3/17 GDT : Red Wings 2 at Sharks 3 (OT)

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

Kings win at least.

[Vladifan 680]

Ok, so they got a point. Datsyk's back. And they definitely put more shots on net. I'll go with that for now. Like I have a choice...

[Z and D for the C 712]

And......the streak continues. Totally looks like last years team. I expect the same result.

Right now, and look at who we'll likely play in the first round, that's looking optimistic.

We need AT LEAST new two top 6 forwards this summer. 3 would be even more better.

[clutchngrab 12]

Honestly, I can not put into words how much Cleary is a waste of space this year. Every Time he is out on the ice he does NOTHING, like on the OT goal there, he just waves his stick then is standing around and watches the goal go in....I just don't know what is wrong with him this year, but good lord has he been TERRIBLE this all season....

As soon as I saw him out there, I said to myself "wtf is he doing out there? ... watch San Jose will score". And sure enough. Babcock has a man-crush on Cleary which I have not been able to figure out all season.

[WorkingOvertime 536]

It wasn't goalie interference cause Abdelkader dropped the shark onto Howard. Him and Stuart were awful today.

I fear for our future if we don't get at least 2 defense men that can handle the front of the net...

Should he have let that player score? Havlat shouldn't have been able to trail that play do easily. Abby was fine and the third line was good. IMO Mursak should have been moved up when Helm got injured.

[Hatchet Barry 71]

So glad this brutal West Coast road trip is over and done with. Now to drink my night away to the point that I forget about all those s***ty games. Next up the Caps on Monday. Ohh boy.

[Redwings-40-5 11]

The defense was soft as hell on that last play. Four defenders back surrounding their guy with the puck, and he still makes the play.

At least we got another point up on Nashville.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

Kronwall and Stuart playing 27 and 26 minutes. Quincey with 21.

We need some bodies back on D. Namely Lidstrom then, Ericsson. Lidstrom because he's Lidstrom, Ericsson can pick up PK minutes and allow the Wings to send Janik back to GR. He's a serviceable plug but it becomes apparent why Janik is a career AHLer.

[Doc Holliday 1,888]

Should he have let that player score? Havlat shouldn't have been able to trail that play do easily. Abby was fine and the third line was good. IMO Mursak should have been moved up when Helm got injured.

Abdelkader shouldn't have been behind him in the first place, let alone keep pushing him into his own goaltender.

Bad defense all around. Abdelkader should not be on a 4 on 4 situation, especially against the Sharks.

[GoalieManPat 1,007]

Cleary and Holmstrom need to be sat. Holmstroms saving grace the last couple years is hes good on the PP. With the powerplay as bad as it is he brings nothing more to the table. He completely kills the energy guys on the line. Cleary....well nothing more needs to be said about him.

[Cali-Wing-Nut 102]

Holland better be on the look out for new and CAPABLE defenseman next year. Stuart is sandbagging or something, he skated away from the puck countless times this evening. He wasnt tired he doesnt care.

s*** thing is its obvious that our prospects for D arent that developed. Smith is a small minutes guy still, Kindl isnt doing that hot (well when he was playing) and we are going to lose more of our guys than gain.

I was seriously mistaken regarding White last summer but we need guys like him.

Cleary is jacked with his weird abscess in his knee. I will assume thats affecting his game.

Z and Franzen both look like guys that got big long term contracts as in they have no real reason to play hard. They already know theyre taken care of for the next decade so why beat yourself up trying?

More or less we are a beat up and/or inexperienced team right now. We are the Oilers with the top two lines full of banged up veterans. Its not where we would want to be even in Armageddon mode.

At least we can only do better, I mean you cant get any worse than losing like we are and a win is better than that right? Its only sunny skys and candy cane roads from here on out...

[BigWillieStyle 662]

Kronwall and Stuart playing 27 and 26 minutes. Quincey with 21.

