The Secret

Stuarts was a monster this off season. He had a bad game at the worst possible time but its not a reason to throw him out. The rest of the team didn't do much to help until the last period and in spurts. Bad game by Stewie yes but I like him on our team.

I was down on Osgood during the reg season but he was great in the playoffs.... Thanks Osgood!

What a game to have tickets too, it will be one you'll remember thats for sure. Pittsburgh is good but when we play for a 60 minute game, especially at home, I don;t think the Pens can last.... the question remains, which 08/09 Wings will show up on Friday? I think we will win in a thriller.

Not capitalizing on our chances and Pens capitalizing on theirs... Kind of hard to capitalize on anything with the piddlely amount of shot we generated in the first 2 periods. And if you are still too upset to get to game 7 on Friday I will be the good samaritan here and help you with them!

Cheap shots aside. The Pens out played us for more time then we out played them. Too much patty cake out there. One more game for our boys to put on our gear and get to work. And looking into the off season I will be very happy to see invisible Hudler and Sammy the mongo vanish from our pay roll. I was totally against Osgood during the regular season but he is playing the best hockey of his life right now. Way to prove me wrong Ozzie.... now if only we can figure out how to get Hoss moving. I really just think that we complicate our own lives by trying too much instead of simplifying things... I don't know how many times I yelled "SHOOT THE PUCK" at the TV last game and when they finally fingured that our then the game swung our way, too little too late.

The team can collectively play with playoff grit, we have seen it. But the first choice is always the pretty ticky tacky s*** that isn't going over in this series. We have to play more ugly play off hockey first and then change gears to our normal style if the game allows for it and not the other way around. Now more then ever we need a few Kronwall & Stewie special delivered with purpous on Malkin And Crosby, now more then ever we need hard shots on net and 2 crashed bang bang banging away for some garbage. MAF is not that good of a goalie but being tested from perimeter chances all the time ins't hitting the back of the net often enough... and finally our penalty kill needs to be hyper-agrresive to break up their chances. Just my thoughts, oh and where did Jiri Hudler go? Does he still play for us? Filpula is playing way better, even Maltby is, why isn't Hudler?

Your mom's special soup HAhahaha.... Oh s***, this just made me howl!!! Nice job!

We haven't even played our best hockey and we are still up 2 - 0. Pitsburgh has a very good team but we have a better and deeper team then them. Be happy with the fact that despite not having our best games we are still winning the series and know that our best is still to come... I'd be nervous if I were a Pitsburgh fan, our rookies are killing them wait till the big dogs have their say. Hoss is on the verge.

I think your probably right, all through the play offs the Pens haven't even come close to a team as deep, as skilled and as defensive minded as our Red Wings. More memorable to me then any chances that Crosby or Malkin generated was watching Hossa's lighting quick back check... man Hoss was flying in both directions last night, stealing pucks, hard shots.... or Helm who is getting better and tougher every game. Anyway, The OP made it sound like Crosby and Malkin were all hype and its simply not true, they are looking human due to the effort from our team, give them something to work with and the will make us pay. They are better then they were last year but as impossible as the media might make it sound, so are we... in every way!

Crosby and Malkin are every bit as good as their hype. The experience, leadership, depth and defensive ability on our team makes all the league's super stars look average. Not much room to work with when your facing Lidstrom and Rafalski, Zetterberg, Mule, Hudler, Osgood.

Great game by the 4th line. I also agree that Maltby played an awesome game, a new level from the regular season for sure. It's for this reason that the Pens won't be able to outlast us in a 7 game series..... Our bench is waaay to deep for them and any other team. The biggest challenge we've faced so far was in Anaheim, that Getzlaf line might be the toughest in the league to play against right now but even they were sidelined in the long run!

The song sucks really bad and so does the 100 year old DJ who plays all the lame songs at the Joe.

I'm a bit concerned judging by this video of Lidstrom going about his business filmed yesterday from around town, something just doesn't seem right:

He was honoured by being invited to drop the puck, by Chicago, IN Chicago and I am sure it just came out that way. Anyway, whats he supposed to say in front of the hometown crowd while wearing a Chicago jersey? Probie still rules in my book!!

I met Probie a few times and he always gushed about his days in Detroit. Probie has always been one of my all time faves and he's always been a Red Wing to me!

Stuart has been a monster defensively and has been pushing to the brink offensively but not quite getting it. I think Stuart will finally get some Offensive points and I'm think Hossa will continue to come out of his shell. Khabibulin not playing is the nail in the coffin for the s***Hawks.

Although you have a point, the entire team has stepped up there are a few that are still shining brighter then the rest and Stuart is one of the most noticable. Man does he ever look possessed out there. He is about to start hitting the back of the net with frequency very soon, mark my words. Stuart has been the biggest boost to our D this play IMO. Good job Stuart!

I told you all that the treat of a tarring & feathering would motivate Hoss to play hockey instead of riding our coattails. It was only a matter of time... the guy busts his hump every game and both ways and it was only a matter of time before he got his groove back.

I Hate Kane and I hate how he always has his mouth gaurd hanging out like that. I wish Franzen would have gave him a little bit of a back hand ***** slap after removing his stupid mouth guard. Now Campbell can go to the media and say how gutless Franzen is and how he used his forearm and elbow to knock the mouth guard out of his lips. Atta boy Franz!

The one thing I find to be a negative in our play is the same old thing that happen ins Detroit all the time.... too much ticky tacky fancy s***. Hey, when its working, do it but they have to be more will to play ugly play off hockey and grab some Caca goals instead of always pass, pass, pass, pass, shoot from the perimeter, back off.... If the pretty stuff isn't finding its way through throw those hard wristers 2 the net with 2 guys busting in for a rebound. I mentioned wristers too for a reason, wristers are more accurate and take less time to get off then winding up for a big predictable slapper... Hossa has one of the best and fastest wristers I have seen and he will be deadly if he starts leaning into more of them. Hoss will findhis touch, mark my words but in the mean time he is working hard defensively and trying hard offensively why be negative about that.

I think the only thing to do would be a good old fashioned tarring & feathering... if that doesn't do it nothing will. Really, Hossa is a defensive machine. The guy busts his ass always, all the time. If I were Babcock I would be asking him to make 1 less pass and lean into more of those laser beam wrist shots he can throw from anywhere. If Hossa simplifies his game he is scoring more goals. He is going to be important for us and he will find his groove again. He didn't leave othe rhigh profile offers from other teams to come here for less moneyto work his ass off all year and "ride our coat tails" for the rest. The guy is giving his 100% effort and isn't fidning it yet. I was a big doubter that Osgood could find himself magically for the play offs and I have been proven wrong. Osgood is playing like we need him to and so will Hossa. Hossa is a winner, he will get it going.

I'm not a fan of Buttfuglin and I HATE how Patty Kane is always chewing on his f*ck*ng white mouth guard.... I hope he swalows it.

I still believe that Osgood is a product of the system here in Detroit. I don't think his career stats would be remotely the same had he been a product of another system. I still do believe his main issue is inconsistency BUT... He is the perfect goalie for our system, he does find a way to win (sometimes brilliantly and sometimes very ugly), he can steal the show once in a while, his key too success:when on a roll he makes important saves at the right times, he is a Detroit Red Wing in mind and spirit. Thank God he is getting the job done now after a horrible regular season!

We have a great hockey mind on our bench too... he is not quite to the Bowman level but he is young in his career and doing a great job. We have too much experience, not to take the Hawks lightly at all. Plus, Bowmans been there all year and we still had a winning regular season record over them. Wings in 5!

A Crosby sucks thread.... how original, great job OP! Keep up the good work.