Do a Majority of Fans Actually Care About the Streak?

[jkutswings]

No two fans are identical in what they value in a team they follow. Everybody likes different things and has different standards of success. So I'm not trolling here. I'm legitimately asking:

Does keeping the current playoff streak going really mean something to you?

After winning the whole ball of wax several times, just getting to the dance holds absolutely no worth to me, but for those who do value it, tell me why, preferably with some sort of measurable details.

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[Heaton]

No two fans are identical in what they value in a team they follow. Everybody likes different things and has different standards of success. So I'm not trolling here. I'm legitimately asking:

Does keeping the current playoff streak going really mean something to you?

After winning the whole ball of wax several times, just getting to the dance holds absolutely no worth to me, but for those who do value it, tell me why, preferably with some sort of measurable details.

Whether we're favorites or huge underdogs, I want to see the Wings make the playoffs every season. So while I don't really care about the 'streak', I do care if the Wings make the playoffs or not.

 

[Frozen Fiend]

I care about the team being competitive, and having a chance to win the cup every year.

 

[Vladdy84]

I care about going for it in the final years of Datsyuk's contract.

 

[crashman]

I absolutely do.

I care because I just want to watch Red Wings playoff hockey. The notion of missing for the sake of higher draft picks is pathetic. The team is still in a position where adding 1 or 2 impact players could get them to the Stanley Cup finals. Everyone here is very doom and gloom, but when you compare the Red Wings to the rest of the Eastern conference, there's no one that stands out as a big favorite. Did anyone really think NYR was good enough to make the finals last year, even after the St. Louis/Callahan trade?

Luck factors into the playoffs more than people like to admit and when Holland preaches about parity and "just getting to the dance", there's a lot of truth to it. Even though he does seem to use it as an excuse for his inactivity.

 

[The Geelee]

I don't care for the streak, but it is evident that this organization values it to a fault

Never taking a risk, going with the known quantities (Quincey, Cleary), never giving the kids a legitimate shot and keeping aging veterans way past their expiry dates (Bert,Samuelsson)

 

[Flowah]

I'd trade in 10 playoffs for 1 cup and 9 misses.

Frankly, you could make the playoffs 100 years in a row with no cup and it's nothing more than an pat on the back. If you don't win, you haven't really done jack.

We should either be contending for the cup or rebuilding/retooling for it. None of this treading water crap.

 

[SirloinUB]

No offence to the OP but how pretentious is this thread? After winning it all, competing isn't enough? Well news flash, no matter which team you cheer for, no matter who is the gm, you will have to settle for, "Just getting to the dance" more years than not.


Streak aside, do the virtues of playoff hockey opposed to regular season hockey need to be explained to you? The game is so much more intense with little room for error. Physicality and emotions ramp up, every single scoring opportunity can change the complexion of a series. The battle teams go through in a best of 7 series is completely unparalleled in sports. Its the most entertaining time of year as a hockey fan. With out a second of hesitation I can say, "I want my favourite team playing hockey at a time when the game is most entertaining. Every year."

So yes, I want the team I cheer for to continue to play hockey at the most meaningful time. You're damn rights I want this team in the playoffs every year.

Every Fan base in the NHL would trade 20 year histories with us even if it meant a bit of a down swing in the mid 2010s.

 

[DanZ]

I want to watch a competitive team, so of course I want them to make the playoffs every year. Watching a team that loses more than it wins is not very fun.

 

[GoAwayDanCleary]

I want the team to win a cup so I'm happy when they make the playoffs. That being said the streak means little to me if you're just gonna get ousted in the first round year after year.

 

[SirKillalot]

I'd trade in 10 playoffs for 1 cup and 9 misses.

Frankly, you could make the playoffs 100 years in a row with no cup and it's nothing more than an pat on the back. If you don't win, you haven't really done jack.

We should either be contending for the cup or rebuilding/retooling for it. None of this treading water crap.

I totally disagree.

Those 10 years of good Playoff-performance shows that you're a well-run franchise and not just a lucky scrub-team like Carolina.

But, of course you would want to win the whole thing!

I care about the streak to a certain extent, meaning as long as the team is capable of being able to do damage and possibly win. But, if we have to fall out of it a year or two to re-tool/re-build, it's way better than being a bubble team for 4-5 years.

 

[jkutswings]

No offence to the OP but how pretentious is this thread? After winning it all, competing isn't enough? Well news flash, no matter which team you cheer for, no matter who is the gm, you will have to settle for, "Just getting to the dance" more years than not.


Streak aside, do the virtues of playoff hockey opposed to regular season hockey need to be explained to you?

There's no need for insults, but to answer the gist of your point, I'd say that there is a BIG difference between making the playoffs and being a year-in, year-out contender for the Cup.

I knew Boston would win easily, and they did. The series was closer to a blowout than an even match, and where I seem to differ with several people here, is that I believe Detroit is 3-4 players away, not 1-2, let alone just a healthier year.

If somebody believes the mantra of, "just get in, and you have a shot", that's fine, but the data suggests that this roster has neither the scoring depth nor the elite goaltending to even "luck into one", so I was asking for any EVIDENCE that there is a benefit to valuing the streak.

 

[needzmoarcleary]

I want the team to win a cup so I'm happy when they make the playoffs. That being said the streak means little to me if you're just gonna get ousted in the first round year after year.

This is my stance as well!

 

[ArGarBarGar]

The problem is you assume that by tanking it and trading away our best players it puts us in a better position to win the cup in the future. That isn't necessarily the case.

I think the streak is an endearing characteristic of our franchise, and I also think it is possible for the team to contend while attempting to preserve that streak.

 

[jkutswings]

I care about the streak to a certain extent, meaning as long as the team is capable of being able to do damage and possibly win. But, if we have to fall out of it a year or two to re-tool/re-build, it's way better than being a bubble team for 4-5 years.

