Red Wings at the Halfway Point

[kliq 3,755]

After 42 games (one game over but close enough) our record sits at 22-13-7.

Are youe happy? Disappointed? Or is this exactly where you thought the Wings would be?

We stand:

- 3rd Place in the Conference

- 2nd Place in the Division

- 8th Place in the NHL

I was high on this team coming into the season, but with the coaching change I thought there would be an adjustment period. Luckily (knock on wood) this adjustment period seems to be over. I would say they are doing a bit better then I thought they would be at this point.

Thoughts?

[kickazz 5,459]

Wins/losses wise I'm content. Performance wise there's only a few guys that kept us in it. In the beginning of the season it was Zetterberg. Now it's mostly Mrazek and of course Larkin (half season MVP imo).

I'm glad the Tatar/Datsyuk/Helm is back in it. So far they look good and if they can keep it up along with the Nyquist/Z/Abby line I can see us finishing behind Washington to end the season. Larkin just seems to shine wherever he is, so I think Sheahan is finally going to do as well as he should be doing.

I think Wings should make a big move this trade deadline. We look like a playoff contender but we are not a cup contender imo. If we do make a few moves, barring any injuries, I think we can make a really good playoff run.

So far I'd say I'm content. I'd like to see us continue to win and I'd like for us to score more goals per game.

Edited January 11, 2016 by kickazz

[jimmyemeryhunter 2,747]

I'm happy, I expected a bit better because our forward depth looks amazing on paper, but honestly I'm glad they've already had to fight though a little adversity.

Theyes can definitely be better, but Blashill seems to be doing an okay job, and I think with another few good moves we could step into being a contender as early as next year thanks to the emergence of larkin and mrazek.

And even though Marchenkos doesn't put up a lot of points, he's been a rock on that 3rd pairing with a revolving door of partners.

So happy, but not fully satisfied.

Especially with how some of our other vets have played, but the kids are stepping it up nicely, now they just need to take the next step and lead with the vets while we have em.

[kliq 3,755]

I agree with both of you.

I found the biggest issue in the early part of the season was chemistry. Like Jimmy said, our forwards looked great on paper, but for some reason we just seemed to have an inability to score. I remember the last few games I attended what I constantly noticed was missed passes, missed one timers, guys having the puck bounce over their stick etc. It was evident the talent was there, but there was just something missing. Hopefully our guys have adjusted to the new coach and gained some chemistry and we can really take off in the second half of the season.

[kickazz 5,459]

If you look at it.

Blash basically reverted to Babcocks lines. If there's one thing I liked about Babs - it was how he figured out the right guys to optimize the chemistry. He did that with Holmstrom/Zet/Dat back in the day and he did it again with Z/Nyquist/Abby and Tatar/Datsyuk/Helm.

Blash seemed to have realized that what he was trying with Nyquist/Sheahan/Tatar simply can't be forced. Both of our current top lines are literally Babcock's design. It just seems to work. And I'm glad Blash went back to it.

Now stepping away from crediting the old coach I also want to add that I love how Blash wants his defensemen pinching in on the play. That's something Babcock didn't do. This style of defensemen pushing up imo not only scored some clutch goals for us (Smith from Marchenko few games ago and Dekeyser from Datsyuk two games ago) but it also instills a whole lot more confidence in the younger defenseman.

Edited January 11, 2016 by kickazz

[jimmyemeryhunter 2,747]

Oh hell yeah kickazz, our defenseman are much more active in the offensive zone then they ever were, and we got burned a lot by it at first, and I'm sure those troubles aren't completely behind us yet, but it is a damn beautiful thing seeing the other defenseman rush up with the forward in the breakouts and sweep down below the circles in the o zone to see the play through.

It throws another body in the mix if their d get the puck down low, so our chances of getting the puck back are higher, and they sweep behind or in front of the net when we still have control and it creates so much chaos for them trying to cover it.

