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My first try at a GIF, haha I know it's awful I had to do it though Dunno why it takes soo long to refresh edit: fixed

Lets not forget what happened last year folks - this team is capable of putting together 3 in a row. Unlikely? Aboslutley, but impossible? Absolutley not. Its more evident than ever that changes need to be made to make Detroit stylistically capable of winning against the big bodied teams. At the end of the day its clear or lack of size/grit/phyiscality just makes this team too damn easy to play against. That said, weve got what weve got. Its up to those 2o guys in that room to get the job done and just get ONE win on Friday. Coming home for 6 and its a series again. Once again seeing fans at the Joe walking out with 5 minutes left while down 1 goal was disgusting. We have the most spoiled fanbase in pro sports with our continued success and competitiveness and yeah this year certainly isnt the best team we've ever iced - and Im sure weve all been hearing the "too old, too slow, too soft, no goaltending banter" from our friends/colleagues lately. That CANT be Lidstroms last game at JLA - ths teamplays best when their backs are against the wall, and I expect to see a great effort in a few days and a few bounces are bound to go our way.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ab_lp4GFKGg <br class="Apple-interchange-newline">

I don't know about the rest of the world but the sun came up over the water today here in Destin Florida. After that loss and hours of forum venting I wasn't sure it would happen:) A few bounces our way and who knows what the future holds....regardless, my Redwing flags proudly fly year long and have been doing do since 84!

I think a lot of people here are confusing realism with pessimism/bridge-jumping. No one, aside from the fans of other teams, wants the Red Wings to lose. I don't think we're going to win, but I'm going to watch the game anyway. I'm a fan, that's what I do. However, I also love the team enough to realize we're deeply flawed. So again, please don't confuse people being realistic with people saying, "f*** this team, I'm rooting for Vancouver."

Gold, Jerry!! GOLD!!!!

one thing that is guaranteed is that the wings will be in the playoffs next year

I was at the game last night and on several occasions, I heard various parts of the crowd yelling "Shoot! Shoot it!" myself included. They eventually would but always too late. Last night there were quite a few times, especially in the third where the fans were booing (and not just for Weber). Every time another PP failed, and especially at the end of the game. The team has stated that they did not like being booed off the ice at the end of last season, and that was part of the reason they wanted to up their game at home this year. After the streak, that seemed to go out the window. You would think that hearing it during the last regular season games and during the playoffs would be enough of a trigger to get them going. And not many people left until about the last minute and especially after the third goal last night. In fact, from about 2:47 on in the third, EVERYONE was on their feet for the remaining minutes. That was when they had showed the video montage they always do at the end to "make noise" with clips from different movies. If Detroit can pull out of this, they need to remember that "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." Rinne is good but not infallible. If all the shots you are putting on this goalie are from the right and left point, he is going to see it and stop it. In games 1-3, they had some really good chances when all three forwards came in hot and heavy, but stupid things like Hudler never being able to catch a pass on his stick and one time it, prevented that from going any further. That and this damn hold onto the puck and skate the whole perimeter of the offensive zone s*** has to stop. Get traffic in front of Rinne, storm the crease, be there for the rebounds when they come. Their star players need to start pulling their weight and showing why they have these hefty contracts (Franzen, Datsyuk, Filppula). And for God's sake, hustle! Don't stare at the puck when it's two feet in front of you and wait for the Pred player to get and come to you. Get some jump in your step and show that you actually want to be a playoff contender instead of just coasting into the playoffs to add another tick to the tally of consecutive years in the playoffs and then not caring what happens after that. /rant.

Disagree with op. Every year you hope that you are 1) Healthy goihng into the playoffs and 2) it would be nice to be hot. This year we were neither. We peaked at the wrong time of year and then got the injuries. It's not an excuse, it's just a reality check. Lidstroms mobility is hamperred. Same with Datsyuk. (If Dats were in this year's mid season form, who knows what this series would look like).

What's going to make players like Suter and Parise want to come to Detroit? Seriously.

I know a 3-1 lead in a series is almost impossible to overcome, but there is something about this team that tells me they will not go down. I still have faith in this team. During the regular season we we're incredibly streaky (both good and bad). We often found ourselves in 1-6 game slumps only to follow it up with a winning streak of our own. This gives me reason to believe that we still have a chance in this series. I know that this is the playoffs and games are 10x harder to close out and mistakes can cost you a series, but we aren't a young team. We have the experience in big games. The wings play better when there backs are against the wall and when they are on the brink of elimination. That is why I still have faith in this team. I know these following predictions may seem lofty but I see them as entirely possible. There are too many times where a team lets off the gas pedal and can't finish. That won't be the case with Detroit, they will finish strong. GAME 5: Detroit makes a statement and puts the pressure right back on Nashville. DET [5-1] W GAME 6: Nailbiter game that could go either way, but Detroit wins at home. DET [2-1] W GAME 7: This game will feature playoff hockey at its finest, with the highs and lows of everything you could imagine. Detroit wins in overtime. DET [3-2 OT] W Keys to Victory: - Get the first goal - Don't allow odd man rushes - Limit turnovers - Stay out of the penalty box - Get 2nd chances on Rinne Share your thoughts on how this series is going to turn out! (Try to stay positive and have faith)

