Jeremy Laura: Detroit vs Chicago 2 - pregame thoughts

Boooo Kane love boooo

Can't deny the guy's talent and I envy Chicago for having such a great career player. I really despise Chicago and kind of like the concept of having them back in the division. I wish we had a guy to throw fists to brighten up efforts like last game, I loved having Witkowski because even in the rough games he seemed to drop the gloves at the right time and provide some much needed energy and entertainment.

On paper, last game it looked like the Wings played well but the game felt like such a slog, low energy, not a whole lot of effort. It's a whole lot of taking the puck behind the net, pass it along the side boards, rinse and repeat. Send guys to the front of the net, throw trash on net and hope for a good rebound instead of trying to force pass or playing the safe game. I don't care if ugly goals go in, goals are goals.

Maybe next game will be better and they can pull out a W, give some goal support for Greiss before he starts losing confidence in this team. I don't expect the Wings to be a winning team, but they gotta figure something out offensively.

Boooo Kane love boooo

Can't deny the guy's talent and I envy Chicago for having such a great career player. I really despise Chicago and kind of like the concept of having them back in the division. I wish we had a guy to throw fists to brighten up efforts like last game, I loved having Witkowski because even in the rough games he seemed to drop the gloves at the right time and provide some much needed energy and entertainment.

On paper, last game it looked like the Wings played well but the game felt like such a slog, low energy, not a whole lot of effort. It's a whole lot of taking the puck behind the net, pass it along the side boards, rinse and repeat. Send guys to the front of the net, throw trash on net and hope for a good rebound instead of trying to force pass or playing the safe game. I don't care if ugly goals go in, goals are goals.

Maybe next game will be better and they can pull out a W, give some goal support for Greiss before he starts losing confidence in this team. I don't expect the Wings to be a winning team, but they gotta figure something out offensively.
- Datsyuks_Dangle

Yeah, the eye test was rough. Like skating in mud. I agree on Greiss. Give him some love quick

Hopefully there are no new COVID casualties on this team. With that being said, thes team's survivors should have had a good practice together and may have ironed out some of their problems and are on their way to be a more cohesive unit. I expect better play from them, especially early in the game.
LGRW's!!!!!

“Well we’re five guys down,” coach Jeff Blashill said Friday night. “The other team with five guys down is Carolina, and they postponed their games. So, that is where we are at. Certainly, it does not help chemistry, but again … we are just trying to control what we can control.”

I wonder if maybe the Wings have been allowed more leeway due to this Sunday national game.

I wonder if maybe the Wings have been allowed more leeway due to this Sunday national game.

- HenryHockey

Blashill is already making excuses. Apparently the Red Wings are the only team who's had players missing due to covid. What's that sound? It's the sound of the world's loudest playing single violin.

Are our best players playing? Larkin, Mantha, Bertuzzi, Hronek. Yes they are. Shut up Jeff! Damn excuse making, finger pointing, losers mentality promoting idiot. Are we playing the 2010 Blackhawks today?

Blashill has his 10 excuses all ready to go if we lose. But it will never ever be his fault because he's the best coach in the NHL. Just ask him. He knows it all! Useless cliches,
finger pointing, excuses, goofy faces and rehearsed catch phrases. That's what Blashill is all about. Which player(s) will you be throwing under the bus today, Jeff?

Rant over.

Yeah, the eye test was rough. Like skating in mud. I agree on Greiss. Give him some love quick
- Jeremy Laura

I fully agree with the “skating in mud” . Because the Wings don’t have the proper Coaching to get through the on ice chess game we need to be the best in shape team to last 3 periods.

Being a top in shape team and running basics just might get the Wings to 450 /500? Coaching needs to expose the Chicago defense!

Today’s Line up shifted a bit. What’s the consensus?

Blashill is already making excuses. Apparently the Red Wings are the only team who's had players missing due to covid. What's that sound? It's the sound of the world's loudest playing single violin.

Are our best players playing? Larkin, Mantha, Bertuzzi, Hronek. Yes they are. Shut up Jeff! Damn excuse making, finger pointing, losers mentality promoting idiot. Are we playing the 2010 Blackhawks today?

Blashill has his 10 excuses all ready to go if we lose. But it will never ever be his fault because he's the best coach in the NHL. Just ask him. He knows it all! Useless cliches,
finger pointing, excuses, goofy faces and rehearsed catch phrases. That's what Blashill is all about. Which player(s) will you be throwing under the bus today, Jeff?

