'Detroit's Dark Horse Potential'

[Dabura 12,232]

An interesting Wings piece by Sam Hitchcock of Intelligent Hockey:

Detroit's Dark Horse Potential

Thoughts?

[MabusIncarnate 5,359]

I'm generally the optimist fan, always in high spirits, confident, and faithful in this team. I gotta say, watching all the games this season, I believe the offense can get the job done if we are entirely healthy.

The defense... without adding at least one more impact defender, ideally a top 2, It's hard for me to visualize a deep run in the playoffs this year. We have too many average defenders that make average defender mistakes that prove to be costly in playoffs as we saw in the series against Chicago last year.

If we can land one more good/great defenseman, the sky is the limit once playoffs start and who knows what can happen. As it sits now it's very hard for me to remain confident.

[DickieDunn 2,571]

Assuming everyone is healthy and they make the playoffs, they'll a hell of a lineup. That 4th D spot is the only worry I have. If they can flip a pick and a prospect for help there, they can absolutely make a run.

[Guest Playmaker]

Anything is possible....just not probable.

[RyanBarnes! 293]

Maybe, but I still consider offense to be the achilles heel of this team. Speed has improved with the additions of the kids but size is still a concern. I'm not convinced they can get it done in a more physical and defensive minded playoff series.

[GoWings1905 2,694]

I think the potential is certainly there. You could easily argue this version of the Wings (if mostly healthy) is superior to the one that defeated the second seed in the West and took the champs to OT of Game 7. There have been signs of that during the regular season, but between injuries and inconsistent play, they just haven't put it all together for stretches yet.

I have very little reservations anymore about the offense. It's balanced, deep and contains speed with the young guys around. Weiss and Franzen returning could bolster them even more, though that may come at the expense of the kids unfortunately. I wouldn't mind another 'heavy' body to forecheck hard and go to tough areas of the ice, but the Wings have really lacked this since Dallas Drake retired and Cleary quickly deteriorated physically.

The defense scares me. I don't think it's anywhere good enough to propel the Red Wings to championship contention. Kronner, E and DD are fine. Lashoff is solid as a #6. The problem is having Quincey, Kindl and Smith all being incapable to this point of being a #4 even. My biggest wish is a puck-moving d-man that will chip in offensively and isn't a nightmare defensively either like those three are most nights. I can live with Smith and Lashoff as the third pairing. However, they have to upgrade from Kyle Quincey being relied on so heavily. It's a shame Kindl has regressed again after showing a major leap in development a year ago.

[SDavis35 140]

We certainly have potential. You never know what can happen if you ride a hot goaltender and have goals from unlikely sources. We've played many one-goal games this year, especially without Zetterberg or Datsyuk (or both in some cases), but we lost the majority of those. If we get bounces in our favour during playoffs, we might pull out an upset, or more.

[frankgrimes 1,836]

The thing is, once you are in every team has a 1/16 chance to win Lord Stanley but at the end of the day, there are the top tier teams (LA, St. Louis, Chicago, Boston, Pittsburgh..) and then there are the behind the pack ones. Without adding some size and grit to the defense (top 4 guy) this team will have to fight in order to make the playoffs so let's not get over ourselves here, this team is the definition of streaky, the can go on some winning streaks and follow that up with enormous losing streaks, in playoff language that could mean: 2 wins and 4 desasterous games = out.

Personally all I want to see is the team playing hard and giving it their all. Tatar, Nyquist, Dekeyser and Shehan have made this team much more watch and enjoyable but none the less defense needs help.

[Gusto 45]

The defense scares me. I don't think it's anywhere good enough to propel the Red Wings to championship contention. Kronner, E and DD are fine. Lashoff is solid as a #6. The problem is having Quincey, Kindl and Smith all being incapable to this point of being a #4 even. My biggest wish is a puck-moving d-man that will chip in offensively and isn't a nightmare defensively either like those three are most nights. I can live with Smith and Lashoff as the third pairing. However, they have to upgrade from Kyle Quincey being relied on so heavily. It's a shame Kindl has regressed again after showing a major leap in development a year ago.

The problem is that Kronner, E and DD are NOT fine. It's not like those guys are reliable night in, night out and the other 3 are costing us. Kronwall has gone through a couple weeks of terrible play recently, E was just about the worst defender against Florida and apart from his first game back, has been shaky since his injury, and DD has shown enough times that he's still a rookie since coming back too. What's more Quincey has actually been pretty good over a few games.

Every time I see JoesufP or Dabura bemoan the lack of a top defender after a goal against in a GDT, I wonder "how is this magical defender that we can't afford going to be able to be on the ice at the right time to fill in for whichever of our 6 defenders is going to decide to turd it up on any given night?"

[Dominator2005 558]

We need better D

[wings87 1,290]

While I get the premise of the article I simply don't think you can call a franchise that has made 22 consecutive playoff appearances a dark horse.

[Dabura 12,232]

The problem is that Kronner, E and DD are NOT fine. It's not like those guys are reliable night in, night out and the other 3 are costing us. Kronwall has gone through a couple weeks of terrible play recently, E was just about the worst defender against Florida and apart from his first game back, has been shaky since his injury, and DD has shown enough times that he's still a rookie since coming back too. What's more Quincey has actually been pretty good over a few games.

