The Detroit Red Wings are an incredibly talented team with the league's best defenseman, Nicklas Lidstrom. They have the scoring power, the shutdown defense, and two veteran goaltenders in Dominik Hasek and Chris Osgood.
The team should be able to play wide open, exciting hockey.
But they don't—and that's why they can't be allowed to win the Cup this year.
Detroit plays a puck possession game. Simply put, they don't allow the other team to possess the puck. They don't take big slap-shots from the point because it could bounce off of a leg and onto an opposing player's stick.
They don't make cross-ice passes because even well executed passes can be picked off, or the receiving player could miss the puck.
It's a BORING way to play the game.
I love to watch good, defensive hockey with big hits, or wide open in-your-face offense. Heck, I don't even mind watching New Jersey play the trap for the last 20 minutes of a 1-0 hockey game.
What I hate is a game in which there are almost NO shots taken on the goalies. Here are some recent examples:
Game 1: Dallas at Detroit—Dallas amassed only 21 shots on goal, below their season and playoff average.
Game 2 : Dallas at Detroit—Dallas managed only 18 shots. Detroit put 34 pucks on net, but half were to the torso of Marty Turco. Such saves are easy and usually let the goalie freeze the puck.
Game 3 : Detroit at Dallas—Dallas held to only 18 shots on goal again. The two teams fired only 39 shots.
I could go back further, but I don't see the need.
The threat doesn't lie with Detroit, oh no. They're just the catalyst. Nearly every year the Stanley Cup winning team is emulated the next season.
Tampa Bay won with three talented speedy forwards. The next season teams focused on a "money line" of speedy skaters and small, quick players with breakout years (a la Daniel Briere).
Anaheim won the 2007 Stanley Cup with strength and a hard checking style. This season, the Philadelphia Flyers returned to the days of the "Broadstreet Bullies." They amassed the most suspensions in the League. Fighting numbers have even elevated as a result of the Ducks' gritty play.
So, if Detroit wins with their "take no chances, but strike when we're sure to get a goal" style, chances are history will repeat itself. Next season teams will be trying to emulate the puck possession game.
In short, Detroit's puck possession game is good for their chances of winning, but bad for fans of the game of hockey.
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2 months ago
It is a boring style of play, but you cant argue against it with the way they win.
2 months ago
Youre a fool. There's nothing boring about Detroit. They dominate every facet of the game. You talk about Detroit playing a puck possesion game with low shots, and then you use Dallas's shot total to support your argument, which makes no sense. Detroit has consistently out shot opponents the entire year, generally by 150% to 200%. They out shot Nashville 242-144. They outshot Colorado 151-105. They make plenty of cross ice passes. Every shot Lidstrom takes is rocket slap shot. They have the most talented two way player in Datsyuk. Pretty damn exciting team to watch when they have the puck. Whats boring is the moron national broadcasters on VS that ALWAYS talk over the play instead of call play by play.
from 2 months ago
I think you are missing the point. There is no question that Detroit outshoots its opponents by large numbers. What Cody is saying is they don't take any risks to do it, and they hold opponents to so few shots because of it. If as he says half are to the body of the goalie, they aren't scoring chances. And the numbers sort of bear that out: according to Ken Armer (writer on this site), the Wings had sixteen chances to the Stars' fifteen in game two, but they outshot the Stars 34-18.
That being the case, I think a team's primary responsibility is to win, and commentary decrying their boring style is not relevant. Plus, Cody also called it a "strike only when we're sure to get a goal" style, and it can't be both shots on net to control the game and only high percentage shots taken--in other words, that was a counterpoint to his argument, and one the stats don't bear out. Finally, it's not like the Wings don't score doing it--they are still at 10.2% in the playoffs, behind only the Penguins (11.0%), Rangers (10.8%), and Flames (10.5%). As my esteemed colleague, Bill Sears, states below, they scored exciting goals.
2 months ago
After the 3 goals by Datsyuk and Zetterbergs shorty how you can say the Wings are boring?
Dats' first goal, after a great pass from Z he threads the needle right between two closing Dallas D-men and backhands a shot past Turco.
