think we ran our regular season lucky horse into the ground. I do think he deserves the Calder nod he got, although I don't think he deserves to win it.

[ben_usmc]

How about the only players that seem like they've consistently cared: Datsyuk, Helm, Abbystill pisses me off a piece of s*** like Williams had any ice time over him, Lidstrom. The rest of the team can f*** off this round.

[thegerkin]

I always get the impression forwards get off a little easy...You'll always hear how it was the defense, or the netminding that led to a lost series, but rarely ever do you see the finger pointed at the guys responsible for scoring goals.

I almost chose Forwards, but as I posted about the defense, the forwards really couldn't get much going because they spent 90% of their shift backchecking. To name names, Datsyuk was MVP at forward. Hank was hit or miss. Bert, Flip, and the rest (especially a vet like Drapes) were terrible. Abby was ok. But, because our defense was so terrible (especially Ericsson, and in my opinion Rafalski), backchecking sapped all the energy from forwards to set up anything remotely respectable in the offensive zone. And some credit has to go to the Sharks for the work they did on the forwards.

[robat]

So the Sharks aren't to blame at all?

[F.Michael]

I almost chose Forwards, but as I posted about the defense, the forwards really couldn't get much going because they spent 90% of their shift backchecking. To name names, Datsyuk was MVP at forward. Hank was hit or miss. Bert, Flip, and the rest (especially a vet like Drapes) were terrible. Abby was ok. But, because our defense was so terrible (especially Ericsson, and in my opinion Rafalski), backchecking sapped all the energy from forwards to set up anything remotely respectable in the offensive zone. And some credit has to go to the Sharks for the work they did on the forwards.

From what I had seen - it appears our forwards had their fair share of time in the Sharks end of the ice, but they just couldn't bury their chances...As for the back checking - well it's expected from all of the Red Wing forwards; it's part of Babcock's grand scheme of things, and if they're backchecking wouldn't that suggest that our forwards aren't keeping it in the Sharks end of the ice for any significant length of time?

Personally I've always felt our team could use a little bit of muscle; nothing wrong with a few guys on D whom are capable of making the opposing forwards pay a price if they get near our netminder, but since "puck possession" is the be all to end all for the Wings I doubt we'll see anyone like that anytime soon.