Endings and Beginnings

Half way through the hockey season, anyone with half a brain realized that the Detroit Red Wings were not going to make the playoffs.  Their play was inconsistent, other teams were playing far better, and they struggled against teams in the conference.  Of course the main focus as everyone came to this realization was that the 25 year streak of the team making it to the playoffs was going to come to an end.  While it is a bit of a disappointment, it can be seen as a bit of a relief.  As I watched the game this afternoon against Minnesota, I thought that it was good that this streak was coming to an end. 

So why would a fan of a team be happy about their struggles?  Why would someone in good conscious want to watch their team fail?  In actuality I don't.  Of course I enjoyed seeing the Wings make it into the playoffs year after year after year.  The last time they hadn't made the playoffs, I was ten.  My concern is all about the development and focus of the younger players.  Many on the team now are just coming up to the NHL or have been in the league for less than five years.  How stressful must it be to be in your first two years into your professional career and have this playoff cloud looming over you?  You start to grip the stick a little bit tighter.  You start to make passes that are too fine.  You want to continue the streak as opposed to becoming a better player.  I am all for the team missing the playoffs one or two or even three years if it means the young players can focus on becoming better hockey players and playing as a team. 

It is true that they are coming up from an organization in the Grand Rapids Griffins that are successful, but that is the minor leagues.  This is the big time.  The game is faster, the guys are bigger, the stage is broader.  The young core of this team has learned the winning ways of the organization and they must maintain it.  Coach Blashill has said (paraphrasing) that this year is just a bump in the road and it is the Red Wing way to play well and win.  The players they have I think can do that.  They just need to develop.  Avoiding the injury bug is key as well.  

Another reason why it is a good thing that the team is not having a successful year is the draft.  The last time the organization had a top ten pick was the year before they started their playoff streak.  TWENTY SIX YEARS AGO!  It was the 1991 draft and they drafted some guy named Martin LaPointe.  During their playoff streak, the highest draft pick they have had was in 2014 and they drafted Dylan Larkin.  Someone who many people the next couple of decades of success can be centered around.  There have been plenty of late first round and early second round picks to be sure, but in this sport one guy can make all the difference.  During this twenty five year stretch, they have had ten years when they did not have a selection in the first round, and two years when they didn't have a second round pick.

The organization is run well enough that they will not sink into oblivion.  I do not see them struggling for more than two or three years before returning to form.  Granted, I think they still have plenty of work ahead of them in terms of becoming Stanley Cup contenders again, but a return to the playoffs should calm the nerves of the fanbase.  They also have the talent within the organization to be playoff contenders.  As long as the injury bug stays away from key players they can make their way back into contention.  It is yet to be seen as the future is always cloudy. 

Managerial Leash

'The head coach tells us what to do and we follow his orders.' -Peyton Manning 

If there is one thing that truly irritates me, it has to be a fan base wanting a manager axed just because the team struggles a bit.  Every team in every sport in every country I'm sure has had a call for a manager to be fired.  Coaches should be allowed at least five years to be in charge of a team before a major decision regarding their tenure is addressed.  Unless something major comes up that endangers or otherwise compromises a team or players, why can't they be given a certain time frame to institute their style on the organization?  The one thing that can help stabilize a team/organization is leadership.  Not the leadership that players provide, but the leadership management provides.  If an organization has the same manager for a sustained period of time, I believe they will inherently get better.  You wouldn't have a different leadership style every couple of years.  You wouldn't

Two coaches in Detroit, Brad Ausmus and Jeff Blashill, have been under quite a bit of scrutiny as of late because of the struggles of their teams.  While both coach for recently successful organizations, the fans don't seem to want to give them any slack or compassion.  The Red Wings are going to miss the post season for the first time in 25 years this season.  They have been awful this year, no doubt about it.  They are transitioning to a younger team.  Their veterans are on the verge of retiring and their young players are coming up.  There is going to be a learning curve for these young guys.  Their two plus decades of success have caught up with them as they have had very few high first round draft picks.  Yes, they have drafted and found talent, but players getting drafted in the top ten are there for a reason and the Wings haven't been able to capitalize with those high draft picks.  The Tigers are on the verge of getting 'younger and leaner' in the next few years.  They need to rebuild their farm system and in order to do so, they are going to have to draft and trade their way to do that.  In the next few years, Ausmus is going to grow as a manager or he will be fired.  There is no doubt about that.

