Are you not entertained?

[HockeyinHD]

This is what a tanking team looks like.

No one goes, no one watches, and not very many people even care.

Detroit is 6 games in and has a game in hand on the rest of the league for 30th place.

They have given up 5 more goals than the team which has given up the second most goals.

Their goal differential is 9 goals worse than the team with the second worst goal differential.

There is quite literally not a single thing to be encouraged about regarding the team on any level, beyond perhaps Yzerman being the GM someday. Maybe.

This might have been the worst and least enjoyable the Wings have been in my lifetime, had I not been sentient for the tail end of the Dead Things era.

But hey, in 7 months or so maybe Detroit will get the #1 overall pick, at least if they don't get cold enveloped by Bettman. This is why I've been opposed to a tank (not that they are tanking intentionally... but man it seems like they are tanking intentionally this year). A couple seasons of this sets the organization back 10 years.

If any of the other pro teams in town were run competently this would be a brewing disaster, but at least the Wings can feel solace in that the Tigers, Lions and Pistons are also all absolutely terrible and will be so for 3+ years as well.

This here, right now, is the most desolate pro sports landscape in Detroit for 4 decades... and we're just entering the wastelands of it.

Ugh.

Click to read more...

 

[Hammettf2b]

No, I am not entertained.

 

[Ezekial]

Hey guys, we're a team, at least.

 

[Frk It]

Inevitable situation... it is what it is... you don’t rebuild on the fly twice.

 

[Flowah]

We are all still watching. The game day threads seem bigger than last year, though I haven't checked.

Obviously no one is "happy" to watch them get crushed over and over. But this was due. This is taking our medicine. It was inevitable. And made all the more painful by years of trading picks for extremely marginal players to extend a playoff streak that never saw us as true contenders .

I'm glad now though. Because I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. We've bottomed out. We're so bad we literally can't get worse.

 

[Ghost of Ethan Hunt]

Weekly Red Wings Power Play Update - Week Two

Some positives about our PP...Who'd have thunk it?

 

[ricky0034]

this is the most exciting season in a half decade for me

this team has been going nowhere for a long time but now might actually get some elite talent out of it,do I plan on watching a lot of games? no,but I haven't been watching many games in recent seasons either

 

[Dexter Colt]

I thought I'd be angry, but so far have found no reason to be.

Yes, the team is playing like shit. Yes, it's going to be a dumpster fire of a season. But it was inevitable. I'd much rather have this than half-assed efforts of re-tooling and staying in the fringe-playoff-team-limbo. And I can't find it in me to be angry about arguably being a couple of years late with the rebuild.

And besides, some of the goals scored against have been absolute beauties

 

[Shaman464]

This is what a tanking team looks like.

No one goes, no one watches, and not very many people even care.

Detroit is 6 games in and has a game in hand on the rest of the league for 30th place.

They have given up 5 more goals than the team which has given up the second most goals.

Their goal differential is 9 goals worse than the team with the second worst goal differential.

There is quite literally not a single thing to be encouraged about regarding the team on any level, beyond perhaps Yzerman being the GM someday. Maybe.

This might have been the worst and least enjoyable the Wings have been in my lifetime, had I not been sentient for the tail end of the Dead Things era.

But hey, in 7 months or so maybe Detroit will get the #1 overall pick, at least if they don't get cold enveloped by Bettman. This is why I've been opposed to a tank (not that they are tanking intentionally... but man it seems like they are tanking intentionally this year). A couple seasons of this sets the organization back 10 years.

If any of the other pro teams in town were run competently this would be a brewing disaster, but at least the Wings can feel solace in that the Tigers, Lions and Pistons are also all absolutely terrible and will be so for 3+ years as well.

This here, right now, is the most desolate pro sports landscape in Detroit for 4 decades... and we're just entering the wastelands of it.

Ugh.

This is what happens when you go in with a piss poor plan. No team can stay on the top forever, and by putting off the pain you get a team that has little to no brightspots and no obvious plan to move forward, which is exactly what many of us dreaded the most. So, don't claim this somehow what the pro-tank group wanted, this is just what the anti-tank group got because Holland was on your side, a team with little hope, little talent, and no path out of hell for the foreseeable future.