We need some bodies back on D. Namely Lidstrom then, Ericsson. Lidstrom because he's Lidstrom, Ericsson can pick up PK minutes and allow the Wings to send Janik back to GR. He's a serviceable plug but it becomes apparent why Janik is a career AHLer.

Definitely agree with this. We need Big Rig out there so we can all blame him for our crappy play. It's just not fair to put that all on Janik.... And Kronner and Stewie really do need a break. They've been logging a lot of tough minutes since Nick has been out.

[GoWings1905 2,694]

One win in the past seven games and the one win was very fortunate. All I can really say right now is Franzen has to be a playoff beast or it's going to be an early exit. The top-six is really more like three players and maybe Franzen if he feels like showing up.

With all that cap space, Holland has no excuse to not address the glaring need yet again for a goal-scoring winger like Parise. Pavel Datsyuk should not be playing on a line with Bertuzzi and Cleary -- what a complete waste of the most creative player in hockey.

[Winged Wheel 45]

Yet another loss thanks to Ken Holland's inability to improve this team and it's so obvious. No sustainable offense, whatsoever. Not to mention a defense that's in total diserray. This game could've easily been 6-2 and never gone into OT. How the hell does this guy keep his job and why doesn't Illitch finally tell 'em enough is enough? I'm sure he's saved him money by doing nothing at the trade deadline but when the attendance goes down along with the television revenue.........I'm sure things will quickly change and we'll eventually get a new GM 'cause there's no way this current team is a Stanley Cup contender. Not by any stretch of the imagination.

[HockeytownRules19 902]

God I hope Helm is ok!

[GoalieManPat 1,007]

Z and Franzen both look like guys that got big long term contracts as in they have no real reason to play hard. They already know theyre taken care of for the next decade so why beat yourself up trying?

Franzen yes. Z your out of your mind. He and Flip were basically the only ones that showed up every game in Pavels absence.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

Holland better be on the look out for new and CAPABLE defenseman next year. Stuart is sandbagging or something, he skated away from the puck countless times this evening. He wasnt tired he doesnt care.

s*** thing is its obvious that our prospects for D arent that developed. Smith is a small minutes guy still, Kindl isnt doing that hot (well when he was playing) and we are going to lose more of our guys than gain.

I was seriously mistaken regarding White last summer but we need guys like him.

Cleary is jacked with his weird abscess in his knee. I will assume thats affecting his game.

Z and Franzen both look like guys that got big long term contracts as in they have no real reason to play hard. They already know theyre taken care of for the next decade so why beat yourself up trying?

More or less we are a beat up and/or inexperienced team right now. We are the Oilers with the top two lines full of banged up veterans. Its not where we would want to be even in Armageddon mode.

At least we can only do better, I mean you cant get any worse than losing like we are and a win is better than that right? Its only sunny skys and candy cane roads from here on out...

I completely disagree on Stuart. He looked gassed out there and was playing bigger minutes than usual. Both in TOI and level of competition.

Smith seems to be coming along nicely. He better be in the lineup all next year.

Overall the Wings look like a team with banged up defense and lacking depth. As was pointed out, our 4th line has no identity and is pretty invisible.

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

Here's hoping Helm is okay.

[Cali-Wing-Nut 102]

Franzen yes. Z your out of your mind. He and Flip were basically the only ones that showed up every game in Pavels absence.

Not that hard when your the only one being fed the puck. Im not just talking about Z during the last month, Im talking all year. He has something like 18 goals right? He should have at least 30 and youd expect him to have more than Mule.

Look at Z prior to his contract and after, simple numbers and youll see the difference. 39, 33, 43 then 31, 23, 24. Hes on route to match his average over the last three years. Z is like the perfect woman and then you marry her and she gains 90 pounds, farts, burps and wears sweat pants to restaurants. Well maybe not that bad but when he signed for life he let himself go and thats a fact.

[BigWillieStyle 662]

Here's hoping Helm is okay.

