Pre-Game Talk: Wings @ Canucks, Wednesday at 10:30 (Franzen out with injury, Glendening Recalled)

[Brick Top]

You get rid of a defensemen (Quincey) now you roll with 3 inexperienced defensemen at all times, 4 right now with Ericsson out. This isn't a NHL 14, young players make mistakes no matter how good they look. Try again.

You're talking about KFQ. Dude is about as lost in Detroit's defensive zone as any rookie could be- he's absolutely brutal. Kenny chose to throw good money after bad money by extending him after blowing a first on reacquiring him.

Anyway, since he's making the same mistakes that rookies make (which is far worse b/c he's a 6 year veteran at this point), I'd rather have XO up and learning, dump Q on someone/anyone who thinks he's a top 4 guy still, and make a move for a low cost stay-at-home type.

You're right, this isn't NHL 14. If it was, I'd have banished Q to the worst team in the Swedish elite league way before the season started.

 

[SoupNazi]

He actually looks decent with lashoff IMO

Eh, they're both just sticks of dynamite waiting to explode. Both of them are easily replaceable. But that may be the best pairing for each, which means we have to play both of them all season, because they look lost out there alone.

 

[silkyjohnson50]

Cleary on line 1 and Abdelkader on line 2.

Enough said.

The sad thing is that Detroit will probably win a game or two like this and as a result we'll be stuck going back to these lines again and again.

I honestly cannot remember worse management from this organization since I've been a fan. Both the GM and the coach. It's embarrassing.

 

[Zetterberg4Captain]

Why do we have so many players that are apparently completely undesirable to every other team?

Not really doing any favors for Holland's reputation as a good GM.

umm sorry but brillant top 5 NHL GM's dont trade or acquire players not one other NHL GM would touch with a ten foot poll, unless...

 

[Zetterberg4Captain]

You really don't understand at all the business of managing a sports team do you? There's no real good options to trade away right now realistically. Give me a good trade that'd fix all problems related to salary and roster space.

why would a profesisonal sports GM deliberately and intentionally put himself into this situation ?

 

[Frk It]

Eh, they're both just sticks of dynamite waiting to explode. Both of them are easily replaceable. But that may be the best pairing for each, which means we have to play both of them all season, because they look lost out there alone.

Well 4/6 of our defenseman are "sticks of dynamite", in my eyes.

I'd like Smith-Ouellet as the 3rd pair and both lash and Q off the lineup, but that's just me.

Like you said, both easily replaceable.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

I know most don't feel this way, but if they did step up and do the right thing for the roster and waive Cleary, find a taker for Sammy. I would feel bad for Cleary as well. I would be elated that he was off the team, but depending on what you believe and I know he wanted to be back, but Cleary will have lost 6 million dollars and three more guaranteed years in the NHL because we couldn't be honest with him all the way through the summer and just for two months.

Despite how much I have grown to dislike him as a player, he really doesn't deserve that to happen. Babcock and Holland have let him down there and have set themselves up for a messy divorce when it happens and given the way he talks about the franchises that gave up on him, this we are going to hire Cleary post-hockey stuff they are clearly all angling for will be for nothing. Because this thing is coming to a fiery conclusion it would seem. The only people that have willingly put that together are the other 7 billion people on earth outside those three and HSJ.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Well 4/6 of our defenseman are "sticks of dynamite", in my eyes.

I'd like Smith-Ouellet as the 3rd pair and both lash and Q off the lineup, but that's just me.

Like you said, both easily replaceable.

Who are the two non-dynamite ones?

 

[SoupNazi]

The only people that have willingly put that together are the other 7 billion people on earth outside those three and HSJ.

True. For one reason or another, Babcock and Holland haven't accepted that Cleary is no longer the player he once was. The sooner they accept that the better off we'll be.

 

[Laser Rayzor]

I know most don't feel this way, but if they did step up and do the right thing for the roster and waive Cleary, find a taker for Sammy. I would feel bad for Cleary as well. I would be elated that he was off the team, but depending on what you believe and I know he wanted to be back, but Cleary will have lost 6 million dollars and three more guaranteed years in the NHL because we couldn't be honest with him all the way through the summer and just for two months.

