GDT: Game 26 | Columbus Blue Jackets @ Detroit Red Wings | 5:00 PM EST | FS-D

[Mantha Poodoo]

I spent all night trying to figure out something to say about dropping 2 games to the Jackets.

I'm giving up and going to bed.

 

[JPE123]

Very hard to figure giving some players so many chances without results yet some players given no chance to prove themselves. Appears to be a complete lack of strategy to building this team. I have nothing against Abby, whom I view as a hard worker, but it is painfully obvious he is not a top six guy and doesn't have any business on an elite line. That's not him- that's management. Same goes for Cleary.

Some, like Tootoo are getting very few minutes while playing pretty exciting hockey in those minutes. Why not more minutes?

I think we can put a better product on the ice and we don't and that's frustrating.

 

[Kronwalled55]

Hey guys, we're in 4th!

With 2-3 more games played than everyone else

 

[BinCookin]

most teams need 1 pt with 2 games in hand to pass us.

We are realistically more like 8th to 9th once they catch up in games played.

 

[BinCookin]

P.S. I uploaded an avatar picture... why can't i see it when i post things??

 

[TheOtherOne]

Hey guys, we're approximately tied with the rest of the league!

...after picking up 1 of a possible 8 points against the perennial worst team in the league.

 

[RedWingsNow*]

One of the few bright spots.

Z has been bad for something like 3 weeks. Seems so long ago when he just circled around the offensive zone protecting the puck on he's backhand.

Sure Dats played with Cleary and Abby but he hasn't been good either lately. Or as good as we need him to be. He was shooting a lot tonight, guess that was positive.

Babcock has this team playing Anaheim Duck 2003 style hockey.

The problems start in their own end. Babcock has everyone (generally) putting the puck off the glass and out instead making passes to forwards.

We're playing defense first, get the puck out, chip and chase, get the puck back/catch them in transition style hockey.

Datsyuk and Zetterberg spend more time chasing guys around our own end and less time being chased.

To Babcock's credit, it got us some points on the last west coast swing and when we got back.

But my criticism is that our gameplan should always take advantage of Datsyuk and Zetterberg's skills. Their lines should always be about puck possession.

Moreover, Babcock needs to wake up and look at his lineup.

Even if they aren't all starts, this is still (as it stands) a puck possession team. Our defense (except Lashoff, Huskins and maybe Ericsson) is still a puck moving D.

So why is Babcock trying to fit square pegs in round holes?

 

[RedWingsNow*]

P.S. I uploaded an avatar picture... why can't i see it when i post things??

Too big?

 

[BinCookin]

Too big?

how big is too big?

maybe i need to shrink it somehow

 

[Viqsi]

P.S. I uploaded an avatar picture... why can't i see it when i post things??

There's two different images you can upload: "Profile Picture" and "Avatar". The "Profile Picture" shows up any time someone clicks on your name. The "Avatar" shows up next to your posts. You've got the Profile Picture, but not an Avatar.

 

[RedWingsNow*]

I know he scored, but I wanted a chance to use this again

 

[BinCookin]

There's two different images you can upload: "Profile Picture" and "Avatar". The "Profile Picture" shows up any time someone clicks on your name. The "Avatar" shows up next to your posts. You've got the Profile Picture, but not an Avatar.

Thanks man... fixed it

 

[SoupGuru]

Don't you have to be able to complete passes in order to be a puck possession team?

 

[GoAwayDanCleary]

Don't you have to be able to complete passes in order to be a puck possession team?

I don't think we're a puck possession team anymore. Come to think of it, what even are we?

 

[PullHard]

I don't think we're a puck possession team anymore. Come to think of it, what even are we?

We are a Giggy-esque performance from Howard from being the '03 Ducks

 

[Vladdy84]

I don't think we're a puck possession team anymore. Come to think of it, what even are we?

Poor man's Predators without Pekke Rinne.

 

[BinCookin]

We are a Giggy-esque performance from Howard from being the '03 Ducks

Or a Quick-esque peformance from the current champs???

 

[PullHard]

Or a Quick-esque peformance from the current champs???

LA was (is) stacked, Anaheim was not.

 

[BinCookin]

Poor man's Predators without Pekke Rinne.

I don't know, I think the predators have much more "2nd line" talent on their team.

Less first line talent though.

But I think the Preds are very well rounded. Honestly I like their team philosophy similar to St.Louis and Boston. No real stars, lots of 2nd line players.

Alternatively, there are teams with MANY superstars Chicago, Anaheim and little talent beyond that.

I think we need some more 2nd line guys.... And those guys could be Nyquist/Tatar... or they could be UFA's, but i think step one is to see what Nyq and Tatar can do. To see IF you need those UFA's.

 

[BinCookin]

LA was (is) stacked, Anaheim was not.

fair enough

 

[PullHard]

fair enough

Good point about the 2nd liner thing. If Holland isn't going to shell out the big bucks for a Parise or a Perry, might as well give some cash to a guy like Ryder and let him ride shotgun to Z or D, much like Brunner is currently. We could have 3 solid scoring lines.

