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Richdg

Seasons half way, thoughts?

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I don't see us going far in the playoffs, but I sure would like to at least MAKE the playoffs to keep the streak going.

We don't want it to look like we can't handle the East after dominating the West for so long.

If the playoffs started today, we'd have a Wild Card slot.

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Not having Helm, Ericsson, DeKeyser and Franzen are big losses to this team, no matter what your opinion of Franzen might be.

Three injuries to DD in basically less than a season's worth of hockey. Anyone worried he may have durability issues? Or will he pull a Matthew Stafford and overcome early injuries to play injury free for years to come?

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Three injuries to DD in basically less than a season's worth of hockey. Anyone worried he may have durability issues? Or will he pull a Matthew Stafford and overcome early injuries to play injury free for years to come?

I'm concerned.

But he's so young, once he packs on the weight that goes with his hockey sense I'm praying hell be fine.

All the talent in the world, just can't stay on the ice.

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Starting to wonder if firing Babcock is the only option left? I mean, we have seen the young guys come up through the MASSIVE amount of injuries. They haven't produced anything different than the regulars really, and Holland doesn't look like he is trading anyone away...

Is this all that can be done?

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Three injuries to DD in basically less than a season's worth of hockey. Anyone worried he may have durability issues? Or will he pull a Matthew Stafford and overcome early injuries to play injury free for years to come?

I'm worried our team sucks at training and preparing themselves physically, hence the constant injuries they deal with every season.

Maybe their Gatorade is spiked with something that makes the bones weaker.

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I'm worried our team sucks at training and preparing themselves physically, hence the constant injuries they deal with every season.

Maybe their Gatorade is spiked with something that makes the bones weaker.

Osteoporosis? Is someone spiking their Gatorade with osteoporosis?

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no excuses this team needs to get better when all the injuries do surcease than what? I hate to say it but when we did have almost everyone we still didn't dominate its our chemistery or lack of

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Guest DeGraa55

We are mediocre and we'll be lucky if we make it to 7th or 8th spot ... last year redux.

Agreed. Too many let fandom get in the way. Too many think half this team is in their prime years and not well past them.

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We are mediocre and we'll be lucky if we make it to 7th or 8th spot ... last year redux.

Didn't expect anything differently, so I'm not surprised although I hope Holland is using this season (no matter the outcome) as an opportunity to modify this ship in the off-season. Start with the bottom 6 a create a fourth line that is going to cause havoc, add some young guys and let 80 % of the vets walk an DON'T sign new ones unless they are top guys (top 6 scorer or top 4 d).

Sadly, from what I've read this is not a deep draft and the drop off might start after Reinhart and Ekblad if true, I don't think they'll find a gem like Mantha again.

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Starting to wonder if firing Babcock is the only option left? I mean, we have seen the young guys come up through the MASSIVE amount of injuries. They haven't produced anything different than the regulars really, and Holland doesn't look like he is trading anyone away...

Is this all that can be done?

That is nuts. We aren't the Leafs. Every team has rough patches, and ours has been the last 2 seasons. Hell, the fact that we overachieved at the end of last season has probably raised everyone's expectations to the fact that we could probably go on to achieve bigger and better things. Babcock is arguably the best coach in the NHL currently, and it was evident from what they showed inside the locker room of the Wings on 24/7 that he still has the attention and ears of the players. Unlike said Leafs, who seem to take Carlyle's F bombs and constant barrage and throw it out the door.

The answer here is patience. It is easy to sit here and say let's fire the coach. But realistically, what does that actually achieve? Right now this team hasn't established any kind of consistency because of injuries and a few front office errors. I don't see how canning the coach will help achieve that. But, I truly believe that we have a good future ahead of us and some exciting prospects should make it a hell of a lot of fun around here soon (see Nyqvist, Tatar, Mrazek, DeKeyser, Jurco, Mantha etc etc). We still have a couple of the best players in the world (arguably) and every team goes through ups and downs.

Yes it would be devastating for the Wings to not be playing in May, but is it the end of the world if they don't? I love this team as much as anyone, but if missing the playoffs is the lesson the KH and MB need to realise that they should drop the past it veterans on the Wings and go with the youth, then that's fine. (I'm hoping of course, that they won't need this to happen before they figure that out). We've had an incredible and unprecedented amount of success following this club. So please, don't let a little rough patch persuade everyone that we need to clean out the closet.

