from Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News,
With the one point earned, the Wings (36-29-7, 79 points) find themselves two points behind Washington (36-26-9, 81 points) for the second and final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Capitals also have one game in hand on the Wings.
"In reality it's probably a good road point," coach Derek Lalonde said. "But under the circumstances you certainly want to get the full two points. Some mixed emotions there. We have a lead into the third (period) and then finding a way to get into overtime.
"In reality a pretty good road point under the circumstances but you probably want a little more."...
"It's not what we wanted but getting one (point) was huge for us," captain Dylan Larkin said. "No moral victories. But we played good and it's playoff style hockey and we stuck in there. I wish we had a better start to the third period."...
"I like the way we're competing and defending and the underlying numbers will play out well," Lalonde said. "in reality we've had six fairly good periods on the road and only one point to show for it. But we're going to need to be even better with the type of competition we have coming up here."...
"You can see why this team is where they're at," Lalonde said. "The goaltender, no one is playing better in the league right now and they feed off him. The confidence he brings to that group, you can tell. But I give our guys credit to be down in the third against that goalie and it feels like it's going to take something remarkable to get something by him, and we got a goal."...
"We had some other looks, Petry had the wide open net and he probably scores nine of 10 times," Lalonde said. "He might have been surprised by how much room and space he had.
"The totality of it is it's a good point, just not with the circumstances."
from Kevin Allen of Detroit Hockey Now,
I think our guys are pretty good at judging themselves on the process and our team game has been good, Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said. The underlying numbers will play out pretty well. This is a game where analytics will tell us we probably should have won but we didnt. Its just a matter of not leaving plays out there. Continue to build on our team game. Weve had some positives of late, but its going to have to be even better going into Carolina on Thursday.
more in an updated article...
The Wings were horrible in OT, missing passes, dropping the puck to no one, deferring to Washington with contested pucks. They were like a completely different team than the one who was playing in the 3rd.
Their talk about how they played well and happy they got a point...honestly my first thought is they realize it's over and they are just trying to make the most of it.
Its over? Cmon man. Our playoff chances still have plenty of runway. Maybe thats not true tens days from now, but Im still gonna wait and see.
Washington only has one cupcake left on their schedule. We have a game in hand on Philly, and several winnable games after this road trip.
Plenty of runway?
Look at the schedule--it's awful down the stretch which is why it was so important to bank those points against the Preds, Caps, Coyotes x 2, and Pens. They blew that. Now they have to play this schedule:
Thursday @ Carolina
Sat @ Florida (12:30pm start)
4/1 Mon @ Tampa
4/5 Fri vs NYR
4/7 Sun vs Buffalo (1pm start)
4/9 Tues vs Caps
4/11 Thur @ Pens
4/13 Sat @ Toronto
4/15 Mon vs Montreal
4/16 Tues @ Montreal
The only thing that is saving them is that the Caps schedule is just as bad except they have Buffalo twice and a game against Ottawa. But they are up 2 points with a game on hand so it's a lot of ground to make up with only 10 games against those opponents left. If the Wings go 6-4 during that stretch it is impressive. But it very well could be a 4-6 stretch of hockey.
Look Im not saying its easy (or even likely).
Nonetheless, every game after NYR is a game they should/can win. Thats 6-4 right there. Maybe they can steal a game on the road trip or get a couple loser points.Im not saying keep your head in the clouds, just keep the light on. There is still a lot that can go our way.
I'm not saying it's over, I said, "they realize it's over". Look at the happy-go-lucky quotes from the team last night.
Maybe optimist-Lalonde has everyone in the room a little soft, but they don't sound like a team who's hungry...they sound like a team who's seeing the sun setting with 10 games left to play.
Washington remaining schedule gives me hope, but we have to get points in arenas we are like 10-90 underdogs like in the next 3 games.
If Wilson had been in the lineup, Wings come out of WAS with nothing. Not expecting any more points on this road trip.
Now that the fork is officially inserted, it's time to figure out what the hell went wrong. The off-season starts today trying to find a goalie that can win a Cup, a real 2C, and somebody that makes the opponents keep their heads on a swivel for 60 minutes.........
