yave1964 Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 The Detroit Red Wings preview for the 2014-15 season: GOALTENDING: Jimmy Howard was average at best last season, down from his stellar 2012-13 year. Thank Go Jonas Gustafsson was stellar as a backup, among the leagues best. Petr Mrazek down at Grand Rapids is among the very best AHL goalies, having won a Calder Cup at the age of twenty two years ago and posting a stellar 1.74 goals against in six starts with 2 shutouts in the NHL. Goaltending is solid. Not a concern as long as Howard steps up a bit. DEFENSE: Nick Kronwall was he Wings leading scorer and while he is not Lidstrom, he has stepped up and become the number one guy. Danny Dekeyser should take a bigger role this year on the number two power play unit. Ericsson is a solid 20 minute a night guy, a bit brittle but when healthy a top four. Brendan Smith showed signs of finally living up to his promise last year. Kindl took a massive step back, Lashoff is just a body, ad Kyle Quincey is a bottom pair guy makig top 4 money. Youngsters Sproul and Marchenko ae waiting in he wings in case anyone falters. FORWARDS: PROBABLE LINE COMBOS Nyquist Datsyuk Abdelkader Franzen Weiss Zetterberg Jurco Sheahan Tatar Miller Helm Andersson Cleary and Glendening on the bench Really, not too shabby if everyone stays healthy. This is not factoring in Daniel Alfredsson who is still up in the air. I don't see it. Datsyuk and Zetterberg played only 29 games together all year last year and Pavel is already out for a few weeks with a separated shoulder. Franzen is streaky and injury prone, Weiss has essentially missed the past two years, Helm is in and out of the lineup and the defense is average. Could they make the playoffs? Well yeah, they are in the East, Boston, Montreal, The Rangers, Tampa and Pittsburgh seem locks and the other three spots are up for grabs among the other ten teams, saving perhaps Carolina. But the most important question, are they a cup contender? God no. If Alfie does not sign, that frees up a fair amount of cap space to pursue a player or two in a trade. But no, this is nothing more than a bottom tier playoff team at best, on the outside looking in seems much more likely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 @yave1964 Ya know Yave, some will scoff, but I'd like to see a wholesale change in that line-up. It's always the age old question in Detroit, has been for years and years, should the Wings play Zetts and Datsuyk together, or attempt to make 2 lines stronger rather than separating them? I really honestly think the Wings best chance is by putting all the eggs in one basket and make a wicked line of Nyqvuist, Zetts and Dats...the oppositon checkers would have nightmares trying to keep them in check. Having Weiss and Mr.Inconstant Franzen play with Zetts just does not make the best use of Zetts skills. Those other 2 can go be bums with Abdelcater.....lol. I also think Jurco, Sheahan and Tatar should be the 2nd line, taking the lions share of offensive zone starts. The Wings would be well served having this sceanrio become reality. Weiss and Franzen could take the defensive zone starts....let the players with the best offense be in the top 6.....make the bottom 6 purely checking....the Wings have the roster to carry this out....and it would give them the best chance at the playoffs. I also think Glendening has some hidden offensive talent that will come into play once some injuries creep in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yave1964 Posted October 1, 2014 Author Share Posted October 1, 2014 @jammer2 I love the idea of playing the two big boys together, on a line with Nyquist would give teams fits, like you said. Part of the problem is they only played together in 29 games last year. Jurco is likely ticketed for Grand Rapids because he is the only guy who has option. It stinks, he plays so amazingly well with Tatar and Sheahan. I figure he will be back and forth all year, he may start the season with the team because of Datsyuk being out. I hope that he impresses enough to stick permanently. The kid line literally carried us into the postseason last year, along with Nyquist. I was really hoping for Mantha to break camp and get his 9 game tryout and see if he could stick, but his injury killed that. Pulkinnen is a solid prospect, but not in the class of Mantha. I watched Pilkinnen a fair amount in Grand Rapids last year, he has a wicked slap shot, a real throw back type, but the problem is with NHL defenseman his big windup is just going to give them that split second they need to either knock the puck away or to simply knock him off balance. He has the biggest windup i have seen in forever, i swear if you watch him he looks like a golfer with his back swing. It works in the AHL but i dont see it translating so well in the big league. Still i would rate him a b minus prospect, he just needs to work on shortemning his back swing without losing his power. The guy does have the best slapper this side of Shea Weber. Sorry totally off subject. