gdt 1/16 GDT : Red Wings 0 at Rangers 1

[Guest mjtm77]

We played well but are roster is too injured. It's reality. It sucks. It is not an excuse. We played well today Great effort all around

[joesuffP 1,746]

One of the best games I've ever seen Howard play

[frankgrimes 1,836]

We played well but are roster is too injured. It's reality. It sucks. It is not an excuse. We played well today Great effort all around

Nope it's an excuse, other teams are having / had very significant injuries too, i.e Backes, Weber !, Malkin, Bolland, Gaborik Stamkos ... good teams are finding ways to win it's that simple. And even healthy this just isn't a good club right now (2 stars, a rookie playing great in DD and solid goaltending) but man the D, second line + bottom 6 is a mess.

The good thing is, more and more people are now seeing that the East is a whole different beast and some huge adjustments have to happen in the offseason, if Holland doesn't want to do it, let someone else run the ship and he should just move up as an VP of hockey operations.

Without Howy playing stellar this would have been another blowout and now with LAK, St. Louis and the Hawks coming up things are getting tougher.

[Dave 324]

Nope it's an excuse, other teams are having / had very significant injuries too, i.e Backes, Weber !, Malkin, Bolland, Gaborik Stamkos ... good teams are finding ways to win it's that simple. And even healthy this just isn't a good club right now (2 stars, a rookie playing great in DD and solid goaltending) but man the D, second line + bottom 6 is a mess.

The good thing is, more and more people are now seeing that the East is a whole different beast and some huge adjustments have to happen in the offseason, if Holland doesn't want to do it, let someone else run the ship and he should just move up as an VP of hockey operations.

Without Howy playing stellar this would have been another blowout and now with LAK, St. Louis and the Hawks coming up things are getting tougher.

The east isn't as good of a conference as the west. Stop trying to claim otherwise. The east isn't filled with "tougher" teams either, so don't play that card.

Also, the Wings have 66% of their top 6 out. Their #2 D man is out. You can't compare a Stamkos injury to having 7 of your regulars out of the lineup.

[number9 3,297]

The east isn't as good of a conference as the west. Stop trying to claim otherwise. The east isn't filled with "tougher" teams either, so don't play that card.

Also, the Wings have 66% of their top 6 out. Their #2 D man is out. You can't compare a Stamkos injury to having 7 of your regulars out of the lineup.

Agreed. We are not the most among man games lost. But we are the most among crucial players lost, especially at one time. we've paid the devil for too long.

[frankgrimes 1,836]

The east isn't as good of a conference as the west. Stop trying to claim otherwise. The east isn't filled with "tougher" teams either, so don't play that card.

Also, the Wings have 66% of their top 6 out. Their #2 D man is out. You can't compare a Stamkos injury to having 7 of your regulars out of the lineup.

Nope I'm not stopping to claim otherwise, it's my opinion and I'm just like you entitled to it. The east is a different beast, the West may be better but that doesn't mean anything right now, because DRW playing the East = built the roster for the east.

So what? Even healthy they couldn't score a lot of goals and even Babcock was quoted saying, that nowadays he is happy if this team can score 3 goals, he considers that a very good night. Yes, injuries do hurt and are making things more difficult but they are also part of the game and I really hope Holland doesn't play the injury card if the streak ends...

At the end of the day with a new arena coming up, a lot of work needs to be done in order to have people on the edge of their seat again. I'm not pessimistic I'm just realistic

Edited January 17, 2014 by frankgrimes

[nawein 324]

Nope I'm not stopping to claim otherwise, it's my opinion and I'm just like you entitled to it. The east is a different beast, the West may be better but that doesn't mean anything right now, because DRW playing the East = built the roster for the east.

So what? Even healthy they couldn't score a lot of goals and even Babcock was quoted saying, that nowadays he is happy if this team can score 3 goals, he considers that a very good night. Yes, injuries do hurt and are making things more difficult but they are also part of the game and I really hope Holland doesn't play the injury card if the streak ends...

