Jeremy Laura: Another Buffalo OT win, Larkin gets 2 as top line now has 99 points

That second goal woke them up. A lot of the same issues they had against the Jets appeared in the first two periods. I thought they turned their game around in the third though.

Fun game.

I'm just glad they got the win. Larkin is on fire right now... Nice to see Namestnikov get a goal. This team needs as much secondary scoring that it can get. I wouldn't mind seeing Suter on the top line and Larkin center the 2nd line just to see if he could give it some spark. Definitely worth a try. But no chance Blashill would do that.

So you have Seider over Raymond now? Me too. Eventually, if you're honest, you'll also have guys like Zegras and Lundell over Raymond too. Doesn't make Raymond a bust. No shame in finishing 4th or 5th. But people sure get butt hurt about that.

So you have Seider over Raymond now? Me too. Eventually, if you're honest, you'll also have guys like Zegras and Lundell over Raymond too. Doesn't make Raymond a bust. No shame in finishing 4th or 5th. But people sure get butt hurt about that.
- HockeyBuzzed

Give it a rest man.

People aren't reacting negatively to your opinions. They're reacting negatively to your attitude.

Overall Seider is the best rookie this year whether he wins the award or not. The fact he isn't a Makar type means he most likely won't win it, but he is a rock.

Another gem of an article JL! The Wings winning is good therapy for you!
Larkin is doing 1C things and being a true captain! And Ned keeps them in the game till Larkin finds a way to win! good teamwork!

Overall Seider is the best rookie this year whether he wins the award or not. The fact he isn't a Makar type means he most likely won't win it, but he is a rock.
- DRW1991

I saw an interview with Lidstrom saying he wasn't as far along as Seider is right now when looking back at his own early NHL days. He said Seider is better than himself at the same point in time. When you hear a comment like that coming from Lidstrom... (the Perfect Human) it definitely gets your attention.

I'm stoked to see Edvinsson play here in the U.S. I'm wondering how much time (if any) he would play here in GR. Wouldn't mind seeing him play in person.

I think in the next draft Holland would almost have to pick a top center at this point. But I'll leave that up to Stevie Y to figure out... I'm sure he has a plan to address that need. This team isn't going anywhere until they get top-tier talent up the middle.

I saw an interview with Lidstrom saying he wasn't as far along as Seider is right now when looking back at his own early NHL days. He said Seider is better than himself at the same point in time. When you hear a comment like that coming from Lidstrom... (the Perfect Human) it definitely gets your attention.

I'm stoked to see Edvinsson play here in the U.S. I'm wondering how much time (if any) he would play here in GR. Wouldn't mind seeing him play in person.

I think in the next draft Holland would almost have to pick a top center at this point. But I'll leave that up to Stevie Y to figure out... I'm sure he has a plan to address that need. This team isn't going anywhere until they get top-tier talent up the middle.
- Vladdie_Kon1

That's really nice of Nick to say but I'm not sure I buy it.

I saw an interview with Lidstrom saying he wasn't as far along as Seider is right now when looking back at his own early NHL days. He said Seider is better than himself at the same point in time. When you hear a comment like that coming from Lidstrom... (the Perfect Human) it definitely gets your attention.

I'm stoked to see Edvinsson play here in the U.S. I'm wondering how much time (if any) he would play here in GR. Wouldn't mind seeing him play in person.

I think in the next draft Holland would almost have to pick a top center at this point. But I'll leave that up to Stevie Y to figure out... I'm sure he has a plan to address that need. This team isn't going anywhere until they get top-tier talent up the middle.
- Vladdie_Kon1

That may be. But I am not surprised because of the evolution of training is allowing today's athletes advance more rapidly to their peak performance as long as the athlete is very disciplined and dedicated.

Oh, and what is with Holland??????

That may be. But I am not surprised because of the evolution of training is allowing today's athletes advance more rapidly to their peak performance as long as the athlete is very disciplined and dedicated.

