Next 2 games are very very important.

[Richdg 267]

We are about 1/3 through the season, and on a 4 game losing streak. as short as this season is, we can't afford to get into a 6 or 7 game losing streak. Already down to tied for 8th place in the west, and the second half of the season is a b!tch. So yes, the enxt 2 games vs the blue jackets and the preds are already must wins. Ok, let me rephrase that. We have to get no fewer than 3 points in the next 2 games, but 4 would be a lot better. may not be enough to save the season, but getting 0 points may put us into a place we can't recover from.

[Guest irishock]

Actually every game is pretty important.

[wings_fanatic 677]

I agree. Babcock needs to take advantage of the fact that we have home ice and are facing a weaker Columubus team on Thursday. I want to see Datsyuk and Hank together on the top line with Brunner to work their magic because I think they can win the game for us alone against Columbus. Fil and Sammy can man the 2nd line and get it going. Hopefully we start to get some bodies back and get on a positive streak before we head out west. Message for the boys... Follow the lead of #13!

[Travis 576]

I agree. Babcock needs to take advantage of the fact that we have home ice and are facing a weaker Columubus team on Thursday. I want to see Datsyuk and Hank together on the top line with Brunner to work their magic because I think they can win the game for us alone against Columbus. Fil and Sammy can man the 2nd line and get it going. Hopefully we start to get some bodies back and get on a positive streak before we head out west. Message for the boys... Follow the lead of #13!

Assuming Sammy's hand isn't actually broken.

[number9 3,297]

I agree. Babcock needs to take advantage of the fact that we have home ice and are facing a weaker Columubus team on Thursday. I want to see Datsyuk and Hank together on the top line with Brunner to work their magic because I think they can win the game for us alone against Columbus. Fil and Sammy can man the 2nd line and get it going. Hopefully we start to get some bodies back and get on a positive streak before we head out west. Message for the boys... Follow the lead of #13!

Sammy's probably going to be out. Sounds like a broken hand.

[Guest The Axe]

Sammy has been a good pick up for us.

[wings_fanatic 677]

True that, forgot about him. These injuries are nuts. If the Wings get into the playoffs Babs should defs be nominated for coach of the year given all these injuries. Every single game someone new is getting hurt. Instead of practice tomorrow, I think Babs needs to bring them somewhere to get some good luck back for the team! I guess I would like to see :

Brunner- Datsyuk- Zetty (Brunner and Hank have not been as dominant lately and Pavel has been, well, Pavel) This line will be very strong against the Jackets.

Tatar- Filpulla- Nyquist

OR if you wanted to get Fil going maybe put him back with Hank since he had so much success last year with him:

Brunner- Datsyuk- Nyquist (I think Brunner needs to be put with Pavel because Pavel will feed him the puck... and this line would have awesome speed).

Fil- Hank- Tatar/ Franzen (if he plays)

[frankgrimes 1,836]

In a shortened season with such a close schedule and so many division games every game is important.

Sure this team is injury prone right now but a win against the Jackets needs to happen, boys could need a boost in thei confidence, I am sure of that.

Sent from my BlackBerry

[Guest The Axe]

I honestly would like to see:

Zetterberg- Datsyuk- Filppula

Tatar- Andersson - Brunner

Zetterberg- Emmerton- Miller

Filppula-Datsyuk-Eaves

Tartar-Andersson-Brunner

Repeat.

[Richdg 267]

How do you even run a real practice with these injuries. Man. But we have to win these 2 games. Just to keep pace.

[Z Winged Dangler 2,082]

If the Wings drop another game to the Jackets and extend the losing streak to 5, it's officially time to implement plan "no winnin' for McKinnon". Cause after CBJ the boys have 2 back to back sets of Preds/Cansucks then Kings/Sharts. Not exactly a walk in the park...

[Euro_Twins 4,475]

Sammy has been a good pick up for us.

how? I like the way he played, but he has been injured since after game 2 of the season, then came back played one game and is injured again. If anything I would say he's getting easy paychecks

Edited February 20, 2013 by Euro_Twins

[Motown4013 350]

^{In the past, the wings have a tedancy to look past "weaker" teams but I dont think they will do that tomorrow night. We are a desprate team who needs to stay in the Top 8 as we try and get our ACTAUL roster healthy}

[Guest The Axe]

how? I like the way he played, but he has been injured since after game 2 of the season, then came back played one game and is injured again. If anything I would say he's getting easy paychecks

I was being facetious.

[Euro_Twins 4,475]

^{In the past, the wings have a tedancy to look past "weaker" teams but I dont think they will do that tomorrow night. We are a desprate team who needs to stay in the Top 8 as we try and get our ACTAUL roster healthy}

Wait... What are you trying to say here? Our actual lineup isn't the Grand Rapids Red Wings?

I was being facetious.

ok then lol

[achildr1 255]

Im just going to say it...I would be very surprised if we made the playoffs this year. I think Holland knew what was up, before the injuries, when he said we might not make the playoffs.

The breakdown:

Our defense is terrible. Quincey is useless and was officially a waste of that pick. We are arguably better off with Lashoff full time over Quincey. Kronwall is a #2 guy and has too much pressure on him. Ericsson, while not his classically terrible self, instills next to no confidance in me for any kind of playoff type worth. White, Kindl, Huskins, Carlo are all generic filler, depth defenseman. Kronwall and Smith are the only two defenseman we have that I have any confidance in.

