This past weekend, I discussed the Red Wings’ need to turn their metaphorical ship around lest the team struggle all the way into December, when major changes will be necessary.
After watching last night’s 5-4 overtime loss to San Jose, however, I believe that the Red Wings’ coaches and management are going to look at the Wings’ 1-2-and-1 road trip (and 0-2-and-1 California swing)…
And I think the team and its management are going to “move the goalposts,” but not alter the goal of turning the team around.
With the Red Wings facing 5 of their next 6 games at home heading into December 1st vs. Vancouver, it might make more sense to hold off on, say, firing the coaching staff or making a major change to the team’s player personnel until such a time as the team shows whether it’s able to straighten out its trajectory on its own.
I’m not suggesting that the goal of making the playoffs this season should change;
And I still believe that this team can do so as-is. I still believe that the team’s coaching staff can motivate the team to succeed.
That being said, if the Wings continue to bumble into the Atlantic Division’s basement, December 1st stands as a hard deadline for sorting out the team’s problems in terms of goals against, penalty-killing, shot attempts again and relative lack of secondary scoring.
If the Wings are still a mess come December, it won’t be time for GM SY to blow the team up and start over–that’s not how you manage a 10-year rebuild–nor will it be time for the GM-for-life to be fired, but it might be time for a coaching change and/or an injection of new, difference-making player personnel.
I have a feeling that the team’s management is going to move methodically here, and as such, even after the team’s 0-2-and-1 California swing, I believe that they’re going to be given a little more rope with which to either use to lasso themselves out of trouble, or to trip and fall their way into necessary change.
Now the management team might surprise us with some decisive change between now and Thursday’s home return vs. the Islanders, but I’m doubtful that coaching or player changes will take place between now and then. Instead, I believe that the team’s going to be given a little bit more time to solve its problems on its own.
Still, and again, if the team is struggling on December 1st, meaningful and substantial changes will be necessary, and the longer that the management group waits to make changes, the more substantive changes will need to be made.
