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Cali-Wing-Nut

WTF is Babs thinking?!?!

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Im sure Im not the only one that has been sick watching the 2nd PP line that has been put together. 4 forwards 1 D man (Kronner) all set up in an umbrella formation like this -) . They have set it so that Kron has to run both points and hope that Happy can hit a point if something gets away.

The idea is iffy at best with how teams are running their kill. The way that line is performing, they are one quick step from allowing short handed break aways. I understand they are experimenting but our traditional system at the very least keeps the puck in the offensive zone more at the expense of having another forward.

Dunno if this is a hair brain idea from one of the new coaches or a solution to a lack of Raffy at the point but they need to nip this in the bud and try to implement a more polished version of their traditional PP as opposed to throwing the whole book out.

I do like seeing some new plays that have been pretty effective in regular play and Ill say that it does make it fun to watch when you dont know what they are going to do when the puck is brought in over the blue line (weird that watching it enough you can almost call the guy that is going to get the pass based on where guys are standing before it even happens). Maybe they figured out that teams have watched enough film but I say tweek it dont start over as it looks like a bunch of blind guys playing with a hand tied behind their back.

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No were doing Awesome and Im stoked especially for having the rusty weeks between games. I just think that when you compare the first line PP to the second its night and day and has me shaking my head. I doubt you can argue that our PP overall is looking fairly ugly. Time will tell obviously Im just amazed that the coaching staff is making the huge changes in the PP during games when its obvious that the guys are out of rhythm and are having a hard time actually setting up a play. To me it looks like someone trying to type with their feet. They know how it should be done but dont have a clue how to do it like that.

This issue and the scheduling with back to backs in between 4-5 days off are my only gripes otherwise Im singing happy days right now.

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I've never been keen on Hudler playing the point on a powerplay.

I'd put Ericsson back there. He's got a bigger shot than Hudler and they paid him a boat load of money. Let's see how he looks on the point.

I would go back to Kindl. Even though it wasn't working well with him on it the first two games (yes, I know he coughed the puck up for that one breakaway), I still think he has some good potential to be a solid powerplay quarterback.

On a side note, anyone else really liking Kindl's overall game this year? Definitely some huge steps from last year. He looks really confident out there, making good passes and not shying away physically.

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I think the Wings PP started to look better and better as the game went on, and I thought the 2nd powerplay unit started to generate some good chances and had really good movement as well. We are 3-0, and our powerplay will get itself going... people honestly need to relax. The biggest problem I had yesterday was Babs using Franzen as the faceoff guy for the 2nd line 5 on 5 and on the powerplay! He is not a centerman, and lost almost every draw! Fil is usually good on faceoffs so imo that was the only mistake by Babs. Other than that, we are winning and there is no doubt in my mind that the powerplay will get going.

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I've never been keen on Hudler playing the point on a powerplay.

I'd put Ericsson back there. He's got a bigger shot than Hudler and they paid him a boat load of money. Let's see how he looks on the point.

2nd on Ericsson. 100 mph shot and no pp time? Come on Babs.

He takes all day to wind up though.

He takes all day to wind up though. And his shot never seems to be all that hard or accurate in real-game situations.

The penalty killing in this league is too good for that.

Ericsson takes all day to wind up, as quoted above. Meaning he can almost never actually get a slapper off. Hudler has a better - and harder - wrister shot. Plus he can actually get a slapper off from the point. Ericsson also has terrible hockey sense, and pinches at bad times. Hudler might not be great defensively, but he's played the point in Europe and in the AHL and knows when not to pinch. Ericsson would be much more of a weak link than Hudler, because he doesn't provide Hudler's playmaking or hockey sense, and as stated before he can't use his shot in most game situations.

Hudler>Kindl>Stuart>Ericsson

Hudler on the point on the PP reminds me of when Jason Williams was back there.

Scares the s*** out of me because if he makes a mistake he doesn't have the speed to recover.

Hudler doesn't have Williams' speed, but he's not reckless and stupid like Williams. Williams was a good passer with a hard, accurate shot and good wheels. He didn't have good hockey sense and wasn't good defensively. So he made bad pinches and didn't know what to do when they went wrong. Hudler is FAR better than Williams in hockey sense and defensive play, as well as passing skill. Williams' skating might be his only significant advantage.

Edited by eva unit zero

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I hoe todays game reiterated My original post. Our first unit was sub par and the 2nd unit with this experimental line was hideous. The fact that our game winner 4on 3 in OT making us 1-19 for the PP is proof that we need a lot of help and trying completely new plays is only going to hinder an already bad special teams.

The PP is bad, the 2nd unit umbrella play is worse and sooner or later is going to cost us and needs to stop before it becomes a game winnining promblem (as in winning games will be a problem),

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Guest Crymson

I hoe todays game reiterated My original post. Our first unit was sub par and the 2nd unit with this experimental line was hideous. The fact that our game winner 4on 3 in OT making us 1-19 for the PP is proof that we need a lot of help and trying completely new plays is only going to hinder an already bad special teams.

The PP is bad, the 2nd unit umbrella play is worse and sooner or later is going to cost us and needs to stop before it becomes a game winnining promblem (as in winning games will be a problem),

Alright. Let's go out on the ice and try out some new PP strategies today.

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Alright. Let's go out on the ice and try out some new PP strategies today.

Wow how bout we stick to the old one and fix its problems??

1 goal with the advantage means the new PP isnt working at all and I hope you can see it.

Edited by Cali-Wing-Nut

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Guest Crymson

Wow how bout we stick to the old one and fix its problems??

1 goal with the advantage means the new PP isnt working at all and I hope you can see it.

I was jokingly suggesting that we (you and I and the others here) go out on the ice and practice some new strategies---in other words, that we have virtually no control whatsoever over which PP strategies the coaching staff chooses to use.

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Ericsson needs to develop into a PP pointman. He's got a hard shot.

Ericsson needs to learn how to use his shot in a real game, and how to make an accurate pass at game speed.

He has the physical tools right now to be a pretty good point man if he can learn how to put it together; he has not been able to do so in several years of development.

At his age, you don't "develop" anymore. Either he'll learn or he won't.

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I'm glad that the Wings are trying new things - that was the whole point of the new, young assistant coaches. Likely it was one of their ideas, and no, it's not really working. But I like that the Wings are trying to be innovative.

It might not work now, but we're still winning games, so I'm fine with them experimenting. Some different looks may serve us well in the playoffs, especially if we find some new things during the year that really click for the players.

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I think like anything it's too early too tell. Obviously anything that isn't working should be getting looked after, but there are certainly plenty of times during any season where a team with a successful power play will go 3-4 games without getting a PPG. Zetterberg is another good example. One goal in four games doesn't look good, but go back to the middle of any season where he's doing great and you'll see examples of similar stretches. Being at the beginning of the season magnifies it, but it's really nothing out of the ordinary, at least not yet. Everything will eventually progress or regress towards the mean (unless it doesn't!).

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I was pretty much screaming at the TV on the PP in OT last game. The first unit came out and not one person was moving or in front of the net. Resulted in nothing. Wont complain til it cost us a game. It almost did last game.

I dont like huds on the point. Rather have ******* bertuzzi, harder better shot and huds can play his half boards.

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