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They come from different backgrounds and different countries, but they are all white. The Politically Correct crowd (which dictates what everyone should think) does not accept diversity of culture. They only care about the colour of one's skin. In other words, two people who look different, but have exactly the same upbringing, habits, culture, language, history, and may have been raised next door to each other are "diverse" if they have different skin colours, but two people from opposite ends of the earth who have nothing in common except for skin colour are not. And we wonder why racism still prevails.

As I scan the threads started in the last two games I see the following topics, "Osgood and Draper... turn the page", Lidstrom Final Year, with such replies as how slow he is, how he turns over the puck, how his offense is terrible. There's also "We need a goalie...Osgood is done, and my personal favorite and probably the most laughable, "Is Zetterberg on the decline?" Yes I know that everyone is entitled to their opinion, and yes last night was an abysmal outing by our winged warriors, Osgood let in four goals on 11 shots and yes he seems to be a step slower but two were not what I would call "bad" goals to give up. The Wings were giving up odd man rushes and we couldn't sustain any offensive pressure. It appears we have been hit with the injury bug again Abbey, Rafalski, Franzen, and now Cleary are all out. The part that I don't understand is the first half of this season, (yes two games ago) this team was playing so well that everyone thought the cup was on its way back. I know a lot can happen in half a season, (two more games) but it seems to me that the fall from grace was fast and hard. These are the same Detroit Red Wings that have the longest playoff streak in pro-sports history, these are the Red Wings whose idea of a terrible season is a first round exit, they have the same coach that was "the best in the NHL" a week ago, they have the same 40yr old graying leader that the city and press alike were begging to return. We have the same two forwards ESPN and Sporting News rated in the top 15 league wide. As for our goaltending, we have an aging backup who was praised for his first start this year, hell the idea of a 50/50 split was even being tossed around, and a rookie starter whom was a Calder runner up last year and has already posted a convincing shutout this season. Come on people the Lions would kill for this measuring stick. Now this is not to say that there aren't things to criticize about the team thus far, but the Red Wings have proven season in and season out that they know how to win, they always find a way to generate some kind of success...I understand why the press prints these headlines, it's polarizing and sells newspapers, I just don't get it from the fans. This team deserves the benefit of the doubt.

All the really successful sports teams have the most neurotic fans. Fans have the right to think what they want. They don't "owe" the team anything really. The team provides fans with entertainment, while fans provide teams and owners with actual revenue, which goes into player salaries. LGW is actually more fun with neurotic threads. Go to a Panthers or Thrashers board, and see how many people give a damn there. Not many, hence not as interesting a discussion board.

Kenny and Larry are obviously ready. Lets go RED WINGS .

Holy cow. You know what we need? We need to not tell each other how to be fans.

Time to send Ozzie down the retirement road like Maltby. time for you to go, thanks for the memories and mentoring Jimmy. Take draper with you.......... Seriously though, He looks done. The past three seasons he's been awful. Our defense hasn't helped, but he doesn't look like he can steal a game anymore. Time to retire dude.

We went all training camp as well as the dropping of the puck without so much as a blurb. Only hockey we get on 97.1 is a score and we rarely even get those. It took the retirement of a Detroit legend to even bring it up at all and oh wow it lasted for 2 minutes and they parlay it into "best detroit role players ever" and they d*ck ride Dennis Rodman for an hour. If i have to hear them breakdown Denard Robinson taking a sh*t or Brandon Inge tripping on a crack on a sidewalk again im going to go insane! You would figure since they carry wings games that it would be in their best interest to discuss it from time to time. You can tell they dont know squat about hockey. Whenever some miracle happens and a hockey player gets brought up Valenti and Foster (or anyone) both go silent and let the caller handle it. They can't chip in with a stat or something that shows they are well rounded and actually even follow our most successful team. In this market and with this fanbase is it really such a ratings boon to discuss hockey? If i was an unthawed caveman and i listened to 97.1 i would never even know hockey existed. Edit: And no, a post-game wrap up does not suffice.

Your buddy Hasek was notorious for having slow starts to the season. He always used to end up fine by the end. I'll worry about this down the stretch. I think both of our goalies are more than capable individually to get the job done. Osgood's proven it throughout his career and while Howard's still got some things to learn and prove, he's got a lot of skill and potential to become a solid NHL starter for a long time. Our goalies fall victim to defensive sabotage far too often. That is what worries me year after year since our last Cup. They're too talented to play as sloppy as they do far too often. We have a balanced team. We don't have the biggest name goalies that you can hope will carry you when everyone else lets you down. That model works fine and we've proven that again and again. But the defense has to hold up their end of the bargain which they too often haven't. The all time elites wouldn't be fairng much better in many of the games the last few years with our defense playing as poorly as they have. Again, I think both goalies are capable of getting the job done. McCrimmon? He's given no reason for us to believe he has control of the defense at any point since he's taken over. That's what really worries me.

