VM1138

Are you aware that most of the US is rural area? The Dakota's have like... 1 person every 40 miles. Public transportation only works in big cities or between big cities, which are basically just along the coasts in the US. Most every other country is geographically small with high concentrations of population. The US, Canada, Russia, etc don't fit that mold.

Anyone know the deal with the TV schedule? Mine (ATT Uverse) shows it on VS at 10, not on FSD at all (baseball, blech). So...do we just get to watch the last part of the game after the first hockey game on VS ends tonight? That would suck...

I'm confused. My TV schedule shows the Chicago game on VS til 9:30, then a hockey special, then the Wings on at 10. So is the game at 9 or 10?

I think it's fair to say the odds are good that the West will be represented by Detroit or Chicago, but I don't see Boston or Montreal beating Pittsburgh or Philly. Sad to say, we will never get an original 6 Cup Final. Every time we get close something always happens to throw it off. That would be a marketing and TV bonanza, but it won't ever happen.

It is when your team is the superior team.

I kind of like only having one day off in between. There's very little travel, they should be well rested and ready without being rusty. If they win in 5 or 6 games they'll get a few days off before the next series and can catch up on some rest then. Just please God don't go to 7 games again! Wings in 6.

I haven't followed San Jose as closely as I should have all year, and I really, really don't want to get cocky or anything and curse this team, but after Phoenix I'm not raelly sure the Wings should be worried about San Jose. Don't they just play an inferior version of Red Wings hockey, with less talented defense and a flaky goalie? Aside from Big Joe, Pavelski and maybe Setoguchi is there any serious threat on the team?

The best offense in the league better show up and prove it's the best right about now. Let's go Caps!

What are you doing Montreal?! You're screwing this up for everyone who doesn't want Pittsburgh to be in the finals! You need to throw this game!

Yeah, he needs to score, but how is getting points in every game not effective? Along with those points come goals scored. Without those points those goals aren't scored and therefore this series could have ended up very differently. The good news is that aside from Halak and Howard, there are no truly great goalies left in these playoffs. I'd like to include Howard, so I expect Franzen to start lighting them up.

Work is going to go by so slowly today, can't wait for the game tonight, Go Wings!

I like the idea of rotating Abdelkader into the top line. He's responsible enough that it wouldn't be too too risky, considering Phoenix doesn't have any superstars that could really take advantage of his inexperience, and he could bring an entirely new element to the top line and throw Phoenix's Number 1 line off balance at the same time.

Pittsburgh will have a cakewalk to the finals again, but the good news is that any one of the remaining Western teams could beat them. The only thing they have going for them is Crosby and we all know how easily Zetterberg shuts him down every year.

Good God, if the Caps fall in the 1st Round there's no one strong enough to handle Pittsburgh in the East and they'll have another cakewalk to the Finals.... Damnit.

This is the decisive moment of the season. Win or go home. But, for some odd reason, despite feeling really nervous and excited, I don't really have that feeling that the season will be over tomorrow. Hopefully a good sign? Please God, Red Wings, after reading Albom's article in the Freep today it all really comes into focus. The legacy is on the line. Will the greatest hockey legacy of the modern era be ended by an upstart team from a desert? Phoenix has put up a hell of a fight, but the Wings have taken out Cinderella teams before. They can do it again. Just show up, Wings!

As far as defense goes after Lidstrom retires, I'd feel comfortable with: Kronwall-Stuart FA-Rafalski Ericsson-Lilja As far as the forward lines, I don't see how we can sign ANYONE, simply because there isn't a roster spot open. Unless we trade or get rid of some people we've already got a backlog: Franzen-Datsyuk-Holmstrom Hudler-Filpulla-Zetterberg Miller-Helm-Eaves/Cleary Abdelkader-Draper-Cleary/Eaves/Maltby. That's assuming Bertuzzi and Williams are gone. We know Williams is a goner. And I think Bertuzzi's future depends on who we keep out of Miller/Eaves/Maltby and if we sign a bigger name forward. EDIT: Wow, I forgot about Kindl and Ritola, as well. We've got quite a backlog of people who need a spot or to be traded or let go.

This series reminds me a lot of the Anaheim series last year. Anaheim was really the better team (as is Phoenix) in many games, but the Wings got that lucky last second goal by Cleary. Then they were fine for most of the rest of the playoffs. Let's hope we get a repeat here and Phoenix is the toughest team we'll face (which seems likely, based on who is left).

I don't so much "respect" them as I just don't care. Unlike most series, I just don't hate them. They're a one-off Cinderella team that makes a good story, but ultimately there isn't anything really all that memorable about them. They may win the series, and even win the Cup, but I'd bet money they won't be in the playoffs next year. It is amazing how they hang in every game, though, and work really hard.

I kind of agree. Dats and Z just don't have the chemistry anymore. But then again part of me hopes that if it could be sparked again they would dominate. But frankly I'd rather keep the 2nd line in tact and just keep switching out Franzen/Homer with Eaves/Miller/Helm/Abdelkader until something clicks.

Yeah, sadly Game 7's don't care who the better team is. I hate not knowing which Wings team will show up, although they didn't play all that bad today. It was just one of those terrible bad luck games where everything was stacked against them. I consider the disgusting PK and PP play to be aberration, like in Game 1, so I'm not concerned in that front.

Howard was terrible. This was just a game the Wings couldn't win no matter what. Posts, missed empty nets, ridiculous non-calls and ridiculous penalties. Crazy bad bounces and a weak Howard combines to a devastating loss. Now we're stuck with a Game 7 which can go either way. Considering how badly the bounces went today, going into a game where one bad bounce decides the series is not where the Wings want to be right now...

Please, finish Phoenix off today!

Bye bye Williams! Don't let the door hit you on the way out! He should really be ashamed that he's wasted the time of the Red Wings by giving absolutely no effort in any game. What a bum. Franzen-Datsyuk-Holmstrom Zetterberg-Filpulla-Hudler Eaves-Helm-Miller Draper-Abdelkader-Cleary? Cleary really doesn't deserve to be demoted that much, but Hudler's return does sort of throw a wrench into things. Someone is going to have to play on a line below their talent level, whether it's Hudler, Flip, Cleary, or Eaves/Helm/Miller/Abdelkader.

I see what the original poster is saying, but I also agree with this statement. The West is right on par with each other. I see no significant differences between any of the teams, really, except for maybe Detroit having better goaltending than the other teams in the West. Maybe Nashville, too.

Yeah, most of them are probably too stupid to know how to hammer someone to death. I'm sorry, this really is serious and sick, and this guy should be put away for life if he's guilty.