Regner: Wings have an uphill battle, try to ‘play the right way’ for today and tomorrow

DetroitRedWings.com’s Arthur J. Regner spoke with the Red Wings’ players and coach regarding the team’s attempt to scale a near-vertical incline as the team insists it can still push for a playoff spot:

They trail Columbus for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference by 14 points with 14 regular season games left on their schedule, but despite the near impossible odds, the Wings are approaching each game with a must-win mentality.

“I think it’s a process,” defenseman Mike Green said. “It’s a mindset right now, obviously this time of the season a big chunk of it is mental. We have to make sure we’re going into these games with the right process, right mind frame. Not only that, we’ve got to compete really hard every night to make sure we’re giving ourselves a chance. I think with that mentality we’ll get our wins here. It’s just unfortunate we have to make sure we win pretty much every night. There is a big task ahead of us.”

If Detroit cannot string together a plethora of wins in the coming weeks, the players vow they will continue to play hard with their sole purpose of winning hockey games and getting better.

“Regardless of where we are in the standings, it’s about coming in and doing it right every day,” alternate captain Niklas Kronwall said. “You work hard and you get rewarded for it. If you don’t work hard, it’s going to show right away.

“We haven’t been good enough here as of late. We need to get out of there as soon as possible. It just hasn’t been nearly good enough when it comes to all the small details of the game — the stick battles, the positioning. And when we do get our chances, we have to make the most of them.

“If you look at the bigger picture, this isn’t just now. What we’re doing right now is preparing ourselves, the young guys, for next year and for their careers, really. You (have to) learn to do it right and learn that you’re coming to work every day.”

Continued

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George Malik

My name is George Malik, and I'm the Malik Report's editor/blogger/poster. I have been blogging about the Red Wings since 2006, when MLive hired me to work their SlapShots blog, and I joined Kukla's Korner in 2011 as The Malik Report. I'm starting The Malik Report as a stand-alone site, hoping that having my readers fund the website is indeed the way to go to build a better community and create better content.

9 thoughts on “Regner: Wings have an uphill battle, try to ‘play the right way’ for today and tomorrow”

  1. Teams out of the playoff picture become hard to play this time of year. They get loose and pressure to be perfect recedes and turns them into underdog world beaters.

    I just dont get that feeling our team can do this. They sound defeated.

  2. This “must-win mentality” is idiotic. There is no reason to be playing Z and Co. 20 plus minutes a night while Svechnikov rots on the bench. The kid should be getting a regular shift. Any one of the defenseman could be sat so Hronek could get some time in. What’s the point of grinding it out with the veterans? It’s clear who and what those guys are. It’s long past time to look forward.

  3. I agree with Steve1306 also. It seems like the coach and the GM are trying to save their jobs by playing veteran guys when this would be the perfect time to see what some of these kids can do. It should be all about the future of the team, not about who looks bad because of the win/loss column.

    1. Its really not “fallin for Dahlin”.

      Its about moving with commitment to a goal of the betterment of players we have RIGHT NOW!

  4. No one seems to know Blashill’s right what way to play except the Veterans. ” Sadly some Vets have taken “Their way to play with no repercussions” I can sort of understand were C Z, A Kronwall ( NOT A Aby) have some input with there views.

    As I said in another Blog, Blashill is Hockey smart but Hockey Stupid.

    Maybe an Asst in the NHL at best

  5. This is where you can’t defend KH or Blashill. They are so far out of it that playoffs aren’t even in their best dreams. Get the kid some goddam minutes. Play him 1st line type minutes>

    This org needs to get its head out of its hind parts and recognize the direction this team is going.

    1. Wrong post. Anyway, the team isn’t behaving like a team should when they are out of it. Z gets 20 minutes is a joke.

      What they will always say is they are trying to win. But the front office, including the coach, has to think long term. Waive Booth every single day until he gets claimed. Someone will have mercy on him.

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