 

[hyduK]

It is what it is.

They should have rebuilt properly years ago and this would have been a bit easier to swallow, but instead we had a bunch of bad but not bad enough years.

Happy that it's finally starting though. You need young elite talent to compete and there's only one way to get that.

Hopefully the team keeps doing their part and the lottery works out for us.

 

[Ghost of Ethan Hunt]

1. Cholo & Hronek are huge positives
2. Sulak & Ehn to a lesser degree.
3. Bert is doing exactly what I thought he'd do, solidifying himself in the Top 6F.
4. This will be a galvanizing year for our team
5. Lottery pick, top 4 very likely
6. Some roster turnover by TDL= Extra picks & prospects!
7. Kids gaining valuable experience
8. Z2, Veleno, Berggren, Saarijarvi possibly McIssac, Lindstrom not too far off
9. SY comes home
10. Coaching change by 2019 likely

 

[SirloinUB]

If the results continue I'll probably watch a lot less red wings hockey this year. They have been a waste of my time so far

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

I'll probably watch a lot less red wings hockey this year.

In a weird way they've been more compelling for me to watch this season compared to last because of players like Cholowski, Mantha, Ras, Sulak. Not that all those guys are great but they were total unknowns for me so it's been interesting to watch them play in the NHL.

That being said I'm starting a new job in a couple weeks and likely won't be able to catch a lot of the games after that, so my knowing the pain is limited may make it easier to take.

 

[jkutswings]

This is what a tanking team looks like.

No one goes, no one watches, and not very many people even care.

Detroit is 6 games in and has a game in hand on the rest of the league for 30th place.

They have given up 5 more goals than the team which has given up the second most goals.

Their goal differential is 9 goals worse than the team with the second worst goal differential.

So far, no major disagreements. Bad teams are bad.

There is quite literally not a single thing to be encouraged about regarding the team on any level, beyond perhaps Yzerman being the GM someday. Maybe.

And here's where I have to hop off the HiHD bandwagon. Each fan is entitled to their own interests and priorities, but for me, this is the first season since the summer of 2013 that I've HAD some interest in the on-ice product. I know I'm toward the extreme of the spectrum, but the regular season win/loss record doesn't mean a thing to me. I either want a team legitimately competing for a championship, or doing whatever it takes to maximize their odds in rebuilding for that next window of Cup contention. This year it finally feels like the Datsyuk/Zetterberg era is over, and plenty of kids are getting a real shot at learning in the NHL, and Detroit is starting to accumulate assets that will pay dividends in a few more years.

Now there's no guarantee that these efforts do eventually pan out into even a regular return to the playoffs, let alone being a top 4-6 team in the league, hunting for Stanley again. But at a minimum, I appreciate the sense of fully embracing a rebuild, and I'm encouraged by what guys like Cholowski and Zadina will add to Larkin and Company down the road.

This might have been the worst and least enjoyable the Wings have been in my lifetime, had I not been sentient for the tail end of the Dead Things era.

But hey, in 7 months or so maybe Detroit will get the #1 overall pick, at least if they don't get cold enveloped by Bettman. This is why I've been opposed to a tank (not that they are tanking intentionally... but man it seems like they are tanking intentionally this year). A couple seasons of this sets the organization back 10 years.

If any of the other pro teams in town were run competently this would be a brewing disaster, but at least the Wings can feel solace in that the Tigers, Lions and Pistons are also all absolutely terrible and will be so for 3+ years as well.

This here, right now, is the most desolate pro sports landscape in Detroit for 4 decades... and we're just entering the wastelands of it.

Ugh.

To each their own. To your credit, you called it before it happened, saying that many fans would recoil at the reality of what they were asking for. But I honestly view the 2014-2016 Red Wings as even less interesting than the current roster, because neither era was getting anywhere near a Cup, but at least this one has finally pulled off the band-aid, and is taking their chances with saying goodbye to the old core in hopes of building an entirely new one.