Totally agree with this sentiment. Where we disagree is that I think the Wings ALREADY ARE THAT BUBBLE TEAM.

 

[WingedWheel1987]

I do not care about the streak if management thinks preserving it allows them to consider the season a success.

I would rather see the Wings win one cup every 23 years and not make the playoffs the other 22 years.

A roster that is good enough to make the playoffs but not good enough to win in the playoffs does not interest me.

Parity does not mean a team with bad defense and a bottom six that is suspect on most nights can win the cup.

If the Wings can play their youth and keep making the playoffs, I would not mind. Unfortunately we see the prospects end up being stashed in GR, because management doesn't trust them to preserve the streak.

It will definitely bum me out when the streak officially ends, but the streak is already dead to me. A team built to lose in the first round doesn't count.

The goal isn't to build a team that can make the playoffs, but to build a team that can win in the playoffs.

 

[PullHard]

Like most, I'm not attached to "The Streak" but would rather the team be playing come April and May than not.

Ideally the team is making the playoffs with a legitimate chance to do some damage, rather than ... having Quincey play as often as he does for our team.

Like crashman said, the East is pretty wide open. Tampa looks good on paper but is quite young and unproven for the most part. NYR had a good run but lost a lot of their depth in free agency. Pittsburgh downgraded their Fs for depth this offseason. Boston is having some cap trouble and lost one of their better forwards.

I like the team's depth at F and believe Howard is good enough to win a Cup, assuming he has an appropriate amount of support. I just wish Holland could've addressed the blueline more head-on than he has for Datsyuk's sake.

 

[ricky0034]

I mean I guess it's kinda cool that the Wings haven't missed the Playoffs since before I was even born

but on the other hand nah not really,more of a novelty than anything else to me

 

[fimoknete]

dont care about the streak since only one team can win it all. loosing starts at the second place. so who cares wether you ended up at 3rd or 29th.
all i wanna get for my money is entertainment on the ice with high skilled players, sick moves and awesome goals. thats what i would pay for. watching 60 minutes of abdelkader doing battles at the boards or all the other battle for the puck **** is unwatchable.
if i wanna watch hard working man without talent i would just go to the next local construction site. thats for free and entertaining at the same level like the red wings are playing for 4-5 years now.
so lets end this streak and tank for super skill talent we can watch or trade for skilled guys able to win the cup and try to squeeze a cup out of datsyuk and zetta last years. everything else between it is not worth a single dollar or minute of my time.

 

[jkutswings]

The problem is you assume that by tanking it and trading away our best players it puts us in a better position to win the cup in the future. That isn't necessarily the case.

I believe you misunderstand me. I completely agree that a total rebuild is anything but a guarantee at success. What I'm saying is that I give their current roster and current business model EXACTLY ZERO CHANCE at ever winning another Cup, and any small chance is better than none at all.

 

[ArGarBarGar]

I believe you misunderstand me. I completely agree that a total rebuild is anything but a guarantee at success. What I'm saying is that I give their current roster and current business model EXACTLY ZERO CHANCE at ever winning another Cup, and any small chance is better than none at all.

And like I said, I think it is possible to improve the team without forgoing the streak.

 

[Frk It]

As a fan- I get zero enjoyment out of making the playoffs during years like this year, or 2012 where we just get flat out dominated. The difference between getting routed in 5 games, and not making it, is pretty much negligible for me.

I've always enjoyed giving my friends a hard time about things that are as old as the Red Wings streak, but at the same time 16/30 teams make it. Not saying it's not hard to do, and maintain, but average teams get in every year.

I'm a lot more concerned with the lack of direction with this team, than the playoff streak and preserving it.

 

[DanZ]

And like I said, I think it is possible to improve the team without forgoing the streak.

Not to mention, people underrate the impact of having skilled, intelligent veterans like Datsyuk, Zetterberg, and Kronwall to teach the young players how to play the game the right way and be a team player. If you don't have that veteran leadership, the team ends up like the Oilers: a bunch of talented young players that don't know how to play as a team.

Trust me, I'd like to load up and go for a Cup run as much as the next guy, but just because we were unsuccessful in doing that does not mean we trade our best players to rebuild for the future. Getting to the playoffs and getting playoff experience for players like Nyquist, Tatar, DeKeyser, Smith, Sheahan, Jurco, etc., under the leadership of Datsyuk, Zetterberg, and Kronwall, is essential for their development in my opinion.

 

[Johnz96*]

Free- agents don't want to come to this city because of the economy and crime.
They used to when the team was good. No reason to anymore
Since Bowman left the team has been constantly deteriorating. because of all the unnecessary, redundant signings (players who prevent better much more affordable players from getting opportunities) by the GM and terrible usage of talent by the coach.
Their over ripening tactics of the potential stars has alienated them, cost them a lot of money so they certainly won't accept home-town discounts like the current stars and probably wanna gety out of here as soon as they can.
As long as Kenny and Babcock are at the helm this team is gradually reverting to the Dead Things.

 

[Heaton]

Free- agents don't want to come to this city because of the economy and crime.
They used to when the team was good. No reason to anymore
Since Bowman left the team has been constantly deteriorating. because of all the unnecessary, redundant signings (players who prevent better much more affordable players from getting opportunities) by the GM and terrible usage of talent by the coach.
Their over ripening tactics of the potential stars has alienated them, cost them a lot of money so they certainly won't accept home-town discounts like the current stars and probably wanna gety out of here as soon as they can.
As long as Kenny and Babcock are at the helm this team is gradually reverting to the Dead Things.

Who was the last player to take a 'hometown discount'? It hasn't happened for a long time. Perhaps Z during his 2nd contract before he got his lifetime deal?