Our bottom 6 got absolutely turned inside out. Emmerton and Co. were scrambling, turning the puck, out of position trying to do someone else's job. Add lack of general awareness, I'm really worried how they can cope with Nashville's top line. Remember that Preds have the last change.
That's why I think just icing the puck might not be such a bad idea when they sense its getting out of hands.
If they can do that, I think our top 6 has enough skill and will power to break through.
I'd still just condense our bottom six into one really good third line, and just use the leftovers to cycle in and out of the rest of the lineup. at this point, unless Eaves or Cleary is miraculously cured or a couple of guys (Sheahan, Tatar, Conner, etc.) step out of the woodwork, I think our fourth line is just destined to be crap.
I don't disagree with those that say someone else should be in for Cleary but if you guys are seriously buying into the remarks that he's 50% I think you're taking it too literally.
No one plays at 50%, Yzerman was more than 50% in 2002.
Babcock wants to win, not please his veterans. If Cleary doesn't get the job done, he'll get benched. Players like Cleary get a chance to prove they can contribute. Players like Franzen last year get even more of a chance because of how important they are.
Bottom line, if the Wings lose game 1 and Cleary is as awful as some are expecting, I can't imagine him playing much after that.
I don't disagree with those that say someone else should be in for Cleary but if you guys are seriously buying into the remarks that he's 50% I think you're taking it too literally.
No one plays at 50%, Yzerman was more than 50% in 2002.
Babcock wants to win, not please his veterans. If Cleary doesn't get the job done, he'll get benched. Players like Cleary get a chance to prove they can contribute. Players like Franzen last year get even more of a chance because of how important they are.
Bottom line, if the Wings lose game 1 and Cleary is as awful as some are expecting, I can't imagine him playing much after that.
To go along with what you said.
Babcock said this:
“If he was 50 percent effectiveness he wouldn't be playing, so let's get that straight,'' Babcock said. "So we sat down and talked about that specifically. I said 'I have lots of guys on deck ready to go.' We need people that are ready to go. He assured me he's ready to go. So there's no issue there.''
If March/April team shows up.........Nashville in Five
Anything else.........Wings in six.
So far, it has been March/April team. Will it change?
Quote:
Originally Posted by silkyjohnson50
Depsite their struggles down the stretch (which all started with injuries), Detroit's a contender. Truth be told, i think that the West has 5-6 teams that can make it to the Finals, with Detroit being one of those.
The NHL wanted parity and that's exactly what they got.
Time to find out if they can turn on the switch
Good post
Quote:
Originally Posted by the banks
Wings will turn on the switch
Hopefully from tonight.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NoIceAroundHere
Wings in 7.
Sure, no one thinks we've been playing well as of late but making it out of a first round matchup as tough as this one would be a great start.
Now the only way the Wings can win is in 7. Hopefully you are right.
Quote:
Originally Posted by irishtemper
Wings in 5, got to leave one opening for a gaffe from some d-man giving up too many breakaways and us losing one of the games
So far way too many gaffes and breakaways.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 14ari13
The Preds have no top forwards and they have no gamebreakers. They have no playoff proven players either. But ...
Thanks for posting this. Looks very interesting.
We will soon see. I do not believe in the switch either, but I definitely think the Wings can play better. Can other teams play better or have they alreay peaked?
Specially with our road record.
I do not think only our series is very even, when I look at other series, I see that it is pretty much even.
I do not think there is a clear favourite in the West.
East is different. I think for the 1st time the West and East have switched the roles. The East is predictable, while the West is very unpredictable.
Rinner stopped 102 of the past 106 shots he's faced. One man team. I WISH we were outplayed but sad to say Howard soft goals Rinne made the diffrence. Howard looked like Legacy this year.
What has Rinne done in the playoffs to justify that tier? I'm not even sure I can put any goaltender in that tier, considering what Thomas did last year was unlike anything we have seen since probably 2003.
Quote:
Originally Posted by wings95
I dont see howard as being a step below. I see them as equal.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chances14
exactly. I think rinne is being vastly overrated by wings fans on here. i remember a bunch of people saying the same thing about bryzgalov 2 years ago and he turned out to be the coyotes weakest link. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that rinne is not going to be the reason the wings lose this series
rinne's career playoff numbers
2.60 gaa
.908 sv%
Quote:
Originally Posted by obey86
Last 3 seasons combined (Since Jimmy became full time NHLer):
Rinne: 28.71 shots against per game, 2.34 GAA and .922 S%
Howard: 28.27 shots against per game, 2.40 GAA and .917 S%
Playoffs:
Rinne: 29 shots against per game, 2.60 GAA and .908 S%
Howard: 32.6 shots against per game, 2.63 GAA and .919 S%
So I ask again. Why is Rinne considered elite and Howard is just average? Similar caliber of defense in front of them (Don't tell me having Suter/Weber playing in front of him doesn't help just as much if not more as having Lidstrom, etc.) Similar shots against per game. Both have accomplished nothing in the playoffs. Stop telling me crap like "he's elite, anyone who thinks he isn't hasn't watched him or is wearing rose colored glasses." WHY?WHY is he much better? Tell me WHY. What is the reasoning behind Rinne being considered significantly better than Jimmy Howard?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bench
Also take into account the team runs an entirely defensive system and has the best top pairing D combination in the league.