 

[WingedWheel1987]

I find this season more entertaining than the last six years. At least I have something to look forward to at the end of this season.

 

[TheOtherOne]

There is quite literally not a single thing to be encouraged about regarding the team on any level, beyond perhaps Yzerman being the GM someday. Maybe.

I'm still holdin out for AA to become Bure.

srs.

 

[TheRatPoisoner]

Entertained? No. Games are pretty painful to watch; I'll give ya that.

But it's a necessary evil. I, for one, welcome our new tank overlords.

 

[taliababa]

I'm still holdin out for AA to become Bure.

srs.

There's a chance AA can become as good as Valeri Bure.

 

[Ricelund]

They've been delaying the inevitable for several years. They could be 3-4 years (or more) into this already. Had to happen at some point.

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

I have been excited for every game and have enjoyed watching the team. My enjoyment and interest is not dictated by the results on the scoreboard, but by the play and development of the younger players (and the guys I hope to trade). I have been around the game long enough to recognize legitimate talent deficiencies and to adjust expectations accordingly. This day has been coming for a long time. We weren't going to catch lightening in a bottle a second time.

 

[Pavels Dog]

There is quite literally not a single thing to be encouraged about regarding the team on any level, beyond perhaps Yzerman being the GM someday. Maybe.

Larkin? Cholowski? Hronek?

If you wanna look down the road a bit, Veleno/Lindstrom/McIsaac/Zadina/Kivenmaki/Berggren/etc. are highly promising.

And tbh, it's been 6 games.. if the team was 6-0, we would all know that it would mean absolutely sh*t. This team will win games. They will get Dekeyser/Green/Ericsson back and the defense will become a bit steadier. Mantha will score goals. Etc. We're bad, we're likely bottom 5 and maybe bottom 3. But take it easy, it's only been like two weeks.

 

[Ezekial]

I have been excited for every game and have enjoyed watching the team. My enjoyment and interest is not dictated by the results on the scoreboard, but by the play and development of the younger players (and the guys I hope to trade). I have been around the game long enough to recognize legitimate talent deficiencies and to adjust expectations accordingly. This day has been coming for a long time. We weren't going to catch lightening in a bottle a second time.

Are you telling me that less expectations can be more exciting?

 

[SirloinUB]

Are you telling me that less expectations can be more exciting?

Preference I guess. Watching "talent" get whipped 3 consecutive games isn't very exciting to me.

 

[HockeyinHD]

But I honestly view the 2014-2016 Red Wings as even less interesting than the current roster, because neither era was getting anywhere near a Cup, but at least this one has finally pulled off the band-aid, and is taking their chances with saying goodbye to the old core in hopes of building an entirely new one.

I have a question: Are you guys, specifically you but also everyone else in general, actually watching these games?

In my opinion, what is happening right now is that people are essentially doing the 'simulate week/season' deal in an NHL 18 game set to GM mode and checking out of the game to game stuff. People cannot be watching 3 periods of Wings hockey this season and going 'Finally! Something to get excited about!"

The on-ice product is atrocious. It's not lesser players simply losing to better players. It's lesser players being wholly unready for this level of hockey to the point that teams are literally taking it easy on them.

I've seen a few people respond similarly to you in this thread and I... I just don't understand it. I mean, I get that it may just be the 'oh bleep I've been agitating for a tank so long if I don't at least feign glee now that it's here I'm going to get ripped' deal... but beyond that. These guys aren't learning anything right now except how to get humiliated. These teams that go through these tanks rarely ever have more than a couple guys on them by the time they win, either because they never eventually win or because the player in question (Crozby, Kopitar, Fleury) was a legit elite player.

95% of this roster will be gone by the time Detroit wins another Cup, if they even win one during the careers of anyone on the roster. All this 'learning' and 'growing' with these kids is only going to be useful to them on their next team.

 

[ArGarBarGar]

I feel like if you posted this prior to the Boston game you would get a different reaction.