I saw Nyquist out there for a shift with Datsyuk and Franzen in the first, but Abby has taken his rightful place up there again..............................................(frank) sakes

Taylor Hall is one of the dirtiest players in the whole league, I hope someone takes his head off.

Taylor Hall is one of the dirtiest players in the whole league, I hope someone takes his head off.
- ShooterMcGavin

(frank), Holland just make a trade for next season and give up on this poopshow.

Get the "end of the streak" over with and move out these wasted parts.

signed.
Glass of Crown Royal #3.

- Iggysbff

(frank), Holland just make a trade for next season and give up on this poopshow.

Get the "end of the streak" over with and move out these wasted parts.

signed.
Glass of Crown Royal #3.
- BooBoo997

If we're close go get Jbo for whatever it takes.

If we're close go get Jbo for whatever it takes.
- ShooterMcGavin

that'll fix your turd of a team

that'll fix your turd of a team
- filthymcnasty

This coming from an Oilers fan

This coming from an Oilers fan
- dcz28

we're on the way up and you're on the way down sucka!

we're on the way up and you're on the way down sucka!
- filthymcnasty

oh please

we're on the way up and you're on the way down sucka!
- filthymcnasty

Yes like they were on their way up this year...to another lottery pick

we're on the way up and you're on the way down sucka!
- filthymcnasty

No cheez d1ck comments now?

Mark Spizzirri: Enough is enough
- spity1

The Wings are human after all.... One day the Leafs will make the playoffs and one day the Wings will not. (Your blog sounds like you feel you are entitled to victories so I thought I would point that out. )

Oh, and one day the Canucks will win the cup .... but not before Detroit wins 2 more... and Toronto will never win one again.

we're on the way up and you're on the way down sucka!
- filthymcnasty

From Edmonton's perspective.... anything is up but that sign up ahead is not 'Detroit'... is ... hummm... it is still high up there.... ummm... I think it says "Columbus." Hard to tell from Edmonton;s Vantage point.

Dats is a beauty

Dats is a beauty
- tmanv

So damn slick. He had a hell of a game, lots of take aways and was all over the ice.
Still I think Petry is the Wings player of the game

So damn slick. He had a hell of a game, lots of take aways and was all over the ice.
Still I think Petry is the Wings player of the game
- abware

Scary thing is Petry is tied for the Wings lead on road PP goals

Scary thing is Petry is tied for the Wings lead on road PP goals
- dcz28

Scary thing is Petry is tied for the Wings lead on road PP goals
- dcz28

Still thought it was a pretty good game, took a bit for the Wings to wake up, and I hate how the Oilers try and defend 1 and 2 goal leads, they need to learn how to finish.

- abware

The sad thing is probably with this win we will get the famous quote from Holland "we like our team"

Still thought it was a pretty good game, took a bit for the Wings to wake up, and I hate how the Oilers try and defend 1 and 2 goal leads, they need to learn how to finish.
- abware

Wings were lucky to win this game. I'm surprised they won...they either play like complete crap on the road or find interesting new ways to give the puck away and lose.

(Quate)

It seems that every fan or analyst watching the Wings play this year is at a loss for words when it comes to our scoring and power play - not that these thing's don't need to improve - but continue to describe those two areas of our team as our Achilles heal. Let me me point out that our depth at forward is NOT the issue with this team.


We have two of the best two way forwards in the world, centering our first two lines. We have them paired with capable, at the very least, players in Franzen, Filpulla, and Brunner. Throw in Bertuzzi, Tatar or Sammy as Datsyuk's other winger and you have one of the better top 6's in the league. Helm as a third line center, with Abby in a role he thrives in (not on Pavs wing as a scorer) and again, a very solid third line. I know injuries have been a big part of the problem this year, but people are forgetting who we have in the lineup when it comes to trade talk.


Our offence has struggled because of our DEFENCE. When you roster such a young, but immobile defense core - your offence struggles the most. With experience comes poise, and with poise comes a better first pass, a smoother transition and a smarter chip to exit the zone. I don't care if you have Datsyuk and Z playing together, if they start every shift in there own zone and spend 15-20 seconds trying to breakout, even there offence is going to struggle.


