Pre-Game Talk: Detroit at Toronto

[DanZ]

How tautological. Sorry, but the statistics bear out that, save for two outliers, bottom feeder teams are fodder. If this team makes it with a negative gf/ga and a .500 winning percentage they don't belong.

If they wouldn't deserve it than who would? Philly for only playing half the year? Boston for choking on an even bigger lead than the Wings had? Shockingly enough they've been even worse than Detroit down the stretch 3-6-1 in their last ten games.

If they make it, then it would appear that all the teams that didn't make it had bigger issues than the Wings. If you're one of the top 8 teams in the conference, than you deserve to make it. It's really that simple.

 

[Shaman464]

If they wouldn't deserve it than who would? Philly for only playing half the year? Boston for choking on an even bigger lead than the Wings had? Shockingly enough they've been even worse than Detroit down the stretch 3-6-1 in their last ten games.

If they make it, then it would appear that all the teams that didn't make it had bigger issues than the Wings. If you're one of the top 8 teams in the conference, than you deserve to make it. It's really that simple.

That's the issue though, they aren't a top 8 team by any measure. Everything but eeking out points they are in the bottom half of the league in.

 

[McMatthews]

You guys better win in regulation.

 

[DanZ]

That's the issue though, they aren't a top 8 team by any measure. Everything but eeking out points they are in the bottom half of the league in.

Well if they make the playoffs than they will be top 8 by the only measure that matters.

 

[Ezekial]

4-1
goals:
Sheahan(1A)
Green (1A)
AA(9 mins)
Tatar (1A)

 

[Shaman464]

Well if they make the playoffs than they will be top 8 by the only measure that matters.

Which is an assbackwards point and row system?

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Will not be able to watch this one live. Hoping I don't want to set my DVR on fire later.

Need the full 60 minutes of great effort and we should be able to win this.

Babs is going to forecheck our D hard, hope they are ready.

 

[chances14]

I'd say my eyes would be pointed towards the future. Their current chances at a cup is at around 0.1%. That is laughably low. Their chances at Matthews is 10x higher.

since you avoided it, I will ask it again

if you were a wings player on this team, would you willingly try to lose all the games from here on out?

 

[Pavels Dog]

I'd say my eyes would be pointed towards the future. Their current chances at a cup is at around 0.1%. That is laughably low. Their chances at Matthews is 10x higher.

I agree in the sense that I don't see the point in making the playoffs if we're gonna play Dats/Z 20+ minutes per game and AA/Mantha 6-7. That kind of strategy leaves us with absolutely zero chance to make any noise in the playoffs and gives the kids very little in way of valuable experience.

I would rather see Larkin, AA, Mantha, Marchenko, Smith, Sheahan, Nyquist, Tatar, Jurco etc get bigger roles and let the chips fall where they may. That way we would at least see what our young players are made of and either they'd learn from a failure or gain lots of confidence from a success.

Blash is coaching in a way where literally the only thing we have to gain from making it to the playoffs is keeping the streak alive.

 

[Eggberto]

since you avoided it, I will ask it again

if you were a wings player on this team, would you willingly try to lose all the games from here on out?

NO player willingly tries to lose.

 

[Shaman464]

since you avoided it, I will ask it again

if you were a wings player on this team, would you willingly try to lose all the games from here on out?

Detroit doesn't have to try, mediocrity just comes naturally.

 

[aar000n]

Just think if we tanked we would be as relevant as Edmonton. Oh wait

 

[Bench]

Why even fight?

Yikes. I bet you were a real treat in the locker of your teams.

Soon as the Red Wings adopt that kind of attitude, it's over. You think the Wings suck? That's fine. But they should still be clawing every damn shift and fighting to make the playoffs. The young kids won't get a single ounce better watching the veterans you loathe roll over and die. They need to be part of a culture and organization that doesn't accept defeat as preferable and the hope of drafting a better player as more appealing than improving yourself every damn game.

 

[WingedWheel1987]

That's the issue though, they aren't a top 8 team by any measure. Everything but eeking out points they are in the bottom half of the league in.

Detroit is just better at making sure they lose in OT or the SO.

Unfortunately Detroit isn't going to get half a win if they lose a game in the playoffs.

 

[invsb]

And we have been decent in the 3 on 3 OT. Something that Holland led the push for.

This team is entirely smoke and mirrors. And by the way only Larkin out of AA and Mantha will be a relevant top line player for this team in the future. You can tell he has the "It" factor. He's the only reason to watch these last few games.

 

[jolly roger]

And we have been decent in the 3 on 3 OT. Something that Holland led the push for.

This team is entirely smoke and mirrors. And by the way only Larkin out of AA and Mantha will be a relevant top line player for this team in the future. You can tell he has the "It" factor. He's the only reason to watch these last few games.

You must have missed AA and Mantha playing the last ten games or so .

 

[SpookyTsuki]

And we have been decent in the 3 on 3 OT. Something that Holland led the push for.

This team is entirely smoke and mirrors. And by the way only Larkin out of AA and Mantha will be a relevant top line player for this team in the future. You can tell he has the "It" factor. He's the only reason to watch these last few games.

You can say that Larkin is the only top line player. But he's not the only reason to watch

 

[SpookyTsuki]

That's the issue though, they aren't a top 8 team by any measure. Everything but eeking out points they are in the bottom half of the league in.

Philadelphia has the same amount of wins

 

[DanZ]

Which is an assbackwards point and row system?

And? That's what determines the playoffs and that's what everyone plays by. If the playoffs were determined by goal differential than maybe you'd have a point.

 

[DATS-O-MATIC]

Detroit is just better at making sure they lose in OT or the SO.

Unfortunately Detroit isn't going to get half a win if they lose a game in the playoffs.

Philadelphia has the same amount of wins

PHI
77GP 39 W 25 L 13 OT

...Flyers have 13 OT points, vs. Wings 11...

 

[DanZ]

Detroit is just better at making sure they lose in OT or the SO.

Unfortunately Detroit isn't going to get half a win if they lose a game in the playoffs.

Playoff OT is 5-on-5 so regular season OT and shootouts aren't really relevant to that..

 

[Reddwit]

I agree in the sense that I don't see the point in making the playoffs if we're gonna play Dats/Z 20+ minutes per game and AA/Mantha 6-7. That kind of strategy leaves us with absolutely zero chance to make any noise in the playoffs and gives the kids very little in way of valuable experience.

I would rather see Larkin, AA, Mantha, Marchenko, Smith, Sheahan, Nyquist, Tatar, Jurco etc get bigger roles and let the chips fall where they may. That way we would at least see what our young players are made of and either they'd learn from a failure or gain lots of confidence from a success.

Blash is coaching in a way where literally the only thing we have to gain from making it to the playoffs is keeping the streak alive.

The pressure won't be the same if we get in though. Blashill has done his job if the Wings make the playoffs. No one expects us to win a series and the organization has shown that being one and done is acceptable even if not ideal. So we could see some random playoff moves - bumping fast and big bodies like Mantha and AA up the lineup.

Babcock randomly decided Abdelkader would be the 2C against the Coyotes a few years ago, despite that being nowhere in the playbook during the regular season if memory serves. Although he was obsessed with Abby.

 

[Pavels Dog]

This team is entirely smoke and mirrors. And by the way only Larkin out of AA and Mantha will be a relevant top line player for this team in the future.

What a ballsy prediction.

I could honestly see Mantha and AA both ending up better, but most people don't have the capacity to imagine scenarios where everything doesn't develop in a linear path from the present.