We have a fourth guy in deep with one sweep to get a better chance and they still have speed to get back to the point almost instantly. Last year the only player who could ever gain the offensive zone with control was pav, and when we're clicking well Blashill has everyone doing it, even d-men.

What gets us in trouble is when the d man sweeps down towards the net and he gets interfered with, or engages in a puck battle near the goal and the forward who pulled to the top of the circle behind everyone doesn't recognize the defenseman hasn't looped back up to the point.

But when it clicks, man is it beautiful to watch.

And honestly, I think the richards-larkin-sheahan line has been our best line recently. On hfboards you constantly hear people saying Larkin was racking up the points because he was with zetterberg, but I think larkin is already close to as good as z.

He makes everyone around him better, no matter who he's with. I kept hearing his hockey iq is great but I never really put much stock into it until the Ottawa games where he walked Karlsson and fooled smith both times.

And he does stuff like that all the time, one shift, he'll skate all out up the wing and try to force his way to the net. Then the next time he's in the same spot against the same guy, he steps like he's going to take off but stutters and cuts up high to give whoever with him more time and space to do something once he gives him the puck...

Its Absolutely incredible to watch,

[xtrememachine1 795]

Considering how young our team is, the fact that we have a young first year head coach, I'm pretty happy with our progress. We're in a good spot in the standings and we have enough good talented young players on the team or in the minors to not have to worry about Z and D retiring soon. Our defense could be better, but I feel like every team in the league is saying that. I'd like to see consistency out of our goaltending. Mrazek has been the better goalie as of late, but he has his let down games, which I guess comes with the territory with a young goalie. Howard started off well and is now struggling worse than ever. We need somebody to step up and stay there. Mrazek looks like he MIGHT be that guy, but for me, its still too early to tell. Overall, I'm happy with how things are going so far. People were saying we wouldn't make the playoffs at the beginning of the year and now we're third in the conference.

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

About where I thought we'd be. Will battle for a playoff spot.

The record is good despite the fact so many of our most important players have underachieved. If people start playing like they should, maybe we can comfortably make the playoffs.

[krsmith17 7,191]

Around where I thought we'd be at this point in the season. More surprised with the placement of the teams around us in the Division than anything else. I was expecting us to be in a battle for the top spot with a Florida team, just kind of surprised that team is from Sunrise, not Tampa...

Like others have mentioned, we have been good, but I still think there's a lot more we can see out of this group. I love the system Blashill has implemented and I do like the lines, but if he would just switch Helm and Jurco, they would be pretty close to perfect for me.

[Bill Berzeench 310]

I like the way we are heading. I think we are 2 players away from being really good. Byfuglien is the first piece. The Wings need a defenseman who brings some stank to the rink.

But overall, I love watching our team right now with Mrazek being the starter. We have a chance to win every game now.

[joesuffP 1,746]

I was very nervous about our record at the quarter mark just because we had played so many home games but we've turned out to be one of the better road teams.

With how many close games we've played we could easily be out of the playoffs right now, but then again if our powerplay was too 15 we could be winning the division. Winning a lot of close games is a good thing, I think we've had a chance to win in pretty much every game this season except for a handful

[DickieDunn 2,571]

They need a high end D and a bigger top 6 forward. They have pieces toove to do it, as long as they don't get sentimental and panic that a prospect might end up better, because most prospects don't hit their ceilings. Not that long ago Sproul was untouchable, now he's looking like he might not even be an NHL player, much less a top pair D.

[Barrie 900]

I'm happy. There's still a long way to go, but I laughed at the preseason picks saying we weren't going to make the playoffs. We added Richards and Green to the team, didn't lose any major names, and most of our players are on the upswing of their careers, who are learning from Champions like Datsyuk, Zetterberg, and Kronwall. 2nd place in the Division at this point was a realistic goal. Who knew Florida would be in 1st place?