Every time I see JoesufP or Dabura bemoan the lack of a top defender after a goal against in a GDT, I wonder "how is this magical defender that we can't afford going to be able to be on the ice at the right time to fill in for whichever of our 6 defenders is going to decide to turd it up on any given night?"

Sucks that you had to take a shot at me, because I actually agree with everything you said here. Except the shot at me. If I'm reading you right, your issue is...that I'd like to see us add an elite defenseman? I'm not sure what's wrong with that. Maybe I've given the impression that I think an elite defenseman would magically solve all our problems on the back end and everyone would play like champions every shift of every game. I certainly don't think that. Nor do I think Ken Holland is going to magically pull an elite defenseman out of his ass and clear up the requisite cap space with a wave of his magical wand.

[martinezsvsu 240]

smith needs to be more reliable, he has 94 regular season games so hes not a rookie anymore. kindl and quincey both need to step up too

[martinezsvsu 240]

The problem is that Kronner, E and DD are NOT fine. It's not like those guys are reliable night in, night out and the other 3 are costing us. Kronwall has gone through a couple weeks of terrible play recently, E was just about the worst defender against Florida and apart from his first game back, has been shaky since his injury, and DD has shown enough times that he's still a rookie since coming back too. What's more Quincey has actually been pretty good over a few games.

Every time I see JoesufP or Dabura bemoan the lack of a top defender after a goal against in a GDT, I wonder "how is this magical defender that we can't afford going to be able to be on the ice at the right time to fill in for whichever of our 6 defenders is going to decide to turd it up on any given night?"

kronwall and E have been getting scored on. i did like kronwall and DD together when E was out... wonder if babs would consider that switch.

[puckbags 863]

This lineup up front is scary when we are healthy. The D could use some work..just need to get hot at the right time and we need Jimmy to be last year's Jimmy. I am giddy about the future also, these young kids are something and there is more coming down the pipeline.

[Nev 1,085]

If I'm Pittsburgh, the last team I want to face in the 1st round is a healthy Detroit. Z is Crosbys kryptonite, we can roll 4 good lines, and Howard is easily capable of outplaying a flaky Fleury.

[Guest Playmaker]

I think the special teams are a weakness that will have a big impact on how they do in the playoffs, if they make them.

[Datsyukian-Deke 722]

I'm going to feel bad for the top seeds in the east. Work hard all season to earn a top spot and then have to face a Detroit team that is finally healthy and has loads of playoff experience in the first round. We could easily surprise some people with the depth we have at forward and hopefully picking up a d-man at the trade deadline.

[Dabura 12,232]

I guess Weiss is a pretty big x-factor. If he can be the guy we thought we were getting when we signed him, that's incredibly big for us.

[Dabura 12,232]

If I'm Pittsburgh, the last team I want to face in the 1st round is a healthy Detroit. Z is Crosbys kryptonite, we can roll 4 good lines, and Howard is easily capable of outplaying a flaky Fleury.

On the other hand, if I'm Detroit, the last team I want to face in the 1st round is a healthy Pittsburgh. I fear Crosby and Malkin alone would make short work of our blue line and Fleury would stand on his head because of course he would.

[stillwater 186]

Three-legged horses don't win races. They need to solidify a hold on a playoff spot first.

[Dabura 12,232]

Three-legged horses don't win races.

What about centaurs with three arms who bear a striking resemblance to Kyle Quincey?

[Buppy 1,720]

The problem is that Kronner, E and DD are NOT fine. It's not like those guys are reliable night in, night out and the other 3 are costing us. Kronwall has gone through a couple weeks of terrible play recently, E was just about the worst defender against Florida and apart from his first game back, has been shaky since his injury, and DD has shown enough times that he's still a rookie since coming back too. What's more Quincey has actually been pretty good over a few games.

Every time I see JoesufP or Dabura bemoan the lack of a top defender after a goal against in a GDT, I wonder "how is this magical defender that we can't afford going to be able to be on the ice at the right time to fill in for whichever of our 6 defenders is going to decide to turd it up on any given night?"

They are fine. All defensemen make mistakes. All defensemen get scored on. All defensemen have occasional bad games.

Statistically, our top 3 measure up fairly well compared to the top 3 on the better defensive teams (.9 GA/G on average for the top 3 in average ice time from LA, StL, Bos, and Pit vs ours at .96 GA/G). The 4 and 5 spots, Quincey and Smith, are a significantly bigger difference (.66 vs our .97). Our bottom could use some help too (.53 vs .66).

Adding a top defenseman, especially if it was someone good enough to move Kronwall to the second unit, would certainly help tremendously. Pushing Q to the 3rd pair, with less exposure to top forwards, probably helps that unit as well.

Of course, needing a top defender (especially since we need a guy who's good at both ends) doesn't mean we have the ability to acquire one, or fit one under the cap. But that doesn't mean we wouldn't be very good if we somehow did.

[Richdg 267]

So we have been reduced to "darkhorse" status now...... Great..................

[GoalieManPat 1,007]

Darkhorse teams usually have a strong defense and get lucky with everyone staying healthy. Those are two things this team does not have right now.