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Jersey Wing

3/26 GDT: Sharks 6 at Red Wings 4

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Maybe - just maybe - our opposition has gotten better?

Are you insinuating that our competition is so much better than last year, that despite a largely healthy lineup all year, and despite growth from key young players (Tatar, Nyquist, Sheahan, Dekeyser), we're no better or worse than we were a year ago with a team full of injured vets and rookies? I don't buy it.

Montreal and Tampa are in roughly the same shape that they were last season (i.e. tops of the division). Boston is worse. Toronto is worse. Buffalo is worse. Florida is better (but beat us each time we played a year ago anyway). And Ottawa the same or slightly better.

I don't see some sea change in the quality of competition within our division. Particularly when we're, across the board, a much better team (if only because of our health and the growth of young players, nevermind our new additions).

And even if all those teams improved dramatically since last year, didn't we? Didn't we hear over and over and over how good our team really was, and how it was only the injuries that were holding us back? Didn't we hear how Babcock dragged us into the playoffs despite an AHL roster, and just wait until next year? Didn't we watch as everyone blamed our shortcomings on Bertuzzi (gone), Cleary (not playing), Sammy (gone), Kindl (rarely plays), Quincey (much bettter)? How aren't we better?

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Maybe the team being healthy is the problem. Their were so many people with injuries that they didn't have to play a whole season and we had a lot of younger guys coming in with energy trying, and managing, to cement a spot on the wings. This year those same players have been good for the most part, Jurco it's not your fault, but they're are as hungry our under pressure as last year

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Maybe the team being healthy is the problem. Their were so many people with injuries that they didn't have to play a whole season and we had a lot of younger guys coming in with energy trying, and managing, to cement a spot on the wings. This year those same players have been good for the most part, Jurco it's not your fault, but they're are as hungry our under pressure as last year

You can't have it both ways. Injuries can't be the reason you're no good one season, and then health the reason you're no good the next.

I mean, I'm all for deconstructing narratives in an attempt to get at the truth, but I think we've got to safely assume that in general its ALWAYS better to be more healthy than less healthy. There may be the occasional exception, but for the most part, the premise "healthy=good" is pretty much a starting point.

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Maybe - just maybe - our opposition has gotten better?

Here's another maybe.

Maybe Holland made a mistake trading for Cole and Zidlicky. As crazy as that sounds because they played well, it maybe upset the team chemistry. Things like that do happen in sports. The team was playing well, we make two lineup changes, and suddenly they're not playing well. Maybe it's coincidence. But it looks like Holland can do no right even when he makes moves.

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Here's another maybe.

Maybe Holland made a mistake trading for Cole and Zidlicky. As crazy as that sounds because they played well, it maybe upset the team chemistry. Things like that do happen in sports. The team was playing well, we make two lineup changes, and suddenly they're not playing well. Maybe it's coincidence. But it looks like Holland can do no right even when he makes moves.

Well I'm going to speculate and suggest that Holland probably didn't acquire those guys expecting them to be utilized the way they have been. But that 's just me.

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Here's another maybe.

Maybe Holland made a mistake trading for Cole and Zidlicky. As crazy as that sounds because they played well, it maybe upset the team chemistry. Things like that do happen in sports. The team was playing well, we make two lineup changes, and suddenly they're not playing well. Maybe it's coincidence. But it looks like Holland can do no right even when he makes moves.

You know, there might be something to that. Because since day 1 when we acquired both these guys, despite how well they've played, the team hasn't clicked. Either that or the entire team relaxed a little because they saw their GM getting them reinforcements.

Either way I still think we'll be fine and turn it around in time. But it's a little distressing to see this close to the playoffs.

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Well I'm going to speculate and suggest that Holland probably didn't acquire those guys expecting them to be utilized the way they have been. But that 's just me.

How have they been utilized improperly? Cole has been playing on the top lines and Zidlicky has gotten plenty of power play time. Holland has probably gotten what he wanted from those players, but the team has fallen apart.

I guess sometimes a GM has to have 20/20 hindsight, which is what separates them from fans.

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How have they been utilized improperly? Cole has been playing on the top lines and Zidlicky has gotten plenty of power play time. Holland has probably gotten what he wanted from those players, but the team has fallen apart.

I guess sometimes a GM has to have 20/20 hindsight, which is what separates them from fans.

Well I wouldn't put Zidlicky with Smith and I wouldn't put Cole with Abby. To me those guys are too similar to play together. I don't really think it's the most efficient allocation of resources.

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Judging from the highlights the Sharks weren't that much better the Wings really sucked. There were 2 good saves one by Niemi and the other one by Mrazek by other than that ...

This team has to understand, that the playoffs are around the corner so the intensity, physicality and overall pace of the game is going to turn up more and more and if they aren't ready for it, well tough luck.

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Well I wouldn't put Zidlicky with Smith and I wouldn't put Cole with Abby. To me those guys are too similar to play together. I don't really think it's the most efficient allocation of resources.

Not sure who else I'd put Zidlicky with, but I agree on Cole and Abdelkader.

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Not sure who else I'd put Zidlicky with, but I agree on Cole and Abdelkader.

Well, it depends on whether you'd actually be willing to change the defensive roster a little bit. If you're married to the six guys we've currently got playing, then yeah, you've got very few options. However, if you're willing to consider replacing one of those guys with Marchenko, then you're got some pretty good options IMO.

