gdt ECQF Game 6 GDT : Lightning 5 at Red Wings 2 - Series Tied 3-3

[Jersey Wing 1,521]

Get the first goal in game 7 and they'll be fine. They showed maximum heart in game 5, they can get right back up on top. They didn't play awful tonight but Tampa did what a desperate team has to do. They got to more loose pucks than the Wings but not all. They converted chances better let's say that. Young Mr. Mrazek mist realize that when the Bolts are breaking in on him they are gonna shoot high. They are fixated going high when left open for shots. Clean that up, knock in a PP goal in game 7 and we're groovy.

[Aethernum 276]

You're whole paragraph just points of opinionated reason rather than facts. And so I'm not going to continue with ignorance.

In reference to "Datsyuk giving the captaincy to Z" Your wrong.

http://www.foxsports.com/detroit/story/captain-zetterberg-was-determined-years-ago-061912

Really interesting article. Out of curiosity, who has the locker next to Z now?

[kickazz 5,459]

Really interesting article. Out of curiosity, who has the locker next to Z now?

It was Filpulla. (He was supposed to be somewhat of a prodigy till he under performed in 2013). I believe they just ended up giving it to Weiss when he came in. I don't really see any potential candidates for captaincy on this roster after Z. Unless ofcourse Kronwall ends up sticking around longer than Z does.

Edited April 28, 2015 by kickazz

[Dabura 12,207]

I don't really see any potential candidates for captaincy on this roster after Z. Unless ofcourse Kronwall ends up sticking around longer than Z does.

Really? Between the roster and the pipeline, we have, I think, a number of potential candidates. Abdelkader, Glendening, Nyquist, Sheahan, Helm, DeKeyser, Larkin, Nastasiuk...I've no doubt that by the time Z's career is done, there will be an obvious successor.

[Jericho613 74]

It really sucks, I will always believe to the very end, but we'll need to step up again. The Red Wings are my life, the playoff losing never gets easier, I just want us to ATLEAST take a series . . . especially one we should have had by now! I think we'll show up, we seem to respond well after a blunder. But I pray to the Almighty Hockey Gods this is not the end of our season!

Great post. I will say this, I will support this team till the day I die. Heres a couple things about this game that I think happened. First of all Mrazek had his bad every other game tonight. I love Mrazek but he has that every other game Inconsistency. Thats why I believe we win game 7. We are playing a good team, and we have hung with them all series long. They had to win tonight, had to, they came out like a desperate team, let's give them credit. Now we are the desperate team cuz we are on the road game 7 in a must win game, Pressure is on them, cuz if they lose, they are gonna be a team like St. Louis that can't win in the playoffs. We start on time we win, no doubt in my mind. This series is alot like the Ducks series, we had some bad home losses in that series as well. Home Ice advantage is meaningless. The only thing about what I see in the Red Wings is win or lose, neither Tampa or Detroit beats Montreal. I gotta say though I want to keep going just to see if we can beat Montreal.

[kickazz 5,459]

Really? Between the roster and the pipeline, we have, I think, a number of potential candidates. Abdelkader, Glendening, Nyquist, Sheahan, Helm, DeKeyser, Larkin, Nastasiuk...I've no doubt that by the time Z's career is done, there will be an obvious successor.

I don't think so. I can't speak for Larkin or Nastasiuk quiet yet, but none of the other names are superstar status. Pav and Z are potential candidates for hall of fame and Zetterberg holds quiet a few franchise records. I think with the Red Wings, you can't just give the captaincy to anyone, it's got to be players who are really special in the league/organization. I mean I love Abby, Glendening and Dekeyser but these guys aren't "superstars" like Delveccio, Lindsay, Howe, Yzerman, Lidstrom, or even Zetterberg were in their prime. Although a lot of people have been disappointed with Zetterberg (even me - although I have been giving him the benefit of the doubt and supporting him), it seems like many have forgetten just who he was when he came into the league and all the way until 2009 or so. The guy was probably the most complete player in the league next to Datsyuk the only upside was he did it in both regular season and playoffs. Not to mention he was extremely humble about it. That's the type of captain the Red Wings organization would seek imo. Who knows Larkin could be the guy to be that way.

Edited April 28, 2015 by kickazz

[frankgrimes 1,836]

This series has to be one of the most unpredictable ever, it's either one teams shows up and the other doesn't or if the team decides to show up it's already to late. Would love to see both teams giving their best at the same time maybe it happens in game 7.