Howard is overworked, and while he is underrated, I think he's going to get shelled this year. He has to be yelling "Nick! Where are you?!"...Like a toddler cries for his Mom.

Injuries, while seemingly never good, might actually give Holland some perspective. I personally think, maybe somewhat in hindsight, that it may have been better to not have signed Samuelsson anyway. Some of Bertuzzi, Eaves, Miller, and Emmerton could and should have been sent packing as Nyquist, Tatar, and probably even Andersson are ready for full time duties. So with the injuries, Holland gets to see that those guys bring more than thier older, less skilled counterparts.

Other rantings: Franzen might frustrate more than he's worth...to bad we have him locked up for life. Filppula probably needs to be traded while other teams still think he's going to be awesome one day. I can't see how replacing him with Nyquist in a near throwaway season would hurt too many feelings. Filpulla should bring a pretty nice return from a playoff team.

Highlights: Brunner is way better than I expected and is a legitimate asset to the future of this team. Mrazek keeps on surprising. Zetterberg is on fire and Datsyuk seems to get better with age.

[Z Winged Dangler 2,082]

how? I like the way he played, but he has been injured since after game 2 of the season, then came back played one game and is injured again. If anything I would say he's getting easy paychecks

And his conditioning is terrible. He skated slower than molasses moving up a slide in the dead of winter.

[Wingsfan72 198]

how? I like the way he played, but he has been injured since after game 2 of the season, then came back played one game and is injured again. If anything I would say he's getting easy paychecks

I might be wrong here, but I think he was be sarcastic...

(I am being sarcastic) lol

ON topic though, if the Wings are going to win these next two we cannot roll with Cleary on the top line. Tatar deserves that spot with all of these injuries. I'm assuming Nyquist is going to be in the lineup due to Sammy's injury? It would be awesome to see him on a line with Pav again, Maybe the top six can look something like:

Tatar-Z-Brunner

Flip-D-Nyquist

Not bad?

Edited February 21, 2013 by Wingsfan72

[Classic 1]

We need to grind out victories in the next 2 games, I agree.

As long as we can make the Playoffs and end up there with a healthy roster I will be happy. I feel confident our full healthy team could make waves.

[Nightfall 871]

We need to grind out victories in the next 2 games, I agree.

As long as we can make the Playoffs and end up there with a healthy roster I will be happy. I feel confident our full healthy team could make waves.

This!

The roster the Wings had at the beginning of the season was a playoff caliber roster. The problem is injuries, which the Wings have to be leading in man games lost to injury this season.

[Z Winged Dangler 2,082]

If the Wings drop another game to the Jackets and extend the losing streak to 5, it's officially time to implement plan "no winnin' for McKinnon". Cause after CBJ the boys have 2 back to back sets of Preds/Cansucks then Kings/Sharts. Not exactly a walk in the park...

there it is....found it. after tonight's loss i can't wait to see what kind of troubles our boys have with 4 teams that are much better than the Blue Jackets.

[dat's sick 1,002]

there it is....found it. after tonight's loss i can't wait to see what kind of troubles our boys have with 4 teams that are much better than the Blue Jackets.

Good thing is we usually play better against the 'good teams'. So those games aren't automatic losses.

But yes, it will be tough. We have trouble getting back into games we fall behind in. But we also can't keep or build on 2 goal leads. So I'm not sure how we're going to play.

We can't call the season over or anything this early. A couple wins and we're very much back in the playoff picture. But we have so many adjustments to make it makes my head spin. I wonder what the coaches are saying. "If only everyone played with the heart of Cleary". "Why can't Datsyuk be as awesome as Abdelkader..". "Are we all in agreement that Howard will start the rest of the games this season? Good.". "Hell that Tatar kid looked pretty good.. should we send him down or just decrease his icetime? Less icetime? Okay." . That's what I'm imagining it sounds like.

If this coaching staff is still around next season it will be interesting to see 24/7. There will probably be a lot of focus on the love-story between Babcock and Cleary (who will have just signed a 5 year deal with an NTC). Also Tom Renney running PP drills dressed as a clown.

[DRW Dominance 255]

Title of this thread still pertain even though we lost to Columbus?

I'd say even more so now.

[achildr1 255]

This!

The roster the Wings had at the beginning of the season was a playoff caliber roster. The problem is injuries, which the Wings have to be leading in man games lost to injury this season.

Im not sure id even go this far. Our defense, completely healthy, is not what any playoff team should have. Looking at our team and thinking playoffs was, to me, what the Tigers went into the season like before he last couple years. "Well if all our guys have careers years/repeat their career year, we'll be just fine...we really have a chance!"...and *surprisingly* Nate Robertson threw up a 5 era, Bonderman didnt win a Cy Young, and Scott Sizemore couldnt become Polanco overnight. Thats about where the Wings are at..."well, if Kronwall is a Norris candidate, Franzen quits floating, an Filppula ever pans out to what we think. We'll be fine...we really have a chance!" And then...*surprisingly*...

[Z Winged Dangler 2,082]

Title of this thread still pertain even though we lost to Columbus?

I'd say even more so now.

I got you covered dude.

The next (insert # of games remaining in the season) are really important.

#draftRyanPulockinthetop10