The Ditch

I just wonder how much Holland can do.

I sound like a broken record but I think there is plenty Kenny CAN do but unfortunately I believe this year he's going to do nothing.

If you're Kenny Holland you should either mortgage the future to try and win one more time with Datsyuk and Zetterberg still playing at a high level OR re-tool/rebuild.   Detroit isn't deep in talent in the minors but they have some very goood prospects who are developing nicely.  Either dump the kids and use some of the available money to get some proven and excellent hockey players in return or dump guys like Filppula and Howard and Franzen and Bertuzzi and get some young players and draft picks in return. 

I can deal with either of the above.  What I can't deal with is Kenny sitting on his hands and forcing Wings fans to watch today's product for another 40 regular season games and MAYBE a few wasted playoff games.

Right now predicting what's going to happen in a Wings game isn't too difficult.   You know that on days the top 2 lines are flying and the Wings score between 3 to 5 goals they'll likely win the hockey game.   When they don't?  They lose, it's that simple.  The Wings have yet to win a 1-0 or 2-1 game or even a 3-2 game in extra time and aren't likely to win more then a couple or a few of those all season long..... not with this team anyway.   And everybody knows that kind of team doesn't get far in the playoffs.  If you can't hold teams to 2 goals here and there you're not going to win many playoff series.   What really bugs me is Jimmy Howard who I've doubted is not the reason the Wings are giving up so many goals this year.  He has actually stood on his head more then once and if not for him the Wings are not anywhere near .500 right now.  That said go ahead and put any goalie in between the pipes in Detroit right now and the results aren't likely to change one bit.   The defense is a mess and the depth on the 3rd and 4th lines just isn't there. 

Only 2 games tonight!?!

What's the point of a compressed schedule?

Hummmm.  I see 3 games on the schedule.  Was one cancelled or something? 

how did Kenny not see this coming

seems to me, just a short while ago, u saw no point in signing Wade Redden.

seems to me, just a short while ago, u saw no point in signing Wade Redden.

For the pennies they signed for I wanted to see the Wings sign both Wade Redden AND Scott Gomez.   Redden is a lot better then at least half of today's Wings d-men and Gomez is gritty enough and good enough to play 12 to 15 minutes for Detroit at forward. 

But that didn't happen.... I have this terrible feeling Holland is going to wait until July 1st to do anything at all.   I think because the Wings are likely to be in a better position financially then most of the mid to big market teams this summer Kenny will wait to see what he can do at that time.  For this year, I don't see much happening but I pray to God I'm wrong because I hate this up and down stuff I'm seeing so far this season.  I'd much rather see a team rebuild or re-tool with a plan in place then watch mediocrity at its best every other night but unfortunately I don't have a say on what he does or doesn't do this year.

I turned down tickets at almost half price for the next 2 Wings home games and I haven't done that in a very long time.  Sister in law's company had some available seats for sale and very good seats at that.  But as much as I follow the Wings religiously both streaming on my computer and on tv I won't part with my hard earned cash for what's happening on the ice today.  Go ahead and trade some good players for some talented kids and even if I know a loss is pretty likely I'll still spend my money.  But this in between stuff doesn't work for me.  This staying mediocre and exciting the fans with some goals here and there and some wins doesn't work for me.

Hummmm.  I see 3 games on the schedule.  Was one cancelled or something? 

That's what I get for whiting out the bottom of my screen.

I miss the smell of whiteout.

Ditch Team Stat Leaderboard

Most Minor Penalties 58 PHI
Most Major Penalties 15 CBJ
Most Bench Minors 4 NYR
Worst Face-Off team 41.3% BUF
Worst Penalty Kill 62.1% WIN
Worst Power Play 8.6 % NYR
Most Goals Allowed Per Game 3.70 BUF
Worst Goals Per Game 1.90 DAL & CBJ
Worst 5 on 5 0.48% FLA (1.00% is even)
Worst Shots Per Game 21.8 NAS
Worst Shots Against Per Game 34.4 EDM           

Ditch Team Stat Leaderboard

 turns out Marty Havlat spends out of his pocket to buy a suite for the year at the HP Pavilion (many pesos).    Then he gives the suite to a kid with a severe disease or illness each and every game.