Mrazek needs to work on his consistency and overcommitment plus puckhandling, he can't always be that aggressive sure, sometimes it works but sometimes - every other game ? - it doesn't.

[wings_fanatic 677]

Aside from the fact that you can't tell the future, I'm not saying that Howard should start game 7, it's too late for that. But Howard at the top of his game (which he was at for most of the year) is better and more consistent overall that Mrazek, who has had two very bad games in this series. He won three games, yes, you're not all knowing so you can't say that Howard would not have also won the games.

Completely agreed. That doesn't mean I think Mrazek should be playing over Howard.

What series have you been watching? Mrazek has played better in this series than Jimmy has played in any series. Keep in mind Jimmy also had Lidstrom and raFi for a few seasons as well. Mrazek has been our best player and was not the reason we lost last night at all.

[Hockeymom1960 5,107]

I base that on how he's constantly out of position and can't stop a breakaway, along with losing two games for us. Mrazek was not good at all tonight. Yes, he made a crazy save but only because he was, again, out of position.

I'll just go ahead and not respond to your childish remark.

Being a coach or GM doesn't make a person smart. The fact is Mrazek lost us two games. Going with either goalie is a gamble, but I'd rather gamble on the goalie that has proven himself. Mrazek is going to be an amazing goalie in a couple years but he still has a ton to learn.

You really haven't been watching these games have you.

How to not overplay pucks and get himself out of position, how to stop a breakaway shooter, when to poke check and when not to poke check. He simply doesn't have the experience yet to be playing against the leagues top goal scorers, as proven by the goals he's giving up.

I like him and I can't wait until he does, but Howard should have started this series.

OMG this post ridiculous lol

Edited April 28, 2015 by Hockeymom1960

[greenrebellion 415]

People really blaming mrazek? He is the only reason we are playing a game 7.

[wings_fanatic 677]

You really haven't been watching these games have you.

OMG this post ridiculous lol

I hope he's kidding. Remember that breakaway save in game 3? Remember how he stole game 1 and didn't let in a single goal in 2 games ? Maybe the team should stop allowing so many breakaways

Simply put he has been our best player we would be golfing now if not for him.

[LeftWinger 4,959]

at people blaming Mrazek for last night... I don't blame anyone. Can't even blame the refs. Maybe blame the inept PP, if they had scored a couple more PP goals, they may have won in 5 games... Honestly though, did anyone think that they were going to keep the highest scoring team from scoring all series? Still one game to go, Mrazek is known for giving up very little after a loss and for the love of Gid, who'd of thought we'd even be seeing a game 7?

[Z and D for the C 712]

OMG this post ridiculous lol

So Mrazek has never been over agressive which resulted in him letting in a goal? Not once? He doesn't have any consistency problems, he was just as good in game 2 as he was in game 1? That is what you're saying? Because both of those things are wholefully untrue.

[Ekmanc 586]

I think he's dialed down on the overagressiveness, it was a much bigger problem earlier this season than it is right now.

[xtrememachine1 795]

If it wasn't for Mrazek, TB would have had 6 or 7 goals last night. He has two shutouts in this series and was 5 min away from a third and this isn't some grinder team we're playing either. This is the highest scoring team in the NHL. I was a little skeptical about starting Mrazek over Howard in the beginning, but I think after Game 3, he cemented himself as our starter for this series if not the entire playoff run, which needs to be longer than just one more game. Our team is inconsistent as hell, but we've battled this hard and nobody gave the Wings a snowball's chance to win this thing. Heck, people were picking Winnipeg to win their series over Anaheim, but not us. Time to make these "experts" take the Winged Wheel seriously again.

[rick zombo 3,739]

Will Kronwall play in Game 7?

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

Woke up this morning kind of ticked off that Chicago, Minnesota and Calgary could all win their game 6's at home, while our weak team has totally squandered its home ice yet another season and has to play game 7 on the road.

So much for that thread about how tough the JLA is to play in. My ass.

[xtrememachine1 795]

So a lot of the players from that 2013 GR Griffins championship team are on the Wings now. I remember a lot of ups and downs during that playoff run and remember thinking they seem to be doing everything the hard way. Notice anything familiar with this playoff run and the one back then?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Calder_Cup_playoffs

Every single series, they had a chance to wrap it up at home, didn't and then won the desperation game. Against Syracuse (TB's minor league team incidentally) they lost twice at home with the Calder Cup on the line before going on the road to win it. For whatever reason, these guys have a history of not finishing off opponents at home and do better on the road. Here's hoping that trend continues.

