This is what they were afraid of all those years.
This is why “tank” was a four-letter word as the Red Wings played out the string at Joe Louis Arena and prepared to move into a new arena downtown.
Quite frankly, this also is why Ken Holland had to make way for Steve Yzerman as general manager in Detroit before things got really ugly.
And make no mistake, losses like the one we saw Tuesday night — a 5-1 meltdown in Winnipeg that marked Detroit’s 12th consecutive defeat — “They are ugly, for sure,” admits Jeff Blashill, the Wings’ head coach.