The Wings have an off day today so we have some time to discuss the issues facing the Wings.
As OldeerThanChelios (more) wrote earlier today...
The Wings look tired, confused, and disorganized. They don't move up ice as a group, opting most of the time to try long stretch passes that either miss or leave the guy getting the pass all by himself.
I believe most of us can agree with his assessment. What I have notices, especially in Detroit's defensive zone, teams are crowding the net or making a pass to the point, then head to the net. This has caused mass confusion on Detroit's end. Plus this has been happening since the losing streak started and the Wings have not been able to adjust, so teams keep doing the same thing.
Another thing that keeps happening is that teams have been ramping up their pressure on the puck carriers during the power play. They force bad or rushed passes and then they fumble the puck or take a low percentage shot. Then its cleared and we start over. Easy to defend.
It's not just on the power play. Every team the Wings have played for the past month or so sends forwards in to aggressively forecheck. What's missing from the Wings is support for the D. I just don't see forwards coming back to take some of the pressure off. So, the next thing you know, the defensemen are trying those long stretch passes.
It seems like that's something the coaches should be addressing in practice. If they are, then the forwards aren't getting the message. If they aren't, well, that's on them -- and Stevie Y needs to take steps to fix it.
Exactly
from Bob Duff of Detroit Hockey Now,
Last week, it was forward Patrick Kane who was expressing worrisome concerns about the compete level of the Red Wings. Following Sundays loss, forward Andrew Copp was joining in the chorus.
We can talk about the execution and that, but its about being hard and compete and effort, Copp said. I dont think we did a good enough job of that.
Admit it, the Wings have two players who are game changers, Larkin and Kane with Raymond getting there.Thereby it is so important the Wings play a complete team game. If one or two players are having an 'off' day, then the whole system breaks down.
But man when it does click it's a pretty cool thing to behold. It's asking a lot for a team to execute something that elaborate every shift...
During January and February, Larkin was healthy and the Red Wings played at a .750 (or so) pace. The proverbial straw that stirs the drink. If he comes back and they start winning again, one could argue that his contract is possibly the best value contract in the NHL. Then again they could continue circling the drain and my point is moot.
Passive in all zones.
Raymond is quietly putting together a fairly nice year; he'll likely end up around 27 goals, which I think is higher than anyone expected. We need that from him though, and it's an awesome bounce back from last season.
It seems once one team finds a weakness of our team, other teams immediately copy it. This shouldn't be a surprise. However, the coaching staff continues to be INCREDIBLY slow to adjust around it. I think it was Chiarot who said in an interview a couple days ago that you have to keep evolving as a team throughout the season - I don't see that happening well enough.
The Wings may have an off day but I sure hope the coaching staff is putting in a long day getting their crap together.
I know CBA and days off, but really today should be a bag skate.
Moving forward how does SY change this team after the season? Kane is as good as gone. Copp and Compher are here for a few more seasons. Fabbri has to prove he's able to stay healthy. Just to name a few of the issues facing the Wings. Limited help is on the way from GR. Expect a few more years of chasing the playoffs.
Lalonde cannot manage a goalie. He rode Husso in the ground last season and this year with Lyon. Neither of these players are Vasilevskiy. You have two healthy goalies, you use them.
Rookie coach mistakes are a part of the reason this team is floundering.
Interesting observation. To Lalonde defense I will say 2 things. First, head coaches really rely on goalie coaches to make those decisions and second, Husso has been injured/awful for most of the season and Reimer was terrible at the time Husso got injured so I am not sure Lalonde had much of a choice.
Well you can see the effect on Lyon. I guess supposedly not having a choice was the correct way to go..
Off day? They had an off day on Sunday.😛
It is the too many veteran filled roster. Petry is the age factor, while Ghost, Holl, and Chiarot are not that great D-wise. Sure, Chiarot is a little better this year, but his D weakness is still there. On the forward-side, the holes to play better D will not be found in Kane or DeBrincat. We can live with that if the top 6 was better. On another note, move on from Fabbri.
Steve Yzerman really needs to make sure Edvinsson and perhaps Albert J are on this roster next season. A forward like Kasper and Danielson making it would be terrific. However, Steve needs to stop the low to middle tier signings. No more Copp or Compher like signings. No more Holl, Chiarot signings.
----What I have notices, especially in Detroit's defensive zone, teams are crowding the net or making a pass to the point, then head to the net. This has caused mass confusion on Detroit's end.
---Very much agree on that and that has to be the coaches responsibility. On the other hand, how many times Lalonde probably told his dmen not to go behind the net at the same time and it's still happening.
Nice
On the topic of Lyon...
Lyon isn't as good as people thought he was three+++ weeks ago. Prior to being with Detroit, he played 39 NHL games in 6 years. That's an average of 6.5 games per year. Then he comes to Detroit as a 30 year old and fans get excited we've got this under-the-radar goalie who's potential is just now being discovered....but that's not how the NHL works - not with a 30 year old player.
He had an incredible run, and if his agent was worth his salt he would have been pushing for an extension during that run (which I'm sure Stevie wouldn't have bargained with at that time). But this regression to the mean was overdue and should not be a surprise whatsoever.
If you look at his stats, his season with Detroit is almost identical to his career numbers. Given he's played half his games with Detroit, it's not surprising the numbers are close, but they are (nearly) identical. He's exactly who he's been, and his numbers better prove that.
DET: 35 GP, 3.10 GAA, .903 SV%
Career: 74 GP, 3.07 GAA, .903 SV%
Lyon signed a two-year deal for $900K AAV so no contract extension talk allowed at this point.
Not to piss in anyone's Wheaties, but the next 2 years of FAs isn't good. Stevie will have to be very creative with who he brings back/signs. Trades would appear to be the best option for a significant upgrade to this roster if possible. I have it on good authority that trades are hard, though 😮
I have it on good authority that trades are hard, though
Sans quality free agents, I am sure Steve with be 'kicking the tires' for possible trades this summer to improve this chemistry. As I mentioned this weekend, he needs to make at least one bold trade, like Buffalo did in the Byrum/Middlestadt trade.
Not popular with some, but with the trades Verbeek has made, Zegras may be the odd man out? If so, I would like to see Yzerman and Verbeek work out a deal involving Zegras. The Wings will need help down the road once there is no more Kane, Perron, and eventually DeBrincat.
If that help doesn't arrive we'll possibly witness the Re-Dead Wings era.
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