Bad Vlad Forever

I was making an all night trip to Akron, Oh and had waited to leave to watch them clinch it. The whole drive down Telegraph, fans were standing in the street with signs, yelling and screaming, it was incredible. I will be 100 years old, and will never forget that.

LV and KC? ugh

At the very least, it will be interesting to see how it all plays out. But just off the top of my head thinking 'if you could have any one you want in goal for the wings...', Giguere popped in my head first. Hasek is plenty capable when he's at his best. Here's to hoping for the best

Actual co-worker conversation overheard just now Coworker 1: oh yeah, the ducks played last night, did they win? Coworker 2: yeah, they did

So it's moronic to get a guy on the top of his game, with incredible playoff capability? As opposed to for a phenominal, injury proned, year to year goalie, whose best days may well be gone, based soley on sentiment? Or is it moronic to roll the dice with a dynasy in the making, perhaps? I guess it's all perspective. I'm incredibly appreciative of all Hasek has done here, and he's still a great asset. But like you said, he's a gamble. I won't throw game 6 vs the Ducks in his face here, because everyone's allowed an off night. I also realize that Giguere probably doesn't want to come here, family loves cali, has a newborn, etc.... Anyways, ideally I'd love to see some young unknown come in and take the reigns but I realize that's wishful thinking.

I wish we could put together something with Giguere, but sans that, I guess Dom can come back.

This will be interesting and a little dismaying to see, as I reside in Duckland. The Ducks were definitely not even the lead story on the news last night. They were about 3rd. I also guarantee, I will not see anybody wearing any championship gear, either. They just don't 'get it' here. I know, the Ponda holds 19,000 but there's more than 13 million people in LA/OC. The only upside to this is that I may get to go see the cup again, but I'll be cloaked in Red when i do so. Congrats Ducks, here's to hoping your silly name never graces Lord Stanley's Cup ever again.

You raise a good point that goes largely unnoticed around LGW. He pulled that crap at the end of his tenure in Detroit as well. Just showing up for the playoffs. He then did the same garbage in Anaheim. Honestly, I don't think we should ever welcome him back, and not because his conceit....but the Wings just shouldn't look forward by going backwards. This always bites us in the ass. Scout young, capable talent, and get them to work within the coaches system. Sports in general are always poorly served when you bring in big names and let them have the run of the show and build your team around them. Ask the Lakers, Yankees, and Cubs how they've been doing with all that money they've thrown into marquee players. You can't buy a championship anymore, and we definitely shouldn't try. Let the glory days be the glory days, and let's go about the business of focusing on a new dynasy.

We should all chip in, but ALL ducks championship gear, light it on fire, and extinguish it with our collective urine while chanting LETS GO RED WINGS Just a thought

Personally, I don't think the Ducks are a goon squad (Pronger aside) and if I saw that happen where the Ducks did it to the Sens, my comments would still apply. This is HOCKEY, not tennis. If the NHL wants to crack down on intent plays on the head, that's totally understandable. But anything else, dirty, clean, subversive or otherwise....should just be called hockey. Give penalties where applicable...and if a person wants to make a classless play, it's on them. Honestly, I think he did it to get his team fired up.

1. Regarding Alfie: A defensemen took a slapshot off the shin pads? This has never happened in hockey before! Someone better run right out and tell all defensemen that they CAN NOW shotblock with their shinpads. (Good for Alfie for trying to fire up his team) 2. If a duck had done that: See above 3. Senator throwing suckerpunches in scrums: This has also never happened in the history of hockey!!!! Especially by anyone on the Ducks!!!! I think suspensions are reserved for head injury 'checks' and 'high sticks' at velocity (McSorely, Pronger). Fighting in a scrum has nothing to do with this. Who got injured from this? I forget.... 4. Ducks are up 3-1 in the series, and you're whining why?

I'd clear as much cap room as I could and roll the Red Carpet (pun intended) out for Giguere. He's the only Duck I want anything to do with.

Cherry is a legend. I would much, much, much rather watch him than those clowns on NBC. Because of where I live now, I haven't seen Don in years and years. Good to know he's still at it, and yes, he's a loudmouth....but you know what? I agreed 100% with everything he said last night. Best Cherry quote ever "...Folks, hockey's a tough game. Here's a couple of tips on how to avoid injury. #1-Don't pick a fight with Bobby Probert"

Give me a break. The guy tried to get his team fired up. Nobody got hurt. Nobody got hit in the head. Nobody received stitches, or was knocked out. There's a reason that defensemen wear shin protectors. Yeah, it wasn't cool or whatever, but it's nowhere in the league of a blindsided, cheapshot to someones head

She's very indicative of the people that live here, sad to say.

I hear that Anaheim corks their sticks and use pine tar on their friction tape!!!!

All I know is that the Ducks fans all chant the chorus from Bro Hymn everytime they get a goal. Horrible

I heard he won't shake hands with the trophy presenter!

The truth is that Getzlaf is in on the majority of Ducks scoring opportunities. We could use another guy like him on our roster.

When you go out to buy new hockey sticks for your season opener, and choose the Yzerman blade length/curl over the Sakic, even though Joe's might fit your playing style a little better because f*** SAKIC right?

If the Ducks pull it off, the victory parade will consist of the players, players families, coaches, and two fans donning "CONGRATS TO OUR KINGS' and 'BEAT THE ROYALS' signs. They'll probably forget to bring the cup. Pathetic.

Actually, there's a ton of great youth hockey going on here in So Cal. Most of the kids' parents are from the midwest or Canada, but the seeds are being planted.

There's so many people here, that it's pretty easy to fill the Ponda. Especially when the team is 'doing good' and 'in the finals'. That said, the average native californian could care so much less about hockey, it's pretty ridiculous. To give you an idea of how bad it can get around here, remember seeing Lakers games being 1/2 capacity during the regular season last year??? And they're one of the most prolific sports franchises of the past 20 years!

"I'm cheering for the other guys to beat the Ducks because I am a Red Wings fan," he said to hoots of derision from his friends. "I predict Ottawa will win it in three." ^^^^ hahaha

Ok, I have to commiserate here.... Let me preface this by saying that there are plenty of hockey fans in Cali that are legit. Our RWNW president being one of them! My coworker being another. But.... I was taken to game 6 Ducks/Wings by some of my Duck fan neighbors. One of whom is a goalie from candada and a coach to boot, he definitely knew his stuff and was a joy to be around. The other two (married couple) however....ugh. They spent the whole night asking me the most basic of rules. Icing, Offsides, how a two line pass used to work. It was a little bit disheartening, but I gave them the benefit of the doubt. To be honest, they're trying really hard in Anaheim to emulate a real interest in hockey. Then the other night happened... My wife was hosting all the ladies on the street for their book club, and said neighbor shows up and asks my wife the following 1. Did you know that the Stanley Cup is not made new every year for the championship team, and that it has been the same trophy for years and years? 2. Did you know that the rings on the stanley cup have the team names, and that every so often, they take the top ring off and retire it so that more team's names can be added? My wife was gracious, but wow, just wow. Like we would walk into her house and say 'Hey, I had no idea that the Lakers were a good team in the past!?!'. Don't insult us in our house! When I was at the game with this couple, I asked the guy if his wife was a So Cal native. His response...'are you kidding me? 6' dyed blone with big fake boobs...yeah, she's from here' I also saw a sign at the game being held by an Anaheim fan saying 'The REAL Hockeytown'. I laughed. I better tell my neighbor that the winning team will take an individual lap with the cup, otherwise, she might leave early. God bless them Duck fans, they may just figure it out yet.