^^^This post is brief, to the point, and sums up EXACTLY what is needed. Again, as I mentioned once before, (and I was no fan of Blashill) but given the better players Steve has added to the team in the last two years, I fail to see the 'value added' from Lalonde and his staff. So what if he won 'at every other level'. His blender mixing is the same as Blash. Those two losses to Arizona where the team was simply not motivated or hungry for the points was inexcusable, especially after the beginning of that horrific losing streak. Yes, get a #1 goalie who can play 55 games with a goals against over .910, and fix the porous D. Copp or Gopher at 2C is not the answer. Lastly, find a way to lose Copp, Veleno, Holl and Petry, and next year they might actually make the playoffs and not be faced playing Florida or NYR in the first round.
"Just a faceoff man-on-man, I don't know what our center (Copp) was thinking," Lalonde said. "He lost it clean and left the center and that's the guy (Strome) who banged it home. That's minor hockey, that's Hockey 101, that's hockey 15 years ago and hockey 15 years from now.
"Just really disappointed in that one."
I said it before and I'll say it again. Yzerman should seriously consider a buyout on Copp. It's going to sting but it'll be the best path moving forward. For every 1 good game he has 5 bad games.
I think what should happen is that the Wings go get a #2 centre and a #1 LHD (and an aging #1 goalie as they wont get anything better). They will have to part with good prospects and picks to do it. Then you can slide Copp to the 2nd/3rd line winger role and Compher can be a very good #3 centre.
It's likely going to cost Kasper and Axel Sandin Pelikka (and the cap space to re-sign Kane) to get this done.
I also think you have to negotiate a lot harder with Seider as his play has been awful. His play cost the Wings a critical goal and then not being able to handle a pass cost them again a goal in OT. I might not even want to do 8 years as his development has stalled significantly this year. I've been giving him the benefit of the doubt saying he was trying to round his game--but he's taken two steps back physically on defense (regardless of the 1 fight where he didn't even bother to drop the gloves until multiple shots to his face) and it shows.
What are your thoughts on replacing Boughner? The D sucks and he owns the D...
I don't know if you can actually blame Boughner.
Ghost is a huge defensive liability as he's been run out of Philly, 'Zona, and Carolina because of it. Most teams tolerate it until they get to a point and can no longer hide him on the 3rd pair. I think the Wings got what they could from the relationship, but with the coming cap crunch this summer best to let him move on.
Holl has been much better than the mistake that I thought he would be (and constantly ripped on here). However, he is way too expensive for a 6/7 d-man. That's on Stevie and will continue to be for the next 2 years as no one will touch that contract without a sweetener. But his situation was made worse by the trade for Petry. As the Wings didn't have that 3rd RHD. It's an unfair situation and with spotty play time comes spotty results. But Holl hasn't been the turnover machine he was in Toronto with dumb penalties cost the Wings games. So again I can't blame Boughner.
Chiarot improved--was that because he got Petry as a partner? Chiarot has played enough that it's hard to blame a coach for his play.
Petry is aging and see the mistakes because of not having speed--but I also saw an improvement as it became crunch time as playoffs approached. Can he be counted on again or does he need Holl's role. Either way can't really blame Boughner as Petry is a vet with a defined style.
Maatta had a decent 1st half (at least statistically) and as a vet 3rd pair guy hard to blame the coach. But playing on a pair with Ghost will take a toll. Hard to believe he racked up the +/- rating--but that has seen regression since Feb. Boughner's fault--maybe a little but tough to really make that point.
That leaves Seider and Wallman--the pair that have disappointed the most. I think everyone is so in love in what either can become that they don't realize both have hit a plateau this year. Both seem to be constantly reaching and chasing the same puck. Taking chances at the same time and neither playing a physical game. Both sacrificing their bodies blocking shots-- sometimes to the point of stupidity. These are the two that I can blame Boughner for.
I think management needs to look seriously at him, but what is better out there is my question. I don't think this is a change for the sake of change situation.
And while you're at is Steve, broom this bum Lalonde. Look at what Tocchet did with Vancouver. Now among the best in the league. Get a proven coach, not some newbie who never head-coached at the NHL level. And NOT Gallant.
What article is that quote from?
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