RedRockit

You mean this one? (#3) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJFbUcTc1Ws LOL @ Slava "Sheppard"!

That's one way of looking at it, and I agree that more size would have been terrific, especially against the Ducks, but what we needed MOST in that series was a shooter with vision to beat Jiggy, and a playmaker to get the puck through those shut-down passing lanes. Koz could have done both, and I'd love to see him back. There just aren't any big power forwards out there that we can afford-- certainly none with the skills I'd want for the Wings.

Kindasorta yep, if you consider of any significance the fact that Oz was starting goalie for the '97 regular season. He got us to playoffs, then Vernon stepped in and sealed the deal. Unless by "nope' you are objecting to the term 'led'-- Stevie obviously was the one who led us to the '90s Cups!

Dom will not leave us twisting in the wind while he decides. I believe that he will make his announcement (cues in The Clash's: "Should I Stay Or Should I Go") shortly after the SCF game. If he stays, terrific (I'm thinking he will, his son has one more year of HS). If he goes, then I'm thinking it's Ozzie. Dunno if it's the best choice, but I don't think they'll go after Jiggy at any rate.

Ehh, I'm not making too much of this article, it's just a journalistic hook devised to spark debate (which it's doing quite well here, heh). To add my tuppence: don't forget Pronger was a big part in winning a gold medal for CAN in the Olys-- the first one in 50 years. While Canada may divide their loyalties when it comes to the NHL, they are united in passion for their national team, and Pronger's been on three of 'em. A non-hockey friend from Ontario tells me the same thing-- it's the Leafs Effect.

My thinking exactly. Holland is holding a lot of good cards here and I bet he wins this particular pot. Servo's knowledgeable medico post bummed me out however-- it knocked my rose-colored glasses off, a little. The likelihood of a return to greatness from Bert seems no longer feasible, so in that case, are his skills still worth keeping for the Wings next run? I'm sure that Babs will have some input on this-- it comes down to what he needs, and what he can reasonably expect, from Bert.

and Classy move, I'm sure it meant a great deal to him. (wut no roses? corsage? Didn't anyone ever tell OsGod that if he's gonna go out with a new guy for hockey season he should at least bring him chocolates?) Bert stays, I hope. I'm not as concerned about the back injury issue as perhaps I should be: he had a relatively strong finish to the playoff season despite the injured tailbone, and I just love his attitude and ethic and the strong desire he showed. I think he's got a lot of great hockey miles to go on him, and I can't see us getting anyone near his quality for the price I'm thinking Holland's gonna get him to agree to.

I have no idea. Maybe that's the point of all the wine?

The bolded part gave me a moment's uneasy pause. He wouldn't... Nahhhh. Would he? [edited for html impairment]

I know exactly what you mean. I read it and I was all "like, what is this dude talkin' about"... then I dropped some killa LSD and then it became, like, real meaningful and deep, y'know, and it made complete sense and like, answered all questions. I think that post is the solution for creating whirled peas. BTW, I also saw God (Lou_Siffer, he's looking for you and boy is he PISSED!) and he really IS Yzerman.

Duckette, I think/hope that maybe you're looking at it the wrong way-- it seems to me that Jiggy got a laugh out of it, and that's rather a healthy thing when someone is going through the incredible stress that he must have been/is under. At least, I'm choosing to wear my rose-colored glasses about this.... I'm certainly not recommending home renovation via TP as a stress cure, just hoping that the family was indeed amused (per Jiggy's remarks) and not upset. Personally, I knew nothing about his son's health issues till I read them in this thread, and I read, near compulsively, articles from Detroit papers, ESPN, TSN, NHL.com, and all the newspapers from your neck of the woods (even looked at Duck boards a time or three), and I still missed any mention of it. (which, in retrospect, seems a good thing: players' personal lives are no one else's business) Best wishes for a speedy and happy outcome for the babe.

Didn't ESPN use to rerun games late at night, or am I thinking of FSN Detroit? CBC will occasionally air a classic hockey game (generally a Gretzky one, of course) in the middle of the night. Couple of times I've fallen asleep with CBC programming running and woken up to that... it can be pretty trippy for a moment or two while you're sleepily trying to remember what decade it actually is...

Well, yes and no. When he first came back, he was competing with Manny for #1, but The Ozzman Groineth'd and then re-groineth'd in the playoffs. When he RE-signed the next season, we had snagged Dom and yesindeedyou'reright, he was intended for the backup slot. Why not? He was coming back from bigtime injury, we got him cheap, we had the best goalie ever for #1. But I'd have as much faith in Ozzie at #1, should Dom retire, as I would have in most other goalies, especially considering no acquired goalie would work for peanuts and love as Ozzie is. I'd rather spend the salary $$ on other areas that need addressing (goal scorer, maybe also a big mean hitman for the next Duck game... heh) Furthermore, I'd have as much faith in Ozzie at #1 again as I did in '98, which is to say: sometimes a whole lotta faith, sometimes covering my eyes in horror...

