Morning Skate: Let's Actually Win This Game

I'm annoyed.

I'm annoyed with this team right now.  

Yes, I know they're 5-3-0.  I know it's early.  I know last night was a close loss to a good team.  They didn't play a horrible game, but the mistakes they make are killing them.  Ian White cannot get beat by Patrick Marleau like he did last night.  And how in the blue hell do you let Joe Thornton get that wide open and on a breakaway?  When you battle a good team those are the mistakes that kill you.  I'm sick of those mistakes.  I'm tired of guys floating around out there and trying to do to much.  Make clean passes and don't just throw the puck to no one.  Crash the net.  

I could go on-and-on and I'm probably overreacting a bit because this team has lost three-in-a-row.  But around these parts that isn't acceptable.  This isn't Florida.  This isn't Dallas.  This isn't Colorado.  This is Detroit.  This is an organization that prides itself on doing things the right way.  That means doing the little things and that's what this team is not doing right now.  You want a lucky bounce?  You want the game to break your way?  Work your ass off in the corners and on the backcheck.  Good fortune come to those who work hard.  

This team isn't close to the machine it was back in 2008.  The parts are there to make it possible.  They just need to put it together between the ears.  Show up tonight in Minnesota.  Get the win.  That's all that matters.

Hockey Wilderness is your SBNation Wild blog

Puck drop is just after 8p ET

The Expected Lineup

Henrik Zetterberg -- Pavel Datsyuk -- Danny Cleary

Valtteri Filppula -- Johan Franzen -- Jiri Hudler

Todd Bertuzzi -- Darren Helm -- Patrick Eaves

Cory Emmerton -- Justin Abdelkader -- Drew Miller

Nicklas Lidstrom -- Ian White

Niklas Kronwall -- Brad Stuart

Jakub Kindl -- Jonathan Ericsson

Jimmy Howard (better be starting)

Ty Conklin

Scratches:  Babcock has said previously that Tomas Holmstrom will not be playing both nights of a back-to-back.  We'll see if that changes due to the Wings recent struggles to win games.  Expect to see Brunnstrom or Emmerton in the game.  Mike Commodore is also healthy enough to play.  Like J.J. asked in the last night's recap, is there really someone playing poorly enough to sit right now?  Maybe Kindl or Ericsson gets the night off.  UPDATE: Brunnstrom was placed on waivers early this afternoon.  He won't be playing tonight for the Wings.

Injuries:  Jan Mursak (ankle)

• The Wings are 28-6-3-4 (W-L-T-OTL) all-time against the Wild.
• Detroit is 1-3-0 since they played in Minnesota.  They haven't won in a week.
• Congrats to the St. Louis Cardinals for winning the World Series.  St. Louis has something to cheer for and be happy about (because we all know the Blues suck). 
• If anyone saw it last night, Bud Selig read from a script when he handed out the MVP and championship trophy last night.  He look liked a fool.  Our commissioner looks like a fool most the time too, but at least he can string a sentence or two together without looking a piece of paper when he hands out the Stanley Cup.

Prediction: I'm going to go way out on a limb here and say the Wings win 8-1.  Todd Bertuzzi is your player of the game.

Let's Go Red Wings.