Post-Game Talk: Wings do everything they can to keep Howard's losing streak alive

[Ennui]

I know the Blashill critiques are going to keep coming, and that's expected, but I think we're seeing this roster isn't really built for success. The blueline is outmatched every single game. And the "young gun" scoring forwards aren't able to drive their own success against other top lines.

The team is far from a disaster but it's also painfully average and still being propped up by aging stars too often.

Is it fair to say this team is disastrously mediocre?

 

[Number1RedWingsFan52]

You can't fix stupid.

Gee and i hear on here from some Wing fans how great Smith is playing, Go figure.

 

[TheMule93]

I wonder how Mike green feels about going from Washington to this mess.

He probably goes to bed every night crying about what could have been if his contract was one year longer. Washington is insanely good this year.

 

[Bench]

Perversely it might be the best thing that happens. Get a top 15 draft pick and the odds of fixing the defense improve substantially. There ain't a surefire guy among all our current propspects and only DeKeyser looks capable of playing top pairing minutes once we're eventually good again.

There's nobody below the Wings in the standings that's any better. NJ, Carolina, Philly, Ottawa, and Montreal. Nobody with a positive goal differential and none of them playing better than .500 hockey like the Wings. Closest team, NJ, has lost 3 straight themselves.

This team makes the playoffs without a meltdown, but without a huge turnaround in play, it would look a lot like limping in.

 

[Marky9er]

Didn't someone just post some blog post a few days about gushing about how awesome Smith is? I think if you have to dig that deep, you're probably wrong.

WIIM did tweet some bs like that

 

[Number1RedWingsFan52]

Is it fair to say this team is disastrously mediocre?

I think that's an fair assumption, This team is just plain awful right now if it wasn't for certain players like Larks and Z and Petr carrying us earlier who knows where we would be. But hey for what it's worth Holland likes our team like usual.

 

[WingedWheel1987]

There's nobody below the Wings in the standings that's any better. NJ, Carolina, Philly, Ottawa, and Montreal. Nobody with a positive goal differential and none of them playing better than .500 hockey like the Wings. Closest team, NJ, has lost 3 straight themselves.

This team makes the playoffs without a meltdown, but without a huge turnaround in play, it would look a lot like limping in.

Yup. I just don't see any other team going on a run and taking Detroit's final spot. The Wings aren't a good hockey team at all, but they are better than every team trailing them.

 

[SoupNazi]

On my phone. On the train out to New Jersey to get my stuff, catch a nap and head to the airport for a very early flight home.

I was at this game. Both teams looked lost. I feel for Jimmy on this one. He played a great game and we couldn't bother to score for him. It was pathetic.

 

[Bench]

Yup. I just don't see any other team going on a run and taking Detroit's final spot. The Wings aren't a good hockey team at all, but they are better than every team trailing them.

I feel like that's the new team motto. "Not a great team, but better than 8 other teams."

If you frame this as a rebuilding on the fly year, I guess it's not that bad? How many of those are there, though?

 

[Run the Jewels]

I wonder how Mike green feels about going from Washington to this mess.

He probably goes to bed every night crying about what could have been if his contract was one year longer. Washington is insanely good this year.

It's all Barry Trotz. Oh and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Green was getting sheltered minutes. He wasn't going to magically become a dominant point producer on a team that has any intentions of at least pretending to play defense. He's not a bad fit here, we just need to revamp the defense and he'll fit in just fine.

 

[Number1RedWingsFan52]

There's nobody below the Wings in the standings that's any better. NJ, Carolina, Philly, Ottawa, and Montreal. Nobody with a positive goal differential and none of them playing better than .500 hockey like the Wings. Closest team, NJ, has lost 3 straight themselves.

This team makes the playoffs without a meltdown, but without a huge turnaround in play, it would look a lot like limping in.

Yup it's looking more and more like once again we will limp into the playoffs in the Wild Card on the final day or two pretty much like the last couple seasons and once again we will get bounced in the first round because this team has trouble scoring.

 

[TheWestWing]

I wonder how Mike green feels about going from Washington to this mess.

He probably goes to bed every night crying about what could have been if his contract was one year longer. Washington is insanely good this year.

And why do you think they're insanely good?!?

Green didn't work out like Rafi (again not on of my favs). Just a huge liability on D and not worth jack scoring. And if the opponents feet were the net, Richards would have 50 goals. Neither one of these guys bring anything and if Blash adjusts the lines as he's prone to do, he's gotta get these 2 off the 1st PP unit.