Why doesn't Ilitch just buy Detroit and get it over with already?

It's funny because Osgood could let in only one goal the entire season and people would still be calling for him to be released.

Wings 8, Coyotes 1. Helm scores 3 shorthanded goals and Datsyuk scores 3 PP goals. The other 2 are scored by Zetterberg and Eaves. The 10 Coyotes fans in attendance don't feel bad because their tickets were free.

I wouldn't say we need better fans, we need the fans we do have to be less reactionary when there's no reason for it. We've played all of four games and already we have threads saying so-and-so needs to retire, so-and-so should be traded, is so-and-so slowing down, what should we do with so-and-so.....it's ridiculous. Aren't these the threads you expect to see after you get eliminated from the playoffs or at least during the off-season? Not when you haven't played enough games to fill out a whole hand full of fingers. I think that's why a lot of quality posters don't come around here anymore and the ones that stay, don't post much. There's no room for rational, calm discussion about the team/individual players.

Neither of our goalies inspire great confidence in me, frankly. Doesn't mean I don't like them. I just mean this I would never expect either to win a game for the Wings or do anything extraordinary out there. But they are who we have. If the rest of the team wakes up and realizes they need to play the way they must in order to win, we'll be fine. Blocks shots, don't screen the goalie, don't deflect pucks in, clear the crease, don't allow shooters to walk right in on either goalie, it's going to go in. Just...show up. I don't think Ozzie or Jimmy can play any better than they do right now. JMO.

Miller going to shut haters up tonight by getting a goal and an assist. Wings win 3-2

This place has always been bipolar. Either the Wings will win the Cup for sure or they're the suckiest sucky sucks who've ever sucked. That being said the bitching around here and reactionary behavior seems to have gotten worse since the Cup win. You'd think it would instill a bit of confidence in the team, but instead it seems to do the opposite. Remember in 08 when the Wings went 4-10 in February? Fans of other teams were hoping the Wings wouldn't even make the playoffs. I'm amazed this place didn't implode, not that it was fun around here. As a fan I understand wanting the Wings to win every game, but the season is long. Each play, or win or loss does not make or break a player's career or the team's Cup chances this season.

It's a call-in show and the callers largely dictate what is being discussed. What does that tell you right there? Call into the damn shows and talk about hockey instead of bitching about it here. Be pro-active.

Hudler is the reason Kronwall's goal against Dallas happened. Totally invisible.

Oh, I know. I was responding to the post directly above mine, which talked about most posters here not being real fans. I hate it when people say that. Reminds me of something a certain poster (who shall remain nameless) would say.

A majority of posters here aren't real Wings fans? Funny you'd say that after just writing several paragraphs about how people here are overreacting.

Yeah, he was awful in '08 playoffs. Terrible.

Yeah, because Jimmy was so stellar against the Avalanche. The entire team needs to work harder and get back to the level they were last weekend. The Red Wings were going to lose the past two games regardless of the goalie. The defensive coverage is pathetic.

I wouldn't say he's better than Salei yet, but he definitely gives us hope for the future. Ericsson still could develop into a decent D-man but it's looking pretty unlikely, though the season is still early. Right now I'd put the depth chart at: Lidstrom Rafalski Kronwall Stuart Salei Kindl Ericsson

Same thing was said about Holmstrom 10 years ago...

No, I agree, he is certainly past his prime and will never be that player again. Part of that is indeed his lower back issues. I do mean exactly that he is not near as tentative as he has been since leaving Vancouver. He has a lot more jump than he ever had in Florida, Detroit I, Anaheim, Calgary, and even last year with the Wings. He is playing with a lot more confidence and flow than I've seen him play with since leaving Vancouver. He looks like he is enjoing the game, at home with is teammates, and feels good to hustle. He doesn't look frustrated and like he is laboring and also thinking too much out there like he has since leaving Morrison and Nazzie. Is he good as new? No. Revitalized? Yes.

I think that line as a whole has hands down been our best line this season... I really hope they all stay healthy all season and if they do, that line could give all 3 of them career years... and dare I say it... maybe even a 50 goal year out of Mule...