Your Freudian slip is showing. And this cup you speak of, would that be the '98 Stanley Cup for which Ozzie backed us in net?

Stanley's Cup o' Joe -- fine vintage coffees from '97, '98, and '02. Senior citizens, ask for our special Greek-style coffee, the Cheli, or our decaf, the Dom (decaf only served when the barista is bored). Fight Nights on the 26th-- Red-Hot Wings, Turtle Soup, and Paddy Melts will be served. Looking for something to set your next party apart from the rest? Look no further than Al's House of Octopi for your freshly iced octopus appetizer. Mike Ilitch's Little Caesar's Pizza... never mind, it's been done. [edited to say, darnit, HT0001, you beat me to it]

I kept wishing for him all playoffs, I felt that he could have found a key to unlock Jiggy's chastity belt, he's amazing at seeing the invisible and he's a playmaker. At trade deadline, I read that ATL's Zhitnik acquisition might require Slava to take a cut if he wants to stay in ATL (he and Z are good friends), but he had 80 points on the season, so I'd think ATL might up his $2 mil, but then again, Slava didn't perform to expectations in post (not that any of 'em did).

He's pimp*, period. His netminding may be cheesy on occasion, but gotta love that joyous smile in the face of danger. *pimp: 1. adj. Very admirable or desirable. Extremely good. "Check out his pimp ride!" 2. n. a male who is extremely admirable, especially with the women. "Take notes fellas, I'm the pimp!" Back on topic: that pic of Cheli walking out so sadly gave me a serious case of verklempt. *sigh*

That was so sweet of him... do wish he would have been around with some of those napkins when Homer lay bleeding on the ice. Maybe he was too busy cheering it along with fellow Duckfans?

*sheepishly* I so didl

You buy your son authentic jerseys in your own size for Christmas and his birthday, then steal 'em back from him for the playoffs.

Great point. REALLY great point. It's just that Hockeytown expects SO much of their coaches (not to mention goalies) every year, and are just brutal on 'em when they fail to deliver (or what is perceived as 'failing to deliver'-- any other town'd be buying 'em champagne).

I'll be glued to CBC telly for the finals-- can't wait to see Grapes' next killa suit! Cheering for Sens, but not so much that I can't enjoy great play by either team (except for the Ducks own Dr. Evil). I'd never not watch the finals personally: for one thing, it's the last bit of hockey for the year, and for another: you never know who might be showing up in red in the next few years and I think it's important for me, purely on a fan-type basis, to become informed about the play, the resiliency, and more importantly, the character, of said potential player.

Same thing with Buffalo v. Sens-- they were crashing the net on Miller, interference, holding, and tripping everytime Buf tried to dump it in, boarding (Alfy injuring Tallinder-- no call, BTW)-- stuff that would have never happened had they Scott Stevens on the bench, heh. Sens played physical (read: whatever they could get away with) against the skilled Sabres and came out on top same way Ducks v. Wings. I believe that the Ducks will be far and away better at out-physicalling the Sens.Cheering Sens, betting Ducks. Back OT: If this postseason has any lessons to take away, it's that tough guys are NOT a thing of the past. We need one badly. A big one. One that will sign his contract clause to castrate a certain Duck next year in blood... *dreaming bloodthirstedly*

I can't see spending the $$ on Drury (even were it less than that projection), although he'd be an amazing addition and would look pretty in red. It's also not KH style to get a guy like him when he's expensively hot, but it wouldn't surprise me a bit to see Chris in Detroit a few years from now on the cheap. Briere? Like him a lot, but SabFriend tells me that, while initially sold on him, he makes a lot of dumb mistakes (even in regular season) and can be as much of a liability as an asset. Make no mistake, he's a great player, but he gets easily rattled and I def don't want him.

Hey, where you going? There's just a LITTLE bit more hockey to discuss-- some kind of championship series, I believe? I'd love to have you, and hockeymom, and Duckette, and even *cough*justtheducks*choke* on board here for that. I'm new here, and one of the reasons I came out of lurk mode was the way that RWingnuts here treat opponent fans, try to respect other POVs, and talk hockey not trash. (well, a certain amount of trashtalk, but that's also part of hockey!) Speaking of trashtalk, while I congratulate the Ducks on their victory, I also have to tell ya, it's Sens all the way for me-- heck, I was (secretly) cheering for them over BUF, even though my best friend lives and dies by the Sabre. But I've little emotional investment either way, and that can be a Good Thing in hockey fanship-- if I see the Ducks doing something good and the Sens something bad, be sure that I'll call it. The refs won't. It's been great to see your posts, DuckFans. Don't forget LGW when you need to talk knowledgeable hockey, because many posters here have forgotten more hockey than I'll ever know.