BuckeyeWingsfan80

With the large caveat that when Franzen plays with intensity he's one of the best forwards in the game - but the man floated for 35 or more games this year and played like a 9 year old girl at times.

A hot streak doesn't mean he's a bargain all of a sudden.  It means he needs to bring that same intensity over the full season instead of just when the Wings backs' are up against the wall.

To all the people predicting a Chicago beating, do I need to remind you of the 2006 Oilers? or the 2003 Ducks? or even the 1994 Sharks and 2001 Kings? We've been on the receiving end of so many first round upsets that I'm surprised some of you are so pessimistic. Maybe it's finally our time to be Cinderella. Get in and anything can happen, even beating the almighty Hawks.

Unfortunately, this completely ignores several things with THIS Wings team and what it does good and what it does very badly.

compare those teams and how they played to this Wings team and how it plays (style-wise) and you'll see an enormous difference.

Nyquist needs to be given at least 3rd line minutes, if not 2nd line minutes going forward.  Youth and energy are what this team needs to break up the staleness of the roster.

good thing that gaborik guy didn't come to Detroit.  I mean a goal and assist?  Who needs that?!?!?!

umm, not really. They hate losing Dorsett. And Brassard is currently tearing it up with New York tonight.

 

New York might have became a better team.

 

Gaborik also has a ton of injury history, how do you think we'd be feeling right now if his back/hip/groin started to act up?

Dorsett has been hurt for a while and wasn't likely to come back in the regular season.  Columbus already has Jared Boll who basically plays the same role as Dorsett does, and Dorsett is smaller and doesn't skate as well as Boll does and I'm pretty sure Boll has longer left on his contract than Dorsett does.

Brassard might be "tearing it up" but that's just one game.  I can't tell you how many times you'd hear even Jeff Rimer commenting on how Brassard was floating on the ice and not getting into the mix offensively or defensively.  Brassard is basically Sammy without the stick-skills, no one in Columbus is going to miss him either.

The only real piece Columbus gave up with any real potential is John Moore.  He's a big d-man, he's still very young and could develop into at least an All-Star down the road.

Don't let your bias against Columbus get to you - Columbus clearly owns the Rangers GM and being able to land Gaborik without giving up one of their 3-1st round picks is a frikin steal.

This would be a lame excuse for not rading him. I find it hard to believe, but maybe no team was willing to offer a second? Which would be pretty much sum up his value to other teams

Ian White isn't worth a 2nd round pick though.  Maybe a 4th.

Or if the GM will take the blame for putting this mediocre team together.

 

Or if the coach takes the blame for poor line management.  

Or if the players will take the blame for quitting.

The shots are like 25 Edmonton to 14 for Detroit.  That's PATHETIC.

If they want to skate along the boards like a bunch of little girls, just release everyone and call up the kids.  Their play is resembling a certain part of female anatomy.

I'm sorry but this is so typical. Team starts under-performing and now all of the sudden the coach needs to take a hike. This is classic fandom in the works. Babs makes one confusing move (Abby-Dats-Cleary) that the fans don't like and all of the sudden he needs to be replaced? Keep your heads on.

For all we know Abby walked into his office and said: "I can be that next PWF if u'd let me", and Mike said: "Ok, this is a gap year, an experimentation year, lets see what you got." Gives him a shot in the top 6 and it didn't workout. Big whoop.

Abby's still young somewhat young for hockey, doesn't hurt to experiment with your young guys.

I'm not claiming to be anything special, but I swear half of LGW would be worse than Garth Snow.... but still, it's the only forum I come to

You're right of course.

Hell Scotty Bowman wouldn't be more than .500 right now with this group.  The coach can only do so much and these are allegedly professionals here.

When this forum accepts the fact that the losses due to FA and retirement mean this team isn't anywhere near talented enough to really be a contender, that will be the day that LGW and threads like this one become more bearable.

Reality check time, this team is mediocre.

Howard would start for at least 25 other teams.  Get a grip.

Some people in this thread need to seriously lighten up....

Refs are by nature incompetent.

I was doing a little research and looking back at the last lockout shortened season.  Everyone keeps saying how important is it to "get off to a good start or it'll be over before you know it".  While it never hurts to get off to a good start, I'm much more interested in how things end.  In 1995, the NJ Devils started off 0-3-1, were below .500 for about half the season, finished a little over .500 and made the playoffs.  In May and June they went 16-4 and won the Stanley Cup.  If you like to be pessimistic, then by all means, keep whining about the slow start, but how well they're playing in January means nothing, even in a short season, and there's the proof.

It's good to stay positive, but let's be realistic.  This team can't come within 10 light years of the defense that Devils team played.

Time to call up the kids.  They look old, slow and tired.  And with no Homer, there is NO ONE in front of the net, isn't that right Mr. Franzen?

I'm not sure which is worse: the over-reacting or the self-rigtheous why-don't-you-just-quit-then responses to it.

Both - and the usual suspects are playing their roles as usual too....

Only bright spot tonite is the giant boob sitting behind babcock

 wait Holland is at the game? 

Seriously, it is one game! STEP AWAY FROM THE LEDGE!!!!

I'm the last one to be on the ledge.  I'm WATCHING Columbus do to Nashville what STL is doing to Detroit and we know how Nashville plays too.  Unless Detroit figures out something and fast, they aren't beating anyone in the division.

The Wings have lost too much and it's too much for Z and Datsyuk to handle on their own.  This team has the least amount of talent on it since the mid 80s at the very least, so yes, it's not far off to say this is the worst Wings team in nearly 30 years.  Reality, it sucks, doesn't it?