"Grabbing hold of something" (Nyquist/Babcock)

[VladTheImpaler]

We've covered this ground before. The reporters and media personnel that cover this team need to stop giving free passes to Wings management.

It's time to start asking tough questions and to hold these guys accountable.

 

[14ari13]

i have to join the majority of the posters who praise Tatar's game. I loved his game, he was one you would notice on the ice. I think the team needs that kind of hunger.
Now we have seen Andersson, Tatar and Nyquist.
I think the line of Helm, Tatar and Andersson would be one of the best 3rd lines in the league.

 

[Syckle78]

The choice is not between Anderson or Tatar. It's between Tatar and every other bottom six grinder who contributes nothing to the team. I'd keep both Anderson and Tatar and dump Clearly Abby.

Yuuuuuuup.

 

[Syckle78]

Size is a bonus. The ability to play hockey is a necessity. Skill > size always has been and always will be.

 

[Zetterberg4Captain]

its always better to have BOTH skilla nd size,

its not an either /or

it should be an always, everytime we step up to the draft podium

 

[Syckle78]

its always better to have BOTH skilla nd size,

its not an either /or

it should be an always, everytime we step up to the draft podium

It's not an either or. However you can win without size, skill not so much. Either you can play the game or you can't no amount of size is going to change that.

 

[Run the Jewels]

Andersson was brought up when Bertuzzi went down. It was pretty much a logic: "big body for a big body".

We are an undersized team, so missing any big body will hurt us more than some Bruins, Kings or Blues teams. 50% of our biggest forwards are out (Bertuzzi and Sammy of Mule/Miller/Bert/Sammy). That's why they want to keep Andersson there and not build an all-midget offense.

We should really add more size depth at next summer, trying to sign like both Penner(6'4) and Horton(6'2) and keep Andersson(6'2), Mule(6'3), Sammy (6'2) and bring Sheahan(6'2) up next year or after if Bert is done/gone to replace him. Then there would be adecent group of forwards with big size. If one is missing, it won't be immediately a killer. Then surround those big bodies with smallish skill (Nyquist, Tatar, Zeta, Brunner, Dats, Järnkrok) we kind of endlessly have, and we have a better balanced package again.

Unfortunately Mule now plays like he's Hudler sized.

 

[Frk It]

its always better to have BOTH skilla nd size,

its not an either /or

it should be an always, everytime we step up to the draft podium

If we had that mentality we never would have ended up with Datsyuk and Zetterberg.... I think our draft mentality is just fine.

 

[Flowah]

its always better to have BOTH skilla nd size,

its not an either /or

it should be an always, everytime we step up to the draft podium

Wings have never been in a position to have those kind of draft picks. They have to make compromises, go for a balance. And frankly, they make the right choice.

It's really simple. Skill > Size

You can be huge and it won't overcome a lack of skill. But you can have skill that makes you play 10x bigger than you are. Just look at the list of elite players. None of them were drafted for size. They're not tiny by any means, but they're not big either. They're just damn smart hockey players.

If you have to choose, and the Wings often do, go for skill and smarts.

 

[RedWinger10]

What the hell is Abdelkader STILL "holding onto"? That's the real question.

 

[Syckle78]

What the hell is Abdelkader STILL "holding onto"? That's the real question.

Babcock

 

[RedWinger10]

Babcock

Haha, I didn't wanna say it but you wen there.

 

[Flowah]

Babcock

He's certainly got a hold of a couple things.

 

[Run the Jewels]

The Ducks have big, skilled guys in Perry and Getzlaf and Ryan. That allows a little guy like Cogliano to do his thing and he's having a breakout season for the Ducks. We simply don't have enough bigger, skilled guys. This is why I've been pushing for Shehan to get a call up.

 

[BinCookin]

The Ducks have big, skilled guys in Perry and Getzlaf and Ryan. That allows a little guy like Cogliano to do his thing and he's having a breakout season for the Ducks. We simply don't have enough bigger, skilled guys. This is why I've been pushing for Shehan to get a call up.

Datsyuk and Zetterberg are getting muscled off the puck?
Filppula keeps getting knocked down at the blue line?
Brunner loses every board battle?

I do not think SIZE is beating us.

Zetterberg has been poorly stick handling and making bad passes.
Filppula is doing farely well.

Our defense seems to be out of position, not comfortable with each other due to constantly changing partners. They are also playing inconsistently because they need more experience (they are mostly too young still)

These are our problems.

I don't see the red wings being beaten down every night, i see them making poor passes, and not competing hard enough.

Look me in the eyes, and tell me Tatar didn't compete.
Tell me he was being man handled because he is so small and pathetic.
almost all his goals were tomas holmstrom distance.

This team needs to develop some chemistry and play the most skilled guys we have.
Adding Sheahan will not help this team right now IMO.

 

[Syckle78]

He's certainly got a hold of a couple things.

He's got that kung fu grip.