I have faith that both managers will succeed.  Both have a good head on their shoulders, but more than that, they have an organization that is not rash in their moves.  At what point, however, does the ownership step in and cut the manager loose?  The leash on these managers seem to be pretty long.  The organizations seem to be letting them work through a lot of issues without stepping in.  I feel like that is a good sign.  With that said, the organizations do have to be ready to cut ties if that is what is best.  The past couple of years the Tigers have been signing Ausmus to a year to year contract.  That is a smart idea.  That way they aren't on the hook for an extended period of time if they do not see eye to eye with Ausmus or if Ausmus loses the team's confidence as manager.  It's smart, but at the same time can keep the team in flux.  Especially if the team has a bad year and Ausmus gets fired.  Then they are back to square one with a new manager and new voice. 

Entering his fourth season, Ausmus has managed the Tigers to a 250-234 (.517) record.  That's about 83 wins per season.  Not bad for a guy who hasn't had any MLB managing experience.  Granted, he was given a team with a strong track record of winning the majority of it's games.  Jeff Blashill was 41-30-11 in his first season as the head coach of the Red Wings and everyone thought it was going to be easy sailing as the team transitioned.  Not so much.  He and the team have struggled this year and many question whether or not he has the gumption to be an NHL coach.  He needs time to learn and grow.  The players know him from his and their time in the AHL.  

Blashill has some growing into the role to do, but Ausmus's learning curve is coming to an end.  The one thing that is really holding Ausmus back is his bullpen management.  Of course, if he had a bullpen with solidified roles, it would be much easier.  Blashill might not make it very long as the Red Wings head coach.  This organization is use to being a power house and relevant that he might be the fall guy as the team learns how to lose again.  The organization leadership hopefully sees him as the guy to lead the learning curve for the young players and keep him around.  Whether they do or not has yet to be seen, but I feel like he won't last very long.    

Youth Movement

There are two constants in the Detroit sports world:  the Lions floundering and the Red Wings flourishing.  The last time the Lions won a championship, it wasn't even called the Super Bowl.  One could make the argument that they were winning championships before it was cool, but let's not fool ourselves, they have been bad for a very, very long time.  Where some teams seem to hit on all their drafts and free agent signings, the Lions run on about a 20% success rate.  For every Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson, there is a Joey Harrington and a Mike Williams.  For every Barry Sanders (which there will only ever be one) there is a Javid Best, a Kevin Smith, a Kevin Jones, or a Mikel Leshoure.  Every year, it seems like an eight win season is considered a success.

On the other hand, you have the Red Wings.  The model of consistency not only in hockey, but in sports.  They have been in the playoffs the past twenty four years.  It was two or three years ago that they struggled to get into the playoffs.  They ended up being the eight seed and getting bounced in the first round.  They somehow find talent deep in the draft and develop them.  That is one way the Wings have remained a constant in the post season.  They don't rush their talent or draft picks.  One reason I think Joey Harrington failed as the Lions quarterback was that he wasn't able to sit and watch the game.  He didn't have the opportunity to watch and learn.  The Wings players are able to do so.  With rare exception do you see an actual, fresh in the league, rookie play for Detroit. 

This is why Dylan Larkin being in the lineup since day one is such a big deal.  The Wings don't do this.  They don't have 19 year old kids playing in every sing game.  The scouts and coaches see his ability.  And he is playing so well so far.  Lots of comparisons to some guy named Yzerman.  It isn't just Larkin that should have Wings fans excited for the future.  They have brought up most of their young talent in the past few years as the old veterans are starting to retire.  Tatar and Nyquist are the next Datsyuk and Zetterberg in my opinion. 

