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I think taking away the crease would be like taking away home plate from a pitcher. I played a few years as goalie for my high school hockey team, and I relied heavily on the crease to figure out my dimensions. I think it would be catastrophic to introduce this and especially toward veteran goalies it would present a very steep challenge. The crease, even if it has no standing with the current rules, is an essential guideline for any NHL goalie and it would be too significant of a change for it to be removed. You need to maintain some kind of regularity not only for the integrity of the sport, but keeping a balance in the record books and not changing too much from the game how it used to be played to the current layout.

I think it's a bummer that Detroit was out after the first round...but it happens. We really have been spoiled with such great success and now setting records at home and making the playoffs for 21 years in a row doesn't satisfy anybody. Just think how many players would have sold their souls to even be a part of the playoffs and we have an entire team full of guys who have never experienced the crushing blow that is coming in ninth in the conference... I'm happy with our team and even though it could be improved (what team can't be?) I'm not worried about the management ever letting this "decline" get very far. If you wanna see a decline go ask the Oilers how life has been since 90'

I would say the way that played out was so, Hollywood.

Haha, I was just telling myself Phoenix had lost all composure from that hit and were about to get scored on. Then bam. I don't think Brown did anything wrong there either. Unfortunate for them.

4 seasons actually. Iwasn't a member here at that time, but other boards were certainly full of the same negativity. But that just means it's time for Kenny to prove them wrong again.

Wait, correct me if I'm wrong: Didn't six years pass between the Cups in 2002 and 2008? Didn't we see a ton of player turnover, including key players like Shanahan, Yzerman, and Fedorov? Didn't we get bounced from the playoffs early a few times in those six years? Didn't we make the playoffs every year in between based on the strength of the core? How many people were screaming doom during those six year? I've got to guess a whole lot of people were... Didn't we inevitably win another Cup in 2008 and make it to the Finals again in 2009, once our young talent developed and reached maturity? You can't win the Cup every year. You can't make the Conference Finals every year. The best you can do is make the playoffs every year, and once and a while make it over the top if an FA here or there, or a young rising star, makes a good team a great one. We've got the core. We make the playoffs every year. We've got good young talent developing, and money for a couple FA's. What decline? Edited: for typos...which are the bane of my existence.

I'm happy for Pav's.

The most important thing about the crease is that it tells goalies where they are in the net. It helps them with angles and how far they should come out to challenge the shooter.

The no goal due to a skate in the crease rule was eliminated. If a goalie is outside of a the crease and is "interfered" with (as Wings fans are well aware happens when certain Nordic players venture too close) the goal can be waived off. If a goalie is bumped in the crease the goal is waived off. If a player is in the crease and a goal is scored by him or someone else than the goal stands if it is deemed he did not interfere. So, is the only purpose for the crease just the "glove over the puck rule" and "wait until the shooter touched the puck on the shoot-out" ? I think it is time to get rid of this thing. If a skater closes their hand on the puck anywhere while it is on the ice surface, 2 min for delay of game. And make it so the goalie has to be touching the net when a shooter begins skating during the shoot-out. Crease eliminated. OR Keep the crease, make it a little larger, and make it so if a goalie is in the crease he cannot be touched. If he is out and not in the trapezoid, fair game.

That entire overtime was insanity. Doughty going bananas over an arguable call and an offsides. Mike Smith losing his glove for a good 30 seconds of play. Brown's knee on knee hit immediately after an offsides call. Penner scoring the next shift. Coyotes fans throwing trash after trash on the ice. The Yotes digging into Brown during THE HANDSHAKE LINE. Brown accepting the winning trophy in the opponent's barn after dealing a potentially illegal hit that resulted in a big injury. Insanity. It was knee on knee but he wasn't trying to compensate for him getting around him. He was turning so that left knee was out regardless. Plus he got significant shoulder contact in the hit.

I don't know why they had the dumb idea to do this in first place. Pasha should have been the obvious choice instead of this stupid contest.

Will the building come with tsa????

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0CAqe6A8LI I hope not. This looks like it might hurt.

Paajarvi is playing for the Barons in the Calder Cup. Not sure if that was because the Oilers didn't qualify for the playoffs or if that his forte. You can start new threads here, just not a new thread every day about the same topic.

I think the crease is there solely to keep Homer's ass directly from touching other goalies faces.

Interesting, but I'd get rid of the trapezoid rule first. Also, the crease kinda looks aesthetically presentable to me, the rink would look weird without it.

I don't understand all the negativity and chicken little atmosphere? Red Wings have some of the best looking prospects we've seen in 20 years, lots of money to spend on talent, and some wonderful UFA available.... and many DRW players hitting their prime or in the prime of their careers. This is a time to be excited!!!