At the end of the day with a new arena coming up, a lot of work needs to be done in order to have people on the edge of their seat again. I'm not pessimistic I'm just realistic

From November 21st to December 6th our roster was *mostly* healthy. In that time we went 6-2-0 while scoring 30 goals in 8 games. This healthy roster is better than a lot of people give it credit for being, especially if Weiss figures it out.

Also currently out we have 7 players. Datsyuk, Alfie, Helm, Franzen, Weiss, E, and Gustavsson. Correct me if I forgot anyone, it's early. For arguments sake and since you made the point of other teams winning with key injuries, I want to equate that to the Penguins.

Datsyuk = Malkin

Franzen = Neal

Alfie = Kunitz

E = Martin

Weiss = I don't know... Jokinen

Gus = Vokoun

Helm = Dupuis (with the way Helm was playing offensively this year)

So. The Penguin can win with a key injury. But can they win with 6? Sure they would probably still be doing better than us, but I guarantee they would be losing more games than they win. So no, it's really not an excuse. It is reality that, with the number of quality players out that we have, any team would be doing poorly.

[amato 3,210]

1. We need our offense back

2.I'm disappointed they couldn't pull it off but, what a goalie battle.. rags won off a lucky goal and both teams had their fair share of chances. This was one of the more exciting 1-0 games I've ever seen.. even if we were on the wrong end of it.

3. Ozzie is a decent aannouncer but he needs to learn when to shut up..

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

This is only the second time the Club has been beaten in consecutive games by a one-goal shutout and the first time since 11/11 and 13/11/1954.

[GoWings! 179]

Ironic. The very rare few times this year that Howard earns the salary and we are hideous on offense. I know everyone loves "King" Henrik but he was not amazing by any standard. He made key saves when he had to. We got a few good chances but our offense was nothing special last night. Howard made much bigger saves and faced more quality shots and although that goal was pitiful, someone should have played with some snarl and knocked Zuccarello on his ass like real defensemen do professionally.

This team needs to be 100% healthy to make the playoffs and how often do we play with the lineup we are supposed to be icing? Not often. Allowing all these shots on goal is the norm lately. The Rangers announcers were speaking about how un-red wing-like allowing 40-50 shots a game it is. Sad thing is it really isn't anymore. I'm not giving up because, when healthy, they can still be a force but it looks like another "pray we get healthy and claw our way back into contention." This time in the mighty Eastern Conference.

Ps...There are no words to describe the waste of crucial ice space we lose with guys like Cleary, Quincey, Samuelsson, Bertuzzi and Kindl. Kindl gets tossed around like he's the size of Martin St. Louis and every other guy he's up against looks as big as Chara. Bertuzzi had 2 odd man rushes and couldn't find a way to pass to two wide open players. As for the other 3, I can't even mention their names without laughing.

Edited January 17, 2014 by GoWings!

[amato 3,210]

This is only the second time the Club has been beaten in consecutive games by a one-goal shutout and the first time since 11/11 and 13/11/1954.

and we won the cup that year!! it must be a sign. LGW

[GoalieManPat 1,007]

3. Ozzie is a decent aannouncer but he needs to learn when to shut up..

Ill disagree with that 100% right there. I dont think hes even decent. Repeats the same thing over and over and doesnt have the voice to be an announcer. It was painfull last night listening to Ozzie. I even mentioned it during the game in this thread. He really needs to stick to the between periods analysis where he says his peace and then we don't hear him for another 45 minutes. I think hes quite a bit better in that position.

Edited January 17, 2014 by GoalieManPat

[RedWingsRox 614]

We are officially in a free fall ....

Why couldn't the hockey gods put us in the metropolitan division? ... actually, even that wouldn't help right now, we'd still be outside looking in.

[Wing-in-avs-town 123]

The injury excuse is getting old fast, this just isn't a very good hockeyclub and other teamd are having injuries too. Assuming the club would still be in the west they'd be already six points behind in the standings. At the end of the day at least Holland and Babcock are getting a lot of answers for next season and hopefully reshape this team in a lot of ways.

