Red Wings up early, already two fights.

Mantha v Witkowski (Vitkovski)
Oullette v Brown

Great game so far, why can't the Wings get the motor going like this everygame.


Intensity is like a playoff game.

Three games under .500 with six games to go !!! Damn now Mantha is out for the year with a broken finger.

Do you guys think this will be a few years before we are back in the playoffs ?

For defense it depends what happens.

DeKeyser is an inconsistent, turnover machine and has a knack for putting pucks into his own net. His playing time needs to be lowered from the 22 per game he is currently averaging.

Green is still decent offensively but sometimes a liability in his own end.

Ericsson, if he is playing top 2 minutes Detroit is screwed. He is weak on the puck, weak on the body, slow, and consistently deflects pucks into his own net. Literally all the kids Detroit have called up this season are better than him. Preferred solution is dump him from the team is someone is dumb enough to take him.

Kronwall, needs knee to heal properly.

Forwards;

Keep Abdelakder off the top 6.

Nyquist/Tatar/Larkin need to step it up offensively.

Zetterberg is still playing solid when he isn't carrying the aforementioned anchor of Abdelkader.

Athanasiou, continue to increase his time. Early in season he spent way too much time sitting on the bench especially late in games. That just continued the trend from the playoffs where Blashill would bench him for the 3rd periods, because, you know the one guy creating offense singlehandedly is definitely the guy you want to handcuff to the bench.

Shaehan - Either has a resurgence or dump him from the team.

Try to make room for either Svechnikov, Frk, or Bertuzzi.

Miller - Let him leave in free agency. Sadly, Holland's past pattern says he will be back.


Goaltending. Determine who is the #1 goalie and run with it. Only one goalie will be protected in expansion draft meaning there is a good chance Vegas could take one of them.

If Howard can play next season like he did this than it is all sunshine and rainbows ahead. I won't hold my breath.

Mrazek needs to bounce back from a relatively poor season and his defenceman, particularly DeKeyser and Ericsson, need to stop sabotaging him with own goals.

There is also the chance both are still there as well.



Key issue; FIX THE GOD DAMN POWERPLAY. Detroit has been very unwilling to change things up on a failing PP. In particular, entrance into opposition zone on the PP has been awful most of the season.


Resign Tatar/AA as cheap as possible. Deroit will be pressed against the cap and there is little change of getting any decent free agent.


Lastly, the team rarely starts playing the game until 2nd/3rd period. The coaching staff is evidently failing to motivate the team. Perhaps it is time to think of replacing Blashill.