Tim Cheveldae's Ghost

Lockouts are commonplace amongst all industries, so this is no surprise. Its only until recently that owners of companies have begun to exercise that right more, knowing they can squeeze their employers down to their demands eventually.

I hope the NHLPA never gives in to what the owners want and the league ultimately suffers a great defeat. I'm a Red Wings fan, NOT an NHL fan, so I could care less about the other 29 franchises. The longer the players refuse to negotiate, the better it will be for them in the end. They can always play overseas and marginal players with 2-way deals can play in the AHL. I think the whole season will be missed, maybe more, and the NHL will fade into obscurity in the American sports realm. The owners have brought this upon themselves and they will get what they deserve.

There must be an infusion of youth next year on the team. In today's parity-filled league, you can't rely on old veterans to win when every other team is getting younger and faster. I think the Wings need to start changing their philosophy on how they handle youngsters, because perhaps the "Red Wing way" isn't the right way anymore.

Age isn't a factor, complacency has set in and some players are just not willing to commit to win anymore. Most of these guys have won a Cup and have gone to multiple Stanley Cup Finals. Change needs to be constant in pro sports, you can't get comfortable with the same guys, patch a few holes and expect to win. Ken Holland will be tested in this offseason like never before, especially if Nick retires. Its time to rebuild this team, inject some youth and trade away an asset while you still can for whatever value they have left.

I think you gotta give Babcock some say in what players he wants/doesn't want. There's an obvious chemistry and grit issue this club has and the players unwilling to commit themselves need to be called out or moved. The home winning streak this year masked all the problems this team had and at the end of the day, it means squat. Gotta get bigger and meaner in the offseason.

Losers find excuses to why they lost. Was the officiating bad? Sure. But there's plenty of time in the game, and the Wings didn't even allow a power play goal, they actually benefited from the calls. So, someone explain to me why this an issue again? The better team wins in a 7-game series, if Detroit loses they have no one to blame but themselves...not the refs and not Bettman.

Long time reader - first time poster.

Tonight was the culmination of nearly three months of sub-par hockey. I was unfortunate enough to be at the Nashville game where the team was booed and ripped by Babs, and I was hopeful that was the last game of the season like that, sadly it wasn't.

Too many things are problems right now, and it's not just a lack of effort. There is absolutely no structure to the Wings game right now. Defensemen are missing assignments and leaving huge gaps, there are numerous turnovers, the forwards aren't helping on D, and the offense is usually one and done without any sustained pressure. As a former coach, I know these issues cannot be fixed overnight, they are things that take time, something the Wings obviously don't have a lot of. The attention to detail that the team has prided itself on for many years is non-existent, and its leading to embarrassing moments in games.

The secret is out on how to beat the Wings. Forecheck, hit, outwork and outskate. No one fears this team anymore, they are just another face in the crowd of the NHL. I'm not sure if the Wings recognize this or not, but their home record is indicative of how teams view them now. The Joe was once a feared place to play, now the Wings are lucky to outshoot a team at home.

There needs to be systemic changes before the playoffs start, or else this team is in deep trouble. I trust Babs as a coach and I only hope that the players haven't started t tune out what he has to say.