Yet despite these facts, we're supposed to believe it's all Rinne. Just my guess, but put anybody behind that team and they put up amazing numbers: ala Phoenix and St. Louis goalies.
Sure, Rinne is a strong goalie, but let's not ignore the rest of the team. The key to beating Rinne, like most NHL goalies, is getting 2nd chances. Nashville eliminates 2nd chances really well.
Is everyone finally up to speed on Rinne? Or do some of you still think he's not in the top echelon and that him and Howard are in the same tier? Or that you could stick any goalie on the Preds and they'd be as good? Good grief.
Is everyone finally up to speed on Rinne? Or do some of you still think he's not in the top echelon and that him and Howard are in the same tier? Or that you could stick any goalie on the Preds and they'd be as good? Good grief.
I still feel the same. Never said he was bad. he is a great goalie but team d won the series for the preds.
I still feel the same. Never said he was bad. he is a great goalie but team d won the series for the preds.
Wings outshot the Preds 160-116 in that series. Their team D allowed 37, 41, and 43 shots in three of the five games. They played a part, but were certainly not the lone reason the Preds won. Not even close. And while Howard allowed numerous softies, Rinne allowed.... maybe 1? He stood on his head for many key stretches. Do you not think he was the superior goaltender in that series?
Is everyone finally up to speed on Rinne? Or do some of you still think he's not in the top echelon and that him and Howard are in the same tier? Or that you could stick any goalie on the Preds and they'd be as good? Good grief.
5 games proves absolutely nothing...especially 5 games in which Rinne was rarely tested with quality shots and Howard's defense was giving the opponent the puck right in front of the friggin net all the time. How many times did the Wings just completely miss the wide open net on the few quality shots they did have?
Using your 5-6 game sample size logic and looking at the Pens series, MAF is the worst goaltender in NHL history.
Rinne is a good goalie...but you're kidding yourself if you think he had it difficult in this series playing behind that defense and catching wrist shots from the blue line.
Wings outshot the Preds 160-116 in that series. Their team D allowed 37, 41, and 43 shots in three of the five games. They played a part, but were certainly not the lone reason the Preds won. Not even close. And while Howard allowed numerous softies, Rinne allowed.... maybe 1? He stood on his head for many key stretches. Do you not think he was the superior goaltender in that series?
yes but wings helped a lot too with all the outside shots.
5 games proves absolutely nothing...especially 5 games in which Rinne was rarely tested with quality shots and Howard's defense was giving the opponent the puck right in front of the friggin net all the time. How many times did the Wings just completely miss the wide open net on the few quality shots they did have?
Take off the rose-tinted glasses, obey. You are in denial. Howard is simply not on the level of Pekka Rinne. The only people who think so are Wings fans incapable of shelving their bias for two seconds.
Quote:
Using your 5-6 game sample size logic and looking at the Pens series, MAF is the worst goaltender in NHL history.
Right, because I held up a 5-game sample size as proof that Pekka Rinne is the best goalie in NHL history My only point, before the series, was that Rinne was at least a tier above Howard. The series did nothing do disprove that. It only reinforced the point.
Quote:
Rinne is a good goalie...but you're kidding yourself if you think he had it difficult in this series playing behind that defense and catching wrist shots from the blue line.
Difficult? Not especially. The Preds did a good job keeping the Wings out of the middle for a lot of the series, but across the 5 games the Wings still had a lot of legit scoring chances. Rinne came up for his team when they needed it. He frustrated the Wings. Howard did not do that to the Preds. Instead, he let in softies.
Is everyone finally up to speed on Rinne? Or do some of you still think he's not in the top echelon and that him and Howard are in the same tier? Or that you could stick any goalie on the Preds and they'd be as good? Good grief.
Yes rinne has finally proven himself in the playoffs.
I'm not sure how much credit I want to lay at the feet (glove) of the goalie.
The Wings offensive fired so many low percentage shots at Rinne. I can remember a couple fantastic saves, and I really can't remember any horrid goals (he'd probably want White's or Emmerton's back). he definitely outplayed Howard.
But if our first line is cooking, I think we'd have won the series.
I'm not sure how much credit I want to lay at the feet (glove) of the goalie.
The Wings offensive fired so many low percentage shots at Rinne. I can remember a couple fantastic saves, and I really can't remember any horrid goals (he'd probably want White's or Emmerton's back). he definitely outplayed Howard.
But if our first line is cooking, I think we'd have won the series.
Preds defense forced the Wings to shoot low percentage shots at Rinne who just stopped everything. It was a good strategy since the Wings constantly gave up such easy scoring opportunities. It was methodical and the Wings played right into the Preds game plan and voila five games later........here we are.
Rinne was not tested the entire series. He is good, but the Wings made him look like a brick wall and his 40 save performances*. Hats off to the Preds for completely neutralizing the Wings offense.
My only point, before the series, was that Rinne was at least a tier above Howard. The series did nothing do disprove that. It only reinforced the point. 
