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So this guy escaped from the New Zeland aquarium: (seriously) Is he headed to Tampa or straight to JLA?

I saw the idea for this skimming images on Google but it needed updating.

please...

A small reminder for our boys tonight:

A very quick one :

I think the Wings limping into the playoffs, or getting in back door, is over done. We had to play Philly, Boston, and NYRangers in 4 days. Every team that had to end the season like that, would have a tough time. Funny how the Wings don't get credit for beating Minnesota and Toronto in a back to back the weekend before, and dominated Philly in a must win. They had nothing left playing Boston and the Rangers. Those last 5 game of the schedule were brutal, but we went 3-2.

People also forget that Mantha was a couple posts away from scoring 4 goals in 10 games instead of 2. The scoreboard doesn't show everything. The kid made things happen while he was on the ice. It is insane to think playing him with a couple vets in protected minutes and on the powerplay isn't of more value to the team than the 5 minutes Andersson will get to play on the fourth line. Hell, I could stomach Mantha being sent down if it was Jurco getting the fourth line minutes instead.

No one is saying that Mantha alone will make a huge difference, but in a game of inches, a slight edge could be the difference in winning and losing. Whether or not he is a better option than the least significant player in our lineup is worth the debate in my opinion because again, that slight edge could put us over the top. I'd rather Mantha helping out offensively and on the power-play for 10-12 minutes a night than Andersson getting hemmed in his own zone and killing penalties for any minutes a night. The guy is not an NHL caliber player, evident a few months ago when he was sent through waivers and cleared. Mantha is top prospect and a great offensive weapon. The fact that anyone would pick the black hole over a "potential" game changer is mind numbing to me, but I think I've said all I can possibly say, and I've heard more than enough from the Andersson enthusiasts...

4-1 Lightning. The Red Wings limped to the finish line and are going into the playoffs trying the same exact strategy of running veterans into the ground and not icing the best possible lineup. Crazy thing is this series is there for the taking. I just don't trust Blashill's usage and insistence of playing not to lose.

LGW !!! TIME FOR REVENGE BABY!!

Yes! I was just changing my sig today to reflect the playoffs, and I realized that I usually have one related to this. Since I go complicated, I keep track in my sig. Please, if you are a first-time contributer, don't be frightened off by my madness. It is totally acceptable to just pledge $1 per win or whatever you like. Once again, I'm pledging $1 for each goal scored by any active Red Wing after whom I've named a hamster, all of whom are now running in that Big Wheel in the Sky, and $5 for a game in which the other team fails to score on a goaltender for whom I've named one of the aforementioned hamsters. The $1 will become $2 if the goal scored is the GWG, $3 if it is a series-clinching goal, and $10 if it is the Cup-clinching goal. Rather than listing the full names of my beloved pets, I'll just list the names of those who remain with the team: Henrik, Pavel, Niklas, Johan*, Jonathan, Drew*, Gustav, and our goaltender, Jimmy. *LTIR players noted for completeness. In celebration of my new vehicle, Danny, I will also give $5 for any goal scored by DeKeyser, raised to $10 if it is the Cup-clinching goal. Go Wings!

Oh, the huge manatee!

I have zero faith in the management of the team. Players will give the effort but fall short. 4-1 Tampa

I'm too busy to make a new one atm. Fortunately we play Tampa again, so I can reuse this one I made last year :

Tampa in 6 wings couldn't even defeat the Rangers B team without King Henrik. Hope I'm wrong and everyone plays their heart out for Pasha one last time

How is he a defensive liability? He's a +1 on a team that is -13 goal differential? He is by far one of the best players on the ice for the Wings. Everytime he is out there, more times than not, he makes something happen. 5 on 5, PP, PK...he makes s*** happen.

First, thanks SO much to 55fan for reminding me! Second, it's our favorite time of year, folks! For those of you who know how this works, pledge early and often. For those of you who don't, those who want to participate figure out some kind of financial pledge having to do with the Wings playoff performance. Some pledge a buck a goal for certain players, some pledge per win, per series, per shutout, or any combination. Get creative! Don't get too complicated though, because it gets hard to keep of. Post your pledge here so we can shamelessly "plus" your post. When it's not possible to add any more to the kitty, everyone Paypals me their total and I make a donation.

Don't mind me, I'm just here for the yearly photoshop threads. I want to thank all the members who have made me laugh over the years.

Exactly. No team has a complete roster of guys who play a 200 foot game. Pure offensive guys are needed as well.

I think with better personnel decisions and proper usage, the Wings can can win this series against the Lightning. If Blashill coaches like he did down the stretch, they are going to lose. I know he probably felt pressure to preserve the streak and all, but the over-reliance on declining veterans at the end of a six-month regular season was not the answer. I would have preferred the Wings use most of this year to transition younger players into larger roles, but the playoffs provide a new stage to give them an opportunity. Z - Pav - Larkin Nyquist - Sheahan - Mantha Tatar - AA - Richards Helm - Glendening - Abby DeKeyser - Smith Kronwall - Green Quincey - Marchenko None of this will ever happen, but I am going to believe at some point the real Jeff Blashill appears and not the Mike Babcock clone we have seen emerge lately. Maybe Blash's hands are tied by Holland. I just know the Wings are missing the boat entirely in player development and maximizing their ability to win games right now.

I'll give you an example. BoS posted this last year - probably one of my favs.