GDT 2/15 GDT : Detroit Red Wings at New York Islanders, 1:00PM EST

[barabbas16 499]

Well to be fair, Howard's contract isn't a loyalty thing. He signed his big contract years ago after a great season, and at the time he was THE goalie of the future in Detroit. They spent alot of time developing him and didn't want to lose him. But his play lately coupled with Mrazek's emergence has made him expendable. I'm sure Holland knows he has to go, and won't just keep him around for nothing.

He's probably also still counting Franzen.... but that contract doesn't seem NEARLY as bad (cap-wise) if Mule is on LTIR for the remainder.

[8 Legged RedWing 367]

I think Howard still has the ability to be a good goalie, it's just not going to happen here. Mrazek is our guy and Jimmy isn't going to see the playing time he needs to get back to his self any time soon. With a change of scenery and more playing time on another team I think he'd be pretty good again. He's always been inconsistent. With that said I still think it will be hard to trade him without eating some of his contract. No team is going to take that on with how he's played this year.

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

Well, Howard would have gotten the win if they'd scored 6 goals... like they did for Mrazek with the rotten egg he laid yesterday.

Are you copying and pasting what his agent said on Twitter?

So where exactly is Howard supposed to go? They'll have to trade for another goalie, and I don't see that this season.

German hockey league?

[chaps80 1,591]

I agree... seen this before, where the team seems unable to play decently for one goalie, but does for the other. Wings are better than this, so perhaps they can explain it to Jimmy. I don't buy the argument that they have to spend too much time playing super-D, so their offense is hurt. Nope. They are a better team than this - to succumb to the mentality that they simply cannot score for Howard.

What kind of explanation do they owe Jimmy? The guy hasn't won a game since 2015, and allowed 3+ goals in his last 9 starts. They haven't been a high scoring team this year. The fact they chased Tukka Rask and won the game 6-5 yesterday despite one of Mrazek's worst games of the year was a fluke. If Howard thought that he could be his usual sieve self against NYI the very next day and the team would score enough to bail him out too, he obv doesn't know his team very well. But i'm absolutely sure he did know that wouldn't happen. I doubt they have the mentality that they can't score with Howard in net. If anything it just comes down to them not having any confidence or faith in him anymore. That can cause low scoring as well. If they don't feel they can win with him, then they won't.

[kickazz 5,459]

The Wings did play a game yesterday. So I'd cut some slack on the poor performance overall. To be honest - yesterday was mainly a blame towards Mrazek. I'd say today the blame is put on the entire team and Howard as well.

I think people lose sight of whats real and blame the guy they don't like. Hell, I do it too. But seriously though.. objectively speaking, yesterday Mrazek was at fault (and that's okay sometimes), today the entire team is (and that's okay too after playing a hard game yesterday). And no I don't think Howard has any excuse and yes I think he should be packaged off over the summer.

Edited February 16, 2016 by kickazz

[VM1138 1,921]

The issue with Howard is always the same. It's not that he's just hot garbage every game. It's that he's basically GUARANTEED to give up one or two bad goals per game. He can stop 39 of 40 shots and play out of his mind, but he WILL give up one or two bad ones. So the Wings essentially start off playing from behind when the game starts. Not to mention he's very weak mentally when it comes to game psychology.

[chaps80 1,591]

Not to mention he's very weak mentally when it comes to game psychology.

Exactly. That's his major issue. We all know he has the skill, but he's easily thrown off his game mentally. One on one situations are a perfect example. It's like he psychs himself out when a player comes in on a breakaway. Most of the time the puck ends up in the net and he looks like a drunken beer leaguer falling all over.