dat's sick

Kinda wished Hank had just rested through the lockout. Even if he built some chemistry with Brunner that lead to their great start, I think Hank is the kind of player who could be top 10 in scoring in a shortened season. But when he has to play 82 games he seems to go through long slumps where he's probably battling groin/back pains. 

 

We need both him and Pav to bring it in the last 5 games. I haven't been disappointed by either one of them in make-or-break moments of the past so I hope they can muster up everything they have now and push this team over the edge and into the playoffs. 

I'm really scared Cleary will actually be re-signed. But even if he isn't, that still leaves Samuelsson taking up what should be Tatar's roster spot.    Not much hope for Holland buying out Sammy and thus not much hope for Tatar being a full-time Red Wing next season.    Can understand he's upset, as is every sane Red Wings fan. I am 100% convinced we'd be in better shape in the standings right now if Tatar was never sent down and got to play over Cleary/Eaves/Miller.    Honestly if I was Tatar I'd have a hard time holding in a "f*** you" when Holland comes and says he's getting sent down despite being one of the Wings best players for the 18 game stretch he was up. Imagine after that watching the games and seeing Cleary and Abdelkader in the top 6. 

 
But he doesn't have to s*** on this team in such an important game.  

Every game lately has been important. And he's been great in all of them. Allowing 3 goals is hardly s***ting on your team. Sooner or later this offense will have to bail Howie out in a game. That's happened like once this season that I can recall. Scoring 1-2 goals per game isn't good enough.

Is it just me or did howard mess up big time tonight? There is no consistancy with Howard and if we don't make it to the playoffs, he is the biggest reason, in my opinion. He does good like every other game. That does our team little good.

What a complete lie. He's one of the most consistant goalies around. Maybe if your definition of 'doing good' is having a <95 sv% he only does it once in a while. No goalie is perfect, Rangers fans complain about Lundqvist allowing 1 softie every game, but Howard is one of few reasons we still have a chance to make the playoffs. He hasn't buckled under the pressure of playing behind a team that can't score more than 2 goals per game.

Datsyuk with a blind behind the back pass, then Zetterberg with the high-risk saucer pass to the blue line, all with about 1 minute left of a MUST WIN game. Dudes. Can't believe we got out of those last 5 minutes with a tie game. 

 

I have very little hope we can get the 2nd point. Hawks have the momentum and 4-on-4 favors them. God knows shootouts aren't our thing either. 

Dekeyser seems to be playing a lot now. 

 

I like it. 

Wow...no tripping huh?

According to Eddie, Pavel "lost an edge"... LOL. 

Our bottom 2 lines are the only forwards playing hard... Zetterberg wants us to lose

People complain when someone sits out, saying "blah blah blah Yzerman played on one leg", but then when a guy like Z is a warrior and plays despite not being 100% everyone complains? 

I'd rather have this Zetterberg playing than whatever scrub would be in the lineup instead. 

We are soooooooooooooooooooooooooo bad.

Eh, we're looking okay imo. Good effort. But as per usual we have no clue what to do around the net. Can't hit the net, can't get shots past blocking d-men, one pass too much, one pass too few.. 

Hate losing in a SO when points are this important. Both Brunner and Nyquist had nice moves but they are too low % moves. Sharks players had the right idea, simple moves, things they're comfortable with.

Well we could use a win tomorrow. Good thing it's only Chicago we're facing.

...what a season... sigh.

So didn't want San Jose to get a point out of this game....

Who cares. We only need to care about ourselves, as long as we get points it doesn't matter who else does.

As soon as we get close to the other teams' net we lose all confidence. Looks like everyone has forgotten how to score goals and are overthinking everything.

Tough loss but that's the way it goes. We deserved to win, we didn't. We had enough chances to score a couple of goals, but the puck didn't go our way. Blues got a fluke goal and sat back the rest of the way. If it's one thing Hitchcock knows it's how to protect a lead, and he has the defensive pieces to do it. 

 

I thought the key moment that killed our chances of a comeback was when Babcock decided to put Abdelkader out on the 4-on-4. Lots of space on the ice, great for skilled players like Nyquist right? Well no, let's play a guy whose biggest strenght is playing along the boards, something there's a lot less of in 4-on-4 hockey. So he gets the puck, and Kronwall is completely open in a spectacular scoring opportunity. It's a pass even I could put on the tape, but Justin puts it behind Nicky so instead of stepping into the slot and scoring he has to slow down, awkwardly take the pass with his skate and nothing comes of the chance at all. Kronwall is so frustrated by the bad pass he takes a stupid penalty shortly after. 

 

Babcock has to start playing the guys who actually make things happen for us. If we can call up Shehan, we can call up Tatar. Time to sit Daniel Cleary because he doesn't help us win. Time to make Abdelkader a 4th liner like he's supposed to be. Tatar, Nyquist, Zetterberg and Datsyuk are the guys who drive our offense, backed up by Filppula and Franzen (who was looking good today). Right there you have our top 6. LOAD THAT SH*T UP. 

 

Also Dekeyser looks ready to play more minutes. 

I'm not upset about nothing being done by Holland this deadline, but sooner or later some fat is going to have to be trimmed from this team one way or another. 

 

List of expendable players: 

 

Bertuzzi

Abdelkader

Cleary

Miller

Eaves

Emmerton

White
Cola

Samuelsson

 

List of players NHL ready or soon to be NHL ready: 

 

Tatar

Nyquist

Andersson

Ferraro

Sheahan

Lashoff

Almqvist

Jarnkrok

Dekeyser

 

Sad thing is I don't see anyone but Nyquist, Andersson and MAYYYYYYBE Lashoff being on the team next season. 

Jarnkrok should be fast-tracked. Give him a locker-room spot next to Zetterberg. Let him watch Datsyuk in what could be his last season in the NHL. Use him on the wing. Use him on the 3rd or 4th line. Trial. By. Fire. The kid will sink or swim. Sending him to Grand Rapids for a year is almost a step back from the SEL, really at most a lateral move. But that's what's going to happen, right? Sigh. 

How many rookies do you guys want to play?
 
We already have Lashoff, Brunner, Nyquist, Smith, and Andersson playing regularly, with Dekeyser about to join that group shortly. That's 1/3 of the playing roster. 
 
The only Griffin who should be with the Wings is Tatar and if he comes back it will be at the expense of Nyquist most likely.

If we're not trying to do anything in the playoffs, what good is this season other than giving our kids some experience for next season?

Filppula-Zetterberg-Brunner
Franzen-Datsyuk-Tatar
Nyquist-Andersson/Helm-Miller
Abdelkader-Emmerton-Tootoo

Kronwall-Ericsson
Quincey/Cola-Smith
Dekeyser-Kindl/Lashoff

Make it so Kenny/Babcock.