Are the Red Wings Going To Make the Playoffs?

Submitted by xtramelanin on

Mates,

The Wings have the longest running playoff streak in sports, but after getting thumped by Pittsburgh this past weekend those chances are in big trouble.   Looking at tonight's box score, they were down 2-0 in the first period and pulled Mrazek (sp).   Then the Wings scored 3 power play goals in the second to take a 3-2 lead over Montreal.  

They have alternately played well, then limped along and played like crud for most of the year.   So do the Wings make the playoffs again this year or is that streak going to die this year?   Also, is Jeff Blashill the right hire on a go-forward basis, or merely a stop gap until someone better comes along?

XM

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Hockey

ckersh74

March 29th, 2016 at 10:25 PM ^

Blashill has been successful everywhere he's been as a head coach. Western was actually decent under his watch after years with Culhane, he won in the USHL (I think), and he did pretty darn well in Grand Rapids as well.

Ken Holland, OTOH, is still living off of faded glory from championships that grow farther into the past. It's been 8 years now since the last Cup. And once Lidstrom retired, we saw just how much he papered over the poor defense that Holland built. 

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smitty1983

March 29th, 2016 at 10:33 PM ^

I'm not saying blashill isn't the guy I am just stating he needs to be looked at, everywhere he has coached until this year his players had to play to get to the next step. The NHL is a different monster you have to squeeze blood from a stone with these players. The little things it what wins in the NHL with the players talent gap being so much smaller.

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UM Fan from Sydney

March 29th, 2016 at 10:19 PM ^

The answer to the OP's question is literally impossible to say because the season is not over yet.

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Hotel Putingrad

March 29th, 2016 at 10:20 PM ^

against an undermanned Habs squad. Blew a chance to leapfrog the Bruins. So disappointing. But Mrazek has just absolutely hit a wall trying to cover up for such a leaky defense.

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drjaws

March 29th, 2016 at 10:25 PM ^

No, they won't. Not consistent enough. I guess they have a shot if they beat Philly and Boston and only lose one more game this year and it isn't one of those two.



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lunchboxthegoat

March 29th, 2016 at 10:29 PM ^

he just signed an extension that hasn't even started yet. thankfully they have stopped with the "everybody has to have 2yr in GR" nonsense. Blash won 40 games multiple times in the AHL and not by mistake. he's fine. the issue is too many very average forwards, not enough scorers, terrible contracts (howard, E, franzen, richards) and 8 deep on 2nd or 3rd pair defensemen with no upper half.

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mgobleu

March 29th, 2016 at 10:55 PM ^

I know it's just for show at this point, but I know kids who have never seen the wings miss the playoffs, and those kids have 5 year old kids.

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bluewoody

March 29th, 2016 at 11:27 PM ^

Michigan basketball, Michigan hockey, or the Red Wings? I feel like they all grossly underachieved or were simply not that good. I like the Wings but the Wings stink. Defensively they are atrocious

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TheDirtyD

March 29th, 2016 at 11:28 PM ^

If they keep playing with their purse then no. But holland needs to go. The roster in both the show and GR is awful. Mrazek keeps over playing and keeps getting burned



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umichshea

March 30th, 2016 at 10:03 AM ^

Winning in the AHL does not necessarily equate to a great farm system. GR has some guys leading the way that will probably never play in the NHL. They also have some veterans that have played on the Wings. Add in a good coach...you can win as a team. That said, they've lost 3 in a row since Mantha left.

This isn't to say they have no talent on the farm. However, a few of the legit prospects appear to have been promoted this year.



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TheDirtyD

March 30th, 2016 at 10:03 AM ^

The roster in GR is great for the AHL but most of those guys their game doesn't translate well to the NHL. Just like pulky. They need some size and speed. They also need to get two top pair d men. Right now they might only have one legit top pairing defenseman in the entire organization. I love the wings I named my dog after them I have a tattoo with the wings logo woven in it kills me to see holland and his staff draft poorly. All the awful FA signings the past few seasons really spurn me as well. I used to think they could do no wrong but holland hasn't figured out the salary cap era very well.



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andidklein

March 30th, 2016 at 8:03 AM ^

I think the team to catch is Boston. They have just as many games left as we do, and are only a point up on us. If we beat them April 7 and just match what they do the rest of the season we are in.



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BornInAA

March 30th, 2016 at 8:17 AM ^

No, they won't make it - if they do they are swept.

Goalie problems would be solved if we had a defense that added up to even 50% of Lidstrom.

The recent Pittsburgh game proved our defense is bad - really bad.

Historically, bubble wildcard teams that do well at the end of the season and into the playoff do so by lock-down defense.

This needs to be a complete rebuild this summer.

Larkin could be the next Stevie Y, but it took years to get a decent team built around him - 4 years until the Conference Finals were reached. 10 years to get to the cup.

Hopefully it won't take that long, but we will be on the edge of missing the playoffs the next few years.

If they hold onto the dead weight that makes up 1/2 the current roster, it will be longer.

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BornInAA

March 30th, 2016 at 1:02 PM ^

Not really, he's a rookie phenom - you have to build your team around some rising star. Who else is it going to be?

Z and Datsyuk are getting old.

He could be the new Yzerman, Kane, Forsburg, Ovechkin, Crosby or Stamkos.

Or he could flame out / get injured like a Skinner, Heatly, Gomez, Selanne.

We need to rebuild around him like Yzerman did in Tampa with Stamkos.

Substitute Stamkos = Larkin

Z = Lecavalier

Dats = St. Louis

you get the point.

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bronxblue

March 30th, 2016 at 1:56 PM ^

Probably not, but it's still an amazing streak if it does end now.  I mean, there are mid-20's people who don't know a world in which the Red Wings didn't make the playoffs.  That's crazy.

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