GDT: Detroit Red Wings @ Tampa Bay Lightning

[Shaman464]

This is complete BS to anyone with any hockey knowledge. If there is no strategy that dictates player movement you will end up with complete chaos if the players just skate around aimlessly as to not be "lazy". If the system involves lots of movement and the players just aren't doing it because they're lazy, you can bet those players would quickly be pulled from the PP and perhaps the lineup in order to put players executing the system correctly on the PP instead.

The simple answer is the easiest: the strategy sucks. The PP has been garbage for Blashill's entire tenure now. We have a lack of skill, true, but players like Green, Zetterberg, Nyquist, Tatar, Mantha etc. should be able to form a competent powerplay. Not league best maybe, but competent. To blame it on lack of talent or even worse, laziness, is garbage. Special teams is one of the most clear areas where coaching is like 90% of how it works or doesn't work. We've seen teams like Chicago and Pittsburgh ice terrible, terrible powerplays despite all their talent. Heck even when the Wings had Lidstrom & Co. there was a quite a bit of variance in PP success. And my memory fails, but wasn't one of the worst years the year Blashill handled that part? Curious...

The best years for Babcock he had two elite PMDs, an elite play maker, 3 guys capable (and in some cases a history of) 40 goal seasons, a guy who skated like he was swimming in pudding, but had the hand eye coordination of a superstar and a body of a tank, and Dan Cleary. His coaching could have been 'have fun, don't f*** around'. Right now Blash doesn't have nearly the tools that Babcock had, and so many times the PP dies on the back end. Without a real PMD QBing the PP it gives the other team AGES to react to any plans that are instituted. Imagine the damage Mantha or Tatar could do if they had Rafalski dishing accurate, crisp passes to them?

 

[theYman]

Who'd like to see a line with AA Larkin and Helm? Afterburner line.

 

[Winger98]

The power play is frustrating, but as Shaman points out part of it is personnel (though I do think it could be better with the folks we have). They need to take fewer stupid penalties, though. Right now the Wings are third in minor penalties and sixth in bench minors. The Wings lead the league in times shorthanded this. This isn't a good enough team to overcome being constantly on the PK. It not only puts our guys at a serious disadvantage, it screws up the rolling of the lines and begins to skew ice times. How many fewer PKs would the Wings have if they just kept their sticks on the ice and not slashing at guys?

 

[RedWingzz]

Everyone give Blash a round of applause for putting Kronwall out on the 6 on 4!!!!!!!

Some serious something right there.

Don't forget having Juatin Abdelkader out there as well! Justin has earn that 4.25 somehow I guess! Abdelkader should be making 2.5 as a 4th line grinder, who could step in to your 3rd line if there are injuries. For some odd reason he is getting the 2nd most ice time among forwards on our team, is on the top PP unit, and sees the ice if we desperately need a goal. I honestly think Blashill is trying to send Holland a message by using Abdelkader this much.

It's unfortunate that management has made fans turn on hardworking players like Abby and Helm, by offering them ridiculous amounts of money. These are 3rd/4th liners getting paid like they are scorers. Now the fans are angry at Abby/Helm, when the reality of the situation is that they were never even close to scorers, and got paid way too much money by our bonehead GM.

 

[RedWingzz]

Who'd like to see a line with AA Larkin and Helm? Afterburner line.

21 40 39
72 71 14
08 51 43
23 41 42

defence:
don't care they all suck

PP

14 40 39
21 25

72 71 51
83 42

 

[Pavels Dog]

The best years for Babcock he had two elite PMDs, an elite play maker, 3 guys capable (and in some cases a history of) 40 goal seasons, a guy who skated like he was swimming in pudding, but had the hand eye coordination of a superstar and a body of a tank, and Dan Cleary. His coaching could have been 'have fun, don't **** around'. Right now Blash doesn't have nearly the tools that Babcock had, and so many times the PP dies on the back end. Without a real PMD QBing the PP it gives the other team AGES to react to any plans that are instituted. Imagine the damage Mantha or Tatar could do if they had Rafalski dishing accurate, crisp passes to them?

Yeah Green is just an awful PP QB, it's insane to expect a coach to build a functional PP with such a d-man.

Keep waiting for talent to bail out this coaching staff and you'll wait until we have superstars on every position. Babcock didn't have Lidstrom and Rafalski on both PP units. He didn't have Lidstrom and Rafalski his last year in Detroit when we were 2nd in the league on the PP. The Penguins were 19th on the PP in 09-10 and 25th in 10-11, I'm sure Crosby/Malkin/Letang were just lazy those years.

No, we shouldn't be in the top 5 or even top 10 with this personnel. But do you not see how completely lost this team is with the man advantage? Do we ever create pressure or score when we're 6-on-5? Our 5-on-4 obviously sucks. Our 5-on-3 is just barely functional enough to sometimes score, when it should be creating great chances even if you have AHLers out against elite NHL PKers.