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Dog Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 My question is what happened to Franzen? Not so long ago, he was a very good player. Did the injuries took their toll on him? Or he just got disinterested somehow? The guy seems to has taken 10 steps back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yave1964 Posted October 2, 2014 Author Share Posted October 2, 2014 My question is what happened to Franzen? Not so long ago, he was a very good player. Did the injuries took their toll on him? Or he just got disinterested somehow? The guy seems to has taken 10 steps back. Like the underwear on a seventy year old man, he is streaky. He put up 16 points over a ten game stretch midseason last year, which means the rest of the year, before and after that streak he had 25 points in 43 games. He has no interest in backchecking, you can time him with a sundial. He wont do the dirty work in front of the net that his size and nickname, 'the Mule' would seem to dictate. Essentialy a talented floated who takes large stretches off, both in terms of games and weeks. About the time i have absolutely lost al patients with him he goes on a tear, and about the time that i feel, okay, maybe it was wrong to judge, he disappears again. The most frustrating player in my memory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanflyer Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 Pavel is already out for a few weeks with a separated shoulder Probably my favorite all around player. Bummer on the shoulder. (checking him off my fhl draft list- snickers). Seriously, and this might sound snide, of all the russian (current) to play the game in N/A, he is the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Dog Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 Like the underwear on a seventy year old man, he is streaky.He put up 16 points over a ten game stretch midseason last year, which means the rest of the year, before and after that streak he had 25 points in 43 games. He has no interest in backchecking, you can time him with a sundial. He wont do the dirty work in front of the net that his size and nickname, 'the Mule' would seem to dictate. Essentialy a talented floated who takes large stretches off, both in terms of games and weeks. About the time i have absolutely lost al patients with him he goes on a tear, and about the time that i feel, okay, maybe it was wrong to judge, he disappears again. The most frustrating player in my memory. Sounds like you just described our Vinny Lecavalier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yave1964 Posted October 2, 2014 Author Share Posted October 2, 2014 Sounds like you just described our Vinny Lecavalier. Which part, the comparison to Franzen or the part about the streaks in the underwear? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Dog Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 Which part, the comparison to Franzen or the part about the streaks in the underwear? HAHA... I have no knowledge of what VLC's underwear looks like, Yave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commander Clueless Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Cleary...on the bench....hahahaha. Ah yave, you are hilarious. IMO, the Red Wings season rests solely on the shoulders of one man, and one man alone. The legend. Jordin Tootoo. He's gone, right? MONEY! But seriously, I know disappointment has surrounded the team a bit as of late, but with guys like Tatar, Jurco, etc., the Red Wings look to have an exciting season ahead if these guys can take a step forward. I'll be interested to see how they do. I've always enjoyed keeping tabs on the Wings (despite the "rivalry" with the Leafs, they have always been one of my favourites to watch). I've also always liked Weiss, so I'm hoping he has a bounceback season. Especially if Datsyuk is sidelined for a while. And no offense to the Lightning, but if history has taught anything it's that they are far from locks for anything (good or bad) any given season. I actually like the Lightning, so I'm hoping Stevie Y has them in a position to finally find that consistency. To be fair, it's hard to say who is a lock and who isn't, given the volatile nature of the East. Pittsburgh and Boston are really the only "safe" bets. The East should watch out for Carolina this season. If I'm not mistaken, this is the "on" year of Carolina's on again, off again pattern of competence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Temmu Pulkkinen = best shot currently not in the NHL....can't wait to see this guy ripping it up in a Wings uniform! It will take a few injuries for it to happen, but we will see the Pulker (™ jammer2!) at some point this year. 22 years old and plays both wing positions. He potted 31 goals in 71 games for Grand Rapids last year. Not to shabby at all for a 21 year old in the AHL. Once he hits the NHL, he will instantly be in the top 5% for hardest shot in the league. He's gonna break some goalies fingers with that rifle! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commander Clueless Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Oooh, are we coming up with nicknames? Between Tatars Precious, Jerk-o, and The Incredible Pulk coming up, and Nigh Quest already in tip top shape, the Wings have exciting forward prospects. ....okay, that was bad, I know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old School Hockey Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 As good as Howard was tonight he has to reduce the soft goals! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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