4-1 1st rd exit best thing for Wings

[T.Low 1,011]

In an abrupt 1st round exit that includes only one victory, a series where nobody on the team really shined, it's ultimately the best thing to happen to the Wings this season on many different levels, (short of winning another Stanley Cup of course).

Limping along into a conference final loss, for example, (or even another 2nd round loss), would have provided too much cover for our weaknesses. It would have made it too easy to gloss things over and many real issues would only be considerred suspect issues that we could possibly live with.

However, this 1st round exit is a complete failure by Detroit Red Wing standards, and now everything is exposed and on the table for scrutiny. Everything from when to chip and chase ( and work on that more often) to who we really need on Pavel's wing, to Filppula, Franzen, on down the line, to reassessing our tendency to keeping the youngsters (Smith this year) off the playof roster when they are the one's with the energy, blah blah blah. Our roster, our philosophy, our staff... Everything is now on the table to be scrutinized.

Also, I think it would leave a bad taste for Lidstrom in regards to retirement timing. Again, if we had made it to th conference finals, maybe Nick would have thought that is as good as thing can get, he's had a full career, blah blah blah, and it's time to retire.

This year's exit may light a fire in him to return for one final season. At the same time, Smith can be on the roster to learn from Nick, which did not really happen last year. One more run for the Cup in 2013 for Nick Lidstrom.

This team has more to gain and learn from an embarrassing 1st round exit and it's resulting harsher off season scrutiny than they do from the experience of cruising along into a conference final loss.

What do you think?

Edited April 21, 2012 by T.Low

[b.shanafan14 733]

I agree completely. I feel the same way on a game-by-game basis, when the bad habits start piling up, I would rather they get stomped and wake up then continue to barely lose or barely win by luck.

The ball is in Holland's court now. This team changes or management will.

[RusDRW 155]

agree.

[HockeyCrazy3033 168]

100% agree with this.

Being out 1st round and in 5 games is embarrassing and a huge disappointment. Now everything HAS to be looked at and the staff is pushed to figure out how to fix it and who needs to go, who they should acquire, etc...

Hopefully this summer moves will be made and we'll all be excited to start the 2012-2013 season with our boys making a deep run into next years post season.

[Bannedforlife 403]

I disagree. We are now a much less desirable destination for free agents. The 2 most sought after free agents-to-be are still playing. No bueno

[MDtizzle 2]

True. On the same note I was thinking if nick retires then they really gotta get crazy and change the face Of the team but maybe that's a bit too much at once.

One weak season doesn't make Detroit a place people dont wanna play but they have to make it clear that they are trying to add significant young talent- may need suter to get Parise and vice versa ?

Edited April 21, 2012 by MDtizzle

[T.Low 1,011]

I disagree. We are now a much less desirable destination for free agents. The 2 most sought after free agents-to-be are still playing. No bueno

I totally see your point and have raised it on other threads myself ("why would Suter want to come here"), but I think that now, Holland & Co. will make a much more serious effort to actually acquire top guys.

[esteef 2,679]

We all understand this, but does Holland? That's the question.

esteef

[Dimaline312000 51]

For the most part I agree. As I said in a different thread, Liddy is going to retire eventually and IMO I'd rather see him do it this off-season and have it over and the Wings be able to go after a Big Free Agent Defenseman this off-season since we all know what's out there this season as opposed to next off-season. Now maybe there is a better UFA Market after 12-13 than after this season but the longer Liddy plays the more prone to injury he is as he gets older. Wings need some type of spark to get them going again and get that hunger/fire back in them. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying Liddy isn't a great player becasue he is and he's done so much for this team and been such a great leader even before he got the C and he may not be the issue but perhaps the Wings need to start getting younger. They've done very well the past couple season's in trying to bring up so younger players from GR but maybe it's time to look outside the organzation for a player that's still a fairly seasoned vet but has more years in his legs. Yes I agree I wouldn't have wanted to get further and further into the playoffs and get hopes up only to lose again in the 2nd round or even make the Conference or Cup finals only to lose again and not have our real issues exposed and addressed this off-season so yes as much as it hurts being the first team out of the playoffs this season it's probably what is best for this team. Now the bigger question will Holland have what it takes to make a big deal whether it be a big signing or a big trade?

[Nev 1,085]

Like Babs said - 2nd round, 2nd round, 1st round. We're going inthe wrong direction.

"Once is an accident, twice is a coincidence. Three times is a trend"

[Guest Crymson]

I disagree. We are now a much less desirable destination for free agents. The 2 most sought after free agents-to-be are still playing. No bueno

Absurd. This season was an anomaly for an organization that nearly always fields a competitive team.

[Jesusberg 1,256]

I thought about this earlier. The exit really is a blessing in disguise. There are clearly problems with this team, and hopefully they'll be addressed now.

