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RedWang

GDT: Capitals 4 @ Red Wings 3 (SO)

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7 straight losses at the Joe? Howard hasn't held a lead in over 3 weeks. I like Jimmy too but not when he is consistently non clutch. There are no shootouts in the playoffs and we've lost quite a few overtime games as well. Geez,can't people just admit that the Wings are seriously underperforming here? There's nothing wrong with admitting we aren't good right now. We are all fans here. There's plenty of time to turn the season around,no doubt. We have a negative goal differential and 11 losses technically. These aren't the Red Wings we thought we'd be seeing right now. Babs has to coach this team and I just don't see him as an intense motivating/light a fire under their asses type of coach the past few years. Up 3-1 on the Cup champs was not a fluke. They didn't finish Chicago off and this is still the ongoing trend this year as well. Go for that jugular. Zetts and Pav are still awesome. We can right the ship. Just tough seeing us lose the same exact way for like 3 weeks now. Coach has to sit Jimmy for a while and realize that Samuelsson,Cleary and Bertuzzi should not be getting roster spots over Nyquist.

people need to stop throwing bert in the mix, at the beginning of the season i would have been right there with you, but he has been very good thus far with pav and z

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Another game, and once again, I just don't get this team.

We're basically a quarter of the way in now, and I just don't get how this happened. It's not like they're the worst team out there, obviously. 4th in the conference is what it is. But it's got to be among the ugliest 4th place efforts I've seen, and if things don't improve, I can't imagine us holding on to the position for long. Especially considering that it's beyond clear at this point that roster management has become a bit of a disaster area to say the least.

It's hysterical to me how so many of the classic Holland defenders have tended to rail on other teams for signing certain guys at certain prices, particularly Chicago, and how screwed they'd be by the cap. Yet Chicago just won a Stanley Cup and we're the one's screwed by the cap because we signed too many old and/or mediocre guys.

As I've said ad nauseum in the past, this isn't a team that's going to become terrible overnight so long as Dats and Z are here, but every year they slow down and we fail to bring in serious talent or give our young guys a chance to develop in the big league, it's going to get uglier and uglier. And again, we don't have anyone close to the talent level of Dats or Z coming up in the system, let alone two of them, and we can't seem to bring in guys at that level lately unless they're around 40 years old. Something's got to give with Holland or they need to find someone who's not afraid to make the tough decisions and cut ties with guys, because this slow churn towards mediocrity is only going to intensify as time passes.

Don't kid yourselves; this is a descent roster still with Dats and Z leading it and Alfie's hungry and despite how concerned some are, Howard's going to be fine down the stretch. He's capable. We'll make the playoffs this year, again, no doubt about it, and who knows what can happen then if we get on a role and avoid injuries. But make no mistake, this play we're seeing does not bode well for the long term future of this team. There are a lot of fundamental issues with the way this team is being managed right now and the cracks in the system are becoming ever more clear on the ice.

Hell, I'll say it as simply as I can after watching the last couple seasons and this season thus far: when Datsyuk really slows down and/or decides hangs them up, this team is truly screwed.

Even if Z stays, he'll be less effective as time goes on and even now, he wouldn't be able to carry this team to success without Datsyuk. We can't sign stars and we aren't developing stars, and when so many other stars have been removed without being truly replaced, there's just no way this team will be able to be even remotely as successful as they've been, clumsily or not, when you take a guy like Datsyuk away and leave the load on Zetterberg's fragile back.

I like Dan Cleary. I like Todd Bertuzzi. I like Danielle Alfredsson. (Though I don't like Samuelsson). But like (or dislike...) these guys or not, you're doing the future of this team absolutely no favors building the current team around these guys when you've lost so many core guys over the last few years. On top of that, the current core's ability to really be the core will only last a few more years, if we're lucky, and given Dats and Z's ages, it wouldn't be hard to get unlucky thanks to a freak injury or an ailing back.

So look at these last 20 games, and get used to it, because if things continue as they have the last 4-5 years with management, in 4-5 more years, we'll be lucky if those Wings play as well then as these Wings are playing poorly now.


7 straight losses at the Joe? Howard hasn't held a lead in over 3 weeks. I like Jimmy too but not when he is consistently non clutch. There are no shootouts in the playoffs and we've lost quite a few overtime games as well. Geez,can't people just admit that the Wings are seriously underperforming here? There's nothing wrong with admitting we aren't good right now. We are all fans here. There's plenty of time to turn the season around,no doubt. We have a negative goal differential and 11 losses technically. These aren't the Red Wings we thought we'd be seeing right now. Babs has to coach this team and I just don't see him as an intense motivating/light a fire under their asses type of coach the past few years. Up 3-1 on the Cup champs was not a fluke. They didn't finish Chicago off and this is still the ongoing trend this year as well. Go for that jugular. Zetts and Pav are still awesome. We can right the ship. Just tough seeing us lose the same exact way for like 3 weeks now. Coach has to sit Jimmy for a while and realize that Samuelsson,Cleary and Bertuzzi should not be getting roster spots over Nyquist.