 

[golffuul]

Completely lifeless effort. Best I've seen Howard in years and he has to deal with our inept defence corps. I could have sworn that this game was played in slow motion. The only thing worse than our defence was our pp and shot selection. Let's blow the team up and start over for next year.

 

[Run the Jewels]

WIIM did tweet some bs like that

I didn't see the tweets. It's possible to have great possession numbers and point production - which Smith has never had in the NHL - and still be dumb as a box of rocks. I remember Scotty Bowman being absolutely gleeful when the Wings traded Paul Coffey. Coffey was a ****ing brilliant offensive d-man who had no idea how to play defense. Smith is an exceptionally mediocre offensive d-man who has no idea how to play defense. Brain farts galore.

 

[Henkka]

Post for Zetterberg, crossbar for Datsyuk, top corner for Kevin Klein.

Oh, boy.

Hated to lose this. Jimmy was phenomenal.

 

[Run the Jewels]

Yup it's looking more and more like once again we will limp into the playoffs in the Wild Card on the final day or two pretty much like the last couple seasons and once again we will get bounced in the first round because this team has trouble scoring.

Carolina's defense is very, very good. Their goaltending could ultimately cost them a shot at the playoffs but they are a team that could very easily sneak up on us and get that final playoff spot.

 

[Number1RedWingsFan52]

On my phone. On the train out to New Jersey to get my stuff, catch a nap and head to the airport for a very early flight home.

I was at this game. Both teams looked lost. I feel for Jimmy on this one. He played a great game and we couldn't bother to score for him. It was pathetic.

Sorry the boys couldn't have given you a better game there Soup, But oh well hopefully they will regroup for the Columbus game on Tuesday really need that one.

 

[jolly roger]

Blashill can't see tired legs out there? The first minute of overtime was ridiculous. No gas in the tanks. Put the speed in and run them down .

 

[Number1RedWingsFan52]

Carolina's defense is very, very good. Their goaltending could ultimately cost them a shot at the playoffs but they are a team that could very easily sneak up on us and get that final playoff spot.

Exactly Carolina has been playing very good hockey here lately, Was kind of hoping they would beat Tampa for us but not meant not be. With Faulk and Hannifin Carolina has a nice up and coming D core, Wish we had some guys like that any more it's hard to draft good D-men we you pick any where from 15th to 22nd or something like that. But this team has to play better.

 

[skate skate skate]

Ugh. Feel for Howard. Didn't really deserved to win this one- the Ottawa one on the other hand... so guess it's fair we got 2 points out of this b2b.

Wonder if Blash going to get any questions about player usage?

You guy's remember that five game homestand just a week ago? If we play like that come play-offs, this team could make some noise.

On to the next one: Columbus; one of the worst teams in the league playing their second game in a b2b- do I even dare to expect that game to be a win?

 

[Run the Jewels]

Exactly Carolina has been playing very good hockey here lately, Was kind of hoping they would beat Tampa for us but not meant not be. With Faulk and Hannifin Carolina has a nice up and coming D core, Wish we had some guys like that any more it's hard to draft good D-men we you pick any where from 15th to 22nd or something like that. But this team has to play better.

Like us, their forwards are nothing to write home about. Their defense is much better but Mrazek has been much better than their goaltenders. We have to hope Mrazek can get back to playing at an elite level. If not we're just whistling past the graveyard.

 

[PelagicJoe]

This prank is getting out of hand.

There's a lot of problems with the Wings now, hard to point to one single thing. But is it possible this blueline is the worst the Wings have iced in like 20 years or so?

It's more than possible, it's fact. When you go from Lidstrom, Coffey, Fetisov, Konstantinov, Chelios, Murphy, Chiasson, etc to Smith, Oulette, Ericsson, etc, yeah, that is a problem.

 

[WingedWheel1987]

Ugh. Feel for Howard. Didn't really deserved to win this one- the Ottawa one on the other hand... so guess it's fair we got 2 points out of this b2b.

Wonder if Blash going to get any questions about player usage?

You guy's remember that five game homestand just a week ago? If we play like that come play-offs, this team could make some noise.

On to the next one: Columbus; one of the worst teams in the league playing their second game in a b2b- do I even dare to expect that game to be a win?

Mary Samsonite type of chance.

 

[SoupGuru]

Yeah, everyone on the defense took a night off except for DeKeyser and Marchenko.

 

[edmundbenz]

That's okay boys, they're just lost and tired tonight.. It would be a different game if they rested.