We are who we are

[yave1964]

After a decent start to a season, hovering around .500 or a little better with a grueling schedule made up mostly of road games including the dreaded Western Canada trip the Wings came home to an extended home stand and a chance to make hay while the sun is shining in the leagues softest division. Instead we are mired in a six game losing streak and the team is clearly bad.

 I thought we would be bad this year but started buying in, Frk looked good on the power play, Mantha looks like a man among boys, Abby has his groove back, Larkin seems to have found his game, Athanasiou has a breakaway or two every night, Green was great to start the year and Howard looked like he decided to take the starting goalie job and claim it no matter what.

 

  We just do not have enough. Dekeyser, Daley, they are solid bottom four d-men who we are asking too much of. Kronwall can barely walk let alone skate most days. Mrazek has been awful for nearly two full calendar years now. Howard is getting shelled. Jensen is an AHL body who had a bit of a hot streak last year, nothing more. Zetterberg is giving it all but has clearly lost a step or two. Tats and Nyke are good solid complimentary players- nothing more. 

 

  Time to blow it up, actually it is past time. We need a new GM with a vision and a plan, the Ducks just got a nice haul for Vatanen, we need to shop Green and see what the market brings. Tats just signed a long term deal so he is probably not leaving but if we can deal Nyquist and Abby we just need to do it. Helm too. Edmonton needs goalie help desperately, Mrazek could be a good fit.

 

  The AHL Griffins won the Calder Cup last year with a team made up of a lot of veteran players who aren't really NHLers on their best day although we do have a nice piece or two to add to the mix. Svechnikov is uber talented on the wing a creative scoring power forward, Bertuzzi would have made the team if not starting the year injured, both need recalled to see what we have. Rasmussen looked great in camp and will be in the AHL next year but may push for a job. CHolowski is our best defender he will be in the AHL next season he is a creative offensive force and will split time next year with the Griffs and Wings. We have some good prospects in Grand Rapids on the blue line the best of whom is little feisty Joe Hicketts who I would recall right now, he is built like a hydrant and has a mean streak and can move the puck, his size is an issue but he doesn't get pushed around, he is certainly better than Ericsson or Oullet or Jensen. 

 

  Move on, the season is over already, time to blow it up and rebuild. Holland cannot do it on the fly anymore. 

[yave1964]

We played a Canadiens team last night who were without their best forward (Drouin) and their best defensemen (Weber) and starting a bunch of AHL guys due to injury and ineffectiveness and coming off a game the night before. We came out flying, up 2-1 after one period and looking great. Then we simply stopped skating and watched them score five straight unanswered goals. Worst two periods in a long time, the boys should be ashamed of their non effort.

[SpikeDDS]

And it only gets better. A 10-spot tonight, in a game where we were supposed to respond after the last game.

 

We are probably not as bad as this game indicates, but we are also not as good as the first 1/4 of the season indicated either. That is just FACT.

 

You cannot point to any one thing. This problem is systemic. From top to bottom, there is just not enough talent on this team to consistently win in the NHL.

 

Is Blashill the problem? Not as much as Holland is. Our problem has been directive. There has been and is a reticence to admit that this team as a whole does not have what it takes to compete. As such, the expectation has been to win, not to rebuild. Yes, we might be able to do that in stretches, but if it hadn’t been clear that we do not have what it takes to win consistently enough to compete, it should be now.

 

Do I think Blashill should go? Probably. Part of the deal is that he is trying to put on this face that we actually DO have what it takes to win if only his players would “buy in.” That is wrong. We don’t. Now, if the front office would approach this team properly and publicly say, “We are rebuilding,” and direct him to find a core of players that can establish sound hockey principles and would be putting guys on the market who do not meet those criteria, he MIGHT have been OK. But I think he is blinded now by his own misguided belief.

 

We need a true disciplinarian at the helm that can be frank with management about who is capable and who is not. And we need a front office that is committed to tearing this team down, selling what we don’t need, and rebuilding it from the bottom up.

 

WARNING: This is going to get worse before it gets better. If you have not resigned yourself to

this yet, you had better prepare yourself. The next 2-3 years are going to be tough, tough seasons for Detroit Red Wing fans. Welcome to the bottom.

[Samifan]

2 hours ago, SpikeDDS said:

Welcome to the bottom

 

Not to worry Wings fans, the Flyers will be right there with you keeping you company at the bottom. 

[WingNut722]

I would have to agree with every word you guys said.  It is extremely frustrating to watch this kind of garbage.  I think it might have been Zetterberg who said he embarrassed not only himself and the current team, but also the whole organization and all the alumni who have worn the Winged Wheel sweater.  That's pretty much true.  You can't go out to the SAME TEAM who mopped the floor with you TWO NIGHTS AGO and the LOSE 10-1!

 

Babcock used to go all high school on these guys when that happened and made the skate hard laps for a couple hours.  Bowman would have just shot somebody.  Blashill?  I have no idea, but I really don't think he's the type of coach you're gonna hear through the walls, yaknowwhatimean?