Detroit Red Wings: 2014-2015

[Hordie Gowe 17]

Drew Miller cut in the face with a skate last night, rumors are that last night wanted to go back in the game after getting stitched up. Thankfully he had no injury to his eye.

http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nhl/red-wings/2015/04/01/drew-miller-eye-skate-cut/70778596/

[Stewie 721]

Drew Miller cut in the face with a skate last night, rumors are that last night wanted to go back in the game after getting stitched up. Thankfully he had no injury to his eye.

http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nhl/red-wings/2015/04/01/drew-miller-eye-skate-cut/70778596/

Drew Miller is hard core. love having him on the team.

As far as the team goes, they are starting to settle in to about where I thought they would be at seasons end after a fairly hot start. I didn't think it would be this Up then down over the course of the season, but rather up and down game by game. Kinda hope they can turn it back around otherwise they will have gone from possible cup contender to Golf outings in about the course of a months time.

[HDHockey 19]

Drew Miller is hard core. love having him on the team.

As far as the team goes, they are starting to settle in to about where I thought they would be at seasons end after a fairly hot start. I didn't think it would be this Up then down over the course of the season, but rather up and down game by game. Kinda hope they can turn it back around otherwise they will have gone from possible cup contender to Golf outings in about the course of a months time.

Just shows how important a hot goalie is. Howard played like an all-star the first half of the season until he got hurt. Now they are struggling to find their hot goalie and they cant seem to beat anybody. Hopefully one of them will step it up, quickly!

[chippa13 1844]

Sometimes a hot goalie is really the product of strong team defense. A leaky defensive team can make even the best goalie look pedestrian.

[Stewie 721]

its not only that, even in parts after Howard was injured, the offense stayed hot and won some games for Mrazek before. I only blame the goalies for so much, its hard to be an NHL goaltender (obviously), but yes goaltending does bear part of the blame, you can see Howards reaction time isn't what it was earlier. Theres only so much you can do as a goalie with some many turnovers or your own guys batting in pucks accidentally.

Datsyuks recent injury woes are considerably detrimental as well. hes probably one of the top guys in a league as far as being able to impact a game without even touching the score sheet (although he does that with frequency as well). Coupled with Nyquist, Tatar, and other young guys slowing down, and here we are.

[Hordie Gowe 17]

Going to be a tight race to the finish, they're saying Datsyuk should be back in the lineup tonight. Losing the games against Ottawa and Boston this week at home didn't help matters. the margin for error keeps getting smaller. All those shootout losses in December are starting to loom a little larger now.

[Hordie Gowe 17]

Lot's of buzz this afternoon about Babcock to Buffalo. http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nhl/red-wings/2015/05/19/mike-babcock-sabres-red-wings/27580985/ Time for the Blashill era to begin.

[chippa13 1844]

Almost everything that I am seeing has Babcock staying with Detroit.

[215BroadStBullies610 434]

If the reports are true, that's alot of coin Babs would leave on the table to stay in DET.

[chippa13 1844]

Dreger is now making it look like the Leafs could be the winner in the Babcock sweepstakes. I get that the Leafs is a dream job for coaches but I can't imagine that train wreck is appealing right now.

[Hordie Gowe 17]

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2015/05/20/report-babcock-leaving-detroit/

Hearing some rumors of a potential 8 million a year deal. Ilitch was never going to enter a bidding war, not really how they do business anymore especially with a capable replacement waiting in the wings (no pun intended). For example, the Max Scherzer dealings from last fall with the Tigers and how all that went down.

[Hordie Gowe 17]

Dreger is now making it look like the Leafs could be the winner in the Babcock sweepstakes. I get that the Leafs is a dream job for coaches but I can't imagine that train wreck is appealing right now.

https://twitter.com/TSNBobMcKenlze

If the alleged contract and destination are true he will be under crazy pressure to fix that mess and fix it quickly. Will be interesting to see how Babcock handles being the biggest show in town and all that comes along with it. The Wings will never be the biggest thing in Detroit as long as the Lions are around and the media handles all of the pro teams with kid gloves in this town. At least he is cashing in (allegedly) and in the process changing the NHL coaching salary structure in the process.

update: Looking like 50 Million over 8 years as the deal.

[IPv6Freely 2082]

Wow, I'm shocked they managed to land him. http://www.tsn.ca/leafs-and-blues-last-teams-remaining-in-babcock-sweepstakes-1.287208

[215BroadStBullies610 434]

Money talks...

[IPv6Freely 2082]

Money talks...

Very true, but I think its fair to say MLSE was looking at Detroit and Buffalo and thinking "there's no way we're going to be outbid... if we're going to miss out on him it had better not be because of the money"

[psh 25]

After the dust settled on this, it dawned on me that Babcock and Shanahan overlapped for a year or two at Detroit. I bet Shanahan's presence provides some degree of comfort for Babcock. And, the money is so huge that, even if the trainwreck continues and he is run out after a couple of years, he'll be better off financially than he would have been had he taken any other offer. Not to mention that he'll be near his Ontario roots.

Failing to turn Toronto around, which seems entirely plausible to me, may well tarnish Babcock's reputation, but by any other criteria, it seems as though the offer was just too good to refuse.

[chippa13 1844]

Knute Rockne couldn't motivate the current Maple Leafs roster.

[215BroadStBullies610 434]

Very true, but I think its fair to say MLSE was looking at Detroit and Buffalo and thinking "there's no way we're going to be outbid... if we're going to miss out on him it had better not be because of the money"

No doubt. And I can't blame Babs for taking the opportunity. If mgmt can overturn the roster (highly unlikely), then Babs can build a team that suits his style.

[chippa13 1844]

The Leafs will never go Euro heavy with their roster. The fans would burn down the building.

[Hordie Gowe 17]

Very true, but I think its fair to say MLSE was looking at Detroit and Buffalo and thinking "there's no way we're going to be outbid... if we're going to miss out on him it had better not be because of the money"

The question is, was Babcock ever seriously going to take the Buffalo offer it or was it just used as leverage against Toronto? By all accounts Detroit stayed out of the bidding war and for good reason.

The Leafs will never go Euro heavy with their roster. The fans would burn down the building.

Dan Cleary is both a free agent and Canadian, Babcock can bring him along to Toronto as he kept him around forever in Detroit.

[Buzz_LightBeer 961]

Unless they have a hell of a house cleaning, Toronto will waste Babcocks talent the way Edmonton will waste McDavids.

Realizing his vacation lifestyle is over, Phil Kessel could not be taken away from the Sizzler buffet for comment.

[IPv6Freely 2082]

Unless they have a hell of a house cleaning, Toronto will waste Babcocks talent the way Edmonton will waste McDavids.

Realizing his vacation lifestyle is over, Phil Kessel could not be taken away from the Sizzler buffet for comment.

I think the "hell of a house cleaning" part is the point.

[chippa13 1844]

It takes 2 to make a trade and teams aren't exactly lining up to take on some of those ridiculous contracts.

[chk hrd 164]

I heard that his wife approved because Babs would now finally get the spring off...

Time to bring up Blashill.

[Buzz_LightBeer 961]

It takes 2 to make a trade and teams aren't exactly lining up to take on some of those ridiculous contracts.

They tried to get Phaneuf in Detroit at the deadline, I imagine he's not moving.