Something Needs to Change
I don't know about you, but I've had enough. This team (not all of it) is a half effort, play hard sometimes, stagnant mess, and I'm not just talking about tonight or this season. We've seen this trend happening since the 2009-10 season. Yes, there are key players missing due to free agency, retirement and injury, but that's not an excuse. This team has the talent, it just isn't working consistently on the ice like we all expect it to.
More rage.
Blame injuries or fatigue all you want, but I'm not buying it. Helm being out hurts, maybe White too. Look at who is really in the pressbox. Samuelsson, Mursak, E'Coliacasomething. Who cares. Fatigue!!! Really? These guys are professional athletes paid more money a year than most of us will ever know to do one thing. Play a game. It's their job to stay in peak physical form for that same reason.
Look at the skill you have on the Ice. Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Bunner, Franzen, Filppula and the list goes on. Most of those guys give 100%, and some of them could be amazing if they would play with their hearts like Helm, Z and Pav.
Something must change. Maybe Babcock has lost them. Maybe we need to let go of potential and hope and finally pull the trigger on something that will shake this team out of their slumber. I know everyone gets down when we lose, and then right back up when we win, but I just can't do it anymore. Not after what I saw in game 1, and especially not after tonight.
Someone. Anyone, make it happen.
^^^ I totally agree with Sammy. He has absolutely no place on this team. The reason I say keep franzen is so He can stand in front of the net. He played ok last night. But getting coli, he is a defenseman and that's what the wings desperately.
As a coach you give advice to the players and hope for a win. Fil may have had 66 points, but if he wasn't with hank would he have that much? Not close. I have watched him closely. He doesn't want to shoot. He doesn't want the puck. He makes horrible passes. I really liked him last year because he produced. If babs does that then I say keep him, as long as he puts up points. He is not a good player alone. He is the best player with Hank.
Filppula had 66points last season as a 2 way guy on the 2nd line no way I'm trading him. He's got great hands too and he's very smart. Most can't see his talent cause their too focused on Pav and Z
I'm gonna catch it for saying this, but Mule is LAZY. I like our team, I truly do. I wonder why we couldn't get Reddin, and we KNEW Coliacovo was seriously injury prone, but we signed him? Our best D signing has been Huskins, but WTF did we sign Sameullson for? Finally, my last comment, is, I think Babs time has come to a close.. I don't mean he's a bad coach, but how do we explain the up and down we go through so often. Already this year, "we don't start on time". That was said last year, and we STILL have same issues as last year. Win or lose I'm with the Wings, no DOUBT.
I was at the game last night, and it was horrible to watch. Just like the article says, they looked like they didn't give a crap for close to 60 minutes. Pav and a couple others looked liked they tried, but when players like Kindl and Quincey aren't able to hold the puck, or someone makes a terrible pass to no one, we can't come close to winning. Playing back-to-backs has to be tough, but to take out St. Louis like they did the night before, and get blown out by Columbus the nigt after....not cool. With Smith going down now, we're pretty much screwed until him or Ian White get back.
Another guy that needs to go is Cleary...he can't hack it anymore and he spends way to much time falling down when skating. He is also someone that I consider a rush killer...he does the same stupid pull up around the top of the circles and then proceeds to lose the puck and the opponent is going the other way.
Cleary's standard play is, get the puck, bash past the blue line (if possible, if not, lose it right there), take it to the boards, lose it, fall over, try in vain to back-check, line change.
I don't think hank hates babs. The way the described their relationship in the press conference is a healthy relation ship between a captain and a coach. I think they work well with each other.
I think Fil needs to go. It seems like he doesn't want the puck. Maybe Babs should reunite Fil, Hank, and Brunner on a line. If that doesn't work then Kenny has to make a move. I would give Kenny til summer and if he doesn't do a good job again then we need a new gm. I don't think Fil is a good center man like Datsyuk or Zetterberg.
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If I were Kenny I'd compile a list of expendable assets and tell every GM that no one is on the block but if X were whats your best offer.
My list excludes Pav, Z, Brunner, Helm, Kronwall, Smith, Mrazek, Jurco, Jarnkrok and Pulkkinen. Anyone else can be had
I hate to say it cause I've always loved him... But it just seems like Franzen is taking plays off. The last 2 years or so.
There's no question the team needs another true goal scorer. I'd like to see Franzen play with Pav, having the best play maker in the league on a line with a goal scorer like Franzen I really believe would help. Bert going up to Hanks line would be just fine. It would be great to have Filpula down on the 3rd line if we had the extra talent right now, not saying there is anything wrong with him but having a legit 3rd line with talent like Helm and Filpula together would be nice.
This is when you need more than the "lead by example' guys. You need someone who will get the players riled up and someone who gets on the ass of people who glide around. I still think we should trade for Iginla, we have the cap room and need his leadership. Or something similar to the trade that brought us Shanny, a talent for talent type deal where we send out Mule or Fil for something just different.
@JOHNxJOHN we gave up Primeau, Coffey and a 1st to get Shanny and it was the best thing to happen to us, now I know Primeau didn't want to be here but he's exactly the same as Franzen and somewhat Filppula. He had potential and he score 30 goals, but everyone was waiting for him to take his potential and run with it. He was relegated to the 3rd not just because we had skilled forwards ahead of him that was some of it but he could have fought his way up the ladder. We hear how Fil and Mule have the potential to be great but maybe its time to make that deal. Filppula especially. He's a UFA after this year why risk losing him for nothing. I know everyone loves Nyquist but maybe that's a piece we have to lose. There are so many promising prospects and we can't keep them all. We had the pieces to get Nash, we oils go after Yandle or Getzlaf or Iginla. Teams are going to be looking to unload before the cap goes down. Maybe Kenny doesn't fit in today's NHL as a GM. Other GMs aren't afraid to pull the trigger and its worked for some. Maybe it's time for Yzerman to come home or Babs get sent packing. Guys are getting older and it's not going to work to try and patch holes with Samuelsson or Cleary. We need 3 lines that can score at any moment of every game and 1 line that can cause havoc. We're close but some of the pieces need to be shuffled or moved.
@Jordan_Reis @JOHNxJOHN Yeah I think the guys are getting complacent with Babs. We should have never signed Sammy and Gus needs his shot. We have proved you can only get so far with good drafting. Our low picks are all turning into third liners. We need to build through free agency and trades. I think this is going to be a tough season for Wings fans but I do believe we make the playoffs. Kenny knows what he needs to do, the deck is always stacked against him. This next offseason will be the most entertaining to date.