[Guest The Axe]

2 Things happened this year that kept the wings from making a deeper push:

1) Lidstrom got hurt.

2) Helm got hurt.

The Wings cannot win without those guys clicking in the playoffs.

A LOT OF THINGS HAPPENED THIS YEAR THAT KEPT THE WINGS FROM HAVING A CHANCE TO WIN THE CUP, AND KEN HOLLAND IS THE ONE WHO SHOULD TAKE THE HEAT.

1) Resigning old players with WORTHLESS playoff value = Holmstrom, Bertuzzi, etc.

2) Not spending available cap space to bring in free agents.

3) Not recognizing the need to have BALANCE on the team = a few puck possessing Euros, a few hard hitting Americans, and a few sniping Canadians. Too much of one type of player on the Wings right now.

And now look at what he's doing for next year: Re-signing Bertuzzi? WTF? This guy is USELESS. Brad Stuart is another old, washed up, never lived up to the hype, guy that needs to go, as well. I'm fully expecting Kenny Holland to spend 15 million on him over the next 3 seasons. Bertuzzi, Stuart, Hudler, and Holmstrom should be on their way out of Detroit, but I have a feeling all 4 of them will be back. Meanwhile, our young prospects just continue to waste away in Grand Rapids. LAME.

[Dabura 12,232]

Completely agree with the OP. Well, except - I don't think we would've cruised into the conference finals, had we made it that far. We would've scraped and clawed our way there, which ultimately would've meant a lot of wear and tear, and all of it for pretty much nothing (because, let's face it, this team was NOT going all the way). A long offseason might do these guys good, health-wise, and maybe eye-of-the-tiger-wise.

[Dabura 12,232]

Absurd. This season was an anomaly for an organization that nearly always fields a competitive team.

Yeah, I don't see this early exit really hurting the prestige and "sex appeal." Actually, in a weird way, it might even make this club look better to prospective pick-ups. You could be the Hockeytown Hero, the missing piece of the puzzle for the Detroit Red Wings, etc.

[Barrie 900]

I'm ok going out in the 1st round. We have time to reevaluate things and make changes. When you hum along, you get into bad habits.

I disagree. We are now a much less desirable destination for free agents. The 2 most sought after free agents-to-be are still playing. No bueno

Not at all. Think of it this way, if Pittsburgh and Vancouver go out 1st round, are they a less desirable destinations? Nope.

Remember in 2001 when we went out first round, in the off season we signed Hull and Robitaille, and traded for Hasek. 2003 when we went out 1st round we signed Hatcher and Whitney.

We are the premiere franchise in the NHL.

[crispychris 45]

I just hate how we went out this year. No fight, no heart, we laid down like soft little *******. The fact that it was in the 1st round does not bother me half as much as how we went out.

[hardcoretom21 71]

I just gotta know.. apart from Cleary's knee and Lidstrom's foot bruise, who else was playing very hurt? Does anyone have info?

[T.Low 1,011]

Fact; Bertuzzi was nursing a sore hip, which impedes access to the range of motion needed to play this game.

Observed guess: Datsyuk was not able to cut on his knee like he was during his mid season reign of awesomeness. I'e had knee surgery and it's not suprisiing that that would be the case.

Same with groin injuries: (Jimmy and Bert). They can linger long time.

Zetterberg always takes a beating, so who knows with him.

That's all I got.

[wingslogo19 281]

I think it's time for some changes. We can only go up from here

[LeftWinger 5,131]

I think it's time for some changes. We can only go up from here

I can think of 14 other teams (well maybe not a few of them) that would have loved to just make the playoffs, so we can definitely go down from here...Lets just hope Holland plops out the loaf that is binding him up and he actually takes a risk at changing this team, finally...It's time to rebuild.

[wingsfan4795 552]

I think next year they will retake their position on the pedestal of elite NHL teams. Stl and nyr in my opinion are one hit wonders.

If nsh keeps radulov, which I think they will, they will have to let suter go and the wings will pounce on him. (at least they better) that will make Detroit better and Nashville way worse.

If Detroit gets suter, and maybe others, it will be them and LA at the top of the west

GO WINGS

[Red Wings Addict 787]

If they're not going to win the Stanley Cup then yeah a 1st round exit is probably up there. Players want to keep playing and Ilitch probably wants to make more money off playoff games but for fans it's probably more preferable in the long-term than a 2nd or perhaps 3rd round exit because then you can say, "Well we were close and bleh bleh bleh."

[Spongewingredpants 75]

the only thing i am thinking right now is that Kyle Quincy eats up 3,25 million in cap space. What the Puck????

[St. Michael (the Red Wing) 422]

I disagree. We are now a much less desirable destination for free agents. The 2 most sought after free agents-to-be are still playing. No bueno

This