Looks Like Trouble

I've spent the last two months blogging about the US election. It's a good thing I held off until September, or I'd be totally burned out by now. Still, pondering the ups and down of this election cycle is nothing compared to the worrisome news that I got last night.

The Red Wings have turnover trouble. A lot of it. I haven't seen the Wings give away the puck this much in years, if ever. Last week I watched a game and thought, "Ah, they're just rusty." Then I watched Wednesday's game against Anaheim. The Wings lost 5-4 in overtime, and a lot of it had to do with turnovers and penalties (they gave the Ducks two 5 on 3 power plays; that is not how you win hockey games). Last night I watched the San Jose game, and it was more of the same. The Wings managed to stay out of the penalty box, but again they turned the puck over like a hot potato. One turnover in their own end was so outrageously bad that I wondered if it was an intentional pass.

It was the second game of a back-to-back, so I can cut them some slack if they had slow legs, but open ice turnovers are mental errors, not physical. When you add the fact that every team gears up to take on the Stanley Cup champs, turnovers are deadly.

There's no need to panic. The Wings are still first in their division, and they've won 7 of their first 11 games. The last two losses, however, are a bigtime wake up call. Anaheim and San Jose are good teams. They're hungry. Both teams believe they should have been in the Cup final last year, instead of the Wings. They are the Red Wings' biggest contenders for the Western Conference this year, and they have just sent the Wings a message: you need to play your best hockey to beat us.

What's troubling about the turnover trouble is that it's a discipline issue infecting the whole team. The Wings have always been a team with extraordinarily crisp passing, but lately it seems like none of them wants the puck as much as the other guy. Coach Mike Babcock is going to have to kick some ass in practice and tell these "champs" to get on their game before this becomes a habit. If not, the Wings will have a winning season and get booted out the second they face San Jose or Anaheim in the playoffs.