GDT 11/14 GDT : Red Wings at Boston Bruins, 7:00 EST

[b.shanafan14 733]

It really has been a chore to watch the Red Wings play this season. As others have said ad nauseam, we can't handle the puck or complete a pass the majority of the time. It rolls, it hops a stick blade, its too fast, its too slow, it surprises the receiving player, its too far in front, its too far behind, etc. etc. The team for the most part looks lost. For me there are three major causes: our back-end is absolute garbage, our set plays are predictable and leave little margin for error, and our forward lines change by the shift.

All of these are problems this team has had to some degree for the last several seasons, but the third has been a constant source of frustration I feel is seldom mentioned. Hockey is a game of chemistry and timing. You need to have an understanding of linemates' tenancies, speed, role, and skillset. Comfort with linemates can sometimes take time, and when a team is slumping as a whole, all the more. Few things are more infuriating than to see our guys practice with particular line combinations for a few days, get into a game situation, and after a bad first 10 minutes, we shuffle everyone hoping for a spark.

Am I the only one who finds this practice absolutely absurd? Lines need time to gel, and teammates need to work themselves out of their slumps together. Shuffling lines at the rate Blashill has been doing, and Babcock used to do, would seem to throw off timing from shift to shift and frustrate players to no end. Its all the more infuriating to watch us break up the lines that are producing to lift underperforming players. Why can't we complete a pass? Our centermen are playing with upwards of 6 different wingers every game. I have to imagine its all the worse trying to break out of a rut when you are constantly hitting the reset button on your chemistry and having to adjust your attack, all while your defense is allowing the opposition to gain momentum on the other side of the ice.

Edited November 15, 2015 by b.shanafan14

[frankgrimes 1,836]

thing is if the team would have started the real rebuild after Lids retired .. we would have a bunch of top 10 picks ready for go time by now.

Man losing against a Boston team which lost Loooch, Hamilton is . I know average teams are going through some winning and losing streaks but some identity would be really nice..something that's been lacking since the last cup run.

yeah a shutdown guy who can be paired with Kronner would have been nice hence why I wanted Franson over Green.

But this team also needs someone who can create space and finish I hope Mantha will be that guy in the future

If only we could have beat that damn 2 second rounders for Boychuck offer .. back then Jurco had some value. Not a fan of line juggling but if a line can't generate anything what else is there to do? Blashill has been put in a tough situation some players just need to put in solid 60 minutes each and every game not just when the feel like it!

btw. Mrazek should learn to stay in the net and stop his let me play the puck out of my zone attempts.

anyhow I just hope we will go into the rebuild mode of this is the season where the streak ends. Patchworks and first round exits are not wings style

Edited November 15, 2015 by frankgrimes

[Jacksoni 418]

Damn, Frankgrimes you in rebuild-mode mentally? I'm not ready to take that step yet. New coach, injuries to key players, new quirks to the system, new rookies getting major playtime are all factors that are negatively influencing our play right now.

I do think it's gonna be tight this season for sure, but let's give it a half a baker's dozen more segments of five to see what's going on.

[frankgrimes 1,836]

Damn, Frankgrimes you in rebuild-mode mentally? I'm not ready to take that step yet. New coach, injuries to key players, new quirks to the system, new rookies getting major playtime are all factors that are negatively influencing our play right now.

I do think it's gonna be tight this season for sure, but let's give it a half a baker's dozen more segments of five to see what's going on.

I've wanted a rebuild since Lids retired and would have been happy with one since our last cup run too.

I'm on record saying that whatever happens this year won't be on Blashill. I still think they either barely make or miss the playoffs...which dimishes the chance to draft a possible elite center or defender in the up coming draft.

But I mean at what point is stuff like almost equal winning and losing streaks combined with first round exits getting old? Personally I don't think it's fun watching a team with no identity getting bounced in the first round without 1 exception.

I also think some people went into this season with such unrealistic expectations that they are now shocked when in reality this is what most experts expected from the Wings this year. Does Blashill shift players around? Of course but what else is he supposed to do if the practice line combinations aren't working? Keep in mind even the best coach in hockey was barely able to get the team into the playoffs

While the addition of Richards and Green is nice neither of them is a much needed game changer...which Boychuck would have been.

Do I expect them to be this bad in March ? No but I also don't expect this team to be much better either baring some miracle trades on Holland's part.

[wingfan1991 221]

Every team we ever played against is slumping and brings their A game against Wings. It's so funny how teams like SJ and Boston are talked about going downhill then we play them and it seems like those teams are cup contenders. We always bring out the best in the other team. Makes me sick.