Don't know if any other team is missing all 4 of their starting centers. Injuries are a HUGE factor in the status of this team. Not an excuse, just a fact.

[amato 3,210]

Ill disagree with that 100% right there. I dont think hes even decent. Repeats the same thing over and over and doesnt have the voice to be an announcer. It was painfull last night listening to Ozzie. I even mentioned it during the game in this thread. He really needs to stick to the between periods analysis where he says his peace and then we don't hear him for another 45 minutes. I think hes quite a bit better in that position.

i agree, he's much better in the studio.... but I didn't really have a problem with him during the game (other than the rambling).

seemed a lot of times he had something okay to add to the play but then went on three times longer overexplaining himself..

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

and we won the cup that year!! it must be a sign. LGW

That was a great team: they finished the season with a nine-game winning streak and a twelve-game unbeaten streak ('member those?), one of them being the "Richard Riot" game. At home, they finished with a five-game winning streak and an eighteen-game unbeaten streak. Away, they finished with a four-game winning streak and a six-game unbeaten streak. In the final two games, Montreal lead Detroit in the race for first overall and only needed one point to clinch in their last two games v. Detroit. That didn't happen, as Detroit won both games and their seventh consecutive Prince of Wales Trophy as League Champions, a record that will never be broken.

Three one-goal shutout losses after the first forty-seven games ties with 1928-29 and 1954-55.

Three one-goal shutout losses is also the Club record in a season, tied with 1928-29, 1954-55, 1969-79 and 2002-03.

[joesuffP 1,746]

I wouldn't call Helm a key injury. We've been playing without him for 3 years

[dat's sick 1,002]

I wouldn't call Helm a key injury. We've been playing without him for 3 years

We haven't been very good in 3 years... when everyone except him is healthy we're a good team. With him, we're a great team. That's my opinion at least, I hope he moves past these injuries and stays healthy. Olympic break might be good for him.

[frankgrimes 1,836]

From November 21st to December 6th our roster was *mostly* healthy. In that time we went 6-2-0 while scoring 30 goals in 8 games. This healthy roster is better than a lot of people give it credit for being, especially if Weiss figures it out.

Also currently out we have 7 players. Datsyuk, Alfie, Helm, Franzen, Weiss, E, and Gustavsson. Correct me if I forgot anyone, it's early. For arguments sake and since you made the point of other teams winning with key injuries, I want to equate that to the Penguins.

Datsyuk = Malkin

Franzen = Neal

Alfie = Kunitz

E = Martin

Weiss = I don't know... Jokinen

Gus = Vokoun

Helm = Dupuis (with the way Helm was playing offensively this year)

So. The Penguin can win with a key injury. But can they win with 6? Sure they would probably still be doing better than us, but I guarantee they would be losing more games than they win. So no, it's really not an excuse. It is reality that, with the number of quality players out that we have, any team would be doing poorly.

Well Nealnis better than Mule, Kunitz better than Alfie, Malkin >Pasha they've also had Letang out and still managed to be competitive.

Back when the roster was healthy, people were saying give it time they need chemistry, need to learn how to play in the east stuff like that but if it clicks...watch out. For a team that still wants to play a puck possession style the offense has been very undwhelming so far.

The truth is at this point every team is going through bums and bruises, but good teams are finding ways to win even with injuries. Sadly if they aren't getting it together, they might find themselves further down in the standings injuries or not, the ones playing need to step it up.

[amato 3,210]

I wouldn't call Helm a key injury. We've been playing without him for 3 years

he's a key injury not because we've always had him playing.. but because helm is a difference maker on the ice.

[Hey man nice shot! 144]

Good energy game.

[Euro_Twins 4,475]

We haven't been very good in 3 years... when everyone except him is healthy we're a good team. With him, we're a great team. That's my opinion at least, I hope he moves past these injuries and stays healthy. Olympic break might be good for him.

While I don't generally like to bash helm, he has had two seasons of Olympic breaks. I don't know how he just keeps getting hurt, but by this rate he won't make it to 30