GDT: WCSF Game 6 | Chicago @ Detroit | 5/27 | 8:00 PM EST | CBC / NBCSN

[GoAwayDanCleary]

I call it as it is. We have seen how good Datsyuk can be. Doesn't make sense to me how he is a pure all-star, top 5 player in the NHL, and when e need hi the most, he is playing worse than Patty Eaves. No disrespect to Eaves, he was one of the only players that showed up, but if Eaves is far and away better than Datsyuk in a game 6 against the top team in the NHL, we have issues.

Because all star players have their ups and downs. They're human. Look at the stars on Chicago - Toews, Kane and Hossa have all been sub-par for most the playoffs. Datsyuk has been **** for what we're used to and I agree with all you said. Its just a rough go for Pasha right now.

 

[Cursed Lemon]

To hell with that. No free passes; he's paid quite ****ing handsomely to do more than win faceoffs, especially during this time of year. This is when the money men step up. The likes of Z and Datsyuk have 1 game to wake the **** up or they will be bigger laughing stocks this series than princess Toews ever was.

What do you expect Datsyuk to do, exactly? Walk through every Hawk on the ice like they're the freaking Predators?

Have you seen the congestion out there? Have you seen our lack of quality chances and bad offensive zone positioning? We played possession around the perimeter and only got shots off of bad rebounds and fractured plays/scrambles. Datsyuk cannot force people to play a smarter game and open themselves up so that he can feed them.

Our defense cannot move the puck through the neutral zone to save their lives, and they are the ones driving the plays. We dumped the puck in all night tonight and I don't think we actually retrieved it once.

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

I feel like the Wings are just gassed. They've been playing for their playoff lives since before the playoffs even began. They have no legs now, especially the more physical guys. (Of course, Filppula looks completely fresh.)

If the Wings somehow pull it out on Wednesday, I'm worried they'll get destroyed by the Kings.

 

[WingedWheel1987]

Not even mad at Smith. Smith would have been a lot better this year if he played with Lidstrom the year before.

 

[Cyborg Yzerberg]

What's the word on Dekeyser?

 

[hot dog]

Eaves should have gotten the star for Detroit

who did get it? should've been him or miller.

 

[Vladdy84]

What's the word on Dekeyser?

It's irrelevant at this point. We'll take about that if we win Game 7.

 

[Point Shot]

Just put Smith at forward and Dats on D, Fedorov-style.

 

[Sentinel]

It is PAINFULLY OBVIOUS that Datsyuk is playing injured. He is never that slow or unsure of his stickwork.

I don't think so. When he has open ice, he does all the right moves. But he is not shooting the puck, and when he does -- he doesn't shoot well.

 

[YostisHome]

Again... DeKeyser came straight from college and fit right in.... why does Smith need this grand old padded landing?

 

[aar000n]

Refs took z out of the game in the end with the sift call to ice their win.

 

[GoAwayDanCleary]

What do you expect Datsyuk to do, exactly? Walk through every Hawk on the ice like they're the freaking Predators?

Have you seen the congestion out there? Have you seen our lack of quality chances and bad offensive zone positioning? We played possession around the perimeter and only got shots off of bad rebounds and fractured plays/scrambles. Datsyuk cannot force people to play a smarter game and open themselves up so that he can feed them.

Our defense cannot move the puck through the neutral zone to save their lives, and they are the ones driving the plays. We dumped the puck in all night tonight and I don't think we actually retrieved it once.

I get what you're saying but its not like Datsyuk is out there by himself. He's produced all year with guys like Cleary and Abby on his wing (even at the same time). So to make that an excuse for him now, in the most crucial time of the year, doesn't pass IMO.

 

[Cbdudek]

Wings were good enough to hold 2-1 lead

then those 2 goals happened because 1 individual completely failed

those are kinds of mistake everyone say 'it's on him'

Last time I checked, its a team sport, and when your team decides that the game was over after the 2nd period tonight, that was a big problem. The Wings melted down as a whole and the Hawks were the better team. That is what happened plain and simple. Its easier to blame the refs or blame a single player, but in the end, the better team won. Wings are going to have to play a full 60 minute game, and they haven't done that since Game 4.

 

[vladdy16]

OK, so let's review that Franzen call where he checked someone.

And the call where Datsyuk checked Toews.

And the penalty shot.

Yep. Those are 3 of the worst calls I've ever seen. A tragic combination of new school rules and referee ineptitude.