 

[InjuredChoker]

Little OT maybe but how reliable is Jeff Moss (and Greg Brady) ? Some tweets that Babs wants out. Actually quite many.

 

[Run the Jewels]

Bob MacKenzie tweeted yesterday that Babs is expected to coach the Canadian Olympic team again. If he wanted to he'd have his choice of job offers. I find it hard to believe he'd be vocal about leaving. Just doesn't seem like his style.

 

[Run the Jewels]

Datsyuk and Zetterberg are getting muscled off the puck?
Filppula keeps getting knocked down at the blue line?
Brunner loses every board battle?

I do not think SIZE is beating us.

Zetterberg has been poorly stick handling and making bad passes.
Filppula is doing farely well.

Our defense seems to be out of position, not comfortable with each other due to constantly changing partners. They are also playing inconsistently because they need more experience (they are mostly too young still)

These are our problems.

I don't see the red wings being beaten down every night, i see them making poor passes, and not competing hard enough.

Look me in the eyes, and tell me Tatar didn't compete.
Tell me he was being man handled because he is so small and pathetic.
almost all his goals were tomas holmstrom distance.

This team needs to develop some chemistry and play the most skilled guys we have.
Adding Sheahan will not help this team right now IMO.

The Tatar line worked because it had Andersson. Mule no longer plays big, Bert and Sammy are injured, Pavs and Z went through scoring droughts, Brunner is going through one right now. Our defense has mostly been decent with a few stinkers thrown in. We need a few skilled guys with size who can contribute in the top 6. Sheahan should be better than Abby given the Wings project him to be a scoring line forward.

 

[RedMenace]

Little OT maybe but how reliable is Jeff Moss (and Greg Brady) ? Some tweets that Babs wants out. Actually quite many.

Bob MacKenzie tweeted yesterday that Babs is expected to coach the Canadian Olympic team again. If he wanted to he'd have his choice of job offers. I find it hard to believe he'd be vocal about leaving. Just doesn't seem like his style.

Maybe he'll resign to concentrate on that and spending some time with his family, then try to get hired on somewhere else?

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

Bob MacKenzie tweeted yesterday that Babs is expected to coach the Canadian Olympic team again. If he wanted to he'd have his choice of job offers. I find it hard to believe he'd be vocal about leaving. Just doesn't seem like his style.

I remember last season when he did that interview at his house (I forget who conducted the interview), I really got the impression that he was unhappy with Holland. There was kind of a tone of "what the hell am I supposed to do with these players? What are you thinking?" So it's possible that this has been brewing for a while.

 

[RedMenace]

I remember last season when he did that interview at his house (I forget who conducted the interview), I really got the impression that he was unhappy with Holland. There was kind of a tone of "what the hell am I supposed to do with these players? What are you thinking?" So it's possible that this has been brewing for a while.

Adapt.

 

[Run the Jewels]

I remember last season when he did that interview at his house (I forget who conducted the interview), I really got the impression that he was unhappy with Holland. There was kind of a tone of "what the hell am I supposed to do with these players? What are you thinking?" So it's possible that this has been brewing for a while.

Yeah I remember his quote when the Sharks got Brent Burns. And his comment about how Brendan Smith should have been in Detroit last season. He has no problem expressing himself, that's for sure. And the big trade deadline acquisition of Quincey. I'd prefer Holland got promoted out of the GM spot over losing Babcock. Jim Nill does much more right now than Holland given Kenny will not make trades or call up younger players. Nill runs the draft and the Griffins are looking great.

 

[mgeise]

We have several guys, who have shown over the past 2-3 seasons, that have limited upside. Emmerton, Miller, Eaves, Cleary come to mind. Why not find out what the youngsters can bring? None of the guys mentioned are bad hockey players but they just aren't guys that will bring playoff success to the team. Time to move on. And someone please light a fire under Franzen.

I agree. Especially with the injuries to Bertuzzi, Samuelsson, and Helm, I'd much rather see what guys like Tatar, Nyquist, and even Sheahan can bring to the table right now rather than roll with the low upside guys that seem to get so much ice time for this team. I'd much rather see Tatar and Nyquist take their lumps in the top nine and work through their struggles than have low-upside guys like Cleary and Abdelkader getting those minutes.

Babcock is still toeing the line between being a true contender and doing a mini-rebuild; I think he still believes this team is a contender, while in actuality it needs this infusion of youngsters to get this group back to that level.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

The Ducks have big, skilled guys in Perry and Getzlaf and Ryan. That allows a little guy like Cogliano to do his thing and he's having a breakout season for the Ducks. We simply don't have enough bigger, skilled guys. This is why I've been pushing for Shehan to get a call up.

Cogliano is virtually never on the ice with the two players you just mentioned so that doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

I do think Sheahan should get a look, but that is mostly because I watch almost every Griffins game and can tell you if they like Andersson for being a big body and being effective that way, Sheahan is better in Andersson at everything except talking Swedish on ice to the other Wings.