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How is hating the Blackhawks more petty than hating any other team in the league? Hatred isn't rational. It's part of being a fan and having rivalries. For me it's not only deeply ingrained from the longstanding Wings rivalry, but it's also that their current roster has several players who are pretty easy to hate compared to the Lightning. Then throw their fanbase on top of it and it comes pretty easily. If I'm picking a team I'd want to win the Cup that's not the Wings, between the Blackhawks and Tampa, it's a pretty easy choice. If only to make Eddie Olczyk shed tears that subtly interfere with his happiness.

The Chicago rivalry will never die, much like the Detroit/Toronto rivalry never did. We pass it from generation to generation.

For me? Yes. The Chicago - Detroit rivalry will eventually die. Just like the Colorado - Detroit rivalry did. Tampa should be as much or more of a rivalry as the Hawks. The Wings are already playing more important games against Tampa. That's not going to change.

If any GM trades Mcdavid for anyone, they would be fired in 3 years.

He'll probably be super duper good right? Like, Hart Trophy, 100 point seasons, Olympic Gold, type good? I mean, he'll probably be soooooooooooo good that people will anoint him the second coming of Gretzky. He'll have scoring titles and accolades for days and day. Nobody's been that good in a long, long time. Except for Crosby...and Ovechkin...and Stamkos...and Tavares. They've got a whopping 1 Stanley Cup between them. It's too bad they don't give Stanley Cups away for your Junior Hockey career and your pre-draft hype. These guys would be rolling in them. Connor would too. Sadly, we still do it the crappy old way where you have to earn it by winning NHL games. McDavid will be good. But lots of teams will win lots of Cups without Connor McDavid. So maybe everyone should temper their idolatry a little bit.

1st American Born...nice! Michigan Man..even nicer! re-hire Granato and then move Chelios to Asst. We may not have instant success, but I feel great today! Just super excited.

Welcome Coach Blash! You deserve it!

And depending on the return they might be right to do it. If they could get Buffalo to trade the #2 and a good young player, or Arizona to give up the 3rd and OEL, I think that wold easily be worth losing McSavior

Yeah, kind of surprising actually. If it wasn't for the Game 1 collapse, TB's up 3-0. I thought the Hawks talent and especially experience would have given them a better start to this series. I was expecting a Wings/Pens 2008 type of series. It'll be less painful for our most bitter rival to win their 3rd championship in 6 years than to have our Captain get his name on the Stanley Cup again, all because they beat us and it could have been us there? I suppose anything could happen, we could have made it to the Finals, but it was the first round. Its not like it was the Conference Finals or something. A lot would have had to happen for us to get that far. The Wings matched up well with TB. Can't say the same about Montreal, they were a team that TB owned. I'm over our loss. I'm even over Cooper and his whining and their fanbase. The Lightning have had their moments of jerkiness during these playoffs, but it's nothing compared to Chicago that chants "Detroit sucks" in their sleep.

So only Tampa can get better as the playoffs go along? Also, what makes you think Detroit didn't have any part in shutting down Tampa instead of Tampa just not playing well at the beginning of the playoffs? If I remember Detroit took out Anaheim and almost Chicago a couple years ago and we heard the same thing then. We have two elite two way players, maybe just maybe that had something to do with containing most of Tampa's offense.

Make that three hours

Which is all great, except they're a bunch of dix. I'm pulling for Chicago. If Chicago wins, it will be gross, but I'll except it because that's what they've been doing and that's what's supposed to happen. It will be really painful if Tampa wins this series because it could have been Detroit.

Don't worry. I'm sure those photos will still happen even if the Hawks lose.

This has nothing whatsoever to do with the Hawks. I hate the Hawks. I hate that someone has to win this series. The Bolts could pull this anytime, anywhere against anyone and it would still be a punk move. There's nothing in the Bolts ticket policy that states he can't sell his tickets, to Hawks fans or anyone else. He didn't violate any agreement, hence them caving.

Please let's keep Cleary out of every thread. There's a thread specifically to discuss him.

Holland is going to use this presser to kill two birds with one stone, when he's done introducing Blash he will announce Cleary's new 3 year deal.

Damn it. I would murder someone right in the yambags

Realgud

I take it as a point of pride that I don't buy into the insane, and annual, hype that surrounds the 1st overall draft pick in all major professional sports. That's because I've seen too many of the bust, or underwhelm, for all sorts of reasons. I'd rather they show me what they've got. In lieu of that, I'd rather rely on more objectives things, like size, speed, stats, the degree of difficultly in their respective leagues, etc. The only thing I know absolutely, positively, 100% about Connor McDavid is that he's far and away the most POPULAR player in the draft. No denying that. But I still have to be convinced that he'll be the best NHL player to come from this draft. And here's one final thought. I don't think it's a stretch to assume that if Jack Eichel were A) Canadian, and B) playing in a weaker league against a bunch of teen age boys, that he'd be as dominant AND as heralded as Connor McDavid.

You misread my post. Which i knew would happen because i was too lazy to go Into details for at almost 4am. I said that theres many categories the people on the rafters fullfill that Ozzy and Feds do not. I didnt say Feds doesnt fullfil the "accomplishments" category. Im talking about how certain players dont meet "all" the categories aka the bar that has been set. In Feds case that would be loyalty to the organization. Ozzys case is the fact that he wasn't a generational goalie. Come on, who in their right mind would try to argue that the best defensive russian forward who won a Hart trophy doesnt have accomplishments. >.> And then I brought Datsyuk as an example. He has accomplishments, loyalty, AND was/is a generational player. I basically wrapped up the post by saying Datsyuk is closer to the bar that was set than Feds and Ozzy were because he meets a lot more categories. Accomplishments, cups, generational player, loyalty/commitment, loved by the fans, loved by the organization, contributions to the city of Detroit, leader by example. Etc etc etc. Ozzy and Feds for many reasons dont have the love and respect from a lot of fans that the guys on those rafters did and the two current players on our roster do. And obviously they dont have the same respect from the organization that yzerman, lidstrom, howe, lindsay etc had. I mean these guys were ADORED. That's the reality of the Red Wings. The bar is set too damn high. If it's even a debate that you should be up there, then likely you won't be up there. If Ozzy and Feds jerseys were retired, it would be setting a new and lower threshold OVERALL (remember not just one category but we're looking at a complete profile). Not that I have a problem with it but it is what it is.

Lose in game 7 in the playoffs to Tampa, Lose Babcock, Tampa is in the SCF, Blackhawks in the SCF, and Cleary wants another year What could be worse?

Lol. I kind of want it to happen just to see people lose their minds.

I don't hate Dan Cleary, but he's starting to remind me of that guy who just sort of invites himself to everything.

Not to nitpick here but, I've never even considered Miller to be here in 6 years. I don't see him being effective at 36. Am I the only one who thinks this?