Franzen checked a guy who ducked on his own accord. 2 minutes for checking, called roughing.

Datsyuk battles with toews in the corner, toews winds up to the circles, makes a pass and gets planted. 2 minutes for checking, called tripping.

The penalty shot. 28 doesn't hook, hold or slash. Well placed, UNDER CONTROL, stick check. A play that's been within the rules FOREVER. Not only do they call a penalty, which it wasn't, but they call a penalty shot and effectively make the game end 10 minutes early.

 

[GoAwayDanCleary]

Again... DeKeyser came straight from college and fit right in.... why does Smith need this grand old padded landing?

Because DeKeyser is better and plays a more defense oriented game. Do you honestly need someone to answer that for you?

 

[Kronwalled55]

I don't think I've ever seen Zetterberg as PO'd as he was when he got that penalty. That's one of the only things keeping me positive for Game 7. Using that anger as a boost.

 

[Zetterberg4Captain]

Again... DeKeyser came straight from college and fit right in.... why does Smith need this grand old padded landing?

he played like 10 games

the chances he becomes a productive longtime NHLer are as likely as they're that he ends up as nothing more then a used car salesman somewhere

 

[Sentinel]

Vokoun is a ****.. goalie

This pretty much torpedoes your credibility. Thank you, next!

 

[Cursed Lemon]

I get what you're saying but its not like Datsyuk is out there by himself. He's produced all year with guys like Cleary and Abby on his wing (even at the same time). So to make that an excuse for him now, in the most crucial time of the year, doesn't pass IMO.

We're playing the best team in hockey right now. Expecting Abdelkader backboard goals is just wishful thinking.

Datsyuk IS, very nearly, by himself out there. He's paired up with Franzen, who is a floater but a shooter, and Abdelkader, a guy who tries hard but doesn't have the speed to force the issue. Datsyuk is a predatory hockey player and there needs to be someone creating havoc for the other team a la Darren Helm. The Hawks are TOO organized and TOO good on the breakout to try to scavenge goals off of turnovers, especially when we can barely apply pressure outside of pinning the puck to the boards.

 

[YostisHome]

Because DeKeyser is better and plays a more defense oriented game. Do you honestly need someone to answer that for you?

Yes I do when a guy needs to play with Lidstrom to fit in. That's not his problem, he has no hockey IQ, he's falling all over the ice half the time, can't pass, isn't physical....

 

[Squirrel in the Hole]

It was a tap to the stick up in the hands area. I don't even think cola's stick even touched his hands

It used to be that you pretty much had to decapitate someone to get a penalty shot in the playoffs. Bettman must be happy with the refs creativity.

 

[Zetterberg4Captain]

This pretty much torpedoes your credibility. Thank you, next!

yah you're right, vokoun is just fantastic

it wont be goaltending that gets the Pens past the Bruins and everyone knows that

 

[Sentinel]

Franzen checked a guy who ducked on his own accord.

The penalty shot. 28 doesn't hook, hold or slash. Well placed, UNDER CONTROL, stick check. A play that's been within the rules FOREVER. Not only do they call a penalty, which it wasn't, but they call a penalty shot and effectively make the game end 10 minutes early.

Wake up, dude. Franzen raised his stick and hit the head. Gonna be called every time. Cocacola hooked the guy and denied him a scoring chance. Gonna be called every time. Don't know what league were you watching.

Refs didn't cost us the game. Smith did. And Datsyuk didn't do much to save it either.

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

I feel like the Wings are just gassed. They've been playing for their playoff lives since before the playoffs even began. They have no legs now, especially the more physical guys. (Of course, Filppula looks completely fresh.)

If the Wings somehow pull it out on Wednesday, I'm worried they'll get destroyed by the Kings.

I don't know if I agree, I thought they looked actually pretty okay skating-wise. I thought the problem was a certain slowness of mind, a failure to recognize situations quickly and do the right thing in response. That however has been something every D-man and quite a few forwards on the roster have shown all season from time to time so it can't be pinned on fatigue.

 

[vladdy16]

DeKeyser was another rookie defensemen for us and doesn't make near the mistakes Smith does.

I'm getting tired of seeing this all over the boards. 52 looked GREAT his first stint here, then he struggled for quite a while. 2 looked GREAT his first stint here, now he's struggling. Dekeyser looked great for a short period of time, like all of our recent young d-men have, it's not that telling of a sample size.