Not the same Wings

[yave1964]

okay, we are 1-2 but this is not the sameWings team as in the past several years. They are actually watchable and play with a bit of snarl.

 

  We lost today 3-2to a hungry CBJ team, but we outshot them, we outhit them and we owned the dot on faceoffs. And we crashed the net afet every shot looking for rebounds and forwards backchecked helping the defense. So yeah, 1-2 but a fun team.

 

 A few notes on the new guys and a few of the old guys

 

NAMESTNIKOV I really thought, 'oh look, a soft Russian' but the sucker is fearless, crashing the net on every play. He keeps hitting crossbars but his timing will come.

 

RYAN Old Bobby looks like he is having the time of his life, clean and sober and playing hard every shift. Fun to watch.

 

STAAL AND MERRILL OK I was against the signing of both but both are doing fine, STECHER too, the three of them along with the return of DEKEYSER has revamped thedefense. Dont get me wrong, it is now meh, but sooooo much better than the pitiful output from last year.

 

GREISS looks solid, gave up a breakaway goal to Dubois today which turned into the game winner but he looks like a real goalie.

 

GAGNER is a waste of a roster spot.

 

A Few notes on returning players.

 

LARKIN had a fight with Werenski who grew up a few blocks from him. It looked real which was hilarious and awesome. While they were trading a few punches, Ryan paired off with Bjorstrand and the two of them wrestled a bit and then Ryan patted him on the butt and grinned as he skated to the bench.

 

BERTUZZI was dreadful today and hasnt impressed early at all. His shots are going wide and his passes are off by three feet. His timing will come but right now he is a liability on the top line and i would consider moving him down to work on it.

 

HRONEK looks so confident on the point, he looks fantastic. DEKEYSER is being brought along slowly due to his back surgery but he looks very sharp considering he missed most of last year.

 

Zadina is looking to pass first shoot second and that is fine, he has set up a couple of cool goals already and his own net fillers will come.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Red Wings will get there and when they do, I have a feeling, based on Yzerman's previous work, that it will mostly come from within.

One thing though from watching Vladi Namestnikov over the years and even a bit since he got traded away from TB:

To get the MOST out of him, he needs to be on a line that has a real game changing player.
Vladi by himself isn't a game changer, and he won't elevate those around him, but he certainly raises his game when paired with a stud linemate, especially a center.

In that regard, I wonder if he would get some top line time with Dylan Larkin instead of being paired with a Rasmussen or Filppula.
Maybe swap Bertuzzi and Vladi on the left side.

I know EVERY player has to carry their own weight, but it seems some players simply need to ride the coattails of a better player in order to be all they can be.
And I think, a player like Larkin certainly has the ability to raise the game of those he plays with....if Bertuzzi isn't getting the memo, maybe Vladi should be put in there and I think some production can be had there.

[yave1964]

@TropicalFruitGirl26

 

The big thing is they are watchable this year lol. The last three years we were simply unwatchable. Let me put this in perspective, there are 20ish NHL players who took regular shifts last year who still have not been able to find a contract and five came from the Wings, not counting Mike Green, Daley and Howard who have all retired. In other words, 40 percent of our roster from last year is no longer in the NHL even with expanded rosters and taxi squads. This year, they seem fun, we will lose a lot but we will be competitive with Berggren, Veleno, Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider all hitting the NHL. Light at the end of the tunnel.

[SpikeDDS]

@yave1964

 

I started a new write up, but you beat me to the punch.

 

I agree with every single thing you said. The first game I expected them to look rusty, and they did.

 

Game 2 was VERY different. They upped their physical game, and it paid off in spades. And the addition of Bobby Ryan is like a breath of fresh air! The guy knows how to position himself and he’s cocked and ready to fire. It’s only going to open up more opportunities for the other two on his line, once teams start focusing on him.

 

In the meantime, Zadina will improve his setup game and expand his threat from just his shot. You can be ready to feed the puck inside, but someone has to be there and ready to fire for it to work. That’s what Ryan brings. Only gonna make Zadina more dangerous than he otherwise would be.

 

DDK and Staal and Merrill too stabilize  the defense. Not GREAT, but giving goalies more of a chance to steal.

 

We are gonna miss Robby Fabbri now that he is out for COVID. It seemed like he and Zadina had a little chemistry going.

 

Ras contributed on the scoreboard winning the face off clean that Ryan buried. I hope that boosts his confidence to a degree. It would be great for him to play to his potential in front of the net. He needs to continue, because Helm is gonna return eventually as will Fabbri and Erne. Now is his chance to show he belongs off the taxi and on the ice.

[OccamsRazor]

 

[yave1964]

@OccamsRazor

 

He looks like he is having an absolute blast. Of course scoring 4 goals in 3 games will do that for ya..... :)

 

[OccamsRazor]

2 hours ago, yave1964 said:

@OccamsRazor

 

He looks like he is having an absolute blast. Of course scoring 4 goals in 3 games will do that for ya.....

 

 

Great to see remember what he was coming back form this time last year.

 

 

Not a easy thing to overcome. It's always great to see a success story.

 

Even if it is something he will battle the rest of his life. I'm happy for the kid.

[SpikeDDS]

13 hours ago, OccamsRazor said:

 

Great to see remember what he was coming back form this time last year.

 

 

Not a easy thing to overcome. It's always great to see a success story.

 

Even if it is something he will battle the rest of his life. I'm happy for the kid.

 

For sure, the question isn't can he keep the monster at bay now. It's easy when you are scoring goals. The question is: Eventually when the goals stop coming, how will he keep the monster at bay then? If you think hockey is tough, addiction can be FAR more difficult to succeed against.

 

You're right. I'm pulling for him either way. But I'l take the success now and hope it continues for as long as it can.