Red Wings in 10th - Time Is Now

[Reality Check]

I would say losing to Columbus means Detroit has no business being in the playoffs.

But Nashville could very well finish in the cellar this year.

 

[garry1221]

We all knew this was going to be a crazy season. Injuries were less of a surprise and more of a given. Granted, I don't think anyone pegged us to be leading the pack in that department. I'm more frustrated at the forced lines/pairings. It seems that Babs is too set in stone this season. Clearly lines/pairs should be or should have been split long before they were/are. I'm starting to wonder if it isn't Babs way of showing Kenny that he hasn't been given the right pieces. That thought has been running round my mind even when we were healthy.

 

[GT500x]

We all knew this was going to be a crazy season. Injuries were less of a surprise and more of a given. Granted, I don't think anyone pegged us to be leading the pack in that department. I'm more frustrated at the forced lines/pairings. It seems that Babs is too set in stone this season. Clearly lines/pairs should be or should have been split long before they were/are. I'm starting to wonder if it isn't Babs way of showing Kenny that he hasn't been given the right pieces. That thought has been running round my mind even when we were healthy.

Is he trying to show Kenny or is he trying to show Ilitch? Lately I've been thinking that I might have been blaming Kenny too much for clinging to older or familiar players that have run their course here. It could be that Ilitch has more input on who stays, goes, and comes than I previously thought. I was semi-joking when I said that Ilitch demanded Ken Holland traded to get Q back from Denver. If I'm honest with myself, I believe that's actually what happened. Now I could be completely off base but maybe Clearly is another example of a player being on the team simply because someone up high likes them a lot.

 

[Shaman464]

With the most games played of any team. Most teams have 2-3 games at hand and are within 2-4 points. If they can't beat CBJ, they don't deserve to be in the playoffs. And still need to figure out what Babcock is smoking to think Abdelkader belongs on the 2nd line.

 

[Henkka]

With the most games played of any team. Most teams have 2-3 games at hand and are within 2-4 points. If they can't beat CBJ, they don't deserve to be in the playoffs.

Two weeks and we are last in Western Conference. 7 road games of next 8 to even our record to 50/50 split between home/road.

That road trip will be a total killer, because we are so absolutely weak team on the road. Especially the special teams. After these two road trips we are 4 games away from trade deadline, and ready to clean the house a bit.

I don't know does even getting Filppula, Helm and Samuelsson back help enough. It takes some time also for them to get in game shape and rhytm again.

With 82 season, we could make a late push to the playoffs when getting over these injuries, but for now, we just can't get the team going in any phase of the season. At first it was the lack of training camp, that is inevitable to our system play, so many new faces there. And then came the injuries. Now comes the exhaustion because of the missing depth with injuries. Superstars are looking to be exhausted.

This has just been a negative snowball-effect from the start and I don't believe anymore it never turns to be better. Maybe at 45 game mark, but then all we know that is too late. Regular season ends after 48 games. If there would be another 34 games of hockey left, of course, we could go somewhere, but not at this kind of season. It just went from wrong direction straigth from the start.

Just to be realistic, our happiest moment at this season will be the entry-draft in June.