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

So a lot of the players from that 2013 GR Griffins championship team are on the Wings now. I remember a lot of ups and downs during that playoff run and remember thinking they seem to be doing everything the hard way. Notice anything familiar with this playoff run and the one back then?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Calder_Cup_playoffs

Every single series, they had a chance to wrap it up at home, didn't and then won the desperation game. Against Syracuse (TB's minor league team incidentally) they lost twice at home with the Calder Cup on the line before going on the road to win it. For whatever reason, these guys have a history of not finishing off opponents at home and do better on the road. Here's hoping that trend continues.

That team didn't have Zidlicky. Close thread.

[amato 3,210]

Will Kronwall play in Game 7?

No definitive answer either way yet. They'll probably take a look at it but I doubt he gets suspended..

Edited April 28, 2015 by amato

[gcom007 1,465]

It was Filpulla. (He was supposed to be somewhat of a prodigy till he under performed in 2013). I believe they just ended up giving it to Weiss when he came in. I don't really see any potential candidates for captaincy on this roster after Z. Unless ofcourse Kronwall ends up sticking around longer than Z does.

Flip underperformed relative to what was expected of him nearly every year. But in saying that, I think too much was expected of him. People wanted to believe he'd be another Datsyuk/Zetterberg Euro-draft gem, and that just doesn't happen very often. He's a good player, but people have always had unrealistic expectations of him.

Really? Between the roster and the pipeline, we have, I think, a number of potential candidates. Abdelkader, Glendening, Nyquist, Sheahan, Helm, DeKeyser, Larkin, Nastasiuk...I've no doubt that by the time Z's career is done, there will be an obvious successor.

Abs and Glenny will be wearing letters of some sort before too long, no doubt.

[GoWings! 179]

he was hurt but still played he had an excuse.. from what I know Z is perfectly healthy yes he had the back surgery but I guess I just wasn't ready for this in a way i'm really sad, this is the end of an era.. I didn't think it would affect him like this

While I agree with you that Z has taken more than a few steps back this year, do not tell me that Datsyuk is a more clutch player than him. Especially in the playoffs. Look at Z's numbers and giving him the C on his jersey was a no brainer. Conn Smythe, numerous game 7 goals and game winners, that wicked full minute penalty kill and stick lock on Crosby in the 08 Stanley Cup. In his prime, he was better than Datsyuk has ever been, in my eyes at least. Now Dats had a bit more to give scoring wise. I love Datsyuk but before we won that Cup he went quite a few years without scoring even a goal for us in the playoffs from 02 to like 08. I love Dats but my favorite Wings from 06 and up will always be Zetts and Lids. That's why it's so hard to see Z struggle so much. But maybe he has something left in the tank for game 7.

[gcom007 1,465]

I love Datsyuk but before we won that Cup he went quite a few years without scoring even a goal for us in the playoffs from 02 to like 08. I love Dats but my favorite Wings from 06 and up will always be Zetts and Lids. That's why it's so hard to see Z struggle so much. But maybe he has something left in the tank for game 7.

That's not entirely true. He had 8 in 2007. Datsyuk had to deal with a lot of injuries around the playoffs for years. Bad luck really, but that was the contributing factor to his lack of scoring in the playoffs at times earlier in his career. That, and the whole team around him struggling to score. I can't remember which year it was at this point, but during one of our playoff runs, I know for a fact that he could barely walk. He was hobbling around in "real life" but still playing and trying to help. Unfortunately, at times injuries are just too hard to overcome, limiting your ability to be productive.

I will say that I think Datsyuk has gotten better at battling through injuries over the years. Even this year, it's beyond evident that's he's not 100% recovered from what's been ailing him, but he's still come up big for us several times.

Edited April 28, 2015 by gcom007

[Rhah 195]

Someone mentioned something about TB being uninspired but talented. I think this is spot on. I also believe that, should they win, this series will be their turning point, just like the Wings were the turning point for the Hawks in '13. Hawks coasting along and think that an upstart Wings team will just be a rollover and surprise, they are down 3-1 in the series with a historical comeback rate of only 10%. They go on to win cup.

I expect Tampa to go far if they advance... they have some nice storylines now. TyJo. Stamkos sucking major balls and due for a breakout. Whining, immature players taking dumb penalties (gooning it up to try and injure the other team) becoming mature overnight for a playoff run.

[Ekmanc 586]

Or they will just continue to underwhelm and be an easy out in the next round...