Lets put things in perspective shall we? Look at the Wings in the last 21 years. They have made the playoffs, and while they haven't been cup favorites every year, I believe the new NHL is ushering in a new era. You have a number 8 seeded LA Kings team that has lost just 2 games in the playoffs this season. It doesn't matter what seed you are. There is a new form of parity in the NHL. The Red Wings have won 4 cups in the last 15 years. That alone is a huge accomplishment. To expect that kind of success in the next 15 years is really not aligned with reality. The Red Wings are showing no sign of decline. They hit 100 points last season. They have some strong kids in the AHL. Most importantly though, the ownership has spent a lot of money to bring in free agents, make some trades, and worked to keep this team strong. To be honest, I really don't understand how you think that the Wings are "declining". People probably thought that when Shanny and Fedorov left. Same when Yzerman retired. Yet, this team has continued to win and make the playoffs as a result. Now, to expect the Wings to win the cup every year is ludicrous. There can only be one cup winner, and even in 2007 when we signed Dallas Drake, not many thought we were a lock to win the cup. Many people here s*** on the Dallas Drake signing at the time, and yet the Wings were the best team in the NHL and won the cup that year. Then, the next year they were one win away from the cup when everyone thought they were a lock. The Wings management have put the team in a position to win in the regular season, and then when the playoffs roll around, if they are healthy and get some puck luck they will have a shot at that as well. Yet, this year we got hit with some key injuries and the puck luck was not on our side. To be honest, the people who are proclaiming the Wings are on the decline have not looked at the bigger picture here. If the Wings were not spending money, then I would agree. If the Wings were depleting their kids in the minors, then I would agree. If the Wings were not willing to bid for free agents, then I would agree. Every sign points to a great season next season. The Wings are going to do what it takes to hit that 100 point mark once again next season, and then when the playoffs hit, all bets are off. Your team has a 1 in 16 shot to win the cup at that point. I would say if you think the Wings are on the decline now, just wait until the team is sold or handed over to a group of people who only care about making a profit. I mean, why spend $65 million when a new group will only spend $45-$50. Wings fans will continue to buy tickets, and maybe they will make the playoffs. The decline of this team will hit when management decides not to spend money on prominent free agents and just approaches this team from a pure "making money" perspective. Until then, as a fan, I say hang on and enjoy the ride. No other team in the history of the league has had this level of success that the Wings have had. The fans have become spoiled, and that doesn't surprise me. The "cup or bust" attitude is something I believe in as well. Why put a team out there that isn't going to compete for the cup? The thing is that there are 20 other teams doing the same thing, and there can only be one cup winner with all the parity in the league. Keep your expectations realistic.

I'm swiss too. Swiss press only speaks about the Islanders ducks and habs. I'll be very happy if one day a swiss player reachs the wings rooster and, i think Brunner has the potential to do it. He's fast, has great skill and a good vision of the game. He needs to work on the defensive side cause he still make some mistakes. Julien Sprunger is an another good swiss player. A sniper type but with injuries issues.

I'd like to keep Hudler if possible. He DOES score, even if he's not a difference maker. And since our problem is lack of scoring depth, I'd rather keep him and just plug him back on the 3rd line where he's had most of his success.

As swiss, I'd love to see Brunner wearing the winged wheel! In our league he is one of the best. He is young, he can skate and he has good hands. Come on Kenny!!

although I would love to see ANYTHING replace Hudler, but isn't that what Parise is supposed to be? I really don't understand all this, offer this guy and contract, probably re-signing Holmstrom gonna go hard after Parise....Nyquist here full time. Emmerton and Mursak have ZERO options to GR, just where is Holland going to put all these forwards? Not to mention wanting Lidstrom and Suter and Smith here permanently. There is only room for 23 players, maybe Holland is just getting back up plans or maybe he plans on getting rid of some players from last season. Personally, I'd rather keep Miller and Eaves over Bertuzzi and Cleary...Maybe Eaves is done? I just have a weird feeling that a ton of us fans are going to be disappointed come July 2nd when Holland doesn't score the two players he absolutely HAS to get to turn this team back in the right direction...

hudler's replacement

I don't care if Bettman likes it or not, players are playing NHL games anyways and are under threat of getting injured. Fans would overwhelmingly agree they want to see their country's star players, fans of both the Olympics and NHL hockey. So Bettman can cram it up his ass, quit whining, and make a deal with the IIHF.

So you'd want Lidstrom to openly challenge the captain of another team in the handshake line after what turned out to be a legal hit? Sorry, that is classless.