GDT: Game 29 | Detroit Red Wings @ Vancouver Canucks| 10:00 PM EST | FS-D+ CBC

[silkyjohnson50]

I'm still trying to understand how Babcock leaves Datsyuk off the ice for the 1st minute of the 5-on-3. That's unacceptable IMO. And it's not like he was tired from just playing a shift.

I'm thrilled with the back-to-back wins after the terrible stretch against Columbus and Calgary, but it's little moves like this that add up that can lead to losses.

 

[ProPAIN]

howard is a average goalie! you CAN NOT COUNT ON HIM!

Oh really?

 

[14ari13]

Winning=boring?

 

[Eastopia]

I'm still trying to understand how Babcock leaves Datsyuk off the ice for the 1st minute of the 5-on-3. That's unacceptable IMO. And it's not like he was tired from just playing a shift.

Wait, what? I remember seeing 13-40-52 playing from the start of the 5-on-3. Stayed on for most of it too. Edit: or do you mean our 5-on-3? It was so toothless I forgot we even had one.

 

[mindfly]

Abdelkader the goalscorer

1 empty net
1 off the skate
1 off the chest

 

[InjuredChoker]

Abdelkader the goalscorer

1 empty net
1 off the skate
1 off the chest

next one off the helmet.

 

[mindfly]

Also you wonder how that last goal by detroit got allowed, the whistle clearly went before..heck even the intent to blow the whistle should have disallowed that goal... wings have had many more obvious goals called back...and now that one got allowed ... there's no consistency in the NHL

 

[chances14]

Good God... if I wasn't aware that Datsyuk allegedly loves playing with Abs, then Mickey is there to let me know incessantly throughout the last few weeks worth of games. It's honestly getting hard to listen to Daniels and Redmond at times.

I'm sure that if Datsyuk had one forward on the roster he could choose to play with, he'd choose Abby every single time. I mean, you put any elite guy like Crosby or Toews in Pavel's place and they'd say the same thing, right?? I swear that Redmond has just become Holland and Babcock's puppet, and they each give him "opinions" that he has to work into each broadcast, no matter how bizarre or forced them seem at the time.

Had to laugh during the Edmonton game after Babs dropped Abby to the 3rd line and moved Gus up to play with Datsyuk, and Mickey said that Babcock was just using Abdelkader to get Andersson and Cleary going. I thought that used to be Z's role, where Babs would put him with guys to jumpstart their games. Glad to know Abby has taken the torch in that area- must be a giant weight off of Z's shoulders as he assumed the captaincy

It's not just Kenny and mick though. Even the CBC guys kept mentioning it. I honestly don't get it. It's
like they are just trolling us.

CBC said Babcock was taking heat for playing Abdelkader with Datsyuk...

HEAT FROM WHO??

They mentioned a couple times throughout the broadcast that he was taking heat from wings fans.

 

[Run the Jewels]

Watching the game right now. Man Kronwall is not good in his own zone on a rush, he gets caught in no-man's land all the time. I'm liking the potential of that Ericsson Smith pairing once Smith settles down.

 

[Run the Jewels]

Not a Franzen fan this season but he made a nice quick pass to Pavs on that first goal. Abby needs to let Mule know how to find that area on the ice where he scored that first goal.

 

[Crymson]

Watching the game right now. Man Kronwall is not good in his own zone on a rush, he gets caught in no-man's land all the time. I'm liking the potential of that Ericsson Smith pairing once Smith settles down.

Kronwall and Ericsson make up the team's best pairing in the defensive zone. Lashoff is a better defensive defenseman than Smith and proved last night that he's totally out of his element against first-line opposition. Smith would get eaten alive.

Kronwall's +/- is bad because of his (and the team's) rough start and because he's always playing against the opposition's best players.

 

[kerjuxaxaxa]

Did they scratch or send Nyquist to minors? Haven't found his icetime.

 

[Run the Jewels]

Kronwall and Ericsson make up the team's best pairing in the defensive zone. Lashoff is a better defensive defenseman than Smith and proved last night that he's totally out of his element against first-line opposition. Smith would get eaten alive.

Kronwall's +/- is bad because of his (and the team's) rough start and because he's always playing against the opposition's best players.

That is not correct. Ericsson is our #1 and plays the toughest competition.

Ericsson seems to steady whichever defensive partner he plays with. E is getting big mins with Smith in the first period. Smith and Ericsson were out there together on the PK for that first Vancouver PP. Lashoff was out there against the Sedins. Sure he took a high stick but he's a physical d-man who is responsible in his own zone. He makes smart outlet passes and he'll only get better.

Smith can skate and make a good first pass. He also has a bunch of upside. I like putting E with Smith. My only concern about that first period is that the Kindl-White pairing was getting eaten alive with about 4-5 mins left in the period. We could not get possession of the puck and get out of our own end of the ice.

 

[Run the Jewels]

Smith has that Lidstrom-esque ability to knock pucks down near the blueline when an opponent tries to gain the zone. He's done it twice already in just over a period of play.

 

[Crymson]

Lashoff was out there against the Sedins. Sure he took a high stick but he's a physical d-man who is responsible in his own zone. He makes smart outlet passes and he'll only get better.