Oh, and what is with Holland??????
- HenryHockey

Oooops... typo. Not the first time I've gotten their names mixed up.

In regards to ROY; The Wings have 2 VERY solid contenders. We all have our favorites, of course, but to state that anyone is a shoe-in is dangerous; anything can happen. I wholly believe that Razor is MUCH better than anyone thought, he's progressing very well. His progression is adding to the deep player pool forming within the Wing's systems....anyway Edvinsson is going to be a solid prospect for sure. Imagine he's going to take some time to develop, but we have some time available to us. I'm personally not under any illusion that we're SCPO-capable, but we keep hanging around the #2 WC slot (point differentials fluctuate, and we're falling back.....but who would've thunk we were even going to be this close????). There are SO many good things happening right now.....and it feels good to have that hope in front of us. Add to that mix the fact that Jeremy keeps popping in to add some really good write-ups that keep us going.....this is a DAMN good year. If it ended today, I'd be a VERY happy Wings fan.

Was not overly impressed with the 1st 2 periods yesterday, looked a little off. But the thing that the guys show this year v last is the desire to win. We're getting solid contributions from all levels of players (some more than others, and some more frustrating that others....). Larkin's playing out of his mind. If he were on a GOOD team, he'd be a beast. And Raymond's stats are close to what The Captain's were in some cases. Is ANYONE saying Raymond is the next Stevie Y??? NO! But some of the numbers show a really strong resemblance. The problem with numbers is that the user can make them say anything they want (for example; could rely on total points as a highlight, when the vast majority of points are assists v goals, etc...). So relying on someone else's numbers can be a bit dangerous. But this kid is DAMN good, and we all know it. Is he a CALDER winner? Who knows. Votes aren't in. Is he in the conversation? YES! I've heard multiple talking heads state that....so until the final votes are in, he's in the conversation. And so are some other kids (FULL DISCLOSURE: I like Zegras...kid's got mad skills....on a pretty good team). Mo Sides is in the conversation as well....when was the last time we had ONE ROY candidate let alone TWO???

Good things are happening. And we're excited. And no one can take that away from us....Nor should we let them. Enjoy the progression and development of the player pool, guys. It's REALLY neat to have this level of growth.

In regards to ROY; The Wings have 2 VERY solid contenders. We all have our favorites, of course, but to state that anyone is a shoe-in is dangerous; anything can happen. I wholly believe that Razor is MUCH better than anyone thought, he's progressing very well. His progression is adding to the deep player pool forming within the Wing's systems....anyway Edvinsson is going to be a solid prospect for sure. Imagine he's going to take some time to develop, but we have some time available to us. I'm personally not under any illusion that we're SCPO-capable, but we keep hanging around the #2 WC slot (point differentials fluctuate, and we're falling back.....but who would've thunk we were even going to be this close????). There are SO many good things happening right now.....and it feels good to have that hope in front of us. Add to that mix the fact that Jeremy keeps popping in to add some really good write-ups that keep us going.....this is a DAMN good year. If it ended today, I'd be a VERY happy Wings fan.

Was not overly impressed with the 1st 2 periods yesterday, looked a little off. But the thing that the guys show this year v last is the desire to win. We're getting solid contributions from all levels of players (some more than others, and some more frustrating that others....). Larkin's playing out of his mind. If he were on a GOOD team, he'd be a beast. And Raymond's stats are close to what The Captain's were in some cases. Is ANYONE saying Raymond is the next Stevie Y??? NO! But some of the numbers show a really strong resemblance. The problem with numbers is that the user can make them say anything they want (for example; could rely on total points as a highlight, when the vast majority of points are assists v goals, etc...). So relying on someone else's numbers can be a bit dangerous. But this kid is DAMN good, and we all know it. Is he a CALDER winner? Who knows. Votes aren't in. Is he in the conversation? YES! I've heard multiple talking heads state that....so until the final votes are in, he's in the conversation. And so are some other kids (FULL DISCLOSURE: I like Zegras...kid's got mad skills....on a pretty good team). Mo Sides is in the conversation as well....when was the last time we had ONE ROY candidate let alone TWO???