[Fonzarelli 73]

Babcock couldn't get this team to play either. Blash is obviously not close to Babcock's ability as a coach. This team unmotivated. I do say some of this has to do with coaching. Blash is not ready.

[brett 1,029]

Z could only carry this team for so long. takes a toll. he needs help

[Dominator2005 558]

Year after year, same thing... Small and weak team, without grit and grit makes whole difference in playoffs. Too many similar players on this roster... Too many fashion models without balls. Kenny needs to bring hockey players otherwise we are not making playoff this year.

[Bill Berzeench 310]

Year after year, same thing... Small and weak team, without grit and grit makes whole difference in playoffs. Too many similar players on this roster... Too many fashion models without balls. Kenny needs to bring hockey players otherwise we are not making playoff this year.

QFT

[LeftWinger 4,936]

We need that top D man and maybe a scorer. Can we get it? Doubt it, we have no cap room. Remember we are the highest paid team in the league.

All we need now is the "...it's not even December yet..." thread and the ever popular "Tank It..." thread.

[frankgrimes 1,836]

Year after year, same thing... Small and weak team, without grit and grit makes whole difference in playoffs. Too many similar players on this roster... Too many fashion models without balls. Kenny needs to bring hockey players otherwise we are not making playoff this year.

Wings won their last cup with grit in the line up this is more than just a coincidence I think this team needs and has needed a culture change for quite some time now. Maybe it's time to trade one of the big guys to light a fire under this team ass?

you can miss the playoffs because the team isn't good enough but don't act like you don't care down 0;3 play physical take some well worth it penalties and go down fighting and don't just accept defeat.

that being said I think Holland will wait till the trade deadline and if things aren't better by then he will finally do something drastically to shake this stale locker room up.

Edited November 15, 2015 by frankgrimes

[Hockeymom1960 5,107]

It really has been a chore to watch the Red Wings play this season. As others have said ad nauseam, we can't handle the puck or complete a pass the majority of the time. It rolls, it hops a stick blade, its too fast, its too slow, it surprises the receiving player, its too far in front, its too far behind, etc. etc. The team for the most part looks lost. For me there are three major causes: our back-end is absolute garbage, our set plays are predictable and leave little margin for error, and our forward lines change by the shift.

All of these are problems this team has had to some degree for the last several seasons, but the third has been a constant source of frustration I feel is seldom mentioned. Hockey is a game of chemistry and timing. You need to have an understanding of linemates' tenancies, speed, role, and skillset. Comfort with linemates can sometimes take time, and when a team is slumping as a whole, all the more. Few things are more infuriating than to see our guys practice with particular line combinations for a few days, get into a game situation, and after a bad first 10 minutes, we shuffle everyone hoping for a spark.

Am I the only one who finds this practice absolutely absurd? Lines need time to gel, and teammates need to work themselves out of their slumps together. Shuffling lines at the rate Blashill has been doing, and Babcock used to do, would seem to throw off timing from shift to shift and frustrate players to no end. Its all the more infuriating to watch us break up the lines that are producing to lift underperforming players. Why can't we complete a pass? Our centermen are playing with upwards of 6 different wingers every game. I have to imagine its all the worse trying to break out of a rut when you are constantly hitting the reset button on your chemistry and having to adjust your attack, all while your defense is allowing the opposition to gain momentum on the other side of the ice.

Scotty used to change the lines all the time. Edited November 15, 2015 by Hockeymom1960

[kickazz 5,459]

Scotty used to change the lines all the time.

I agree, and so did Babs and it worked most of the time.

Having said that though, I don't think Blash's line changes for last two games was smart. I thought Larkin centering Nyquist and Tatar was just fine and Datsyuk with Z was fine. We were down in San Jose and he changed it up. Babs usually changed it up only if there wasn't offense being generated. As far as I remember, we were getting decent opportunities in the San Jose game and were outshooting them. So I'm not sure if a change was really necessary.

But I'm not sure what the advanced stats say.

Edited November 15, 2015 by kickazz

[wings7 62]

Babcock couldn't get this team to play either. Blash is obviously not close to Babcock's ability as a coach. This team unmotivated. I do say some of this has to do with coaching. Blash is not ready.

Babcock could and did.

[Richdg 267]

Babcock couldn't get this team to play either. Blash is obviously not close to Babcock's ability as a coach. This team unmotivated. I do say some of this has to do with coaching. Blash is not ready.