Goal number two, a perfectly executed give and go with Holmstrom, slams on the breaks to stop right at the top of the crease and redirect Homer's return pass through the 5-hole.
And the hat trick goal, Z and Dats were alone against all 5 Stars skaters, Z keeps the puck away from 3 and makes the pass which Datsyuk puts in the twine.
Add Zetterberg's short handed goal where he skated around Richards, had the patience to make Turco commit and then buried it.
Four more impressive goals could not have been scripted. It isn't that the Wings don't make cross ice passes, they just don't make stupid ones. As someone who tries to play the game, I have nothing but respect and admiration for the level of skill it takes to play the game the way the Wings do.
from 2 months ago
Okay, so one exciting game out of... How many this post-season? I was speaking generally. I'm sure I can even make an argument that the Senators deserved the Cup this year... If I only looked at 3 of the 12 periods played against the Penguins.
from 2 months ago
I guess as some one who hates the Wings yeah you would think that way. But reality is that the Wings make spectacular plays all of the time. I picked one game to illustrate a point. Guess that was lost on you. Funny how easy it was to find a game to use as an illustration. If you need more let me know I can provide you with as many as you could want. The argument for the Wings going to the finals is that they are there and earned it. Can't say that about Ottawa this year can you?
from 2 months ago
Hey, who said I hate the Wings? You're putting words in my mouth, amigo.
This article isn't an attack against the Wings. Alot of people seem to think that. I said in the article they are a great team, with lots of talent and the ability to play an exciting fast paced style of hockey.
So please don't attack me or my team... I'm just saying that if Detroit were to win the Cup playing their puck-possession game, it might slow down the pace of the game if teams the following season emulate them. That's it, so please chill out, everyone.
~Cody~
2 months ago
Boring? The only thing boring is the constant bitchin' about the Wings style of play by certain writers and TV commentators such as Don Cherry and Barry Melrose.
Did you see what we did to Dallas last nite? Dats and Z skated circles around the Stars, demolishing them on on both sides of the rink. Only a blind man or a schmuck can argue that the Wings don't entertain - Belanger seems to be both.
Winged Wheel - keep on rollin'!
2 months ago
the wings are incredibly talented. they do deserve to win (and this coming from an avs fan). they play this style mostly because of the fact that they are (last i heard) the oldest team of players in the league. they can't match other teams in speed. datsyuk and zetterberg are fast, but you can't really rely on them all the time. it just won't happen.
in a season or two, detroit will look completely different. they just inked a guy named leino who will give them (hopefully) that kind of faster paced offense.
as far as the stanley cup finals go, i see pittsburgh running circles around them. detroit can't play a puck possession game against a team like the pens. it won't happen, not with the pens skilled players. detroit i think really hasn't been tested as hard as they should have been by now....they have played teams that have had severe injuries of key players. barring anything bloody and brutal from the conference final, it will be interesting to see how the old holds up to the young.
i don't see the puck possession game dominating next season either. the speed of the game, and the skills of the young players simply won't play that style...its basically their game now, and they are going to set the standards.
from 2 months ago
I don't think you're right about the Finals--I don't give the Pens much of a chance. Detroit has WAY more blue line depth and can keep the awesome Pens forwards from storming in on every play like they're used to doing in the (L)East. They are just better than everyone else, and the only way to beat them is to beat them up--those are the teams they had trouble with the past two years in the playoffs.
However, you are on about puck possession (by the way, thanks Cody for being willing to say the Flyers are dirty, but expect a rash of vehement denials from the Philly faithful), mostly because I don't think other teams can do it as well as Detroit. Take my Sharks, for example: they were third in shot differential (Wings +10.9, Rangers +5.6, Sharks +5.4) in the regular season but lost more than half of their games. It's not as easy as the Wings make it look.
2 months ago
Why would you take risks to win when you don't have to? This is a very flawed argument. It's the same thing that keeps generating wins in Phoenix and Dallas (in the NBA) yet produces no championships. As far as the Wings being a boring team to watch, the only boring thing about the wings is their lack of competition so far. The Wings score in bunches and play lockdown D. It's called championship caliber hokey.