In our top 6 -

Kronwall - Ericsson

Quincey - Smith
Kindl - Lashoff


You have by all intensive purposes, 3 rookies that seem to play a very similar, conservative game, a player in Quincey who has played 2 full seasons in the NHL, with limited offensive ability, Ericsson who has never cracked the top 4 in his career before doing so by default this year, and the furthest thing from offensively minded, and then Kronwall. I love Kronner but the guy has only been better than +5 once in his career. He only hits in the playoffs, and is actually a better skater than passer (doing little for our forwards).


I have been most disappointed with Smith, hes getting top 4 minutes, had a ton of hype coming into the season about his offensive instincts (which I believe show potential) but has 1 ASSIST this season.


All in all, we need to focus on guys like Bouwmeester, Dekeyser, Streit, Yandle, Gardiner, etc. before even considering adding a guy like Corey Perry at $8.5 mill per. One of those players would help our cause more than I think Perry would, just based on getting out of our zone alone. In all of the games I've watched this year, one thing stands out - the lack of odd man rushes we have produced resulting from a good outlet/stretch pass. The only breakaway I can even remember was Franzen's goal on a pass from Brunner.


Looking back at our last Stanley Cup run in 2008, out of 12 forwards we had in the lineup - 7 are on the team right now. And instead of Hudler, Draper, and Holmstrom - we have Tootoo, Brunner, and Bertuzzi. Helm and Abdelkader are much better players than they were then, so I can really only point to the difference on D as to why that team was a dominant cup winner, and this team is far from guaranteed a playoff birth. Oh ya, and our goaltending that season was a split between Hasek and Osgood. (Ozzie replaced Hasek in the first round). I would take Howard and how hes playing this season over those two.

(Quate)

It seems that every fan or analyst watching the Wings play this year is at a loss for words when it comes to our scoring and power play - not that these thing's don't need to improve - but continue to describe those two areas of our team as our Achilles heal. Let me me point out that our depth at forward is NOT the issue with this team.


We have two of the best two way forwards in the world, centering our first two lines. We have them paired with capable, at the very least, players in Franzen, Filpulla, and Brunner. Throw in Bertuzzi, Tatar or Sammy as Datsyuk's other winger and you have one of the better top 6's in the league. Helm as a third line center, with Abby in a role he thrives in (not on Pavs wing as a scorer) and again, a very solid third line. I know injuries have been a big part of the problem this year, but people are forgetting who we have in the lineup when it comes to trade talk.


Our offence has struggled because of our DEFENCE. When you roster such a young, but immobile defense core - your offence struggles the most. With experience comes poise, and with poise comes a better first pass, a smoother transition and a smarter chip to exit the zone. I don't care if you have Datsyuk and Z playing together, if they start every shift in there own zone and spend 15-20 seconds trying to breakout, even there offence is going to struggle.


In our top 6 -

Kronwall - Ericsson

Quincey - Smith
Kindl - Lashoff


You have by all intensive purposes, 3 rookies that seem to play a very similar, conservative game, a player in Quincey who has played 2 full seasons in the NHL, with limited offensive ability, Ericsson who has never cracked the top 4 in his career before doing so by default this year, and the furthest thing from offensively minded, and then Kronwall. I love Kronner but the guy has only been better than +5 once in his career. He only hits in the playoffs, and is actually a better skater than passer (doing little for our forwards).


I have been most disappointed with Smith, hes getting top 4 minutes, had a ton of hype coming into the season about his offensive instincts (which I believe show potential) but has 1 ASSIST this season.


All in all, we need to focus on guys like Bouwmeester, Dekeyser, Streit, Yandle, Gardiner, etc. before even considering adding a guy like Corey Perry at $8.5 mill per. One of those players would help our cause more than I think Perry would, just based on getting out of our zone alone. In all of the games I've watched this year, one thing stands out - the lack of odd man rushes we have produced resulting from a good outlet/stretch pass. The only breakaway I can even remember was Franzen's goal on a pass from Brunner.


Looking back at our last Stanley Cup run in 2008, out of 12 forwards we had in the lineup - 7 are on the team right now. And instead of Hudler, Draper, and Holmstrom - we have Tootoo, Brunner, and Bertuzzi. Helm and Abdelkader are much better players than they were then, so I can really only point to the difference on D as to why that team was a dominant cup winner, and this team is far from guaranteed a playoff birth. Oh ya, and our goaltending that season was a split between Hasek and Osgood. (Ozzie replaced Hasek in the first round). I would take Howard and how hes playing this season over those two.
- Muskoka88

Wow. This is good stuff right here. I agree.