It comes as no surprise that the Wings started winning games again with return of healthy defensemen.
February was dreadful, especially once the entire defensive corps went on the Injured List. The flaws in scoring were not "offense" related, however. What the Wings needed was puck-moving defensemen who could get the puck to the forwards. Now that all are back, the system is running smoothly and the wins are pouring in.
This team just looks different when the pieces fit together.
I haven't been able to watch games lately, as school has been crazy, but it's definitely nice to see the team winning again. Hopefully they can keep it up tonight.
It seems the Wings got tired of winning.... whats with this team and doing terribly against Central division teams? If they keep that up, these last 9 games are going to be brutal. The last game made me question whether they let Hasek come back a little too early from injury, but the Jackets did get some weird bounces. Overall, I'm not worried.... yet.
The central is not as weak as it looks on paper, and in general, the teams in the central know Detroit well and play them tough. I think a lot of teams that face the Wings have an idea about what they want to do, the Central Division teams know exactly what they want to do and they've worked on it for years. I think Nashville will be a very bad matchup for Detroit and I think there is a good chance the big N will get the 8 seed. Maybe Detroit will lose enough to earn the 2 seed...
That said, once again, injuries are an excellent excuse for the Wings. Missing Draper, Holmstrom, and Cleary means that the Wings are using minor players in major situations. A team can absorb that type of situation for a time, 2-3 games, but then the toll begins to show as the trickle down effect impacts scoring on every line, conditioning on the bottom lines, and chemistry from top to bottom.
What is worrisome and something to watch is that the Wings have been playing sluggish hockey until the 3rd period where they really intensify their efforts. That kind of up and down play will guarantee a playoff disappointment and I hope its corrected by injecting guy like Holmstrom, Cleary and Draper back into the line, all players that do unique things to maintain possession or change the tempo of the game in the Wings favor.
For the sake of my fantasy hockey team, I hope Holmstrom stays out another week. Franzen is playing really well right now.....
The central is not as weak as it looks on paper, and in general, the teams in the central know Detroit well and play them tough. I think a lot of teams that face the Wings have an idea about what they want to do, the Central Division teams know exactly what they want to do and they've worked on it for years. I think Nashville will be a very bad matchup for Detroit and I think there is a good chance the big N will get the 8 seed. Maybe Detroit will lose enough to earn the 2 seed...
I think the Central is weak now, but won't be within the next couple years. Detroit right now is the Central division team in the playoffs. I think Nashville would be an easy matchup for the Wings, definitely better than playing the Canucks with a hot Luongo. I'm not sure I'd be comfortable playing Colorado either.
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That said, once again, injuries are an excellent excuse for the Wings. Missing Draper, Holmstrom, and Cleary means that the Wings are using minor players in major situations. A team can absorb that type of situation for a time, 2-3 games, but then the toll begins to show as the trickle down effect impacts scoring on every line, conditioning on the bottom lines, and chemistry from top to bottom.
I don't think Holmstrom or Draper are missed right now. Cleary definitely is though.
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What is worrisome and something to watch is that the Wings have been playing sluggish hockey until the 3rd period where they really intensify their efforts. That kind of up and down play will guarantee a playoff disappointment and I hope its corrected by injecting guy like Holmstrom, Cleary and Draper back into the line, all players that do unique things to maintain possession or change the tempo of the game in the Wings favor.
This is definitely worrisome, because it's exactly what killed us against the Ducks last year. Babcock needs to get the team playing inspired hockey throughout the entire game.
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For the sake of my fantasy hockey team, I hope Holmstrom stays out another week. Franzen is playing really well right now.....
Holmstrom hasn't been playing well, even when healthy, Franzen has stepped up. Homer can take as long as he needs off.
The Wings problem with the Ducks was first and foremost the manner in which the league chooses to ignore the obstruction/hooking/interferance run by the Ducks defense every shift of every game. They get hammered with penalties early and then the refs swallow the whistle because the PIM count is way out of whack.
I disagree about Draper and Holmstrom being missed. They do things that translate into wins. Their efforts are typically not boxscore stats, its little things like "Defensive Zone Faceoff Wins" and "Puck rebound retrieval" and "pinning the puck against the boards."
You're right, since the ZDH line has been broken up, Homer's stats haven't been great. But that doesn't mean Homer's other non-stat contributions aren't missed. I think they are.
Cleary is missed from an energy standpoint, he certainly adds another dimension to the team. I can't wait for the Playoffs to start.
The Wings problem with the Ducks was first and foremost the manner in which the league chooses to ignore the obstruction/hooking/interferance run by the Ducks defense every shift of every game. They get hammered with penalties early and then the refs swallow the whistle because the PIM count is way out of whack.
I disagree about Draper and Holmstrom being missed. They do things that translate into wins. Their efforts are typically not boxscore stats, its little things like "Defensive Zone Faceoff Wins" and "Puck rebound retrieval" and "pinning the puck against the boards."
You're right, since the ZDH line has been broken up, Homer's stats haven't been great. But that doesn't mean Homer's other non-stat contributions aren't missed. I think they are.
Cleary is missed from an energy standpoint, he certainly adds another dimension to the team. I can't wait for the Playoffs to start.
Holmstrom doesn't add anything to the team if he isn't producing on the PP. He is not a good backchecker,isn't really overly physical, and is pretty slow, meaning he is usually a bit behind on the forecheck. Any one of the young guys can do his job in that respect. So if he isn't standing in front of the net, tipping in pucks, he's be pretty much useless.
Draper's defensive ability and faceoff prowess may be missed, but it's not what is leading this team to lose. The team just looks flat.
And say what you will about the reffs and the Ducks, but we had opportunities to put the series in the bag and didn't. I remember at least 2 key 5-3 powerplays that the team wasn't able to convert on. And then in game 6, the entire team disappeared on Hasek until the 3rd. Not exactly the best way to tie up a conference final series now is it.
Holmstrom doesn't add anything to the team if he isn't producing on the PP. He is not a good backchecker,isn't really overly physical, and is pretty slow, meaning he is usually a bit behind on the forecheck. Any one of the young guys can do his job in that respect. So if he isn't standing in front of the net, tipping in pucks, he's be pretty much useless.
And say what you will about the reffs and the Ducks, but we had opportunities to put the series in the bag and didn't. I remember at least 2 key 5-3 powerplays that the team wasn't able to convert on. And then in game 6, the entire team disappeared on Hasek until the 3rd. Not exactly the best way to tie up a conference final series now is it.
I flat out disagree with your assessment of Holmstrom, but many of his "stats" do occur on the PP. What he gives to a line is more time in the zone. His ability to dig a puck back out from behind the net to another forward or defenseman keeps possession in the zone for much longer. Most of our lines have gotten weak at this, but Holmstrom has got an uncanny knack for it. That skill is part of his "net front" skillset, guys like him and Smyth are excellent at keeping play going, not just blocking view.
I flat out disagree with your assessment of Holmstrom, but many of his "stats" do occur on the PP. What he gives to a line is more time in the zone. His ability to dig a puck back out from behind the net to another forward or defenseman keeps possession in the zone for much longer. Most of our lines have gotten weak at this, but Holmstrom has got an uncanny knack for it. That skill is part of his "net front" skillset, guys like him and Smyth are excellent at keeping play going, not just blocking view.
And I think that this is part of his game that has been off lately. Whether thats because he was playing hurt, I don't know, but he just seemed off for the last month.
And the Wins Roll Back In...
And the Wins Roll Back In...
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