This youth movement in Detroit has had some growing pains.  They seem outmatched from time to time against some of the bigger teams like Boston and Montreal.  They go into team wide funks all at the same time.  However, they have a coach that they all know well.  They have a coach in Blashill the players know well.  This was the perfect hire when Babcock left.  Not only because he is an organization guy, but because it was just a few years ago that he was coaching the majority of the team. 

It will be a few years before we start to see, hopefully, the next crop of young talent start to break through to the NHL.  By that time, we should also start to see the likes of Datsyuk, Zetterberg, and Kronwall start to retire and pass on the torch to the next generation.  While they need to start making deeper runs into the playoffs, it is great to see that the team has little to no ill affect when it comes to players moving on.  This is one of the advantages you see in hockey and baseball.  You see teams draft and develop their talent.  The way it should be.  The NFL and NBA don't have a farm system or minor leagues.  Athletes are drafted and if they don't get selected by a well run team, they struggle.  They struggle and burn out.  Then get called bums because, while highly talented, they were marketed as saviors of the team and cannot compete right away. 

Transitional Seasons

Mid way through the NHL season, the Detroit Red Wings were in dire straits.  Their superstar players were injured.  Their off season acquisitions which were suppose to support the superstars were injured or nowhere near where the team or fans thought that they would be.  Their roster was full of kids from the AHL affiliate.  Yet, through it all, they find themselves in another Stanley Cup playoff.  Twenty three years and counting.  So how has this happened?  When you hear about the big name players going down with injuries, no matter what sport, the team's season (and post season) is in jeopardy.  I don't expect great things from the team once the playoffs start.  In fact, they could be done in the first round.  But that is okay.  Because they made it to the playoffs.  And that's what matters...and not the Stanley Cup....riiiiiiight.

The Red Wings are reaping the benefits of having great teams in the late 90s and early 2000s.  When they were winning their Stanley Cups and getting late round draft picks, they were finding the talent.  They did not have to try and find the next great player to step up right away and play at a level they were not ready for.  You do have your exceptions to the rule, but for the most part, it seems that the eighteen and nineteen year old players that are getting drafted at the beginning of the first round are never ready.  And unfortunately, they are sent to the NHL to learn as they go.  Look at Edmonton.  They have been bad for so long, and have had top draft picks, but they have faltered because they do not have time to mature.  They are thrown to the wolves and eaten alive. 

The talent has had time to mature in Grand Rapids for the Wings.  The scouting team has done an excellent job finding the skilled players that will fit the organizations style of play and the coaching staff has done an excellent job working with them and making them NHL ready.  They have benefited from playing on the same line in Grand Rapids as they do in Detroit, so they know each other and their tendencies.  The younger players bring a new kind of energy to the team.  You have the veteran players that have been on the team for seven or eight year, so making the playoffs and scoring goals is nothing new.  To the younger players, this is an exciting time.

I do not expect a deep run into the playoffs especially with their first round being against Boston.  But you never know.  In a few years, if all these players are still around, deep playoff runs and Stanley Cup contention will be the expectation.  Until then, I hope they enjoy the ride.

Fun fact:  Reily Sheahan, who scored the game tying goal that gave the Red Wings a playoff berth, was not born when the streak of twenty three straight years of making the playoffs started.

28/120

The End of the Season

Well, the Red Wings put up a helluva fight over the course of the season.  The Wings fans witnessed an off season in which two veteran defensemen retired and another thankfully signed with San Jose.  The fan base was prepared by all the pro analysts that they would have trouble making it into the post season for the twenty second straight season.  And they truly did have a tough go the entire season.  They won out their last four games to make it in as the seven seed.  They drew Anaheim in the first round and mounted a great comeback in the series to win it in seven games.  Shortly afterwards, they started round two against President's Trophy winning Chicago.  A great team you cannot deny that.  I don't like any team from the city of Chicago, but I do respect the Blackhawks (except Bryan Bickell, he could not play another game in the NHL and I would be okay with that).  Doesn't mean I like them.  They are a formidable opponent and I would rather see my beloved Wings lose to an Original Six team than a team from California.

Anyway, as it is when your team loses in the playoffs, you get overwhelmed by emotion.  I have a tendency to go through all seven stages in a period of about an hour.  Here's what I felt shortly after they lost and their season ended.

