Vladifan

\ As Tweekvp so brilliantly pointed out, Hossa can consider this a #4, because it's the fourth series they've played to win the STANLEY CUP. I can live with that. Hell, if Hossa had four moles on his butt, I could go with that.

GO, WINGS!! GO, SWEET OZZIE!!!

Naw. Not possible. Rushie would probably brand them all Commies because of all that red. He's a pompous idiot who is self-destructing before our very eyes. Even his Republican friends are telling him in essence to shut the hell up.

Right on all counts. Only thing I'm worried about is you know the Penguins are gonna go after him. The refs better be on.the.job. I gotta say here I'm very grateful McCreary's gonna be on the ice. He is absolutely straight-arrow. Whoa. I just remembered something. When we are at the game in Detroit Wednesday he reffed the game. After Karen sang the national anthem, McCreary stood very still in the middle of the ice, facing the flag and looking up for about 30 seconds. I'm not sure if he was thinking about the game and praying to the hockey gods or if he was saluting the flag in his own way. Either way, it's an image that will stick with me for some time to come. OK, I'm done now.

I thought about him doing well too. Don't know why, but he is due. And Homer's due.

Thanks for this, Mindfly. It was fun!

The more I think about it, you're asking the impossible. You are asking that collectively as a group/message board, we do what you ask. It wouldn't matter what you're asking. There's no way in hell it can happen. We have nutcases and posters who will argue for the hell of it on our boards just as you do on yours. I think your ego made you come here and make this request - one that's impossible to fulfill. You had to know that going in.

^^THIS ALSO^^

We all remember how well and how hard they played during the last three series when they knew it counted. Meanwhile, the Pens last played the Canes who had.no.power.play.smarts. among other problems...'Nuff said.

OK, I'd just love to learn something new this week...I found Bernie on my hard drive; I have it saved. I think it's in a little box on the right hand side of the ImageShack screen, plus three other boxes in the middle for forums or websites. I'm assuming those are the urls you talked about. You mentioned "putting it between the tags". What tags? Where? When I click on the little box on the right, it takes me to two other screens with possible sites on which to post it. Nuthin'. Then I tried to copy and paste to this thread and couldn't get anything to happen. Help?

Hmmm. Hadn't thought of it that way. I suppose Holland would, but I can't imagine Babcock not having a voice in those kinds of decision(s). Either way, I think it's all within the range of plausibility.

??!!! Interesting. I don't recognize your name as even a semi-regular on here. Doesn't mean you can't voice your opinion, but I not only don't agree with your take, you don't have much cred in my eyes at the moment.

As a Wings' fan since '94 I agree with your take. This is the only Wings' message board I come to anymore. The rest seem to have more than their share of classless cretins. Of course, speaking for myself (who the hell else would, I ask...!) I'm always calm, reasonable and logical. And of course, I'm always right, too. :deal:

Totally agree that Datsyuk and Babcock could either be faking it or it is a mind-game played by Babs. I wrote this earlier today on another thread: There's no way we'll ever know and this is all conjecture, but yes. I think Babcock could be sure enough of his players that he felt it was more important to rest Lidstrom at that point. I believe he really believes in his players...that they have the mindset and team perspective that they're better than anybody when they want to play that way and that their depth could/would see them through Wednesday's game. Furthermore, I want to think that Datsyuk - even though he got hit in the same area with a second puck - is ready to play and I'd love to think he's been re-conditioning and skating elsewhere. That is, if that's legal by the NHL's most curious rules. Babcock is a brilliant, ballsy, hard-nosed coach and I think he's capable of any or all of the above.

There's no way we'll ever know and this is all conjecture, but yes. I think Babcock could be sure enough of his players that he felt it was more important to rest Lidstrom at that point. I believe he really believes in his players...that they have the mindset and team perspective that they're better than anybody when they want to play that way and that their depth could/would see them through Wednesday's game. Furthermore, I want to think that Datsyuk - even though he got hit in the same area with a second puck - is ready to play and I'd love to think he's been re-conditioning and skating elsewhere. That is, if that's legal by the NHL's most curious rules. Babcock is a brilliant, ballsy, hard-nosed coach and I think he's capable of any or all of the above.

Or our ex-Republican administration.

Right now, if I can't have it all from Dats, I sure as hell will take his defensive play. Especially against the likes of Crosby and Malkin.

I have this hope that not only do we successfully harrass Crosby and Malkin, but that Malkin reacts like he did last time we played. And that is he.is.intimidated. I don't think...OK, I hope he doesn't have the chutzpah that Crosby does and that he is directly and negatively affected by our swarming him at any and all times.

Oh, I was hoping they did it the new-fangled way. Yeeeehaaaa! Meanwhile, you can call up any stats, any players and any and all historic whatever. Bottom line is the Pens need to have their butts handed to them because of all the sickening, obscene marketing-type hype that Buttman and the NHL have inundated us with about the golden boy and his hotshot sidekick. I lift my leg on their profiteering logic. For that reason alone, I hate them and they need to go down.

DET/PITT 4-1

:colorbounce: :deal:

We were there!! And I so want to read this whole thread but I'm still wiped from the experience. Everything you say here is right on and now that I know some of the stats it just makes the whole experience that much more meaningful. I was so proud of the team for not backing down when they had every excuse to do so. Ozzie was brilliant, positionally and any way else you can think of. Calm and focused. Chelios had an excellent game. You shoulda seen him barreling up the ice to get the icing!! Oh, you did?! And indeed, Lebda probably had one of his best games. Helm never ever let up. Hossa was everywhere and had some great shot attempts and almost-assists. Zetts had a couple of iffy passes but other than that.... And the opening extravaganza was absolutely mind-blowing. I swear I can still feel the sound vibrating through my bod. The fire jets! The laser show! The kids skating on the ice with the flags!! Wowza!! Broadway's got nuthin' on whoever put that all together. Because of their grit, their talent, their stamina, their perspective, their sense of team and purpose, they. are.the.best.athletic.team.out.there.bar.none. They are a phenomenon for the ages. At least the athletic ages. The Pens have two stars. The Wings are a TEAM.

I'm hyped positively for this series with the Pens but I'd be almost ecstatic to have a well-rested Lidstrom and a healed Datsyuk back.

Hmmm. I thought at first this was Scott Parker, the ex-goon from the Avs. It does indeed sound like something he'd write. That is, if he could write...or read...or....

This is exactly where I am. From what I saw of the Pens in their series, yeah, they looked aggressive on defense, but not all that organized nor was it sustained and focused. Again - our players are taught from the git-go to be just as efficient and hard-working on defense as they are on offense. That should be our saving grace.