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ENCORE!!! ENCORE!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jakiqCPKyFU

the 1996-97 and 1997-98 Detroit Red Wing Hockey Clubs, still the last teams to win consecutive Stanley Cups: Thank you!

I was lucky enough to get to spend Monday at the Joe, attend practice and meet the guys! I'm writing a story on Jimmy's Shelby Mustang mask and it's Detroit connection and I was able to arrange going down to the Joe, watch practice, interview Jimmy and speak with several of the other guys too. Huds gave me a jab in the stomach when he came into the locker room, haha. Also, as I was walking out, I hear someone walking behind me and I look over my shoulder Nick is right behind me. I introduce myself and mention why I'm there and he's like "Hmm, I guess I never noticed there was a car on his mask, I'm always just looking at the holes in the net, not the goalie" I thought that was pretty funny. All-in-all, it was a fantastic day, everyone was extremely nice and it was really cool seeing the inner workings of the Joe!

You gotta love the "Wings are too old" jokes. Ten years of it and 2 Stanley Cups later, they keep on comin'. Take away our Cups and we've still had more success in those 10 years than the Sharks!

So this is it... I have read through and tend to agree that the winner of this series can probably keep it rolling all the way to the SCF. Most years our 2nd round opponent gives us the most fits and I see it happening here and then some. A healthy lineup and well rested as we all have been talking about should be great. This series should be a classic and much different than last year's. Solid tending will be the difference I feel. 1 didn't have that great of a regular season and the other is coming in not having a good playoffs at all so far. The PK for us wasn't good and the Sharks' PP wasn't good either. Just been going bats*** crazy waiting on the 2nd round and now that I know who we have, bring them on!

I really think last year's series against the Sharks could have gone either way despite the fact that it ended in 5 games. The Wings could have just as easily been up 3-0 in that series, it was that close. However, the Wings were just coming off a 7 game series that involved a lot of traveling. This team is better, well rested and the Sharks, I believe, are not as good as they were last year. It should be a good close series once again, but we should have it this time.

I love it that someone took a "Wings are too rested rusted" joke as a "Wings are too old" joke! It wasn't a joke about age, but too much time off between rounds - i.e., out of playoff intensity mode. That was my biggest concern last year after the Sharks eliminated the Wings in 5, and then had to wait around for all the other series to finish. Chicago took longer, eliminating Vancouver in 6 fairly grueling games. A lot of Sharks fans were happy that the Sharks were "well rested", but I wasn't happy at all with all that time off. I know it only takes a few days for rust to set in, and a team to lose its playoff intensity. The Hawks weren't beat up. They had solid playoff mode momentum going into the WCF, and had no problem sweeping the "well rested" Sharks 4-0. This year they don't get that much time off, and I'm glad!

Nashville in 6. I hope.

I believe in Babs and think he'll have a solid game plan to handle the Sharks.

Do you enjoy watching the Red Wings? Or do you just enjoy whining and being a pessimist?

There's no way Flip would shoot first.

Good thing about that supposed mediocre power play, Supafly, is that it's going against a Red Wing team that, with the way they played the PK last series, would certainly make the Sharks power play unit look much better. Hoping the Sharks don't get many man advantages at all. Wings need to keep their offensive prowess with the pedal to the metal to win this series because I don't envision either team's D looking very good.

It's gonna be a good matchup. Honestly, the only way we lose this series is if officiating stinks and our goaltending stinks. I just dont see it this year, Sharks have a weak defence, shaky goaltending, and Jumbo Joe. I like our chances, go wings

A big part of why Detroit performed as well as they did is because of their experience with the Coyotes last year. They really learned how to play them. I think we're all hoping that Detroit learned from last year once again with this upcoming series against the Sharks.

I want to play Nashville. It's closer to Detroit than San Jose (easier travel) and we beat them in '08 on the way to the cup. I also just want Vancouver to be eliminated by the hawks because their fans really annoyed me this year acting like they had already won the cup when they won the President's trophy. San Jose vs. Chicago would also be a great series. Note: Living in Canada all I ever hear about is how great the Canucks are and It would be amazing to see them eliminated tonight.

i think it'd be just plain foolish not to put Flip on Pav's wing if you've got Z able to center a line. those two had some incredible chemistry going in game two.

Roberto Bernstein has troubles seeing the puck lately...