We are the Detroit Red Wings and we are making the playoffs

[canadian wings fan 305]

Believers may only apply. Here's to another year of playoff hockey and rooting on the team we know and love

[evilmrt 636]

Great, I guess you like first round exits.Well the Wings have a special going on this right now...comes with a side of molasses that Dan Cleary puts in his skates before every game.

[crispychris 45]

You never know how things will work out. You just gotta get in.

[Euro_Twins 4,475]

Let's go wings, 2 for 1 special, SJS don't make it in and we take 4th seed

[kylee 727]

Well recover from some annoying injuries and rebound nicely as the 4th seed.

[Hockeymom1960 5,107]

Believers may only apply. Here's to another year of playoff hockey and rooting on the team we know and love

This is all I've been asking is that we make the playoffs. Going the distance will be icing on the cake.

[frankgrimes 1,836]

Don't think so. What is the point of making the playoffs just to heavily lose in the first round? The goal for this organization should be to go the whole way which means winning the cup. This is not a Stanley Cup roster, period. I'd rather see some young guns developing and making mistakes why doing so, before cheering and be happy because they've kept the streak alive.

[WINGS & FLOW 25]

Don't think so. What is the point of making the playoffs just to heavily lose in the first round? The goal for this organization should be to go the whole way which means winning the cup. This is not a Stanley Cup roster, period. I'd rather see some young guns developing and making mistakes why doing so, before cheering and be happy because they've kept the streak alive.

Wouldnt making the playoffs help develop some younger players? I dont think anyone is saying trade our pics and youth for rentals

[Z Winged Dangler 2,082]

Wouldnt making the playoffs help develop some younger players? I dont think anyone is saying trade our pics and youth for rentals

Making the playoffs will do the exact opposite for the young guys. Babcock will go with the "experience" over the young legs that would carry us to the 2nd round. While i'd love to see the Wings in the playoffs, it may be a wake up call that we're all seeing that our young guys are the future, not offseason signings to stock up on bottom 6 players, aside from Tootoo of course.

[HankthaTank 1,100]

I still think we squeak in. All that has been said in the negative direction of Cleary and Abby is kind of a fallback excuse but they have been a death sentence to that first line. We will see what Gus can do and I am sure we will see Tarts back up here soon enough. A transaction isn't out of the realm either. I fully expect this team to get Helm back soon and that will instantly bring more sense to all of the lines after. I am sure it has been mentioned but I don't think a lot of people realize how much of loss Helmer really is.

[Hiei 192]

2006: Edmonton gets to the finals as a #8 seed.

2010: #7 and #8 Philly/Montreal made the ECF.

2012: #8 (underacheiving) LA wins the cup by BOWLING through seeds 1, 2, and 3.

What if fans stopped believing?

History will be made.

[WINGS & FLOW 25]

Making the playoffs will do the exact opposite for the young guys. Babcock will go with the "experience" over the young legs that would carry us to the 2nd round. While i'd love to see the Wings in the playoffs, it may be a wake up call that we're all seeing that our young guys are the future, not offseason signings to stock up on bottom 6 players, aside from Tootoo of course.

So your telling me you can see the future and know what Babs will do? What happens if there are injurys? trades?

Next time you have your crystal ball out let us know the out come of the games so I can call Vegas

[akustyk 84]

as of now this team seems to be coached to the max and playing very decent as a team. they have a good chance to make the playoffs, no doubt about it in my mind.

having said that... there's a lot of salary cap space and obvious shortage of pure talent on this team. if Holland decides to pull the trigger soon enough this team, when healthy, might as well get through 2 playoff rounds...

the point is that if the Wings are going East next season, they'll likely be slightly retooled to fit better to the style of play in the East. so this might be a good moment to just tank the season and grab a high draft pick...

[Guest Johnz96]

as of now this team seems to be coached to the max and playing very decent as a team. they have a good chance to make the playoffs, no doubt about it in my mind.

having said that... there's a lot of salary cap space and obvious shortage of pure talent on this team. if Holland decides to pull the trigger soon enough this team, when healthy, might as well get through 2 playoff rounds...

the point is that if the Wings are going East next season, they'll likely be slightly retooled to fit better to the style of play in the East. so this might be a good moment to just tank the season and grab a high draft pick...

