Grypho

I predicted a 12-0 shutout for the Wings, so I have to say I'm a just little disappointed with this underachievement tonight. Hopefully they can step it up a bit for Game 4. What a game!

Strangest thing here in Wuxi. I was at Ronnie's Aussie pub last night. All Habs fans that I know here, two of whom were there in the pub, are all rooting for Buffalo! Shocked the hell out of me. I said, "What about national pride, and the only Canadian team still in contention for the Cup?" "Oh the National pride is still there, you just have to know where to look for it," grinned Francois, a huge hulk of an expat with a thick French accent. "Think about it," he grins as he punches me in the arm, "More Quebecers playing for Buffalo. Same as Anaheim, look at their goal tender." I jabbed back at him in his gut. "That's not National pride, you racist bastard, that's nationalistic local pride, you snooty Quebecer you!" Francois laughs and shakes his head. "Nah, you just don't understand." "No? Well I understand, 'GO SENS!'" It would have been way funnier if any of the other Canadians were around to hear it. I can't wait to hand Francois a broom tonight time I see him. "Something needs sweeping, but the job's only halfway done so far. Would you like to do the honors, Francois, or should I offer this to someone from Canada who lives outside of Quebec?" Is this a trend? Are there other Canadian fans here rooting for Buffalo?

3-0 lead with a 1-0 SHUTOUT? That game was nothing short of amazing.

Last night I asked, "Francois, is this a secret Canadian conspiracy to jinx the Sabres? If so, it appears to be working." (and Judging how Game 3 is now going, it looks like the Sens may be prepping for a sweep!)

Well, I don't agree with how you feel about Hasek, but then again, I'm not a Ducks fan, and I do recognize that fans from other teams are going to see things differently.

I didn't even bother making a puck for a Ducks win for my sigline. Oh well, I'll get to it later. I'll make it a flukey looking one, and I'll review it twice before posting it.

Son of a *****.

NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

I told him that I picked Ottawa to win in 6, but that after watching Game 1, I think I might have screwed up by a one or two game margin of victory. "Ah, that's just first game luck. Lots of nerves for both sides that needed to settle down. I'll be back to talk with you after Game 2, and then we will have a real discussion." Yeah baby. Can't wait for that 'discussion'. I don't think I'll say a word. Why say anything when a simple smirk will suffice to say it all!

puckbag, time to change your sig. 16 - 9 = 7 WINS TO THE CUP (aka - more than halfway there)

The goal tending was stellar, but the PKing was the single most telling factor, I thought. That alone made me think, Oh spoiled duckies, throw out all your prior expectations and get ready for a wild ride. This team just won't allow itself to be seriously dominated by anyone, and NO TEAM is coasting to the Cup this year.

See, let this be a lesson to Wings and their fans. Looks like Melrose might be right after all. The Wings have had it easy until now, but this stunning upset by the Ducks win tonight was all due to their size, speed, grit, and it's obvious that their will to win that is simply orders of magnitude beyond anything that the outclassed, outsized Wings could ever hope to conjure or match. BTW, I couldn't get my network stream working, so I wasn't able to see or hear the game, but many thanks to the my brother-in-law in Anaheim, a Ducks fan who kept me updated with information on the Ducks 7-0 shutout victory in Game 1. With his descriptions I practically saw Pronger's five shorthanded goals, and felt like I was there on the ice myself. My condolences for the 8 Wings that had to be carried off on stretchers. Oh. One last thing. moohoohahaha.

OK, once again, I found something I wasn't looking for. It's not mine, it's a blast from the past. Cracked me up, so despite the fact that I'm rooting for the Wings, I must share...

DET/ANA - Detroit in 5 BUF/OTT - Ottawa in 6

OK, couldn't resist a cheap little slap together of my own, as a tribute to those tireless and dedicated banned fans.

