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All apologies, no answers. Red Wings fall to Winnipeg

December 11, 2019, 3:01 PM ET [26 Comments]
Jeremy Laura
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If you haven’t watched the post game interviews from last night’s 5-1 loss to Winnipeg, brace yourself. post game comments from 1210

Luke Glendening apologizes to reporters. Dylan Larkin apologizes to reporters. It is as unpleasant to watch the post game as it is to watch the actual game. There was an intentional delay in writing this post. The hope that the “100 ft view” would add some perspective. There is none to be had. The first period saw a solid effort from Detroit. A short handed tally was made worse as the challenge cost Detroit the rest of their power play. Debating the validity of the call won’t do the team any good, and thankfully Eric Comrie did his best to just move on. In fact, Comrie had some solid moments in his first NHL start of the year. And then, 3 goals in 2 minutes. Two goals in 11 seconds. The beat goes on.

The title for this entry was originally going to be, “the sound of silence”. A reference to the post game celebration music teams play after a win. This team may well have forgotten what song to play. It is a scene of absolute torment. I give full marks to Larkin and Glendening for avoiding the blame game. Both try to shoulder this immense burden. Comrie has an incredible attitude. Detroit is fortunate in this, the leadership loves this team and hates the situation.

There isn’t any talk about Larkin giving the team a window to succeed before he asks for a trade. He simply won’t do that. Picked in the same draft that saw David Pastrnak go several selections later to Boston, I’ve often wondered what his career would be like if he were on a line with Patrice Bergeron instead of trying to create everything himself at 23. It would probably be a lot more fun right now.

The advent of a player turning their backs on a team and demanding a better situation seems to be gaining steam. As bad as things are, the Detroit faithful seem to recognize how much Larkin, Bertuzzi and Mantha (when healthy) want things to turn around. It is personal to each of them. Luke Glendening loves this team as well. These players are angry at themselves. Not at management, not at other guys. They are doing the 100 mile stare into the mirror and trying to find an answer.

All that being said, a little encouragement would go a long way. The last bit of good news that lifted this team is wearing #14. As many people are looking for a coaching change, that scenario has become more complicated. It’s likely that every NHL team is doing a decades long search into the personal conduct of their staff. If a coach is losing, but is also not a legal liability, they are probably very secure right now. This new twist to the in season troubles of teams has altered the landscape more than anyone can possibly imagine. It becomes the Tim Tiebow scenario. Even if someone isn’t winning, if they are perceived as a good human being it is far less painful than having to get rid of a winning coach who has some skeletons in the closet waiting to surface on Twitter.

The complexities of this season are piling up. Filip Zadina was reassigned to Grand Rapids. To his credit he has 3 assists in 4 games. However, the atmosphere is toxic and may not be the best place for his development right now.

Steve Yzerman is one of the sharpest and hardest working hockey minds I’ve ever observed. The frustration lies in the silence. He cares deeply about the organization and the health of the players. It appears that “The Captain” is satisfied that he has threshed through the current state of the team and is beginning to start the larger shifts. Bowey’s development is no longer a priority. Athanasiou may well be in play. The GM has moved contracts he didn’t intend to extend and is lining up the chess board. He’s found the surplus in pieces on the back row. One too many bishops, one too few knights. As a Rook can protect the king, you only need two of them, and there can be only one king....

Perhaps out of sheer desperation we find ourselves squinting hard at the picture to see if there is an image behind all of the clutter. A 3 dimensional Winged Wheel that returns to its winning ways. The exercise has not yet gifted any such glimpse. It is up to the engineer to ensure that the pieces come together at this point. In that, I have great confidence. The threshing season will not last forever (perhaps better labeled the “thrashing” season). The few imperative parts to be left in tact are yet to be identified by most of us. They may well, though, have been properly cataloged by Yzerman and Co.

Tomorrow night is another shot at redemption for this squad that is desperate for a favorable outcome. We will look to the numbers and beyond in pregame analysis before the contest. Thanks to all who stop by to read and comment. Keep it coming!
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