GoWings1905

If Rob Parker said it was a bad deal at the time, there was a pretty good chance that it would turn out well. I have more faith in Miner than I do in any other pitcher in the bullpen right now, including Jones. I'm kind of thinking that when Zumaya and Rodney (OK just Zumaya) come back, the bullpen could actually turn out to be pretty solid. They have Byrdak, McBride, and Seay to pitch against lefties. Maybe Grilli can turn things around at some point, and well I don't really expect much from Rodney anymore. I think we all know what Zoom is going to provide.

Nice choice. Forgotten in all of the moments from Games 6 and 7 was that Dom had back-to-back shutouts. The days of that rivalry bring back some great memories.

Good point. I enjoy watching hockey regardless of the teams playing, but I truly only get excited when the Red Wings are on. Just me personally, but if the Pistons or college football is on, I will watch that over two random hockey teams playing. I like your point though about rooting against teams that you hate. Always a good time.

Superb choice. That was an amazing game. Chanting Pat-rick and then seeing him get pulled. Priceless.

Obviously the three cups are the best. My favorite memory though was January 2, 2007. One of the most bittersweet moments in my life. I will never forget that night.

Very true everything you said. I think Hunter is probably going to play out of necessity. They have no other option at back-up point guard. Blalock is gone, Acker hopefully will never return, Flip Murray is a disaster at the point. Tay can play point-forward at times, but you can't go a whole season without a legitimate back-up to Chauncey. Brevin Knight was just released by Charlotte, and I haven't seen him sign anywhere else yet. Knight doesn't score a ton, but his ability to distribute the ball is still terrific. I would love to see Murray and Mohammed traded, but unfortunately there is probably minimal interest, and the value in return won't really address any of the Pistons major concerns. I am extremely concerned about the center position. Webber and Mohammed is a nightmare. I hope Joe D. has some more magic left this summer.

Washington or Chicago - which is saying something because they both play in the two weakest divisions in the NHL. I'll vote for the Blackhawks simply because it's the team I want to see do the worst.

Sorry I couldn't add more, but there is not an ounce in my body that could ever root for any team besides the Red Wings. I do enjoy watching the Senators though, mainly because I am a huge Jason Spezza fan. For pure hockey enjoyment, it's hard not to watch the Penguins if they are on.

I agree, Miner has turned out pretty well. Lately, he has been pitching in the 8th inning of close games, which says something about Leyland's confidence in him. Or, it could also be the fact the Tigers bullpen is so depleted there are no other alternatives. It's not easy for a starting pitcher typically to come in and get outs in a tight situation, and Miner has done a great job of that since his call-up. * Tigers win 6-3

Colon was traded from Atlanta along with Zach Miner in exchange for Kyle Farnsworth. The Tigers are winning 6-3 going into the 9th inning.

The Pistons also have re-signed restricted free agent Amir Johnson. Looks like the two players the Pistons wanted back the most (Billups and Johnson) are staying with the team. I also read on the Pistons website that Hunter will likely play another season, and the decision to re-sign Webber may be based off the play of Chieck Samb in the summer league. Flip Murray is still being used as trade bait, although I'm not sure why anyone would take him at this point. Looks like the roster is all but set, except for a few tweaks. It also looks as though the Pistons will not spend their mid-level exception on a free agent, since Grant Hill has signed with Phoenix. I'd say through the draft and Billups returning, this has been a pretty good summer for the Pistons.

I'll say the Red Wings win at least 50 next season. I figure 32 games against other Central Division opponents should be good for around 25 wins or so. That leaves 50 games remaining against the rest of the league, and I'm pretty sure they will win at least half of those. If they can manage to win a game in overtime or the shootout more frequently than last season, that should increase the point total some. Just another 50 win, 100 plus point season in Hockeytown (hopefully).

Good one. I'm glad this clown is out of the organization. Colon wasn't a good pitcher, and is an even worse person off the field. From what I read, he was allowed to continue pitching with Toledo as long as they were playing out-of-state. There is still a chance Colon could get jail time from the assualt on Jason Karnuth as well. I'm sorry for whatever team he got traded to.

