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Red Wings: Is Jeff Blashill Really the Problem?

By John Manzo

NEWARK, NJ - DECEMBER 27: Detroit Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill gives players direction during the third period against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on December 27, 2017 in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils defeated the Red WIngs 3-1. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEWARK, NJ - DECEMBER 27: Detroit Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill gives players direction during the third period against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on December 27, 2017 in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils defeated the Red WIngs 3-1. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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Detroit Red Wings fans might not mind head coach Jeff Blashill as much as it seems.

In my first month as your FanSided Octopus Thrower site expert, one of the strongest opinions Detroit Red Wings fans have had is their disdain for head coach Jeff Blashill.

The fifth-year head coach is 151-189 behind the Red Wings bench and hasn’t made the NHL playoffs since the team was bounced in the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs to a Steve Yzerman general-managed Tampa Bay Lightning team during the 2015-16 season.

Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings /

Detroit Red Wings

Detroit has more or less regressed in every season since Blashill was hired and we have witnessed more inconsistencies among the American Hockey League (AHL) players now turned Red Wings that he coached versus improvements – which was a factor into why he earned the job.

Despite Yzerman saying, “I’ve enjoyed working with him (Blashill) and as of right now, I don’t plan to make a change, so you read into that what you want,”…I don’t think he’s going to bring Blashill back.

This team needs a new voice, and despite what Yzerman says, Blashill isn’t the coach he chose. With the results lacking and the regression evident, I’d expect him to bring in his choice to steer this ship.

That said, do Red Wings fans actually think Blashill is a bad coach?

According to a two-part poll from us here at Octopus Thrower, 86 percent who answered said they didn’t want him coaching the team next season.

…BUT, when asked if they’d trust Yzerman if he retained Blashill for next season, 84 percent said yes. That’s staggering, but the stats don’t lie.

Red Wings fans are drinking the ice-cold, bright cherry-red Kool-Aid and are all about the “Yzerplan.”

And if this Yzerplan includes Blashill as the team’s head coach next season, 84 percent of you will be just fine with it.

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