Edited by wings4thecup06

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That is nuts. We aren't the Leafs. Every team has rough patches, and ours has been the last 2 seasons. Hell, the fact that we overachieved at the end of last season has probably raised everyone's expectations to the fact that we could probably go on to achieve bigger and better things. Babcock is arguably the best coach in the NHL currently, and it was evident from what they showed inside the locker room of the Wings on 24/7 that he still has the attention and ears of the players. Unlike said Leafs, who seem to take Carlyle's F bombs and constant barrage and throw it out the door.

The answer here is patience. It is easy to sit here and say let's fire the coach. But realistically, what does that actually achieve? Right now this team hasn't established any kind of consistency because of injuries and a few front office errors. I don't see how canning the coach will help achieve that. But, I truly believe that we have a good future ahead of us and some exciting prospects should make it a hell of a lot of fun around here soon (see Nyqvist, Tatar, Mrazek, DeKeyser, Jurco, Mantha etc etc). We still have a couple of the best players in the world (arguably) and every team goes through ups and downs.

Yes it would be devastating for the Wings to not be playing in May, but is it the end of the world if they don't? I love this team as much as anyone, but if missing the playoffs is the lesson the KH and MB need to realise that they should drop the past it veterans on the Wings and go with the youth, then that's fine. (I'm hoping of course, that they won't need this to happen before they figure that out). We've had an incredible and unprecedented amount of success following this club. So please, don't let a little rough patch persuade everyone that we need to clean out the closet.

Good post!

Really, a successful season for me....we make the playoffs and not break our streak and the Hawks DO NOT win the Cup.

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Good post!

Really, a successful season for me....we make the playoffs and not break our streak and the Hawks DO NOT win the Cup.

That's sad, because after last season ended, nobody would have said the result you just wrote is a successful 2014 season.

We should do Alfredsson a favor and trade him to a real contender. He can still contribute for a year or two to a good team with top linemates. Maybe we can get something in return for the future.

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2 years is not "a little rough patch". That's a long time. Yes, there has been a lot to overcome--the loss of 3 top defensemen in 2 years, a ton of injuries, some bad contracts, etc. This is a team in transition, a transition that is going to take a couple more years.

Plenty of good or great coaches get fired. If Babcock is to be fired, it will not be because he is a bad coach. It would be because the time for change will have come.

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2 years is not "a little rough patch". That's a long time. Yes, there has been a lot to overcome--the loss of 3 top defensemen in 2 years, a ton of injuries, some bad contracts, etc. This is a team in transition, a transition that is going to take a couple more years.

Plenty of good or great coaches get fired. If Babcock is to be fired, it will not be because he is a bad coach. It would be because the time for change will have come.

While that may be true, I believe it most certainly isn't the time for change. Most teams would crumble at those losses you have pointed out. I don't see the Wings crumbling anytime soon.

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I'm normally one of the cooler heads even come playoff time but right now I am more than a little worried. We faithful keep saying if we can just get healthy but more more than a couple months that mantra doesn't work normally (Unless you are Scotty Bowman in which case it all works no matter how odd) and for once I would make a deal not just to shake things up but to let the guys not named Kronwall, Zetterberg, Alfredsson and Datsyuk (and Goose and Tatar) you're not doing enough. Bring someone in and show the four plus two I named and tell them "You're getting some help, now lead the kids and Cleary and Franzen on to victory. Those last two you might have to kick."

Maybe this all clicks together after the Olympics like it did in 2002 or doesn't like after 2006 and 2010. I'd still be ready to ship a couple for one.

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I'm normally one of the cooler heads even come playoff time but right now I am more than a little worried. We faithful keep saying if we can just get healthy but more more than a couple months that mantra doesn't work normally (Unless you are Scotty Bowman in which case it all works no matter how odd) and for once I would make a deal not just to shake things up but to let the guys not named Kronwall, Zetterberg, Alfredsson and Datsyuk (and Goose and Tatar) you're not doing enough. Bring someone in and show the four plus two I named and tell them "You're getting some help, now lead the kids and Cleary and Franzen on to victory. Those last two you might have to kick."