2 months ago
LOL. Hockey*
2 months ago
All of your comments are irrelevant because Dallas is taking this shit in 7. The sleeping giant has awoken...Marty Turco, and the Stars seem to care all of a sudden. They have already brought the series to 3-2 and Captain Clutch, Brendan Morrow is not going to go away. I will say right now, whether the Stars advance or not, if Morrow does not get the Conn Smythe Trophy, he's getting robbed. Richards is looking good too.
from 2 months ago
They are, huh? Nostradamus you ain't. How come no Dallas fans could see they were overmatched, and no Wings fans understood how great Turco is (hate him, by the way) or how the grit of guys like Morrow (my new favourite hockey player) make them a tough out for anyone?
2 months ago
Brenden Morrow for President! Wings Suck! Go Pens!
from 2 months ago
A comment like this from a 'community leader' makes Bleacher Report just plain look bad. It detracts from all of the effort to have quality writing and opinions.
2 months ago
Bill,
My writing is of the highest quality and my opinions are generally that based on strong evidence. Just because your an up tight wings fan doesn't I cant have a little fun now and then. As far as me being a community leader i busted my rump for that position and don't care to be called out on it from someone who puts in less than half the work on Bleacher Report that i do. I care for bleacher report dearly but refuse to make it all serious and work related 24/7. Sometimes it just nice to have a little fun and get a rise out of an opposing teams fans like yourself. Also, why complain, your wings beat the Stars and are in the Cup...so why cry about someone expressing a little distaste for the Wings? As always, its all fun and games, loosen up a bit.
from 2 months ago
First of all I am not a 21 year old college student with the time to write a lot articles. I work for a living and I do not want to write articles that I don't have the time to put a quality effort into. Secondly it has nothing to do with being up tight. I just like to see better than troll like articles and comments out here. And no I am not referring to your articles as troll like. I have no issue with your writings. Comments like yours are better off on places like hockeybuzz.com. Here it added nothing to the discussion and was much more of a frustration whining that my response was. Bleacher Report is not a paying gig so I have no obligation to crank out 2 or 3 articles a week. Just because you do does not make your articles any better than anyone else's, they are all opinion pieces. If you don't care to be called out then you shouldn't post lame comments. Which the one above was definitely not based on strong evidence.
If you want some honest debate on those issues, then Brendan Morrow is highly overrated. The Stars had to give him the C just to get him to play better. Even still he takes an awful lot of cheap shots and late hits for a captain. Not exactly leading by example if you ask me. My opinion of course I am sure you will disagree. After all your other favorite team has Pronger for their captain, one of the league's biggest goons. And before you claim I am crying about tough play, I have nothing against good hard hitting hockey. Just keep it clean and in the rules. Something prissy little Chrissie has had a hard time doing given that he has had 8 suspensions.
2 months ago
What does Chris Pronger have to do with Brenden Morrow? I do not like Chris Pronger as a human being, he left Edmonton as rumor has it because his wifey didn't like it their....boo hoo my heart bleeds for that family. Along with his goonery i don't like Bertuzzi much either. His past decisions have been less than intelligent and i feel last season he under produced for the amount of money he is being payed. I like the Ducks but i don't fool myself about the players they possess.
Secondly, Brenden Morrow is one of the hardest working players in the playoffs. I couldn't care less if you like him but for a guy like MJ (a sharks fan) to say:
"...or how the grit of guys like Morrow (my new favourite hockey player) make them a tough out for anyone?"
Makes my day a little brighter, because hes finally being seen for the hard worker he is. Also, you said:
"The Stars had to give him the C just to get him to play better."
Isn't that what the C is all about? along with the A's for that matter...When i played in bantams and midgets in high school those letters were generally asking the already good players to step up further. They're called motivators.
At the end of the day though Detroit won, and will hopefully lose to Pittsburgh because than Gary Bettman will get what he wants. Detroit is clearly the better team on paper and i don't see Sid scoring much if he cant get the puck. So it should be interesting.
about 1 month ago
I have never actually fallen asleep watching a hockey game before...
Congratulations to the architects of the Red Wings for putting together the greatest bunch of delay of game artists, puck hogs and divers that this sport has ever seen.
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