Wasn’t chandler Stephenson 1C for the Knights for a few years? You’re talking about Larkin like he’s Travis Boyd or something
If Yzerman fired Lalonde early December when everyone was calling for the coach's head, Wings would securely be in a playoff spot right now and most certainly make their first playoff appearance under Yzerman's leadership.
I'm 50/50 split on wanting them to make the playoffs. It'll be nice to shut people up on the main board, but that's not really important since they have no clue what they are talking about anyhow. It would be nice for the kids to get some experience. It'd be a short run anyhow. But the better draft selection, with how good Yzerman has been at drafting, would be invaluable in this upcoming draft.
I feel like if Wings get healthy and start rolling again, with all the pressure, adversity, how tough the schedule is, they might not be the team the 1st place team in the east want to match up against. Assuming they make it.
During this losing streak, in many games like CBJ, OTT they have been dominating but coming up short.
I'm 50/50 split on wanting them to make the playoffs. It'll be nice to shut people up on the main board, but that's not really important since they have no clue what they are talking about anyhow. It would be nice for the kids to get some experience. It'd be a short run anyhow. But the better draft selection, with how good Yzerman has been at drafting, would be invaluable in this upcoming draft.
I feel like if Wings get healthy and start rolling again, with all the pressure, adversity, how tough the schedule is, they might not be the team the 1st place team in the east want to match up against. Assuming they make it.
During this losing streak, in many games like CBJ, OTT they have been dominating but coming up short.
If those guys were elite they would be in a playoff spot right now.
Coming up short but dominating. How about they're playing desperation hockey and losing. They aren't deep enough.
As far as rebuild goes, by the time the young guys are truly ready, Larkin will be well into the downside so you're going to need a new 1C.
Whoever finishes the season on a hot steak will probably be the team to make it in… out of Montreal, New York, Columbus, Boston and Detroit.
It’ll be a fingernail biting race to the finish line as it was last year.
As a wings fan, I hope they get out of their current slump and start performing again
As a habs fan. I am hopeful that the games stay meaningful as long as possible, but I'm not expecting the playoffs. It would be nice but my expectations this year were pretty much aligned with their management that came into the season hoping to be "in the mix", which is exactly where they stand. I suspect they are starting to exit the phase of acquiring draft capital and will start to focus more on connecting the peices together after this season.
I think Ottawa and to a lesser extent, Detroit have been more aggressive in actually trying to get over the playoff hump. Ottawa has been stuck here for years even after the previous gm declared the rebuild to be over. Detroit is in a similar boat except they started making moves designed to accelerate the process more recently compared to Ottawa. There is an expectation for them both to make it, although more for Ottawa.
Rangers are unique in this race because they expected more and have done more in recent years than the other teams in this race. I have to give them the benefit of the doubt simply because of their pedigree, but they are sure cutting it close.
Boston made a statement at the deadline that they are going in a different direction, and they are no longer focusing on this season's playoff at least.
Columbus is playing on a different level of inspiration and emotion this year, and I suspect they will also ride this to the end.
I have said in the past thay nyr will make it, and I'll continue to beat that drum. I've been wavering on the other team. Ottawa looks to be that team right now but they have been pretty volatile this year in general so it would not shock me at all for them to have an equally cold streak.
Gun to my head, I'll say Rangers and Ottawa today.
Stephenson played with Mark Stone, but Eichel was the #1C
He was fine, kept them in the game and in position to almost steal some points but the Wings went 0-2 on the PP.
There is zero argument that Ed/Seider aren’t top pair guys right now.
We’re aren’t in a playoff spot because we have 5 players who are pacing for 40+ points or 0.5pts/game
Can you name me any playoff teams with worse depth than that?
Their top three forwards are on pace for a combined (over a full 82 games) 230pts. Thats just fine compared to many other playoff calibre teams. It’s more than or similar to Ottawa, Minny, Washington, Rangers, Columbus
The problem is and has been the depth after them.
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Dotter, they've had every chance to control their fate and have shyte the bed. Earlier coaching change would have helped, but at the end of the day the Wings have come up small.
Yeah, they have been very volatile even after the coaching. They lost 6 in a row or something like that even after the change.
Wings are in the thick of a rebuild, so making the playoffs isn't the focus. Drafting and developing is. The only reason to make the playoffs would only be for development purposes. Nothing else.
But I disagree, had a coaching change happen when everyone thought it would, Wings would be planted solidly in a playoff position. I think losing wasn't the reason Yzerman made the coaching change, but rather because it was hurting development and morale.
That being said, what they have done since the coaching change has been nothing short of impressive. TM will certainly be coach of the year talks.
They've been dominating opposition. They just dominated OTT and lost the game by 1/10th of a second (scored fraction of a second after the buzzer). Somebody exposing themselves as "only score watching", and blowing smoke out their arse.
You are proving my statement true "It'll be nice to shut people up on the main board, but that's not really important since they have no clue what they are talking about anyhow."
Congrats.
I mean, the Red Wings were outplayed by many teams in their two different 7 game win streaks as well.
Yeah.... that's not true.
They were keeping up with shots or outshooting their opponent in most games they won.
They've been dominating opposition. They just dominated OTT and lost the game by 1/10th of a second (scored fraction of a second after the buzzer). Somebody exposing themselves as "only score watching", and blowing smoke out their arse.
You are proving my statement true "It'll be nice to shut people up on the main board, but that's not really important since they have no clue what they are talking about anyhow."
Congrats.
Okay, you seem to be a really nice guy, so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and declare that their losing streak was the most dominant losing streak of all time.
...after 8 years, it's more than just "in the thick of a rebuild", I would say; they're starting to infringe on Fluffabo Territory...
I consider it 4 years as Ken Holland's rebuild had to not only be completely scrapped, but Yzerman had to stop the bleeding and fix his mess. KH effectively set the rebuild back 4 or 5 years.
I'll give you that.
They have a decent core and a lot of really good prospects. Yzerman has just been unbelievably bad in free agency. To be honest, they should look at moving one of Larkin or debrincat for long term assets this off season. They are just in an absolutely brutal division and can’t get over the hump, but once their prospects mature they will have a pretty damn good core.