If our d-men are so terrible... play with 5 forwards? Focus on playing down low where guys like Mantha and Z can do damage. Put more traffic on net and just throw pucks there. Adapt! I'm not asking for the russian 5 style of lightning quick puck movement, but anyone who thinks this PP would suddenly look great if you put Erik Karlsson and Kucherov on it are delusional. A good PP is easy to spot even when the talent is lacking.

 

[TheMule93]

Sergachev cross checks the wrong guy.



Surprised Mantha only got 2min for that haha, was well worth it. I'm glad Mantha is showing more emotion than the rest of the team combined.

 

[Frk It]

The simple answer is the easiest

Right... this is a bad team.

 

[ArGarBarGar]

Sergachev cross checks the wrong guy.



Surprised Mantha only got 2min for that haha, was well worth it. I'm glad Mantha is showing more emotion than the rest of the team combined.

I really hope Mantha doesn't feel compelled to keep doing that. Don't want him to break his hand because the team is so frustrating.

 

[Zetterberg4Captain]

Typically when you have less elite talent is when you bring in a strong x' s and o's coach.

That coach implements a strong but easy system, that is easy to understand and execute. The players are then forced to do it and buy in. The pp becomes simple, pucks to the point, pucks to the net.

We need a guy bucher right now

 

[Number1RedWingsFan52]

Until this team learns to be more disciplined then this, They will continue to lose can't afford to be committing dumb penalties day in and day out and expect success.

 

[Beltv]

Zetterberg looked awful last night. At the end of the 3rd driving the play up had to be the slowest skating I have ever seen. At one point he wasn't even moving his feet before he tried to dump it in. As our captain I think he needs to play with a sense of urgency. I know he is old but gosh that was pathetic.

I know it was game 1 but AA had just over 11 minutes.

Howard played well. That 3rd goal was extremely bad D. The 2nd goal was an incredible pass by Kucherov. That guy is a stud.

 

[Obe2kenobe]

Kronwall has the hockey I.Q. to play but his speed and mobility to get to loose pucks and to keep the puck in the O zone isn't there anymore. If he plays all season and in important situations it's gonna be a long losing season. It's starting to remind me of Cleary's last season.

 

[RedWingzz]

Sergachev cross checks the wrong guy.



Surprised Mantha only got 2min for that haha, was well worth it. I'm glad Mantha is showing more emotion than the rest of the team combined.

Haha.

Good job Mantha. At least someone cares on this team. I'd say that was worth 2 mins. Sergachev just turtles haha.

 

[Dotter]

Whelp, people's dreams are starting to come true. Race to the top 5 pick.

 

[datsyukfan]

Blashill & Larkin talking as Wings practice starts.

Hopefully he’s telling him his system is a joke

 

[Number1RedWingsFan52]

Who'd like to see a line with AA Larkin and Helm? Afterburner line.

AA-Larkin-Mantha is practicing today Zetterberg with Tatar and Nyquist again. AA-Larkin-Mantha should be a fun line to watch.

 

[Number1RedWingsFan52]

Whelp, people's dreams are starting to come true. Race to the top 5 pick.

Yeah that was guaranteed.

 

[Syckle78]

Whelp, people's dreams are starting to come true. Race to the top 5 pick.

Wooohoooo!

 

[Ezekial]

I really hope Mantha doesn't feel compelled to keep doing that. Don't want him to break his hand because the team is so frustrating.

That's why he made it a point to rip Serg's helmet off first

 

[jkutswings]

Whelp, people's dreams are starting to come true. Race to the top 5 pick.

Now somebody needs to convince the Coyotes to trade for Zetterberg and Green. They're currently on pace to have the bottom of the standings to themselves, but other than them, Detroit can be as awful as anybody else in the league.

 

[theYman]

21 40 39
72 71 14
08 51 43
23 41 42

defence:
don't care they all suck

PP

14 40 39
21 25

72 71 51
83 42

Forgot Nyquist would work too. He's fast. Not sure how the d would hold up on that line but would think they'd be able to score.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Not sure if I gave him props after the game. Helm was fantastic in this one.

 

[Oddbob]

Sergachev cross checks the wrong guy.



Surprised Mantha only got 2min for that haha, was well worth it. I'm glad Mantha is showing more emotion than the rest of the team combined.

Yeah Mantha should have got 5 for that, and also a 2 minute roughing for his takedown maneuver of Dotchin. Having said that, boy are the Lightning fans ever out to the oh so biased lunch, calling Zetterberg and Datsyuk divers, WOW!

 

[Oddbob]

Not sure if I gave him props after the game. Helm was fantastic in this one.

Yes, I thought so as well, and have been impressed with his defense and PK both off and def in pretty much most of our games this year. Zetterberg and Helm have definitely been the two hardest working Wings consistently each night. Wish Mantha would take after their effort.