Or maybe this team and the players that make up this team are not as good as many thought? I mean it has to be the coach right? he is the one on the ice not blocking out in front of the net, checking in the corners working for lose pucks, failing to go tape to tape on the passes, not holding ground in front of the other teams net....... It is all the coach, players have nothing to do with it.......... But wait, if the players are the problem..........

[Dominator2005 558]

Wings won their last cup with grit in the line up this is more than just a coincidence I think this team needs and has needed a culture change for quite some time now. Maybe it's time to trade one of the big guys to light a fire under this team ass?

you can miss the playoffs because the team isn't good enough but don't act like you don't care down 0;3 play physical take some well worth it penalties and go down fighting and don't just accept defeat.

that being said I think Holland will wait till the trade deadline and if things aren't better by then he will finally do something drastically to shake this stale locker room up.

TBH, I'm kind of afraid with Kenny's trade skills...

Dats for Gomez 2003

Tatar, NyQuist and Smith for J-Bouw

NyQuist, Smith and 1st (Mantha) for Edler

[Dominator2005 558]

Babcock could and did.

Babcock was able to get 110% of all players. I don't think that coaching was a problem... Look what Bowman's have done in Chicago, Neil is doing nice work in Dallas - has balls to trade his players... GM should be able to address needs of his team... RHD was one of DRW needs but not the only one.

[kickazz 5,459]

Or maybe this team and the players that make up this team are not as good as many thought? I mean it has to be the coach right? he is the one on the ice not blocking out in front of the net, checking in the corners working for lose pucks, failing to go tape to tape on the passes, not holding ground in front of the other teams net....... It is all the coach, players have nothing to do with it.......... But wait, if the players are the problem..........

We basically had the same team last year except for Larkin and Green and the first half of the season were one of the better teams in the league.

Same guys just looking inferior. Their potential is much higher than this. I'd say it's a coaching thing and also a player thing.

[kickazz 5,459]

Your coach can make a difference matching up players.

Krejci and Bergeron lines outplayed the hell out of us. There was nothing we could do. A coach has to make the call on countering that.

I still like Blash, I'm just pointing out that he did get out couched the last two games. And our players were outplayed.

That doesn't mean they can't learn from this and help the team moving forward.

Edited November 15, 2015 by kickazz

[Wheelchairsuperhero 1,453]

I agree, and so did Babs and it worked most of the time.

Having said that though, I don't think Blash's line changes for last two games was smart. I thought Larkin centering Nyquist and Tatar was just fine and Datsyuk with Z was fine. We were down in San Jose and he changed it up. Babs usually changed it up only if there wasn't offense being generated. As far as I remember, we were getting decent opportunities in the San Jose game and were outshooting them. So I'm not sure if a change was really necessary.

But I'm not sure what the advanced stats say.

Completely agree. I'm all for line shake ups when necessary, but I thought the timing and choices were bad. Larkin with Glendenning?

[derblaueClaus 1,668]

It's still the transition from Babs to Blash. Our new coach is only 18 games in the NHL. Of course our team doesn't look as well rehearsed as under Babs yet. And don't forget that we had games under Babs that were equally devastating, I argue even more so as we looked much more passive than under Blashill. Give him and the players some time before you see the sky fall.

[Wheelchairsuperhero 1,453]

It's still the transition from Babs to Blash. Our new coach is only 18 games in the NHL. Of course our team doesn't look as well rehearsed as under Babs yet. And don't forget that we had games under Babs that were equally devastating, I argue even more so as we looked much more passive than under Blashill. Give him and the players some time before you see the sky fall.

Agreed. A lot of the losses this year have been easier to swallow for me than in past years, as I generally like the way the team looks and is trending.

[Bill Berzeench 310]

Agreed. A lot of the losses this year have been easier to swallow for me than in past years, as I generally like the way the team looks and is trending.

Really? We are so piss poor 5 on 5, it scares the crap out of me. Praying for power plays sucks. I hate it.

[Wheelchairsuperhero 1,453]

Really? We are so piss poor 5 on 5, it scares the crap out of me. Praying for power plays sucks. I hate it.

Yes, really. Aside from the last game and part of the San Jose game I've liked a lot of what the team has been doing. I just don't think it's all come together yet.

Why would you be praying for arguably one of the weaker aspects of their game? Isn't the pp only at like, 17%?

[Hockeymom1960 5,107]

Babcock couldn't get this team to play either. Blash is obviously not close to Babcock's ability as a coach. This team unmotivated. I do say some of this has to do with coaching. Blash is not ready.

I disagree. This team needs to figure it out or some trades need to take place.