Howard will bounce back. It might get uglier before it gets better, but he's proven that he can play at a high level, and he'll get back there in due time. I have no doubt about it. I get the frustration now, and I'm not trying to make excuses, but I really feel that long term, he's the least of this team's problems.

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people need to stop throwing bert in the mix, at the beginning of the season i would have been right there with you, but he has been very good thus far with pav and z

I think he's playing as well as can be reasonably expected of him at this point, reasonable being the key word there. Of our many older guys that qualify as questionable signings, I think he still may be the one that might prove most important to the team's potential this year. It's a wildcard/gut sort of feeling, but come playoff time, if he's healthy, I think he's going to know that this is his last shot at winning a Cup, and I wouldn't mind having a guy as capable as him on my team with that sort of motivation in the playoffs. It could easily and likely will not work out as idealistically as I see it, but if I had to choose a guy to keep right now out of Cleary, Sammuelsson, Tootoo and Bert, I'd keep Bert.

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Bert seems to disappear when we need him. I don't think he deserves to be on a line with Datsyuk and Zetterberg. He's not playing terrible but I just think we can inject some youth into this team. I'd rather them lose with learning pains then lose with old vets who really don't bring anything to the table and slow the team down.

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This is for all the Jimmy Howard fans out there ha ha Ha ha ha

now that is a elite goalie right there

I can't deny Jimmy isn't playing well right now, that doesn't make him a bad goalie. He was outstanding last season, easily our MVP, carrying us night after night to points we didn't deserve. This season, he isn't playing so well at the minute, but he's gone through rough patches in the past and always come out the other side playing well.

Unlike a host of other players on the roster (Quincey, Cleary, Samuelsson etc), Jimmy is capable of better than he's giving right now.

A healthy Monster will help as it will give Jimmy more games off, and more time in practise to work on his game.

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Despite being 4th there are some concerns going on, at least for me.

Kenny is still thinking his mantra of you want to play for the DetroitRedWings? We are going to pay you fign salary but it won't be your market-value...is still working. Well it is not, this has been a team in transition for how many years now? I thought the season after the last cup-run in 2009 (= 2010) should have been the one to "blow it up a bit". At that point everyone knew the perfect human would only be playing on a year to year contract, so it was either time to find a replacement (can't fault Kenny for Suter going to the Wild) or go young. Kenny did neither,

This is a franchise that has been - let's be honest - hanging on the last few years, as the current core got older and older, retired or flaout left for family reasons they were never replaced. Back when Holmer retired, I felt like o..O well his retirement might hurt the PP more than people think and it turned out to be true. So while the perfect human will and can never be replaced grinders like Holmer or guys like Stuart can and should for sure have been replaced either internally or via UFA signings, so god thanks for Danny K who is also a Michigankid.

Also I am starting to question the draft strategy, nothing wrong with boom or bust picks but personally I would prefer a mixture betweeen the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs drafting style = draft some big bodied saver picks AND some boom or bust not one way or the either. I know I know, it's incredible hard to do and accomplish but if this scouting stuff is as good as everyone thinks, they need to show it again. Mantha, Tatar and McKee were great picks but I would like more guys like big Mäci added to the mix.

Anyway the time to introduce the young players - for better or worse - should have been long ago or at least this season, having them dominate the minors is nice and all bnut at some point a team needs to throw them into the big water and see if they swim there and not be scratched everytime they are makinga mistake, because the veterans need playing time...

Also be to fair, I'm not blaming Howard or monster for any of the losses, the goaltenders have to be play a nearly perfect game all night, if the offense can't produce more than 2 (!) goals in 80 % of the games. When Pasha and Z are having an off night there is nobody to step up offensively, Tatar for sure is working his butt off and trying hard but you can't expect a basically rookie to be as dominate as the only two remaining stars on a questionable roster.

I think, I've said it before but personally I would have no problem with the streak coming to an end but seeing the development of the promising young guns and letting them learn how to become the next core of this team, because the current core isn't going last forever.

If you can't score more than 3 goals against a team with a questionable defense, trouble awaits and no it won't get better, these are the first signs of things to come, if the front office doesn't realize the sad truth and that is........that a rebuild is going to knock on the door faster and faster :( do I like it? no, but it won't be as bad with guys like Tatar, Anderson, Nyquist, DeKeyser, Smith are nice pieces to build around although stars need to be added via UFA.

