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19 years old Mikael Granlund scored Finland's first goal against Russia. Finland won 3-0 and will face Sweden in the gold medal game. Mikael Granlund at Eliteprospects

congratulation to the Sharks, who at the end of the day were the better team, with as close margin as can get. and I sure as hell want them to eliminate the Canucks... great series, too bad our Wings couldn't advance...

C'mon Campbell, suspend Hudler for 5 games for that hit.

Love, San Jose Sharks. Ericsson: I loathe you.

After watching the playoffs I've come to some conclusions, changing my previous knowledge/assumptions as to how good or not good some players are.... The Good: Niklas Kronwall - is a legitimate #2 guy now and won't be too off base as a #1 when Nick leaves. Darren Helm - This guy is better than Draper was at the same age and could almost certainly top out at 45+ points on the third line and be one of the best PK'ers in the league. Pavel Datsyuk - he's getting better. I think Z may have leveled off but Dats is finding new ways to be inhuman. Jimmy Howard - this playoff made me extremely encouraged with him as our main guy. The Bad: Johan Franzen - this signing looks so bad, even more now than I thought it did at the time. He needs to learn to do something other than score so when he doesn't, he won't be basically useless. Valtteri Filppula - sometimes he looks like a very poor man's shadow of Datsyuk, othertimes (and often) he's invisible, and most the time he isn't contributing as much as we need him to. He has proved he's not a 2nd line player. Theoretically he could still break out but I'm not holding my breath. Mike Babcock - when did he turn into Jim Leyland? Making unnecessary changes and putting out very suspect lines/pairings at key times, frustrating to watch. The Ugly: Brian Rafalski - how far has this guy fallin'? Two years ago he may have been a #1 guy on several teams, was our #2, and knew how to play defense. Now, he's a highly paid Kurtis Foster/MA Bergeron type. I've never seen his defense so terrible but the big shocker is how he's rushing on offense and taking terribly timed, low quality shots and killing our PP momentum. Jonathan Ericsson - what can I say? What does he do OK, let alone good, on even a semi regular basis? On top of that, he is literally a pylon. Jiri Hudler - he's the forward version of Rafalski, without the point production. Gets paid like a top 6 guy but brings almost nothing to the table unless he's on a streak. Salei, Osgood, Modano - Right there is the rack...hang your skates up, please. If we were to slot players where they deserve to be... 1st line types: Zetterberg. Datsyuk 2nd line types: Franzen, Cleary (both of whom are only good for about 65 games a year) 3rd line types: Filppula, Hudler, Bertuzzi, Holmstrom, Helm, Eaves 4th line types: Abdelkader, Miller, Draper Defense probably reads like this now, with two guys on the brink of retirement. #1 Lidstrom. #2 Kronwall #3 Stuart. #4 Rafalski #5 (none) #6 Kindl #7 Ericsson, Salei I think the needs are clear. At least 1 top six forward, a top 4 dman, a backup goalie who can play when he plays without having to play several in a row to "get into my groove" or whatever.

