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SouthernWingsFan

SI.com - Michael Farber - Beating the Red Wings

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http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writ...0305/index.html

Sorry for the multi-new threads, actually a good bit being discussed Red Wings related on some of the sports sites...

Pretty cool article on the Preds recent victory over the Wings and how they are trying to overtake and beat them.

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The Preds' obsession with beating the Red Wings is a little scary.

Why? They are in the same division, Detroit has been one of the better teams in the NHL the past 10-15 years. The Preds have slowly/surely gotten better over their short history, and their only playoff matchup so far was with the Red Wings. If I were a Preds fan, I'd consider Detroit to be the top-rival. It's a respect thing. Doesn't seem too scary or obsessive to me.

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Why? They are in the same division, Detroit has been one of the better teams in the NHL the past 10-15 years. The Preds have slowly/surely gotten better over their short history, and their only playoff matchup so far was with the Red Wings. If I were a Preds fan, I'd consider Detroit to be the top-rival. It's a respect thing. Doesn't seem too scary or obsessive to me.

The NHL is the main catalyst in trying to drive a rivalry between Detroit and Nashville/Chicago/CBus/etc. They've made this possible by scheduling 643 matchups with each one during the season. Nashville hasn't had enough time in the league to build long-standing rivalries with other teams in the league, so naturally, their biggest competition (Detroit) would be it's main target. It would be foolish to think that the Detroit fans feel the same way about the so-called 'rivalry', simply because of the history they have with other teams. Personally, despite the fact that most of the players have moved on, Colorado/Detroit is still my fav, despite the fact that Colorado blows. I'd still much rather see Tor/Detroit and LA/Detroit than Detroit/Nashville. Doesn't mean I don't like the matchup, just that old habits die hard.

Give the Nashville/Detroit thing a while longer, and it will keep building, to where Wings fans are just as passionate in the matchup, that is of course, if Nashville can keep the preds a little while longer. :unsure:

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That was a great article. The Preds are my favorite team to play because we're so evenly matched. I hate them being so competitive with us because I like being up top, but at the same time it's nice to have some competition to remind us (err...the Wings) that it doesn't get any easier at the end of the season or in the playoffs.

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The Preds' obsession with beating the Red Wings is a little scary.

As I've mentioned before, my girlfriend is from Tennessee and a Preds fans.

As she explained to me several years ago, when we got talking about hockey. Preds (and their fans) know that if you want to be the man, you have to beat the man. Cbus, St. Louis, and Chicago aren't exactly the team you want to set your sights on if you want to win a division.

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Guest Tunbo Batman

opponents' obsessions with beating the wings is a good sign. we're still the team to beat. you don't see an article about how to prepare against tampa bay.

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Guest Crymson

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writ...0305/index.html

Sorry for the multi-new threads, actually a good bit being discussed Red Wings related on some of the sports sites...

Pretty cool article on the Preds recent victory over the Wings and how they are trying to overtake and beat them.

He says Detroit has ten Stanley Cup-winners, but we only have nine unless he is counting Fischer.

Why? They are in the same division, Detroit has been one of the better teams in the NHL the past 10-15 years. The Preds have slowly/surely gotten better over their short history, and their only playoff matchup so far was with the Red Wings. If I were a Preds fan, I'd consider Detroit to be the top-rival. It's a respect thing. Doesn't seem too scary or obsessive to me.

Wrong...

I'm not sure I'd aim my sights at beating a team that's making a habit of first round playoff exits. :)

Well, let's see--in the last ten years, four first round exits, two second round exits, one third round exit, and three Stanley Cups.

That's a better track record than any other team, so enough of that talk.

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He says Detroit has ten Stanley Cup-winners, but we only have nine unless he is counting Fischer.

At the time of the article, these were the Stanley Cup winners on the team:

Chelios

Datsyuk

Draper

Hasek

Holmstrom

Lidstrom

Maltby

Osgood

Schneider

Williams

The way I count, that makes 10.

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Nashville probably has the inside track to be the next big Detroit rival, unless Chicago could overcome its current case of cranial-rectal inversion (not holding my breath on that one). It will take a meeting or two in the Western Conference finals to make it a true rivalry.

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Guest Crymson

At the time of the article, these were the Stanley Cup winners on the team:

Chelios

Datsyuk

Draper

Hasek

Holmstrom

Lidstrom

Maltby

Osgood

Schneider

Williams

The way I count, that makes 10.

Williams, yes! Good call. I'd forgotten he was on the team in '02. He was practically invisible in the '02 playoffs. I remember he played the first game against Vancouver, but beyond that it's pretty hazy. I believe he and Datsyuk were fighting for the same roster spot in the postseason, and Datsyuk won after taking the ice against the Blues.

Edited by Crymson

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He says Detroit has ten Stanley Cup-winners, but we only have nine unless he is counting Fischer.

Wrong...

Ok, I stand corrected then as I forgot they played the Sharks in the playoffs last year.

You can't tell me though Preds fans look forward to facing the Sharks more over the Red Wings.

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THe writer said that the win thrust them back into first place in the central division. LIAR!!! They tied us with the win but we still had the advantage because we had more goals against if I'm not mistaken. No big deal anyway. It'll all be right in the end.

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I love this.....I think it's the ultimate compliment:

"Before Detroit games, [the meetings] are always longer."

Exactly as you should take it.

Why? They are in the same division, Detroit has been one of the better teams in the NHL the past 10-15 years. The Preds have slowly/surely gotten better over their short history, and their only playoff matchup so far was with the Red Wings. If I were a Preds fan, I'd consider Detroit to be the top-rival. It's a respect thing. Doesn't seem too scary or obsessive to me.

As Crymson has mentioned, we did play the Sharks last year. Hopefully, others will forget that just like we Predators fans are attempting to do. :)

As I've mentioned before, my girlfriend is from Tennessee and a Preds fans.

As she explained to me several years ago, when we got talking about hockey. Preds (and their fans) know that if you want to be the man, you have to beat the man. Cbus, St. Louis, and Chicago aren't exactly the team you want to set your sights on if you want to win a division.

Always love a good Ric Flair quote.

THe writer said that the win thrust them back into first place in the central division. LIAR!!! They tied us with the win but we still had the advantage because we had more goals against if I'm not mistaken. No big deal anyway. It'll all be right in the end.

First tie-breaker is wins and Nashville has more. It probably won't be a factor with us playing each other four more times, so I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Farber is good. It's a lot better article than I wrote on the subject. Baby steps for me. I really enjoyed the slide show as well.

David

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I'm not sure I'd aim my sights at beating a team that's making a habit of first round playoff exits. :)

:lol: Hey, you do know that more teams get beat in the first round than any other round.

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Which would have been a pretty neat trick.
Perhaps my point was lost on you. While the Preds' ambitions haven't changed since the article was written the landscape has been altered somewhat. The addition of Forsberg has not gone unchecked. That "White Whale" just added a fair helping of grit. Edited by Gizmo

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