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Well, it depends on whether you'd actually be willing to change the defensive roster a little bit. If you're married to the six guys we've currently got playing, then yeah, you've got very few options. However, if you're willing to consider replacing one of those guys with Marchenko, then you're got some pretty good options IMO.

Kronwall-Marchenko

DeKeyser-Zidlicky

Quincey-Smith

DK and Zids could be good together and play to each other's strengths. Also no one would argue Ericsson has played better than Smith

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Well, it depends on whether you'd actually be willing to change the defensive roster a little bit. If you're married to the six guys we've currently got playing, then yeah, you've got very few options. However, if you're willing to consider replacing one of those guys with Marchenko, then you're got some pretty good options IMO.

In my opinion part of the problem is that we are lacking a legitimate No. 2 guy complementing Kronwall. Until now Kronner was able to cover some of Ericssons deficits, but now that he started slumping himself a little bit the state of our top pair become obvious. I'm pretty convinced that this makes the whole team uncertain in some ways. If the top guys you look up to are failing it's pretty hard to build enough self esteem to carry the team, especially if you're a young and inexperienced player. So while Marchenko is certainly an option I don't think he is the solution to our slump. The team leaders Kronner, Zetterberg and Howard have to find a way to play on the level they are capable and in my opinion neither of them does atm.

Just to be clear : I'm not saying that Kronwall is the only factor, we certainly have other problems, too.

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In my opinion part of the problem is that we are lacking a legitimate No. 2 guy complementing Kronwall. Until now Kronner was able to cover some of Ericssons deficits, but now that he started slumping himself a little bit the state of our top pair become obvious. I'm pretty convinced that this makes the whole team uncertain in some ways. If the top guys you look up to are failing it's pretty hard to build enough self esteem to carry the team, especially if you're a young and inexperienced player. So while Marchenko is certainly an option I don't think he is the solution to our slump. The team leaders Kronner, Zetterberg and Howard have to find a way to play on the level they are capable and in my opinion neither of them does atm.

Just to be clear : I'm not saying that Kronwall is the only factor, we certainly have other problems, too.

I don't know why not. We played our best hockey, against the toughest competition, on our West Coast trip. Marchenko was in on defense, and Mrazek was in the net. I'm not saying it a guarantee or anything. But we can clearly win with those guys in the lineup consistently. And what do we have to lose? The fragile chemistry that's earning us all these points right now?

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Happy 31st BirthdayJames Howard!!!

Prediction: Howard moves either slighty towards losing the starting job or slightly towards keeping it. Or somewhere in between.

I really didn't think he was going to move so much one way.

Help us Petr Mrazek, you're our only hope!

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I really didn't think he was going to move so much one way.

Help us Petr Mrazek, you're our only hope!

Mrazek is a rookie. As good as he can be, he's going to get hosed as bad as anyone given how bad the D is playing. Our only hope is if a goalie change rallies the team to get their collective ******* head straight and tighten up. Our defense really couldn't be more atrocious than it's been lately.

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Happy 31st Birthday James Howard!!!

Prediction: Howard moves either slighty towards losing the starting job or slightly towards keeping it. Or somewhere in between.

I really didn't think he was going to move so much one way.

Help us Petr Mrazek, you're our only hope!

If a rookie is the only hope a team has more than just a few problems. Guys like Hammond are the exception not the norm

Maybe a closed door meeting or a few days completely of are going to help

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If a rookie is the only hope a team has more than just a few problems. Guys like Hammond are the exception not the normMaybe a closed door meeting or a few days completely of are going to help

Again, it was just a Star Wars joke

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I want a new coach tbh. Babs has no answers for this team anymore. Coaching, defense and goaltending are the reason for this slide. He's part of the problem. I don't understand how Babs is absolved from any responsibility when his team plays soft, extremely error prone hockey. Because of the roster? If Holland isn't prepared to give Blash the job then let Granato take it for a year. He's run the only consistency this team has had in 4 years

Edited by joesuffP

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Another issue is the Wings have been getting dominated in the faceoff circle. Obviously Datsyuk is part of that, but even when he was in the lineup they weren't doing great.

I don't know if that's mostly a function of the guy taking the draw or if it's the supporting players, because a lot of times it's the teammates charging into the circle that win it for you.

If memory serves the Wings have been strong in the faceoff circle for a lot of the season, but now they're getting consistently outdrawn.

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Another issue is the Wings have been getting dominated in the faceoff circle. Obviously Datsyuk is part of that, but even when he was in the lineup they weren't doing great.

I don't know if that's mostly a function of the guy taking the draw or if it's the supporting players, because a lot of times it's the teammates charging into the circle that win it for you.

If memory serves the Wings have been strong in the faceoff circle for a lot of the season, but now they're getting consistently outdrawn.

Hey, you came back from suspension. ;)

The faceoff issue stems from being spoiled in the olden days with Yzerman and Draper dominating faceoffs all the time.

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Hey, you came back from suspension. ;)

The faceoff issue stems from being spoiled in the olden days with Yzerman and Draper dominating faceoffs all the time.

:lol: yeah, I got the banhammer for a personal attack on myself.

But weren't the Wings strong in the faceoff this season? Or am I making that up?

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Sheahan hurt during this game. Won't play Saturday. Datsyuk questionable as well. Ladies and gents, your 2nd line center..................Joakim Andersson.

No way. It will be Glendening of course. :P

I seriously hope Babs gives Weiss a chance on "his" position.

Edited by derblaueClaus

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