Wings make every opponent defenseman into Bobby Orr

[yave1964]

The Red Wings have a problem. A HUGE problem with being unable to cover a defenseman who comes into the offensive zone. I pointed it out in here several times already but I finally, last night after watching a game winner from Ron Freaking Hainsey send us home mad, have decided to run the stats.

After shutting out the Leafs in game one, here is what we have faced since:

Game 2: Faulk goal Murphy, Hanifin assists

Game 3: Stralman assist

Game 4: Faulk goal, Hainsey and Faulk assists

Game 5: Petry goal (game winner)

Game 6: no goals Schultz, Fayne assists

Game 7 Giordano 2 goals (game winner) Giordano assist

Game 8 Tanev Goal Hutton assist

Game 9 Hainsey goal (game winner) Faulk assist

In the past eight games the opponent defense has:

8 games 7 goals 9 assists

That is the defense.

And for some perspective, here is what these guys have done against the rest of the league:

79 games 2 goals 11 assists

I am so disgusted that I am going to list that again.

Against us:

8 games 7 goals 9 assists 3 game winners

Against the World (in essentially a full season)

79 games 2 goals 11 assists

BIG FREAKING PROBLEM

The problem is Nyquist cannot handle the guy coming down off the odd wing and joining the rush. I love Pulkinnen but he may be the worst defensive player in the game today. Dylan Larkin before moving to center out of need was constantly using his speed to make up for being out of position.

Somehow, some way an adjustment needs to be made and real freaking soon or the Ron Freaking Hainsey's of the world are going to ruin what started as a promising season. Damn.

[SpikeDDS]

@yave1964

It has been years since Bowman twisted Yzerman's arm enough to finally get him to commit to the Left Wing Lock system of two-way hockey. Pav & Z have been playing this way since they came into the league, because it was demanded of them by Bowman first, and then the team leaders also. But it took YEARS to convince Yzerman--years of not achieving--to finally commit. But it took those disappointments AND a "come to Jesus" meeting to finally get a commitment from him, and it changed the franchise.

It appears that we have forgotten the commitment that that kind of success demands. Experience may be the most brutal of all teachers, and I'm hoping it doesn't come down to needing a bunch of bad experiences to finally get it through players' heads that you can't neglect the defensive side of the game as a forward. I don't care how good your slapshot is. I don't care about how fast you can skate. A mediocre player that is left open is going to score more than a superstar that is well covered. That is FACT!

I think this may be the second-biggest issue in the RWs game now, because it affects zone time. It affects possession. It affects shots. Oh yeah, and the score too. Let's not forget that! It even affects turnovers in that if a TO happens in your own zone because you weren't tight enough to stop the opponent from gaining entry and setting up, the TO hurts a lot more than when it happens in their zone. We are not taking care of the puck, but part of it is that WHEN we don't take care of the puck it hurts more.

It is fantastic that we have this offensive talent, but it doesn't help if we are in our own zone twice as much as we are in their zone. Our zone entry yesterday was PATHETIC! There was almost NO puck retrieval. One shot from the outside and either save with no rebound or rebounded by Carolina and out of the zone it went. Pulkk's shot does no good from the far blue line. How many times did we see our forward bring the puck into the offensive zone practically alone, no screen, shoot the puck and Ward saved it, end of rush?

This is a bad combo. We have a right to be concerned, because these are somewhat systemic problems. They aren't details. They are foundational things about the way you think about the game. You cannot overlook defensive responsibility in this league and expect success. Not possible.

Honestly, I think turnovers are our biggest issue.

[Podein25]

Sounds like the Wings aren't playing that well.

[flyercanuck]

@yave1964

 

I'd be happy if they could turn the Flyers defence into Harold Orr.

[yave1964]

@yave1964

 

I'd be happy if they could turn the Flyers defence into Harold Orr.

How about Colton Orr, lol?

[yave1964]

Sounds like the Wings aren't playing that well.