Just a classy move from Pasha to almost say sorry for the record, I think it's the other way around: thank you Pasha for all the joy you are providing to fans with your magician like skills sadly I wish, the team could reward you with another cup before your contract is up :(

Edited by frankgrimes

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Bert seems to disappear when we need him. I don't think he deserves to be on a line with Datsyuk and Zetterberg. He's not playing terrible but I just think we can inject some youth into this team. I'd rather them lose with learning pains then lose with old vets who really don't bring anything to the table and slow the team down.

Why do you think Pav and Z are doing so well this year? Bert has been making room for them and drawing traffic to the front of the net. I know people have a hard time giving Bert credit on here but he is playing really well. If you want to inject some youth and get rid of the old vets start with ones that are not hurting this team and that are doing their job. Cleary, Mule, and Sammy

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Yeah, Bert is fine. He isn't our star, he doesn't have to score all the time. He's right on par with where he should be with 5 goals.

And he creates space and helps our puck possession. I have zero complaints. He's the kind of veteran that Holland hopes he gets when he signs them.

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This is for all the Jimmy Howard fans out there ha ha Ha ha ha

now that is a elite goalie right there

Typical Detroit fan response. Wings lost so lets blame the goalie. Lets just disregard the fact the bottom two forward lines and bottom half of the D are AHL quality at best. Or that this team cant score in the shootout (come on Ive never seen a goalie have an easier time in the shootout than Holtbys 3 poke checks last night) let alone a clutch goal in OT. Lets just blame the goalie and turn a blind eye to whats really wrong with this team. If you believe Jimmy is the problem you don't know the game. Just conveniently forget that without Howards strong play the Wings would have 6-8 pts less this year so far. Im guessing your one of the people that believe Howard is s*** and the Wings should have Petr as the starter right now. The same Petr Mrazek who is curently being outplayed by Tom FREAKING McCollum in GR this year. Howard is an elite goaltender. He is the only reason the Wings made the playoffs last year and the only reason they got past the first round and took Chicago to 7 games. It doesn't matter how good your goalie is when half your team is s***e there will be nights they make the goalie look bad.

Edited by GoalieManPat

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Typical Detroit fan response. Wings lost so lets blame the goalie. Lets just disregard the fact the bottom two forward lines and bottom half of the D are AHL quality at best. Or that this team cant score in the shootout (come on Ive never seen a goalie have an easier time in the shootout than Holtbys 3 poke checks last night) let alone a clutch goal in OT. Lets just blame the goalie and turn a blind eye to whats really wrong with this team. If you believe Jimmy is the problem you don't know the game. Just conveniently forget that without Howards strong play the Wings would have 6-8 pts less this year so far. Im guessing your one of the people that believe Howard is s*** and the Wings should have Petr as the starter right now. The same Petr Mrazek who is curently being outplayed by Tom FREAKING McCollum in GR this year. Howard is an elite goaltender. He is the only reason the Wings made the playoffs last year and the only reason they got past the first round and took Chicago to 7 games. It doesn't matter how good your goalie is when half your team is s***e there will be nights they make the goalie look bad.

To be fair, Howard has been bad this far. The last 2 games alone he has let in 3 goals because he couldn't stay in his crease. You cannot give an gimmie goals in this league.

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To be fair, Howard has been bad this far. The last 2 games alone he has let in 3 goals because he couldn't stay in his crease. You cannot give an gimmie goals in this league.

By thus far do you mean the whole season or just the last two games? Ill agree hes been less than stellar the last two but to say hes been bad all year is just wrong.

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By thus far do you mean the whole season or just the last two games? Ill agree hes been less than stellar the last two but to say hes been bad all year is just wrong.

I suspect it's hard to play consistent, stellar goal when you know the team in front of you can only generate 2 goals, 3 at best - despite having chances over and over. Speaking of over... turn overs. Please stop that. Only Hasek had the ability to cover for a team to that degree, night after night. Howard is just fine, and not the problem here.

Edited by puckloo39

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By thus far do you mean the whole season or just the last two games? Ill agree hes been less than stellar the last two but to say hes been bad all year is just wrong.

I am not blaming him for everything as the team has been a total disappointment, but he is not playing like a 6 million dollar goalie this year.

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In the League's Modern Conference Era after the first twenty games, this is only the time that the Club's game differential (wins minus regulation losses) has been a plus, while their goal differential (goals scored minus goals allowed) has been a minus...and only the second season all-time! The other season: 1933-34.

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We all know the issues going on so I won't bother to recap. But the team needs to figure out how to tip it that little bit to go from these OT losses to coming away with two points.

It's not a huge gap between them. Eliminating a key mistake or two. Finishing on one more chance. Making one more key save. They can get there.

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With so many veterans in the lineup we should able to protect the lead game after game,right?

Problem is the old fart veterans get to the second period and all they can think about is a cold beer and going to bed.

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