Aye, and there's the rub - and hopefully, as a matter of consequence, an overly bloated sense of confidence for Ducks and fans alike - not just the sports pundits who favor Anaheim. When two truly good teams with different styles of play come up agains one another, it can give the illusion that neither team is very good, just as an unstoppable force meets an immovable object, and everything slows to a crawl. In the last series, each team took turns making the other look flat; the Sharks owned the Wings on starts, and the Wings owned the Sharks on far more finishes, by and large. But were either of them really, truly flat at any time? I'm not too impressed with what you were not too impressed with in that series, to be honest, because I think you, along with many others, read it all wrong. Those were two amazing teams that played each other, and traded energy as a battle of playing styles back and forth meant that each took turns at making the other look incompetent -- or, as you put it, flat. As for how the Ducks will fare in this series: gwagwagwagwagwag... (means "good luck" in Duck speak, or so I'm told)

Thanks again, and I hope that isn't the rule in this series. Hopefully you'll get some class Duck fans in here to set the tempo and ride herd on the more snot-sleeved trash-talkers who have no real appreciation for the sport, let alone sportsmanship. Plus, I think Matt and the mods here do a pretty good job of keeping the garden weeded, so there's always that.

Still here, still posting, and smiling at some of the duck fan droppings that are already being left in your forum. Surprised me, actually. I thought they'd be more like a lot of the fans on their boards than just some simpleton bandwagoning trolls and homers. Boy, all that cockiness rolled up into one nasty little trolling ball. It has me smirking, that's for sure. Oh, btw Booth, the name of your team is Ducks, not Duck. And don't thank me, I'm just here to help.

I see a lot of Wings fans from all over the world, but I can't tell who's a primary Wings fan and who's a Wings fans for the rest of this season, but would otherwise root for another team. Step up, bandwagon fans! Who are you, who's your original team, and why are you now on the bandwagon? Also, out of my own curiosity, are there any Calgary fans on the bandwagon here? I have a brother-in-law from Medicine Hat and used to compete in the Stampede, and was on your bandwagon after you defeated us in Game 6 back in the day. Conversely, are there any bandwagon fans of the Ducks fans here? If so, same questions. WHO: I'm Grypho. I've lived in Wuxi China (Mainland PRC, west of Shanghai) for three months now, but moved here from San Jose. MY TEAM: I am a die-hard Sharks fan - weened on Sharks hockey since their expansion into the league, and I am now on the Winged Welcome Wagon, solidly behind Detroit for the duration. WHY: Because I love and respect their fans (this forum's fans specifically) as well as their team, and really, really enjoyed watching what I thought was a very cleanly fought series. Where others were downing either team during the series for "not showing up", etc., all I saw was a shift in the style of play that made the other team look extremely bad. It's easy to read the ice and the efforts and the shifts of momentum from a bird's eye view from an armchair, but when you're being sucked into a style of play that isn't your strong suit, you can end up looking incompetent to the casual observer. For the most part, all I saw was an extremely well played series on someone's part the whole time, as the balance of style and power shifted back and forth. Kudos to the Wings for finding a way, persevering, and sticking to their guns. Now I want to see them do some more of that voodoo that they did so well. How about you?

Definitely never underestimate the power of underdog status. I smirk when I hear everyone calling it a slam dunk for the Ducks. Been there! Deja vu all over again. This series will be interesting, to say the least.

Have to admit, it made me shake my head and say, "Oh, Barry, would you STFU please." Not a good sign, IMO, when you get the mullet nod.

He's about the only thing I have against the Ducks. I like their fans, I like their team - nothing but respect for them, actually. But I personally dislike Pronger. I admire and respect his skills and talent, don't get me wrong, but he's always been a crybaby to me, a bad sport for the most part, and I must confess that I do enjoy seeing his cage get rattled. All personal, no business. On the other hand, I DO NOT feel that was about Teemu Selanne. I like him very much.

I'll be having Peking Duck here tonight. Deelish when prepared right, and there's a resaurant here in Wuxi that does just that.