Gary Sheffield is a beast with the bat right now. He abuses everything off anyone. I bet those people in the sports world that were saying the Tigers gave up too much to get Sheffield aren't saying a whole lot anymore. Another superb move by Dave Dombrowski. I bring this up because Sheff just hit a monster grand slam against Seattle.

Good point. I'm not crazy about playing Chelios with Lidstrom at all. I agree with you about resting him for the playoffs. At some point, Kronwall needs to get involved in physical play, regardless of his injury history. Every year is supposed to be Kronwall's breakout year and then the injuries come. I feel bad for the guy because he has had some freak injuries, but I want to see him live up to the hype at some point. I think Kronwall is the best candidate to play with Lidstrom, just because I don't trust Lilja enough, despite a stellar playoff run.

Are there people honestly picking Chicago to finish second this season? They have some great young talent, but it's going to take some time for them to develop. Even as poor as the Central looks, the Blackhawks will not be the second best team. My prediction is that St. Louis and Nashville willl be fighting for second for most of the season, although I don't expect either to make the playoffs. All five teams in the Northwest Division are better than them on paper, and there are three better teams in the Pacific Division. I still am leaning towards Nashville being stronger than St. Louis, despite losing some major players this off-season. The Preds still have a solid group of top six forwards, Suter and Weber on defense, and Mason is essentially a trade-off for Vokoun. The Blues were very good under Andy Murray, and I believe they even split the season series with the Red Wings. I don't understand bringing Tkachuk back, but Kariya will be a nice addition. Defense and goaltending seem to be a bit of a concern though for the Blues. Overall, I think the Predators finish ahead of the Blues slightly, but neither will honestly challenge the Red Wings for the Central Division title. Sorry for omitting Columbus, but I think they pretty much speak for themselves each season.

If Kronwall stays healthy (big if), my guess would be that Lidstrom and Kronwall would be paired together in even-strength situations. As good as Lidstrom is, playing with Lilja all the time could bring out the worst in anyone. I just hope Kronwall can stay healthy this season, or else that contract extension may start to look like a big mistake. At some point, potential needs to turn into results.

Between the combination of eating turkey and watching the Lions play, I should be able to take a good nap before the Wings game. Nothing like watching the Lions to put you to sleep. I'm surprised the Red Wings are playing on Thanksgiving though, I can't recall this happening any time recently.

I'm torn between Lidstrom and Zetterberg, but since I could only choose one I have to go with Hank.

You are right - Markov shoots left-handed. Quincey, however, though is also a lefty. Chelios and Rafalski are the righties. As far as the topic goes, I'm all for bringing Markov back for the right price. I'm thinking the longer this drags out, the better chance the Red Wings have at keeping him. I'm not sure how badly Markov even wants to stay here though. While I would be pleased to see Markov return, it won't devastate me or the team if he doesn't.

Any production the Pistons can get from the bench this season will be a great addition. The Pistons have been a seven man rotation team since the championship in 2004. McDyess and Hunter have been the bench for the past two seasons. I also read that Nazr Mohammed is likely going to be the starting center next season, barring another move by Joe D.

Unfortunately for you, it will be better when that day is finally over.

There is no doubt about it - Rafalski is a better player than Souray. Souray is solely a power-play specalist with no defensive capabilities. Rafalski brings offensive and defensive ability to the game. The only thing Souray has going for him is an incredibly wicked shot. Edmonton spent a lot of money for a cone on defense. Besides, Rafalski is a perfect fit in the Red Wings system. He is one of the best puck-moving defensemen in the league, which is a huge asset to the puck-possession game that the Wings utilize so well. I don't think there is any reason to not believe that Rafalski will be a better signing than Souray.

Ha, I remember watching that on SportsCenter the night it happened. Almost as bad as Hasek tripping over his own stick when he was going to rough-up Patrick Roy. Honestly though the best shootout goals that I have seen are Zetterberg's against Colorado this past season, and then Marek Malik scoring between his own legs for the Rangers a few years back. Malik is usually putting the puck into his own net, so that goal is even more spectacular.

Thanks for the good news. You made my night.