• Disbelief:  I can't believe they gave up a 3-1 series lead. 
• Denial:  There's no way they should have lost this series.  What kind of collapse was that?
• Anger:  How could they not win just one more game?!
• Bargaining:  Are you sure they can't play a nine game series?
• Guilt: Maybe if I sat in the exact same spot for every single game they would have won one of those remaining games.  Did I gloat too much after they won the fourth game of the series?  Are the sports gods punishing the team for that?
• Depression:  How long until the next season starts?  I don't know if I can handle this. 
• Acceptance: Ya know, Chicago was the best team all year.  They weren't suppose to be much of a match up against them anyways.  And there's always next year.

Overall, I am very happy with how the season went.  I know that the ultimate goal is to win the Stanley Cup, but getting to the playoffs and winning a series is great.  Yes, they did just lose and are now out, however they pushed Chicago to a seventh game and it did go into overtime.  I can feel good about the team.  There were plenty of younger players that really grew up during the season and I feel that the future for the team is going up and there should be little decline with a full season next year.  All I ask is for Nick Lindstrom to come back and teach Brenden Smith how to play defense for a full sixty minutes.

State of Detroit sports

I was really excited when I turned on the t.v. this afternoon to see the Detroit/Green Bay football game. This year, I have seen four Lions games and I haven't even had to go to a bar to watch them. It's not that they are a winning team, they just play teams that are winning. It makes me think of how the sports franchises of Detroit are doing.

The Detroit Pistons. Well, basketball sucks. The Pistons suck. Let's move on.

The Detroit Lions. Their record doesn't show how well they have been playing. They have only won two games (I thought that they would win four this year) but they have been in the majority of the games that they have lost. They are having problems in the secondary and having problems stepping on their opponents throat when the game is on the line. The offense is there, the front seven is set up for a great run, the coaching staff is great. The secondary is the only facet of the team that needs a complete overhaul. I have great hopes for the team in the upcoming future, as long as Matt Stafford realizes he isn't made of glass.

The Detroit Red Wings. The one constant in my sports life. Granted, growing up they were not the best team, but when I was young I didn't much care because it was hockey and was fun to watch. It is great to be surprised by a loss, much like it is great when the Lions win, it is a great surprise. Always in the hunt for Lord Stanley's Cup, I feel disappointed when they don't bring it home. When they do lose, I just want it to be a close series. They went out quietly last year, but they pushed through the tough season. Lots of injury and some growing pains for the younger players. They are on the top of the league now and it doesn't seem that they are going to slow any time soon.

The Detroit Tigers. After making it to the World Series in 2006 and collapsing to the St. Louis Cardinals, the fan base has been hungry to get back there. Slowly but surely, they have been building. The offense has been keeping up and some of the starting pitchers (Justin Verlander) are doing their best to keep the wins coming. The problem lies in the bullpen. It has been shaky ever since Joel Zumaya hurt himself playing Guitar Hero, no seriously, look it up. And then he hurt his shoulder moving stuff out of his house to avoid a wildfire. Then he broke his elbow. He isn't the only person in the bullpen, but he is a catalyst for it. The long relief is a soft spot.

The sports have an upside in the state the Pistons notwithstanding. I put up an argument that the Lions are the best 2-10 (record as of 12 December 2010) team to ever play the game. The Tigers have potential this year but they have a tough division and that is the only way they are making it to the playoffs. The Red Wings I never have to worry about having a good season.

Old feelings

While working yesterday, I ran across someone wearing a Colorado Avalanche jersey and I had a feeling of hatred bubble up inside of me. What made it worse is that it was a Patrick Roy jersey and I wanted to punch them in the face. That is the one thing that I miss. A great, bitter, angry rivalry. Now, it isn't the Red Wings' fault that the Avs just started sucking and have gone down hill since the great games and greater fights of the last part of the nineties. It isn't the Red Wings' fault that they know how to draft and run an organization. Colorado just needs to learn how to plan for the future and they can bring back the great organizational rivalries that helped bring hockey to the forefront of sports.

Or they can wallow in the center or the cellar of the NHL.....which I can dig.