Good things are happening. And we're excited. And no one can take that away from us....Nor should we let them. Enjoy the progression and development of the player pool, guys. It's REALLY neat to have this level of growth.
- mcmastermike1968

You do realize that we're on pace for 84 points while the team directly ahead of us is on pace for 108 points. This is not a playoff race at all. It's the first time in decades when the 8 playoff spots have been locked up before the halfway point. I'm sure everything else you said was on point...

For what it's worth, the Athletic's game score value added (GSVA) player model (I know, it's just a model and not the be-all and end-all of everything) ranks the top rookies in this order, based on how good the model thinks they are right now:

Nedeljkovic
Zegras
Seider = Raymond = Bunting
Jarvis
Jeannot = Byram = Stutzle*
Lundell
Mercer = Dahlen
Drysdale
Lafreniere*

*not rookies but included for comparison purposes since they are full-time NHLers drafted in the same year as Raymond

Not saying I agree with this ranking order. Personally I think I'd have Seider at No. 1 so far as well. But food for thought.

That's really nice of Nick to say but I'm not sure I buy it.
- Sven22

I agree Sven.

A nice endorsement, but let’s not get ahead of what that comments means. On the flip side, I like the potential of 53 and I think if the curve can continue….

I agree Sven.

A nice endorsement, but let’s not get ahead of what that comments means. On the flip side, I like the potential of 53 and I think if the curve can continue….
- DaBooBoo

What's Lidstrom supposed to say? Yeah Seider looks great, but I was even better when I was that age. It's hockey code. Nobody would ever say that. Especially as an employee. Most don't fall for that...

Berggren with 4 assists tonight. That's impressive. Not sure I've ever seen a Wings prospect with that many assists in one game in GR. This kid keeps looking better and better. Griffins win 5-3 on the road tonight.

In regards to ROY; The Wings have 2 VERY solid contenders. We all have our favorites, of course, but to state that anyone is a shoe-in is dangerous; anything can happen. I wholly believe that Razor is MUCH better than anyone thought, he's progressing very well. His progression is adding to the deep player pool forming within the Wing's systems....anyway Edvinsson is going to be a solid prospect for sure. Imagine he's going to take some time to develop, but we have some time available to us. I'm personally not under any illusion that we're SCPO-capable, but we keep hanging around the #2 WC slot (point differentials fluctuate, and we're falling back.....but who would've thunk we were even going to be this close????). There are SO many good things happening right now.....and it feels good to have that hope in front of us. Add to that mix the fact that Jeremy keeps popping in to add some really good write-ups that keep us going.....this is a DAMN good year. If it ended today, I'd be a VERY happy Wings fan.

Was not overly impressed with the 1st 2 periods yesterday, looked a little off. But the thing that the guys show this year v last is the desire to win. We're getting solid contributions from all levels of players (some more than others, and some more frustrating that others....). Larkin's playing out of his mind. If he were on a GOOD team, he'd be a beast. And Raymond's stats are close to what The Captain's were in some cases. Is ANYONE saying Raymond is the next Stevie Y??? NO! But some of the numbers show a really strong resemblance. The problem with numbers is that the user can make them say anything they want (for example; could rely on total points as a highlight, when the vast majority of points are assists v goals, etc...). So relying on someone else's numbers can be a bit dangerous. But this kid is DAMN good, and we all know it. Is he a CALDER winner? Who knows. Votes aren't in. Is he in the conversation? YES! I've heard multiple talking heads state that....so until the final votes are in, he's in the conversation. And so are some other kids (FULL DISCLOSURE: I like Zegras...kid's got mad skills....on a pretty good team). Mo Sides is in the conversation as well....when was the last time we had ONE ROY candidate let alone TWO???