Lashoff made a boneheaded play to allow a 2-on-1 right out of the gate, then got caught chasing Burrows around later on, took a penalty, and then outright blew coverage and had to be bailed out by Howard.

 

[Run the Jewels]

Lashoff made a boneheaded play to allow a 2-on-1 right out of the gate, then got caught chasing Burrows around later on, took a penalty, and then outright blew coverage and had to be bailed out by Howard.

He's a rookie playing one of the best lines in the NHL. Stop hyperventilating and let's see how he develops. He already plays big PK minutes so he can very easily replace Quincey and save us $3 million.

EDIT: I love how physical Smith and Lashoff were in killing that second Vancouver PP.

 

[joe89]

Did they scratch or send Nyquist to minors? Haven't found his icetime.

Scratch. Couldn't really send him down to play as they were on the West coast, but going forward he either should be playing or be sent down.

 

[Run the Jewels]

Kronwall just had a brutal turnover on the power play. If not for Datsyuk playing awesome defense Vancouver might have scored a short-handed goal. Kronwall is NOT a good defenseman.

We are SO much more physical than the Nucks in this game. I know they are missing Kassian and Kesler I think. Regardless we are playing the way Babs wants to see us play and we've taken over at just over the halfway point of the game.

Detroit just scored to go up 2-1. Datsyuk is just playing on an entirely different level from everyone else on the ice.

I really dig Andersson's play. It'd be a shame if we sent both Andersson and Tatar down after they made our 3rd line so good. Heck, I'd keep Tatar up over Nyquist right now just because he's been such a force playing alongside Andersson.

Great work by Lashoff on the PK during Vancouver's first PP in the 3rd. Brad Stuart would be proud.

I hope Babcock continues to play Smith alongside E. I really do think Smith is good enough in all phases of the game to do very well alongside our best d-man. Not a slam dunk, I just like what I see and I can see that being a very good pairing.

Big E was a BEAST killing off that 5on3 Nucks power play with about 7 mins left.

Pavs got two goals that were credited to Abby and two awesome primary assists to Z. BEASTMODE.

 

[RedWingsNow*]

That is not correct. Ericsson is our #1 and plays the toughest competition.

Ericsson seems to steady whichever defensive partner he plays with. E is getting big mins with Smith in the first period. Smith and Ericsson were out there together on the PK for that first Vancouver PP. Lashoff was out there against the Sedins. Sure he took a high stick but he's a physical d-man who is responsible in his own zone. He makes smart outlet passes and he'll only get better.

Smith can skate and make a good first pass. He also has a bunch of upside. I like putting E with Smith. My only concern about that first period is that the Kindl-White pairing was getting eaten alive with about 4-5 mins left in the period. We could not get possession of the puck and get out of our own end of the ice.

Ericsson is a decent 3rd pairing defenseman playing big minutes on a team bereft of blueline talent

 

[Run the Jewels]

MOD I didn't notice the Sedins much at all during this game. One point between the two of them combined and that was against the Lashoff-Kronwall pairing. Big E did a very good job making one of the most dangerous lines in hockey dang near invisible.

 

[Crymson]

He's a rookie playing one of the best lines in the NHL. Stop hyperventilating and let's see how he develops. He already plays big PK minutes so he can very easily replace Quincey and save us $3 million.

EDIT: I love how physical Smith and Lashoff were in killing that second Vancouver PP.

I agree that he has potential. My point was that he is not ready for a top-pairing role now. Nor is Smith.

 

[14ari13]

Ericsson is a decent 3rd pairing defenseman playing big minutes on a team bereft of blueline talent

So we Only have 3rd paring Dmen?

 

[Run the Jewels]

I agree that he has potential. My point was that he is not ready for a top-pairing role now. Nor is Smith.

It's funny: people complain about young guys not getting a shot and then when one gets one and shows good potential they freak out because he's not fully polished. Lashoff is blowing away expectations, no one could have predicted he'd be a top four guy THIS YEAR. Good for him.

 

[Flowah]

It's funny: people complain about young guys not getting a shot and then when one gets one and shows good potential they freak out because he's not fully polished. Lashoff is blowing away expectations, no one could have predicted he'd be a top four guy THIS YEAR. Good for him.

No one is complaining that Anderson isn't centering the top line. We complain because guys like Nyquist and Tatar who have more than proven themselves in the AHL are not given a chance to strut in the big leagues.

Lashoff has never really shown anything other than being a bottom pairing kind of guy. Yet was given significant time with Kronwall.

That's the difference. We are talking about expectations based on past performance.

 

[Fugu]

No one is complaining that Anderson isn't centering the top line. We complain because guys like Nyquist and Tatar who have more than proven themselves in the AHL are not given a chance to strut in the big leagues.

Lashoff has never really shown anything other than being a bottom pairing kind of guy. Yet was given significant time with Kronwall.

That's the difference. We are talking about expectations based on past performance.

Smith is the perfect example of guy not given that same opportunity in spite of a better resume up to that point. It's just more of the pigeonholing this team does, along with Holland's 'asset management' malarkey, worrying about caps and waiver exemptions ahead of player development.