I wish we were scoring more goals, we've allowed 3 more goals then we've scored. With a stat like that, we could be 5th, but hopefully the 2nd half things will change. Winning 1 goal games is good training for the playoffs, but we're playing with fire in the regular season.

[Echolalia 2,961]

I'm glad to see that the Wings are competing for a playoff spot. But compared to last year, only Pulkkinen, Quincey, Smith, and Andersson are scoring at a higher ppg than last year. Everyone else across the board is less productive, other than Larkin, who didn't play in the NHL last year. I shudder to think where this team would be without Larkin's surprisingly reliable productivity, and I wonder if that is something the Wings can continue to rely on come playoff time.

[DRW Dominance 255]

I guess I'm satisfied with where we are. there really is a ton of balance in the league. we ain't far from being out of it either.

[toby91_ca 620]

Overall results wise, I'm pleased, but it is a bit concerning that the scoring leader on the team only has 30 points 42 games in. It would be less concerning if there were 5 or 6 guys in that range and it's just a balanced scoring approach, but that's not the case. I'm not worried about Datsyuk yet as he's coming off an injury, but he will be 38 soon as well, so I can't assume he'll just get better and better.

Back to results though, the fact that they are not scoring a lot, but still able to pull off wins and have a decent record is promising and the type of play that will be helpful come playoff time. A team that wins a lot during the regular season and has a huge +/- differential isn't always prepared for playoff hockey as the games will be closer. My glass half full way of looking at it.

[Jacksoni 418]

Overall, I like where we're at.

Lot of declines visible this season, Ericsson, Kronwall, Zetterberg and even the mighty Datsyuk have slowed down and will not get back to the old days.

Mrazek looking damn good though, and the addition of Green and Richards have been good, which is a nice change from Legwand and Cole who were disasters.

Larkin has much to learn, but he is a star in budding.

I agree with most folks about needing 1 big defensive star.

I also believe we'll make the playoffs. If we do, I'll fly over from Sweden for round 1 I think.

[TheXym 2,606]

The team is about where I thought they would be, though not where I hoped (what can I say, I am a greedy bastich who wants the Wings to tear through the rest of the league like a buzzsaw). We have some declines showing from some vets as has been noted. I think the free agent signings have been a plus. As they get more acclimated to the team and everyone gets used to Blashill the chemistry will only improve.

Mrazek is so far rounding out into what we hoped he would be. Howard needs to get out of his funk. Larkin is going to be something special, and I look forward to seeing him blossom.

I am surprised our offensive output is as low as it is, and the PP is an area of concern. Mrazek has a few undeserved losses due to lack of goal support. I also concur with the need for help on the blue line, but trading DeKeyser is not the answer. The number of blown third period leads is also problematic.

I am looking forward to a 25th straight playoff run. Call me way too optimistic, but if they are healthy and get hot, they could do some damage, IMHO. The ROW tiebreaker is going to be a big factor this season, I think.

Edited January 11, 2016 by TheXym

[frankgrimes 1,836]

Better than I thought they would be. Very happy for Blashill because a lot of people were calling for his head after a few games into the season, which was totally unfair. I think he is a good coach and maybe he'll be a great one some day.

That being said I disagree with the notion of this team being built for a deep playoff run, with the decline of basically all the stars and still not enough size on the roster I think it will be another 1, 2nd round exit if they even make it to the show. Larkin so far has exceeded all expectations and is playing tremendously but the guy is 19 years old so expecting him to carry this team the whole season would be unfair, he is basically pulling a Nyquist 2 years ago. I'm still shocked at much of a step Kronwall has lost I expected some decline but not that to the current extent, Defensive help and scoring power will be needed going forward, the sad thing is nothing is available but that's a discussion for one of the other TDL threads.

I honestly think some time on the third line wouldn't be the worst thing for our captain, we need him to be at his very best if the team is making the playoffs and show the young guns the way.