Welcome to Round 3 of the Playoff Picks Game. Picks are due Saturday (5-14) at 7:55 ET. Scores through Round 2 will be updated within this OP tomorrow morning. If anyone is still interested, the rules to the game are located at the bottom of this post. Here are the Matchups based on their respective ranks: WEST: (1) Vancouver Canucks vs. (2) San Jose Sharks EAST: (3) Boston Bruins vs. (5) Tampa Bay Lightning NOTE: Please copy and paste the following template when making your picks. This truly cuts down on the time it requires to tally up scores and I greatly appreciate it. Bold the team you're picking to win, and then write the series score directly after in this manner: -- BOS/TBL: 4-2 Round 3 Template: ________________________________ VAN/SJS: 4- BOS/TBL: 4- ________________________________ Rank Player Round 2 Standings 1 edicius 82 2 SpiritFan 76 3 UKWING 69 4 The Edge 68 5 ACallToArms 67 5 azshark 67 5 redwingcapt 67 8 NeverForgetMac25 66 8 STICK 66 8 HankthaTank 66 8 matt198913 66 8 Aussie_Wing 66 13 55fan 65 13 Echolalia 65 13 #19=Legend 65 13 T-Ruff 65 17 Dano33 64 17 RippedOnNitro 64 19 Wings_Dynasty 63 19 Z and D for the C 63 19 Howard He Do It?! 63 22 stevieisthebest 61 22 Din758 61 22 blues_demitra38 61 25 germanwing 60 25 nate94gt 60 25 wingsgirl001 60 25 I Red Wings I 60 29 3chrisosgood0 59 29 Toefuzz 59 29 sibiriak 59 32 hockeychik25 58 32 Gordie Howe hat trick 58 34 Namingway 56 35 CupChamps979802 55 35 Zohan Franzen 55 35 -=Red_Force=- 55 35 Creasemonkey 55 35 SeeinRed 55 40 Skiminok 54 40 KillerB14 54 42 russianswede919293 53 42 atodaso 53 44 TimD. 52 44 8 Legged RedWing 52 46 Nightfall 51 46 pjgj13 51 48 CaliWingsNut 50 48 creedie 50 48 Vladifan 50 51 Firehawk 49 51 Zeowingsfan 49 53 hooon 48 53 wingslogo19 48 53 number9 48 56 lookalive07 47 56 Hockey13Playa 47 56 GoWings1905 47 56 dat's sick 47 56 kylee 47 56 L3T5G0W1NG5 47 62 ChitownWingsfan 46 63 WingZNut13 45 63 ricky0034 45 63 Swayze 45 63 Cevari 45 63 CrossCheck24 45 68 evilzyme 44 68 P. Marlowe 44 68 MulesWillFly93 44 68 Wings3:16 44 68 The Nephilim 44 73 GMRwings1983 43 73 allyourphil 43 73 Mgreenberg 43 76 eva unit zero 42 76 aflac9262 42 78 clearlybetter11 41 78 zombi 41 78 servo 41 78 Wings4Life19 41 78 wingsequallife13 41 78 stactum 41 78 FinRedWing 41 78 juice71285 41 86 Anijuice 40 86 Vladimir316 40 86 TheDetroitRedWings 40 86 RusDRW 40 86 shaeb30 40 91 Shaman464 39 91 Mister Wiseman 13 39 91 CrimsonFlame 39 91 HadThomasVokounOnFortSt 39 95 Dominator2005 38 95 Off the Post 38 95 swerner 38 95 crotty99 38 95 Jersey Wing 38 100 Detroit #1 Fan 36 100 StevieY'sguy 36 102 SaCkaveli20 35 103 ToMaToToWnWinGsFaN_24 34 104 mule 33 105 HockeyCrazy3033 32 106 nosyt612 31 107 dirtydangles 28 108 Lenny Nero 27 109 Greatness=PavelDatsyuk 23 The format this year is the same as last, so please make sure you fully understand the rules below before making your picks. For those of you that aren't familiar with the game, here's how it works: Each round you will pick a winner for each series. For every correct series winner you predict, you will receive 4 points for the first round matchups, 8 for the 2nd, 12 for the 3rd, and 16 for the Finals (0 if you pick the incorrect team, 3 points if you picked a 4-3 series and the other team won in 7 games). Also, to aid with tiebreakers you will pick how many games the losing team in each series will win. Given that the team you picked to win actually does win the series, you will then have the opportunity to receive up to 3 bonus points. For every game you are off for the losing teams actual win total, I will subtract 1 bonus point. After each round, every player will then re-pick again based on the teams that made it through to the next round. Whoever has the most points at the end of the season, wins Playoff bragging rights. As was mentioned earlier, if you pick a series to go to the 7th game and the series does but the team you picked ends up losing, you will receive 3 points rather than 0. Lastly, pick who you feel will represent each conference in the Stanley Cup Finals as well as the Champion. This will be worth 3 points per pick if you're correct. Feel free to post any questions, and remember that your Picks must be in *before* the first puck drops of the first scheduled game each round.

I hope Invisible Jiri will finally be traded.... will be a good riddance imo

Agreed with your entire post except this part. Our superstars were incredible for us this series.

I would call up Atlanta asap and make that deal that was supposedly on the table. Hudler and Ericsson for Zach Bogosian. It would be addition by subtraction. Hudler had a HORRIBLE series, and deserves some of the blame for game 7. I don't get why Modano wasn't in, if anyone would have played their asses off to win, it would have been him.

Hopefully Hudler's future is with a different team....

I don't want him back and can't imagine he would be. Some want to maximize his potential, yada yada but that is actually what I want for Flip instead as he brings a much better game all around. Dump Huds, bring in some defense.

Filppula was tied for second in team playoff scoring and you have him under the bad section? I'd put him under the "Always comes through in the playoffs" section.

I honestly think you all have blinders on when you watch Hudler. I'm not going to sit here and praise him as though he's the greatest player on the planet but sometimes I think I'm not watching the same game as the rest of you. I can see his faults and when he has s***ty games (which he certainly did this year) but the absolute refusal of the vast majority of posters on this site to give absolutely any credit where credit is due to Hudler is just flat out absurd. I just don't understand how most posters on this site can honestly feel as though they're watching things objectively.