Rant over.
- gergeswillems

A tad harsh there pard. But yeah, CBJ and Torts showed up for their game against the best team in the league without their "star" player and BEAT THEM!!! We need to be coached more like them and be a TEAM and put forth the BEST effort! Then good things may happen more often.

Today’s Line up shifted a bit. What’s the consensus?
- Tee56

Still waiting to find out. Possibly 2 more players on the COVID list. We’re just now finding out that this isn’t due to testing for some of the players. It’s potential exposure at times, and they go into automatic lockdown before the test. Scratching my head on this one.

Quick pregame skate memory. My wife and I would get tickets through stub hub at times to get close seats. Just kind of a treat to get up there. One game, there were 3 or 4 kids at the glass (as usual). Holmstrom looked around, bent to the ice and went to the camera access hole. He shoved pucks through for all of those kids as fast as he could and then turned right back around. Like a kid in the cookie jar, but those young fans were just thrilled. I loved being there for that

Corona helping our tanking efforts.

Pious Suter and we can't counter with David Pope!!!

It’s going to be a long game if this is the flow. Detroit still can’t get set up

It’s going to be a long game if this is the flow. Detroit still can’t get set up
- Jeremy Laura

More Piety

ohh yesss.the TANK is finally on boys!!

(frank) this team

Detroit just doesn’t have the depth to survive the second line being gone. Looks like 3 fourth lines. Chicago only has to cover Larkin line at this point, and they’re doing a good job.

I just love Eddie O pointing out Wing mistakes!

First period summary is up

First period summary - Detroit is anemic on depth. Until Zadina and Fabbri come back, this is a one line team again. Same issue as last year. Chicago is full of confidence (as they should be). Larkin line trying to get going, but goaltending still very good for Chicago. No line other than Larkin even getting the puck on net. Fil and Nielsen continue to look like they’ve lost all their step and offensive ability. Givani Smith with a really bad D zone turnover. Hirose and Smith just look lost. Continued poor decision making on passes make Chicago’s job much easier. The team has no flow and no confidence. Spending a third of the period defending the Blackhawks power play only exacerbates the painful reality of how many struggles Detroit is having.

Detroit just doesn’t have the depth to survive the second line being gone. Looks like 3 fourth lines. Chicago only has to cover Larkin line at this point, and they’re doing a good job.
- Jeremy Laura

How in the blue FRANK did Nielsen & Filpula get so good they singled themselves out as PK experts???? Sweet JEEBUS. Nielsen cost us the 2d goal because he couldn’t hold onto his stinkin’ stick. What’s going on? Embarrassed.

Guys need to dig deep. Pride needs to take the driver’s seat and become the motivator. Efforts from guys like Ryan shouldn’t be wasted...

A quick and very personal aside. Some of you know that I deal with issues related to head injuries including chronic unmanageable headaches, depression, etc. another blogger and a good friend of mine, George Malik, wrote a very candid and deeply personal insight into his own struggles. George has been a huge supporter of mine from before I ever started blogging. He has his finger on the pulse of Red Wings prospects all over the globe, well worth subscribing to his email updates. Take a moment to look at this last piece. I would encourage you to subscribe and support a good guy and a great blogger.

https://themalikreport.co...m-not-done-fighting-them/

How in the blue FRANK did Nielsen & Filpula get so good they singled themselves out as PK experts???? Sweet JEEBUS. Nielsen cost us the 2d goal because he couldn’t hold onto his stinkin’ stick. What’s going on? Embarrassed.

Guys need to dig deep. Pride needs to take the driver’s seat and become the motivator. Efforts from guys like Ryan shouldn’t be wasted...
- mcmastermike1968

The falloff of everyone not on the top 2 lines at the beginning of the year is embarrassing. Namestnikov had some looks early, but all the bouncing around on this team isn’t helping he or Brome. It’s going to take some insanely lucky bounces for Detroit to get back into this

That was a nice cycle that Detroit set up. Let’s see if it moves the needle

Not sure if anyone saw it, but Babcock was raked over the coals in the pre-game studio interview....more issues from TOR.

Mediocre from about 9:00 or so to the end of the period. Smith & Hirose look lost because what the did during training camp aren’t what the team’s doing now. So they look lost because they are. Everything’s changed for them & the team. Still some good work being done, but it’s hard to polish this turd.