Despite how much I have grown to dislike him as a player, he really doesn't deserve that to happen. Babcock and Holland have let him down there and have set themselves up for a messy divorce when it happens and given the way he talks about the franchises that gave up on him, this we are going to hire Cleary post-hockey stuff they are clearly all angling for will be for nothing. Because this thing is coming to a fiery conclusion it would seem. The only people that have willingly put that together are the other 7 billion people on earth outside those three and HSJ.

Doesn't a divorce require at least one disgruntled party? From where I'm standing it seems like Cleary wants to be here awhile and KH and Babs want him here for awhile. Much to the dismay of us fans (and our livers).

I won't feel bad for Cleary because from what has been reported KH was never dishonest with Cleary and it seems he has no intention of dumping him after signing him and he's made comments that leads me to believe he is in fact intent on re-signing him.

 

[Heaton]

True. For one reason or another, Babcock and Holland haven't accepted that Cleary is no longer the player he once was. The sooner they accept that the better off we'll be.

You mean the same way they dealt with Chelios, Draper, Maltby, Holmstrom etc...?

 

[Brick Top]

I know most don't feel this way, but if they did step up and do the right thing for the roster and waive Cleary, find a taker for Sammy. I would feel bad for Cleary as well. I would be elated that he was off the team, but depending on what you believe and I know he wanted to be back, but Cleary will have lost 6 million dollars and three more guaranteed years in the NHL because we couldn't be honest with him all the way through the summer and just for two months.

Despite how much I have grown to dislike him as a player, he really doesn't deserve that to happen. Babcock and Holland have let him down there and have set themselves up for a messy divorce when it happens and given the way he talks about the franchises that gave up on him, this we are going to hire Cleary post-hockey stuff they are clearly all angling for will be for nothing. Because this thing is coming to a fiery conclusion it would seem. The only people that have willingly put that together are the other 7 billion people on earth outside those three and HSJ.

I think it might be a little premature to break out the Kleenex over a pending Cleary depature and any inherent unfairness to DFC that would result. The guy got a contract to a Wings team already bloated with forwards and KH has buried one of his few young skilled forwards poised to make an impact in GR so that Cleary can get all the IT he can handle in the top 9.

I haven't seen anything from the Wings in recent memory, and with Cleary in particular, that makes me think they would waive or trade him to rectify the mistake of signing him in the first place. Hell, he's sucked royally so far and Babs is moving him UP the lineup. I fully expected him to be re-signed for this year, and barring injury, I think he's getting another deal with the Wings after the season.

Not too worried about the Wings being unfair to him, basically.

 

[silkyjohnson50]

I know most don't feel this way, but if they did step up and do the right thing for the roster and waive Cleary, find a taker for Sammy. I would feel bad for Cleary as well.

First off, I don't see waiving Cleary as a realistic option. I have him penciled into the lineup as much as I do Datsyuk and Zetterberg. The moment he signed another contract we knew exactly what we were getting.

Secondly, I don't think I'd feel bad. He had a chance to go the other teams. To me it almost seems like he basically begged to stay with Detroit. We went from Holland stating that Cleary wouldn't be offered a contract but that he was welcome to come try out, to he's going to Philly, to he's not going Philly because he wants to meet with Babcock and Holland at the airport, to he's suddenly now offered a contract. I don't know for sure where that airport meeting came and what caused Holland to say yes to a contract, but that whole situation stinks. From HSJ lying about a contract with Philly to Babcock being there to suddenly a contract being available stinks. They dug their own grave. All of them. The moment he signed we knew what that meant. So I won't feel bad for any of them.

 

[Frk It]

I know most don't feel this way, but if they did step up and do the right thing for the roster and waive Cleary, find a taker for Sammy. I would feel bad for Cleary as well. I would be elated that he was off the team, but depending on what you believe and I know he wanted to be back, but Cleary will have lost 6 million dollars and three more guaranteed years in the NHL because we couldn't be honest with him all the way through the summer and just for two months.

Despite how much I have grown to dislike him as a player, he really doesn't deserve that to happen. Babcock and Holland have let him down there and have set themselves up for a messy divorce when it happens and given the way he talks about the franchises that gave up on him, this we are going to hire Cleary post-hockey stuff they are clearly all angling for will be for nothing. Because this thing is coming to a fiery conclusion it would seem. The only people that have willingly put that together are the other 7 billion people on earth outside those three and HSJ.