Kudos to Marty Havlat! The fact that nobody else commented  on what is a gigantic act of generosity and caring is kinda sad. Something like this is probably every thing to a child suffering from cancer or other severe illness. If youve ever seen a child suffering with these things it will break your fuck****ing heart. The world needs more heroes like this. Thanks for pointing it out Bob. 

i'll second all's comments about havlat. class act.

Classy indeed...good for Havlat :)

Andrew Desjardins' match penalty for his open-ice hit on Chicago Blackhawks
forward Jamal Mayers has been rescinded.

Kudos to Marty Havlat! The fact that nobody else commented  on what is a gigantic act of generosity and caring is kinda sad.

Rumor has it that he's been doing it for a while.    He has a real azzhat agent.   It would have been easy to take advantage of this from a PR standpoint for Marty, especially given his perception (that I add to whenever I can) troubles in some circles.    He keeps it quiet, and I don't find any statements from from Marty's camp, only from statements released through the team.     There were stories on it last season but I never noticed them and those stories were mostly on hockey blogs. 

I really respect when players don't throw their names out in front of stuff like that.    Havlat has been doing similar things for a while now.    Anyway, I've seen enough to believe it's a much more sincere gesture than most of the charitable acts we see from athletes and I think he should be commended for it unless we find out otherwise. 

Now I can't bring myself to rip on Marty "the doc" Havlat, at least off of the ice. 

When is the NHL going to start allowing referees to use instant replay for more then just whether or not a goal was scored?

A few days ago the Blues lost a man to a 5 minute penalty against the Wings for a legal hit, the Wings scored to break a tie and won the game.  Last night a Sharks player legally hits a player on Chicago but gets a 5 minute major for a legal hit.  Instead of the Sharks going on a 4 minute PP after Keith loses his mind on him it's 4 on 4 with and then a Hawks PP.   The Hawks score on the 4 on 4 and now the Sharks lose a game they could possibly have won, similar to what the Blues went through against Detroit.

If the refs could use instant replay before ejecting players the game would be better off.  It blows my mind pro sports league talk about how important it is to "get it right"  but refuse to use the technology available to make the correct calls.  These points teams are losing due to incompetent officiating in a 48 game season could mean the difference between winning or losing a division.  Or could mean the difference between having home ice or not.  Maybe even the difference between making or missing the playoffs.   In my opinion it's totally ridiculous we still have to talk about crap like this in the year 2013.  There's just way too much technology out there and way too much cash and resources available for these sports leagues to continue dropping the ball time and time again.

Andrew Desjardins' match penalty for his open-ice hit on Chicago Blackhawks
forward Jamal Mayers has been rescinded.

Yeah. But as I said in my semi long rant of a post that really doesn't matter because the Sharks lost the hockey game after a terrible call by a referee.  Of course they had to rescind the match penalty, it was a legal hit and they had no choice but to do exactly that.

What I'd like to see is some suspensions for players who instigate a fight after a hit like Keith did yesterday and too many NHL players to count do on a consistent basis.  I'm sick of games being delayed after almost every hard hit in the league.  It wouldn't bug me nearly as much if the fights were only after bad hits, but they aren't.  The useless attacking and scrums and fights are after almost every big hit, even legal ones.  Getting really, REALLY SICK OF  THAT CRAP !!!!!  

Either follow the NFL's newer policy and rule and say hitting a "defenseless player" is against the rules or start punishing the morons who want to fight anybody who makes a legal hit on their teammates.   Pick one NHL..... is hitting allowed or not?   Personally I don't like those hits.  I never liked  the "keep your head up or die" mentality they have in hockey.   I was always a huge fan of Lidstrom for being an expert at taking players off the puck and out of a play without ending anybody's career.   But for every Lidstrom there are 10 others who look for an opportunity to crush somebody's skull into the ice or boards.   That's the problem.

Speaking of crushed skulls and fights, Cromeen asked to go back out on the ice for the second period. Thankfully the staff said 'no'. I dunno if his helmet popped off from the punch or saw Rinaldo's fist and just decided to run for cover. That thing went flyin

I'm sick of games being delayed after almost every hard hit in the league.  It wouldn't bug me nearly as much if the fights were only after bad hits, but they aren't.  The useless attacking and scrums and fights are after almost every big hit, even legal ones.  Getting really, REALLY SICK OF  THAT CRAP !!!!! 

 


this, so very much.