Franzen - Zetterberg - Brunner
Andersson/ Nyquist - Datsyuk - Ryder
Tatar - Filppula - Samuelsson
Andersson/ Nyquist - Helm - Tootoo
spare: Emmerton/ Abdelkader/ Eaves
unsigned: Cleary, Miller
LTIR: Bertuzzi

or something? Would be even better if we could get rid of Sammy and spend some cash on another guy, or provide more opportunity for young guys with that roster spot.

 

[14ari13]

Hey guys, we're in 4th!

With 2-3 more games played than everyone else

I thought/hoped we would win 3 out of 4 points in the 2 games vs the BJs, but we won only one. We havea a tough schedule ahead of us.

Babcock has this team playing Anaheim Duck 2003 style hockey.

The problems start in their own end. Babcock has everyone (generally) putting the puck off the glass and out instead making passes to forwards.

We're playing defense first, get the puck out, chip and chase, get the puck back/catch them in transition style hockey.

Datsyuk and Zetterberg spend more time chasing guys around our own end and less time being chased.

To Babcock's credit, it got us some points on the last west coast swing and when we got back.

But my criticism is that our gameplan should always take advantage of Datsyuk and Zetterberg's skills. Their lines should always be about puck possession.

Moreover, Babcock needs to wake up and look at his lineup.

Even if they aren't all starts, this is still (as it stands) a puck possession team. Our defense (except Lashoff, Huskins and maybe Ericsson) is still a puck moving D.

So why is Babcock trying to fit square pegs in round holes?

I think Babcock wants them to play sound defence 1st, which is good, but he should not forget that you have to make the playoffs in order to win in the playoffs.

 

[HIFE]

...Building a team isn't about just gathering "good players." It's about acquiring players that fit well together within the team structure and can play the roles the coach wants. And over the past decade there have been few who have been better at that than the Red Wings.

I think that's all it is. Good players can play any system, heck a talented forward can slide back on D if he wanted. Our team should have "pop". I get so interested watching other teams (players), the Wings lately are...yea, ok. As JPE123 said we should have a better product on the ice, if even to be exciting like the Oilers/Leafs.

Tatar, Andersson, Tootoo, Howard, and Datsyuk are "on" every night. IMO they stand out because in their own ways they are playing the right way. 100% effort. Helm proved that to me as well. He may not be a top 3rd line center but his energy is infectious.

I don't care why, how, or where, I WANT NYQUIST!

The majority of our guys need to find a way to push their own envelope. Why doesn't Miller, Eaves, Abbie, Brunner, Flip, Franzen get their feet moving as furiously as Tatar, or truly check like Tootoo? Tootoo is one of the few who throws real body checks on this team. Some of our other "grinders" only pretend to attack the opposition. Miller need to fully believe that he will recapture the puck on a forcheck, not just go through the motions. Many need to dig deeper and become better players, or we'll find better. Are all the guys training as hard as Kindl to develop themselves?

 

[RedWingsNow*]

I thought/hoped we would win 3 out of 4 points in the 2 games vs the BJs, but we won only one. We havea a tough schedule ahead of us.


I think Babcock wants them to play sound defence 1st, which is good, but he should not forget that you have to make the playoffs in order to win in the playoffs.

This Wings team is not the 2003 ducks.

Our best players are still puck possession players.

 

[GoAwayDanCleary]

I think that's all it is. Good players can play any system, heck a talented forward can slide back on D if he wanted. Our team should have "pop". I get so interested watching other teams (players), the Wings lately are...yea, ok. As JPE123 said we should have a better product on the ice, if even to be exciting like the Oilers/Leafs.

Tatar, Andersson, Tootoo, Howard, and Datsyuk are "on" every night. IMO they stand out because in their own ways they are playing the right way. 100% effort. Helm proved that to me as well. He may not be a top 3rd line center but his energy is infectious.

I don't care why, how, or where, I WANT NYQUIST!

The majority of our guys need to find a way to push their own envelope. Why doesn't Miller, Eaves, Abbie, Brunner, Flip, Franzen get their feet moving as furiously as Tatar, or truly check like Tootoo? Tootoo is one of the few who throws real body checks on this team. Some of our other "grinders" only pretend to attack the opposition. Miller need to fully believe that he will recapture the puck on a forcheck, not just go through the motions. Many need to dig deeper and become better players, or we'll find better. Are all the guys training as hard as Kindl to develop themselves?

Gator may suck playing alongside Datsyuk but the guy works his ass off every shift. And I don't understand how you can say Brunner isn't working hard either. His backchecking has improved tremendously and he isn't afraid to go along the boards and into the dirty areas. Neither of these guys deserve flack for not working hard enough, nor does Filppula or Eaves or Miller. They may not be effective every game but they sure as hell aren't taking games off, at least the ones I've watched.