Good things are happening. And we're excited. And no one can take that away from us....Nor should we let them. Enjoy the progression and development of the player pool, guys. It's REALLY neat to have this level of growth.
- mcmastermike1968

Standings placement can be deceptive.

To me, "hanging around the No. 2 WC spot" is defined by how good your chances of actually winding up there are, rather than your nominal position in the standings.

Here's what that the current playoff odds look like for the East right now according to the Athletic's projections:

Florida ~100%
Toronto ~100%
Tampa ~100%
Carolina ~100%
Pittsburgh 99%
Boston 98%
NY Rangers 96%
Washington 96%
--
NY Islanders 10%
Detroit 1%
All others ~0%

And here's what the West's look like:

Colorado ~100%
Minnesota 98%
Vegas 94%
St. Louis 92%
Nashville 88%
Calgary 87%
Los Angeles 52%
Edmonton 46%
--
Winnipeg 44%
Dallas 34%
Anaheim 22%
Vancouver 21%
San Jose 19%
Chicago 2%
Seattle ~0%
Arizona ~0%

Realistically, I would say the 13th best team in the West is still hanging around the last playoff spot, while Detroit (9th in the East) is not.

As for expectations, I honestly don't think the Red Wings are that hugely far ahead of where I thought they'd be. A lot of the projection models had them pegged for around 75-80 points by the end of the season, and they're on pace for 80-85. Granted part of that expectation was based on a healthy Vrana, but on balance I'd say I'm very pleased but not necessarily shocked at where we are currently in the rebuild.

But again, standings ranks can be deceptive. To me, the bigger surprise isn't how good the Red Wings have been, but how badly the Canadiens, Devils, Flyers, Islanders and even to some extent the Senators have sucked. Those teams have been underperforming expectations by a greater margin than the Red Wings have been overperforming theirs. So we end up in 9th or 10th place, but with a point total that's typically only good for 11th-13th in a normal year (and still nowhere near the playoff cutline).

Standings placement can be deceptive.

To me, "hanging around the No. 2 WC spot" is defined by how good your chances of actually winding up there are, rather than your nominal position in the standings.

Here's what that the current playoff odds look like for the East right now according to the Athletic's projections:

Florida ~100%
Toronto ~100%
Tampa ~100%
Carolina ~100%
Pittsburgh 99%
Boston 98%
NY Rangers 96%
Washington 96%
--
NY Islanders 10%
Detroit 1%
All others ~0%

And here's what the West's look like:

Colorado ~100%
Minnesota 98%
Vegas 94%
St. Louis 92%
Nashville 88%
Calgary 87%
Los Angeles 52%
Edmonton 46%
--
Winnipeg 44%
Dallas 34%
Anaheim 22%
Vancouver 21%
San Jose 19%
Chicago 2%
Seattle ~0%
Arizona ~0%

Realistically, I would say the 13th best team in the West is still hanging around the last playoff spot, while Detroit (9th in the East) is not.

As for expectations, I honestly don't think the Red Wings are that hugely far ahead of where I thought they'd be. A lot of the projection models had them pegged for around 75-80 points by the end of the season, and they're on pace for 80-85. Granted part of that expectation was based on a healthy Vrana, but on balance I'd say I'm very pleased but not necessarily shocked at where we are currently in the rebuild.

But again, standings ranks can be deceptive. To me, the bigger surprise isn't how good the Red Wings have been, but how badly the Canadiens, Devils, Flyers, Islanders and even to some extent the Senators have sucked. Those teams have been underperforming expectations by a greater margin than the Red Wings have been overperforming theirs. So we end up in 9th or 10th place, but with a point total that's typically only good for 11th-13th in a normal year (and still nowhere near the playoff cutline).
- Sven22

So you are saying there is s chance!


I see Detroit in the role of "spoiler" once Vrana returns!

Gemel Smith was claimed off waivers.

Gemel Smith was claimed off waivers.
- ShadowPiggy

Should we try to get their other brother Riley?

Abs is in the news today with a Grand Rapids tryout.