Amen to that. Babcock said it's not a charlie horse, but a lower body injury. He seemed concerned, therefore, I am concerned. He seems to brush off bumps and bruises with a " he'll be playing next game", attitude. With Helm it was, "we'll take a better look at it and see". Doesn't sound promising.

[GoalieManPat 1,007]

Z is like the perfect woman and then you marry her and she gains 90 pounds, farts, burps and wears sweat pants to restaurants. Well maybe not that bad but when he signed for life he let himself go and thats a fact.

Although your analogy I do admit is pretty funny I just disagree. Z isnt putting up the points but I dont think you can compare him to Franzen in the whole "got the contract so now they dont play". Franzen is just plain lazy out there and its painfully obvious. Id trade Franzen for the Ford Ram that kicks his ass in those commercials. Z though still plays hard every game. If he was content because he just got his contract he wouldn't be playing that hard. You cant really compare the numbers either. His early years he spent a lot of time with Pav. Pav inflates all of his line-mates numbers. If him and Datsyuk were played together as much as they were a couple years ago his numbers would be up there again.

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

Smith played well tonight.

[wings_fanatic 677]

Ken Holland is the best GM in the league and about every other person that knows anything about the NHL would agree. The Red Wings are in a slump... it happens to every team! To top that, we have guys getting injured left and right... it is very hard to win when you are missing key players, and almost every game someone else is getting hurt... it messes lines up and so on. I am very confident with the fully armed and operational Red Wings team come playoff time.

The one thing that does bug me a LOT is DAN CLEARY! He does not deserve to wear a Red Wings uniform this season at all. I know his knee is effed up but that is affecting his game so much that he is REALLY BAD almost every shift. If that isn't bad enough, Babs puts Cleary with a returning from injury PASHA?! All that is gonna do is slow Pasha down because Cleary is useless. Pasha deserves a better linemate than CLEARY! IMO Miller has done his job fantastically this year and deserves to play with Pasha a hell of a lot more than Cleary. Cleary needs to be benched.

You have to admire the Wings effort to come back tonight and I am fully confident that we will win at least 7 or 8 of our remaining 10 games. Hopefully come Monday we get good news about Nick and then everything will fall into place. Have faith Wings fans we have a team full of guys who knows how to win... we will win.

[Cali-Wing-Nut 102]

Smith played well tonight.

I totally agree and he is an asset to the team. He plays hard, hits hard and is skilled. I dont think anyone would say he would play over 15 mins on a healthy team next year though. We need a few younger (26-28 yr old) Dmen that have at least 5 years of NHL experience that can play the point.

Smith will get there in a few years but we are going to have some serious holes next year. Unless the team concedes to rebuilding which is insane we need top flight guys over the summer.

[clutchngrab 12]

One win in the past seven games and the one win was very fortunate. All I can really say right now is Franzen has to be a playoff beast or it's going to be an early exit. The top-six is really more like three players and maybe Franzen if he feels like showing up.

With all that cap space, Holland has no excuse to not address the glaring need yet again for a goal-scoring winger like Parise. Pavel Datsyuk should not be playing on a line with Bertuzzi and Cleary -- what a complete waste of the most creative player in hockey.

I've been saying this all season - before and after the home streak. Holland rarely makes glaring mistakes. He gets good value out of his contracts (more or less - except for term) but he takes zero chances. For example, White and Qincey are useful pick-ups. The defense and goaltending are as solid as they have been the last 15 years.

The top 6 forwards are really only top 3 (Flip is now w/ Dats and Z) plus an occasional appearance by Mule - and really other than Dats none of them show up on a consistent basis.

Holland is a loyalist to a fault. He really needed to shake up this team to get a pure scorer w/ Dats, but he didn't have the balls to do so. He has completely blown it this year given the cap space and guys that could be traded to create a more viable top 6. He didn't do it and it is sad give the last year or 2 of Lidstroms career plus having one of the best forwards in the game. What a waste....

Edited March 18, 2012 by clutchngrab