[brett 1,029]

i have to say i am surprised where they stand considering the way they started the season

[sputman 1,268]

i have to say i am surprised where they stand considering the way they started the season

3-0?

[Cali-Wing-Nut 102]

Im really happy with certain aspects of the team and very disappointed. Mrazek and D-Lark are fk'n amazing. Larkin will be the next Captain. Mrazek shows just how well he performs vs Howard and its amazingly impressive. Better yet, he is still very young and hasn't hit his peak.

Disappointment by a large margin is our shots on net. Remember when we easily doubled up our opponents in that area and if we were even tied for SOG, we were having a bad night and probably going to lose that game. Now we are lucky to tally 25 on. The other negative although its not disappointment, but the inevitable, is D showing his age and Kronner getting pretty soft from his peak due to the same thing.

I totally expect to make the playoffs again and not by the skin of Octopi teeth either. I don't think we are a contender but I cant complain with the performance we are seeing from a team with very young or old players on the team. Blash has change the face of the game, but I think some of his strategies are easily beat by more experienced coaches. He too will improve and I totally expect to see us trully contending in the next few years.

[PavelValerievichDatsyuk 1,935]

I totally expect to make the playoffs again and not by the skin of Octopi teeth either. I don't think we are a contender but I cant complain with the performance we are seeing from a team with very young or old players on the team. Blash has change the face of the game, but I think some of his strategies are easily beat by more experienced coaches. He too will improve and I totally expect to see us trully contending in the next few years.

Not saying we're a contender, but who is in the East other than Washington? If Habs have Price back then, sure, they could do it, but I think they're still lacking pieces. I think NYR are a contender, but any other team we could give run for their money. Even of the teams I mentioned, Washington is the one who I would be really worried about. So I actually think we're not far from taking the east despite our struggles. It would take the best from Mrazek and our offence finding a higher gear, though.

Edited January 14, 2016 by PavelValerievichDatsyuk

[kickazz 5,459]

Not saying we're a contender, but who is in the East other than Washington? If Habs have Price back then, sure, they could do it, but I think they're still lacking pieces. I think NYR are a contender, but any other team we could give run for their money. Even of the teams I mentioned, Washington is the one who I would be really worried about. So I actually think we're not far from taking the east despite our struggles. It would take the best from Mrazek and our offence finding a higher gear, though.

Actually I think we could give Washington some good competition if it came down to it.

We won against them once and lost twice and both times it went to OT and were single goal games. Believe it or not I think Washington would rather us be eliminated rather than see us in the playoffs. We've given them the toughest competition in the season so far, no other top 8 team in the conference has given them the close games that we have except Florida that beat them once. I think everyone else has gotten blown out by Washington in the games played. I could be wrong since I only briefly looked at their games played.

Edited January 14, 2016 by kickazz

[Cali-Wing-Nut 102]

Not saying we're a contender, but who is in the East other than Washington? If Habs have Price back then, sure, they could do it, but I think they're still lacking pieces. I think NYR are a contender, but any other team we could give run for their money. Even of the teams I mentioned, Washington is the one who I would be really worried about. So I actually think we're not far from taking the east despite our struggles. It would take the best from Mrazek and our offence finding a higher gear, though.

We are half way through so Im not gonna guess who's better in the East, I just know a cup team when I see it and we aren't quite there. The West has had and is still the teams to beat IMO and we gotta do better than Montreal (Price is gonna come back guaranteed), Florida, Dallas, Chicago, Washington you get the point. Washington sucks in the post season so Im actually not worried with them, but the other teams have gone the distance in the last 15 years.

I wouldn't count us out of a going second round, maybe even to the ECF, but we aren't refined enough for a Cup showing let alone a Cup win. Geez I hope Im wrong, but we dont got the blue line skills to take the game to the next level right now. Mark my words though, we will be hosting a finals matchup within 5 years.

Edited January 14, 2016 by Cali-Wing-Nut