VM1138

It's refreshing to face a coach with class.

NBC sucks, really bad. I watched last night's game on CBC and was impressed. Very little in the way of Crosby talk durinjg the game, and since I was watching a recorded version of the game, I skipped through the intermissions, except for the pre-game Yzerman interview, which was awesome. How often on American TV do you see anyone get interviewed for longer than 30 seconds? And I, for the most part, liked the commentators.

I feel bad for him, too. The only reason we are even in the playoffs is because of Datsyuk and Hossa. And now, to see both of them struggling, I feel for those guys. I'm glad people haven't been too overly harsh on them though, considering they are the ones that got us here. I hope he gets to play in the Finals, but I bet we'll only see him in the next few games if we absolutely need him.

It's because he's annoying. Some people take it too far, but the few people who try and wonder why everyone "obsesses" over him need to realize that we don't obsess. We only discuss him when he's shoved in our face, whether it's whining at a press conference or commercials about his childhood. They're everywhere, and the NHL has chosen to make him the only relevant player in the league, so yeah, he's going to be the topic of discussion. And he's really annoying on top of all that.

Which is why I'm really surprised Big Rig is even playing. Like he said, the wound felt like it would rip open at times. If it happened to, or if he got hit a certain wait, it would lead to massive internal bleeding I think, likely leading to death. Boggles my mind how he got cleared to play, but what a warrior.

I'll actually get to watch it after work tonight! Let's go Wings, keep the pressure on! We want to be going into Pittsburgh with a 2-0 series lead over this dangerous Penguins team.

Sorry? Why would we want Crosby? On the Wings he'd be a third liner (if we don't consider his salary). I'd rather have Datsyuk and Zetterberg centering lines than Crosby. Not to mention I can only think he's a drain on his team with the constant embarassments.

Yzerman and others were passionate when young, but to my knowledge they never whined. And, as fellow NHL players voted, Crosby is the biggest whiner in the league. And people don't want to follow a whiner who gets rattled so easily. Toews never bitched and moaned like Crosby.

Rafalski gets one when Lidstrom is gone. Skill and seniority pretty much guarantees it out of respect. Beyond Rafalski, I can see Kronner getting one, but I don't see Franzen. I'm not sure why, to be honest, just a gut feeling that Franzen isn't really a team leader anymore than anyone else on the team. I could see Cleary getting one as well.

The only consistency in NHL reffing is that Game 3 will be overwhelmingly called in favor of whatever team is down in the series. I was pleased with tonight though. Most of the calls were deserved, or at least debatable. That's refreshing after a few series of absolute made up calls.

Ozzie is going to get Conn Smythe. The guy is amazing. He can suck all next regular season, I'll never doubt him again. He's born for the playoffs now, whatever his past was.

Yes, yes. Something happened in 2007 and 2008 that turned all these players into freaking playoff monsters. Ozzie has been out of this world for Detroit since coming back.

Let's hope so, the whole world is practically egging him on.

I don't get CBC, so I'm stuck with NBC.

Hossa's gotta be rearing to go.

He said Zetterberg WAS damn good offensively. He said that usually the matchup is a defensive forward, but he says that Zetterberg is sort of an exception and is dangerous.

I'm thinking their similar. Malkin is performing. Now, maybe we can shut him down again, but if not, they're at least as good as last year with Hossa. Plus, they have the experience we all said they lacked last year that would make it hard for them to bea tthe Wings. Now, they are seriously dangerous, but the Wings have been rolling and dominating, even against opposing momentum, ridiculously bad reffing. Against all odds the Wings keep persevering. I don't expect this to change.

Well, to be perfeclty honest with no exaggerations, all but maybe two games of last years finals were basically a discussion of Crosby with a hockey game in the background.

No sense rushing Datsyuk, to be honest. It's probably not a bad thing to try and win Game 1 without him, just to see where we're at. At the very least our players are all so great defensively even our third and fourth lines should be able to contain Crosby.

Wings fans have always given credit to the losing team. About 80% of us even gave credit to Anaheim, which, if you're familiar with Wings hockey, is nigh impossible to achieve. You guys have a good hockey club. Crosby is annoying as f*** but most of us respect Malkin. We hate that you guys are the poster children of the league, but you are a good club. Hopefully not good enough to win the Cup this year, though.

That bursting sound you hear is the bubble of hopes and dreams of every Pittsburgh player.

That simulation predicts Hossa wins MVP. No way that happens. Unless maybe he scores 8 goals each game of the finals or something.

The Pittsburgh team that is in the finals this year is not the same team that Hossa left last year. Win or lose, Hossa didn't make the wrong decision. People always forget that they have to look at things through the eyes of the moment. Hossa didn't leave this Cup Finals team, he left a sinking rathole that was changed halfway through this season.

I never understood the obsession with age in all sports. There is very little difference between a 25 year old and a 30 year old, and there's very little difference between a 30 year old and a 35 year old. Therefore, there is only a minor change between a 25 and a 35 year old. Sure, some players age really poorly, but that just shows it's not age but the individual player.

Flip didn't play up to expectations. Period. GLad he's doing well now, though.