This team is coached to the min

[evilzyme 769]

This team is coached to the min

To what Babcock has done with this team and their injuries, is beyond impressive. Replace Babcock with any coach available right now, and we would be a lot worst looking right now. Hell, even try to replace him with an "elite" coach by your standards, which Babcock is. People forget, this guy knows how to run a team, not just the Red Wings. He's one the few coaches that belong to the elite trio club winning a cup; WC; and Olympic gold. From a coaching standpoint, he has the experience and he knows how to win. We can sit here behind our computers all day, spew comments thinking we're the most intelligent people but we're not, otherwise we would be coaching right now. We simply comment from the outside, we have ZERO idea how the locker room is, personalities, how the airplane trips are, whos fighting with who. They're real people, they have the same problems as we do. I'm sure it isn't all cherries within that locker room because frankly, i've never been in a locker room where exactly everyone got along. If anything, I would continue to question the work ethic of the team, not what Babcock is doing. We all want youth, and that's great, but we can't field the Grand Rapids Griffins and expect to magically get to the 2nd round. They're in the AHL for a reason, to develop and get more ice-time than they would in the show. Look at RNH, because he's too young, and now he got moved to the first line center, he's getting DESTROYED. He can't do ANYTHING. He's just too small, he needs more sheltered minutes going against less skilled players. If you think some random call-ups from GRR is going to magically run the 1st line and give teams top pairings trouble.. you're wrong. We're starting to get within the hardest part of our schedule, against some of the top teams, we can't field a young inexperienced team and hope for the best, it just won't work. The influx of veteran appeal and youth is the way to go, and that's exactly why Tatar isn't playing while Nyquist also is up.

I suck at copying and pasting charts blah.

I think I got everyone, but you guys can look over it. I considered Abby and Miller "veteran" to the team, so I placed them over there. If you moved them over to the youth category it would've evened out even more, and adding Tatar would've bumped out another vet, which would've basically put more youth than veterans.

Edited March 13, 2013 by evilzyme

[rrasco 1,312]

Great, I guess you like first round exits.Well the Wings have a special going on this right now...comes with a side of molasses that Dan Cleary puts in his skates before every game.

Would you rather they missed the playoffs all together? I don't see how that is beneficial to anyone. You can't win the tournament if you're not in it. In that case, maybe the Wings should just move to the A. That way we can at least play for the Cup. Oh, yeah, not that cup, the other one.

[Euro_Twins 4,475]

2006: Edmonton gets to the finals as a #8 seed.

2010: #7 and #8 Philly/Montreal made the ECF.

2012: #8 (underacheiving) LA wins the cup by BOWLING through seeds 1, 2, and 3.

What if fans stopped believing?

History will be made.

this gave me chills

you should throw in: what if the wings had traded Yzerman in 1995...

[Vladifan 680]

Great, I guess you like first round exits.Well the Wings have a special going on this right now...comes with a side of molasses that Dan Cleary puts in his skates before every game.

I'd love to think the Wings could make it farther than I think they can. I'd be thrilled to be wrong on that one. As for Cleary, he's a warrior. He puts all of what he knows and can handle into a game. I truly believe he plays pretty much to the limit of his talent and I love him for who he is. He works his ass off out there. Abdelkader on the other hand, can do better and doesn't. Meanwhile, even Datsyuk makes some bizarre (and/or blind) passes and screws up the offense.

[Red Crazy 201]

I think they will sneak in. I do think that Bert and Sammy are done for this year. If either do make it back it will be for the playoffs who wants guys that have been on the shelf that long to be on the ice in the post season? When Helm comes back next week either Andersson or Gus will be sent down because thats what Babcock does. He plays experience over talent at every opportunity. Proven with the 8-13-11 line.

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

2006: Edmonton gets to the finals as a #8 seed.

2010: #7 and #8 Philly/Montreal made the ECF.

2012: #8 (underacheiving) LA wins the cup by BOWLING through seeds 1, 2, and 3.

What if fans stopped believing?

History will be made.

For the millionth time, those teams had a makeup totally different than ours, and played a different style of hockey.

We won't outwork anybody in a 7 game series. That's not what our strength is.

Edited March 13, 2013 by GMRwings1983

[amato 3,210]

Believers may only apply. Here's to another year of playoff hockey and rooting on the team we know and love

Yes.

[wingslogo19 281]

Let's Go Red Wings!!

[KATIEBARTHEDOOR24 426]

To the O.P.>>> YESSSS!!!!!

GO WINGS!!!!

[Shaman 713]

2006: Edmonton gets to the finals as a #8 seed.

2010: #7 and #8 Philly/Montreal made the ECF.

2012: #8 (underacheiving) LA wins the cup by BOWLING through seeds 1, 2, and 3.

What if fans stopped believing?

History will be made.

Those teams for the most part were hard working teams with hot goalies. Nothing against Howard or the Skaters, but those teams as was pointed out all shared a certain makeup that Detroit doesn't have.

[Tr!PoD#19 524]

Well recover from some annoying injuries and rebound nicely as the 4th seed.

We won't catch the Blackhawks or Ducks, and the Kings are clearly better than us. How do you figure?