Step-by-step procedure: ...There's 22.6 mil in cap space available, with 15/23 roster spots accounted for. #1) Trade Cleary (for nothing, I don't care). Now there's 25.4 mil in cap space available, with 14/23 roster spots accounted for. #2) Put Nyquist, Tatar, Smith and Mursak (or Sheahan?) on the roster. Now there's 22.2 mil in cap space available, with 18/23 roster spots accounted for. #3) Resign Helm and Abdelkader to similar contracts. Now there's 20.5 mil in cap space available, with 20/23 roster spots accounted for. #4) Sign Parise and Suter to contracts at about 7.0 mil per season. Now there's 6.5 mil in cap space available with 22/23 roster spots accounted for. #5) The remaining 6.5 mil (and it might be less) is for Lidstrom, who may need to take a pay-cut. 2012/2013 Detroit Red Wings: Filppula(3.0)-Datsyuk(6.7)-*Parise(7.0) Franzen(4.0)-Zetterberg(6.1)-Bertuzzi(2.1) *Tatar(0.8)-*Helm(0.9)-*Nyquist(0.9) Miller(0.8)-*Abdelkader(0.8)-Eaves(1.2) Emmerton(0.5) *Mursak(0.6) *Lidstrom(6.2)-*Suter(7.0) Kronwall(4.8)-White(2.9) *Smith(0.9)-Ericsson(3.3) Kindl(0.9) Howard(2.3) MacDonald(0.6) ...That's a team that could win it all.

+1'd your ass, because this is exactly how I feel. Poor you Lenny for getting to go to Game 7 of a Stanley Cup Final at the Joe. Going to the Joe for me, would cost upwards of about $1000, you know, considering a plane ticket across the Atlantic, hotel costs, then not to mention a game ticket?! I mean you go and actually watch the team so you must like or support them in some way? Why not show it? Have some faith for goodness sake that they can at least take the next game, and then really it's who can keep their head. It's 3 seperate 1-game series for Detroit. I'm not saying that they can continue coasting and not hustling as they have been at times because they really need to start shooting from good areas, main thing. All I'm getting at is that for us, it's do or die, and I'll ALWAYS pick them to do. Otherwise what's the point in caring?

Bernie! I have the t-shirt, and will be wearing it on Friday.

Believe.

You know why I hate this attitude? Because you guys make statements like they won't make it out of the first round, and defend them saying, 'Hey, I'm not gonna be saying I told you so if it hapapnes." Well.....here is proof that is not the case. I know you may not have specifically said that, but people who defend your statements do. And no I don't think Detroit will win. If anything, they will win games 5 and 6 to only drop game 7. But I still hate some people's attitude about the team. I'm already depressed enough, I don't need anybody reminding me. Thanks for clearing that up for us, we had no idea that's how it worked.

Al: WHAT'S ALL THIS LYING AROUND s***?! LGW: Season's over man, Bettman won. Al: Over? Did you say "over"?! Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? HELL NO! LGW: Germans? Pasha: Shhh, he on roll Al: And it ain't over now. 'Cause when the goin' gets tough...the tough get goin'! Who's with me? Let's go! LGW: Al: What the hell happened to the Detroit fans? Where's the spirit? Where's the guts, huh? "Ooh, we're afraid to go with you Al, we might get hurt again." Well just kiss my ASS from now on! Not me! I'm not gonna take this. Weber, He's a dead man! Rinne, dead! Trotz - Hank: DEAD! Al's right. Psychotic, but absolutely right. We gotta take these bastards. Now we could do it with conventional weapons that could take years and cost millions of lives. No, I think we have to go all out. I think that this situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody's part. Al: We're just the guys to do it! LGW: LET'S DO IT! LET'S GO RED WINGS!!!

If Lidstrom's last game is a loss to the Predators in the first round, I will lose all faith in humanity and justice in the universe.

First off, lets be realistic. Cleary is hurt and will be improved next season. The team isn't going to trade him. 2nd, Fillpula isn't going to get traded, this organization over values his talent.

The OP makes sense,but that's not a guarantee. Where are the Nucks and Sharks with all these Kassians,Malhotras,Lapierres,Gagliardis,Winniks...etc.?...stuck in the series against good defensive teams with stellar goalies

Just wanted to share a story with yous.. I played hockey two weeks ago with paul mcleans nephew tyler.We had a good chat talking about the wings and sens,and he told me that paul had talked to babs the week before and he told paul you know i never really knew how much you did till you wernt there anymore. Babs took on basically rookies which i think most would agree was not the best choice. In my opinion its not babcock that should have his job in question.

A lot of teams want Parise and Suter, unfortunately. Parise did say his favorite player to watch is Datsyuk, though. Maybe there's a little hope with him.

Can we wait for the game to actually be OVER before you guys call for the Wings heads on a plate. Goodness. 10 mins left. This is hockey. Anything can happen.

Couldnt decide on how i wanted this i guess..