You can't let emotions force you into making bad decisions. I understand that their personal relationship is way deeper than we are able to understand. But you just can't let it affect your ability to do your job the right way (Babcock + Holland)

But to be 100% honest I don't think Babcock or Holland think there is anything wrong with the way Cleary plays. Which is scary as hell.

Last year he was as worthless of a hockey player for 48 games as I have seen, and that wasn't enough to push them to let him go.

Pretty sure in their eyes, he can do no wrong.

 

[SoupNazi]

You mean the same way they dealt with Chelios, Draper, Maltby, Holmstrom etc...?

That's the treatment I wish they'd give him. Let him retire with dignity. BUT...they seem content with letting him play as long as he wants.

 

[InjuredChoker]

"When I look at our team play, if I came from the outside and watched our team play I'd say they didn't have a coach, and that hurts my feelings," Babcock said after practice Monday at Joe Louis Arena. "But, it's the fact and I told the guys that today. We're not organized. We're not efficient.

"Face-off plays -- during a stoppage it's like football. You should be able to execute off a stoppage. You have to know what you're doing. So, we asked again, do we know what we're doing? Yeah, we know what we're doing. Well then, we better darn well do it."

Babcock went on and on about other areas of the game, asking players, "Do you know what you're doing?" The players' reply, "Yes, we do."

"Let's work harder, let's work smarter, let's be more efficient, let's get more prepared and let's pay a price to win," Babcock said. "And, we don't score any goals, at least as far as I have seen. So let's not give up 40 shots, let's give up 20 shots, let's win 2-1.

"You can't continue to give up 40 shots a night and hope you're going to win. I said it earlier when we were winning with (Jonas) Gustavsson in the net there: It was fool's gold, and that's exactly what it is. There's a right way to play and a wrong way to play and we're cheating the system and we're paying for it."

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20131028/SPORTS0103/310280099#ixzz2j34KvSip

 

[Frk It]

Who are the two non-dynamite ones?

Kronwall and Ericsson

 

[PureDust]

Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Tatar
Nyquist-Weiss-Alfredsson
Eaves-Helm-Abdelkader
Miller-Glendening-Tootoo

Kronwall-Ericsson
Dekeyser-Kindl
Smith-Ouellet
Lashoff

Just a thought

 

[detredWINgs]

Cleary isn't going anywhere. You get rid of a defensemen (Quincey) now you roll with 3 inexperienced defensemen at all times, 4 right now with Ericsson out. This isn't a NHL 14, young players make mistakes no matter how good they look. Try again.

That is exactly the type of reasoning that got us into this predicament in the first. Does it matter if you have experience when you've played like a rookie since joining the organization?

At this point, DeKeyser might as well be the 6 year veteran and Quincey the rookie.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Kronwall and Ericsson

Okay good, I was a little worried that one of those two might not be appearing there.

 

[Heaton]

That's the treatment I wish they'd give him. Let him retire with dignity. BUT...they seem content with letting him play as long as he wants.

I think you misunderstood me, I think they let those guys hang on for too long, too.

 

[Frk It]

"And, we don't score any goals, at least as far as I have seen. So let's not give up 40 shots, let's give up 20 shots, let's win 2-1." -Babcock

quack.

 

[Brick Top]

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20131028/SPORTS0103/310280099#ixzz2j34KvSip

"When I look at our team play, if I came from the outside and watched our team play I'd say they didn't have a coach, and that hurts my feelings," Babcock said after practice Monday at Joe Louis Arena. "But, it's the fact and I told the guys that today. We're not organized. We're not efficient.

Well ****. Babs' feelings might be getting hurt- I retract all of the negative things I've posted about his coaching lately. My bad.

He should have just gone all the way that line and went 3rd person... "if Mike Babcock looked at a Mike Babcock coached team play that way, Mike Babcock would hurt Mike Babcock's feelings."

Dude might need a sabbatical or something. The train of thought isn't quite making it back to the station sometimes.

 

[Syckle78]

Its funny that exactly what I thought he was saying with his quotes yesterday about defense. And I was role I was misinterpreting and twist words. Thanks for clarifying, Mikey. Quack quack quack, Mr. Babsworth.

quack.

 

[Heaton]

quack.

Honestly, do we even have the roster to play an offensive type game? I don't see it. He kinda has a point.