I think the biggest factor was size and speed of their players. Ericsson has size but zero strength. Kronwall and Stuart hit like Mack Trucks, but aren't able to knock people off pucks in the corners. Datsyuk and Lidstrom use their superior stick work to get people off the puck. Bertuzzi does a good job of jamming pucks loose. We just need one or two big DMen who can skate fairly decent and can deliver a decent outlet pass. As long as Kronwall and Lidstrom and Rafalski are on this team, those bottom DMen don't need to be point producers, they just need to be strong DMen how play a very sound defensive game. i think that would have won us the series in 5 games or less. Of note: I still think we had a great shot at winning this series in 6 or less if a bounce or two would have gone our way. That Ferrio (sp) goal and the Pavelski mid air bat goal are perfect examples of the bounces going their way in key situations that turned the series in their favor.

I agree with most of what you say as well. The Franzen contract looked really bad from the start, for me, but if he can get his poop in a group, I like him. He needs to start using his size a little more. Start pushing people around, and they'll think twice about bringing some aggressive play his way. Other players seem to back off Datsyuk when he has the puck, because they don't want to be left confused and embarrassed by what he does. If Franzen were to bring something like that, I'd be a happy camper. Hudler is just a little bit less than useless, and so is Ericsson. The odd benefits that they bring are greatly overshadowed by their dumbassery, if that's a real word. Abdelkader would be more useful if he could stop getting high sticking penalties, but hopefully he has gained a little experience and learns to control that. I also think that, as a team, the Wings need to protect their goalie a lot more. Our guys are constantly getting cross checked and pushed around in front of the other team's net, so we need to clear that area as well as we can without taking penalties. Along the "protect the goalie" theme, I also think someone should have drop kicked Pavelski, and others, for all the snow showers that were given to Howard. That would be an acceptable penalty all day long, in my opinion. Howard's confidence, and maybe his abilities, would pick up if someone would come out and say "You can't do that s*** to my goalie, so I'm kicking your ass now". Maybe not those words, exactly, but along that line.

predicted moves by holland: bring draper back at a discount bring osgood back at a discount don't trade hudler give ericsson a raise makes me sick just thinking about it.

Just got back and settled from game 7. I was anticipating an amazing game and I was not disappointed. Every single game could have gone either way in this series. The Wings could easily have won all 7. The Sharks could have won all 7 too, though they were completely outplayed by the wings in game 6 (Nemo almost stole it). I mentioned it in the Dats thread, but every time Dats had the puck I had fear hit my right in the gut. He is the best player in the world in my mind and it's not even close. You guys are very lucky to have him on your team and to get to watch him play on a regular basis. He is simply amazing. It's as if he's a college senior playing ice hockey against a bunch of 5th graders...that's seriously what it looks like to me when he's on the ice. Be proud of your team and your organization Wings fans. 20 consecutive playoff appearances, incredible talent and heart, and of course all the Cups. They are the model NHL franchise. I know many of you wouldn't consider the Sharks as a rival, but for us Sharks fans, the Wings are rival 1A (with the ducks being 1B). We've met you in the playoffs 5 times, more than any other team (I'm just going on memory here). It's no secret our team and franchise have taken a lot from your playbook and you guys have been where we hope to go. I know many have a hatred for my team and I understand that and am ok with it. I know the Wings will be back next year, because they always are. Best of luck next season (except against my Sharks of course). I always enjoy visiting these boards as they are always active and have a ton of topics to discuss. Again, all the best.

You know you're right. God doesn't care about sports, but he does care about the people who care about them. And how do you know God wasn't the reason we won three games? Bear with me here. Let's say (just pretend, I'm not speaking for anyone) some of the players believe in God. They go to Him in prayer, in a time of need, and it comforts them and gives them hope. Say they take that confidence with them into the game. They win. Now, indirectly God would have been responsible for the win. Did he make the puck magically go in the net? No, of course not. But the effect He had on the players may have given them strength to win. Belief is a strong thing, not just belief in God, but belief in anything, say a hockey team(1998 "Believe" ring a bell?). And as far as God caring more about hockey than starvation in Africa or mass genocide, you have to remember that with good in the world there also comes bad. Maybe people are helping 3rd world countries with charities and relief efforts and such, but there might be some corruption where the money goes somewhere else rather than where it's needed. Hitler, he was an evil dude, but he had free will. Free will to choose to do evil or do good. And as long as there are people who choose evil as opposed to good, evil things will continue to happen.

You people with your Datsyuk vs. Zetterberg stuff . I consider myself more of a Zetterberg fan over Datsyuk, but a few years ago told myself not to pick sides, I don't want this to turn into another Yzerman vs. Fedorov thing like we had in the 1990's. They're both on our team, and both are awesome!

No, it should be Hudler, what a waste.

Why not? It was a blindside hit.

Great series, much respect to you guys and your team. You guys showed a s*** ton of heart and resiliency, something I hope my team can learn from these last few games. Hold your heads high. I have no doubt (barring a collapse on our end) that we'll see you around this time next year.

As I feared, Pavel and Hank have been quiet in this period. Just running out of gas. Maybe not. I may be a good luck charm.

My first attempt at editing a .gif Hope you like. ;-)