They do not look like the wings, they are 18 guys all doing their own thing and not playing within the system as @SpikeDDS much more eloquently than I pointed out. Simply not Red Wings hockey.

[Podein25]

They do not look like the wings, they are 18 guys all doing their own thing and not playing within the system as @SpikeDDS much more eloquently than I pointed out. Simply not Red Wings hockey.

 

 

Loss of Babs? Is it as simple as that?

 

I thought the Red Wings model was develop, develop, develop so that by the time they get to the NHL they just plug n play? 

[SpikeDDS]

Loss of Babs? Is it as simple as that?

 

I thought the Red Wings model was develop, develop, develop so that by the time they get to the NHL they just plug n play? 

You can develop all you want, but if players are not going to commit to your system, it is over before it starts. Yzerman was the perfect Exhibit A. The Red Wings were a GOOD team. They had LOTS of talent. But they could NOT win in the playofs, despite winning several President's Trophies. Bowman comes along. Does it change? NO! Yzerman did NOT want to commit to a more defensive-style game. He was a scorer, and scorers score. They don't worry about defense. So even under Bowman, they kept losing in the playoffs. It wasn't until Yzerman came to his senses after rumors were that Detroit might not re-sign him that he finally said two things: that he would commit to Bowman's system, and he took a pay cut so that they could go out at get him another player or two that would get him a Cup. Shanahan and Murphy were brought in. The Left Wing Lock system was finally really born, and the rest of the team joined Yzerman in committing to it, and the rest is history.

 

I am beginning to wonder if these players just do not have the commitment it takes to play consistently great hockey. They have the talent, and if they don't now, they soon will with the kids coming up.

 

But it takes more than talent to win consistently. It takes commitment. There are SOME players who have the level of commitment it takes to win. Pav and Z without a doubt. I think I see the determination in Mrazek, despite his glaring mistake last night. I also think I see it in Glendening and Miller on that PK/4th line. They are committed to playing the roles they are supposed to play. But some of the second and third line players just don't seem to be able to keep a level of commitment for more than a few periods before returning to who they are without commitment to two-way hockey.

 

The level of defensive play demanded by the National Hockey League is FAR higher than that of the AHL. If you are an offensive beast, you can flourish in the AHL. But up here, you CANNOT do that. I think that as far as playing this two-way system, the AHL CANNOT properly prepare you for this level, because you CAN win on talent alone if you are talented enough at the AHL level. That is the DISadvantage of developing players as long as the Red Wing organization does.

 

It's hard for me to believe that with all the players who have played for him on this team that there is a problem with them listening to the coach. That's a hard one to swallow for me. I just don't think the level of commitment that is required to win in the NHL is needed in the AHL, and since it can't really be developed properly anyway, it lags behind some of the other stuff like playmaking and quicker decision making.

 

What has been true, with a couple of months of exceptions over the last few years, is that the Red Wings have slowly slid to become a slightly-above-average team. It has not happened overnight. It has been a slow slide, obviously accelerated by Lidstrom's departure, but still a slide. Most of the players on our team were not on it the last time we won a Cup, so they have never experienced what actually having that kind of commitment is like firsthand. They see and marvel at Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, and they try to emulate, but it is a grind to do it consistently, and they don't have the will to do it for long stretches.

 

Unfortunately, oftentimes learning what is needed to have this level of commitment is learned best from failure, which is something the Wings really haven't had to deal with. They haven't been "bad." They've just been bad enough to be JUST good enough, and that's it.

 

Hard to say it, but I wonder if losing might be the only way to get back to winning.

[SpikeDDS]

@yave1964

 

As an aside, one positive thing about last night's game, Marchenko. Even when he started to make a few mistakes, he was able to overcome them. It was good to see the young kids playing near the level demanded of him when we need him. Unfortunately, it's not so much the Dmen that are the problem as much as the forwards.

[Podein25]

Hard to say it, but I wonder if losing might be the only way to get back to winning.

 

 

It's true. Sometimes it's also a case of it getting worse before it gets worse.