Abel to Yzerman

Abel to Yzerman

Double A Played Single A At Triple A, Eh?

04/18/2016 at 12:42pm EDT

We haven't discussed Andreas Athanasiou enough and that's quirky because I NOW believe him to be the playoff MVP after three games.

Jeff Blashill is being blamed for not playing the kid enough. Jeff Blashill says he wasn't elite in Grand Rapids and therefore can't be expected to play big minutes in the NHL, especially during the playoffs. That's the jist of it, right?

He's not "ripe". He hasn't been seasoned in the ways we (who is "we"? That's the question to be explored) would prefer.

He hasn't been broken and rebuilt. He hasn't been "tamed" as Paul said earlier.

A first-year coach is telling us that AA isn't quite ready for big minutes. A first-year coach is essentially telling us the kid hasn't learned how to be a Red Wing yet and for that reason 51 minutes per game are spent with this kid on the bench, pining. Twitching. Churning.

He may be in Detroit, but he's not in Detroit.

Jeff Blashill is telling us he can't be trusted yet. But, here's what's weird. It's not Blashill telling us that. Oh, the words are leaving his mouth and our industrious deep diggers are nodding and writing then they type those words for us to read.

But those are the words of a long-serving GM who, thanks in large part to fans like us, considers himself untouchable and therefore with an approach that is unshakeable.

The first-year coach will play AA and everyone else precisely the amount Tick Tock Kenny Holland wants them to play. The first-year coach will say precisely what Tick Tock Kenny Holland wants him to say to defend this idiocy. The deep diggers will not question it. We will seethe and no one gives a shit about that.

There are members of the media who treat you with patronizing scorn. You are the unwashed compared to their elegance. You are the emotional ignorance compared to their dispassionate wisdom. GregG Krupa wrote an article two days ago and I'm sure he did not write the headline: "Wings will bring along Athanasiou on their time, not fans’".

Essentially, STFU.

Krupa didn't write the headline, but he littered his prose with subtle digs at those of us who would dare to question the brilliance of his BFFs, Kenny and Jeff.

If social media is a reasonable gauge, Red Wings fans are increasingly uncomfortable...

It is, and we are.

Some fans would like to see a far quicker transition to players like Athanasiou and Anthony Mantha...

That's us and we would.

Patience might not please a fan base...

It doesn't...anymore. We've opened up wide and swallowed the "Wing Way" for seven years. We've watched Nick Lidstrom leave and Hank Zetterberg wither without any attempts at serious final runs at the Cup. We've watched Filppula and Hudler leave. We've accepted Marian Hossa's departure. We now see how botched the Datsyuk deal is. And we've been patient, GregG.

Blashill has said he would like to see a better complete game from Athanasiou, with defensive improvements.

That is far from unusual for an NHL rookie, especially late in the season and in the playoffs. Defense is critical in those big games, and it can be an acquired skill that requires some patience from both young players and coaches.

Exposing the players too early can come at the expense of not only the confidence of a young competitor, but at risk of a playoff spot, game or even a series.

"Defensive improvements". This is where I admit my limited scope. I haven't noticed too many lapses when he's been on the ice. At least not to the tune that Helm has hummed in just three games this series.

The rest of that quote is just Krupa reminding all of you that the Double A dilemma is a figment of your alcohol-addled imaginations. Leave the thinking to the big brains, like Kenny and GregG. You just sit back and enjoy the product. And, by god, don't question it. Don't question it if you're a fan and do NOT dare to question it if you are paid to write about the product.

The only threat Tampa offers right now is being shut down by the new checking line of Glendening, Sheahan and Abdelkader. Is this not the perfect time to allow the likes of Athanasiou and Larkin to roam free and easy for a few more minutes per night? If defense is the concern and the only line Tampa has is being throttled?

No? My bad. Sorry, Krupa. Won't suggest it again.

Well, yes I will.

One more thing. Can you imagine Igor Larionov salivating at the thought of turning loose those hounds? Not the Wing way? Too bad. Time for a new Wing way. Time for a new Daddy and a new edict, a new decree.

This series is winnable, but it doesn't erase the fact that talent has been and is being wasted for 51 minutes per night because of an outdated philosophy that worked when we had four lines of talent and a blue line full of Rafalskis, Lidstroms, Chelios' and Stuarts.

I know we should be typing about how excited we are about getting back into this thing, but the reality is that this team is being mismanaged into mediocrity and it's time for a change at the top.

Blame Blashill if you want, but it's Tick Tock pulling the strings.

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Welcome to Abel to Yzerman, a Red Wing blog since 1977. No other site on the internet has better-researched, fact-laden and better prepared discussions than A2Y. Re-phrase: we do little research, find facts and stats highly overrated and claim little to no preparation. There are 19 readers of A2Y. No more, no less. All of them, except maybe one, are juvenile in nature. Reminding them of that in the comment section will only encourage them to prove that.

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