Maybe this all clicks together after the Olympics like it did in 2002 or doesn't like after 2006 and 2010. I'd still be ready to ship a couple for one.

I thought we went on a massive tear after the Olympics in 2010 to make the playoffs?

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That is nuts. We aren't the Leafs. Every team has rough patches, and ours has been the last 2 seasons. Hell, the fact that we overachieved at the end of last season has probably raised everyone's expectations to the fact that we could probably go on to achieve bigger and better things. Babcock is arguably the best coach in the NHL currently, and it was evident from what they showed inside the locker room of the Wings on 24/7 that he still has the attention and ears of the players. Unlike said Leafs, who seem to take Carlyle's F bombs and constant barrage and throw it out the door.

The answer here is patience. It is easy to sit here and say let's fire the coach. But realistically, what does that actually achieve? Right now this team hasn't established any kind of consistency because of injuries and a few front office errors. I don't see how canning the coach will help achieve that. But, I truly believe that we have a good future ahead of us and some exciting prospects should make it a hell of a lot of fun around here soon (see Nyqvist, Tatar, Mrazek, DeKeyser, Jurco, Mantha etc etc). We still have a couple of the best players in the world (arguably) and every team goes through ups and downs.

Yes it would be devastating for the Wings to not be playing in May, but is it the end of the world if they don't? I love this team as much as anyone, but if missing the playoffs is the lesson the KH and MB need to realise that they should drop the past it veterans on the Wings and go with the youth, then that's fine. (I'm hoping of course, that they won't need this to happen before they figure that out). We've had an incredible and unprecedented amount of success following this club. So please, don't let a little rough patch persuade everyone that we need to clean out the closet.

Babcock still having their ear is irrelevant. Last year was a goddamn MIRACLE. At the 3/4 mark of the lockout shortened season if I said we would squeak in and make a run would you have believed me? If so, then you are more optimistic than any fan I know. Two years is to long for the DETROIT RED WINGS, especially considering we DO have the talent. You mention all these things but I don't see them turning it around any time soon.

I ask about firing Babcock, because that's what most teams do to shake things up. NOBODY demotes a player, rarely do you see a GM fired mid-season. Is it true that we have a ton of injuries? Of course, but GREAT teams like Pittsburgh, Chicago, St. Louis, Boston, San Jose and Anahiem who have similar problems keep winning! Why can't we? Is it leadership? Veterans not taking the puck and rolling with it? Coaches not coaching? Lower lines not producing?

I guess by your thought process, you tell me?

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Kenny is falling into the middle of the pack too. Some really bad decisions as of late to give Babcock crap to work with.

Eg. we have got to stop wasting $$ and cap space on dead wood like Cleary, Samuelsson, Bertuzzi,

And Kenny has got to do better with free agent signings ... Weiss, Quincey are not cutting it.

Give the young kids who are hungry some more ice time.

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Guest DeGraa55

I think having an old broken down team....the Olympics won't help. It'll just be more wear and tear in guys like DAT z Alfie etc etc.

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I feel about our game always the same way. It doesn’t matter whether some players are injured or everyone is fit. It always makes me sick.


We’ve always been the slow ones, ones with no energy and no skill. We don’t have any kind of system. Any time we win, we can thank our opponents for playing significantly worse. We never enter the game leading it where we want to. So don’t tell me it’s all because of players, injured or not. allways same - injired or not

Edited by Cloune

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Final analysis, trade Nyquist + 1st for quality top six winger with size. Trade appropriately valued prospect and/or Kindl for Dmitri Kulikov. Win cup.

(implied: clear cap space by trading various bottom end guys at the deadline for peanuts. Literally anybody can go so long as we clear space).

Edited by kipwinger

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Kenny is falling into the middle of the pack too. Some really bad decisions as of late to give Babcock crap to work with.

Eg. we have got to stop wasting $$ and cap space on dead wood like Cleary, Samuelsson, Bertuzzi,

And Kenny has got to do better with free agent signings ... Weiss, Quincey are not cutting it.

Give the young kids who are hungry some more ice time.

I'm still wondering, is there really nobody on GR who could replace Quincey ?

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Guest mjtm77

I'm still wondering, is there really nobody on GR who could replace Quincey ?

I am wondering if you know anything about hockey management

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