VM1138

I don't think Lidstrom is going anywhere anytime soon. This year he has been slightly sub-Lidstrom, but still better than all but maybe one defenseman in the NHL, and this year the whole team has been sub-par. Therefore, I look at his slight decline more as a team hiccup than a real decline in his talents. He'll be around for quite a few more years. He is the Iron Man, remember? So it won't be injuries wearing him down. And if we keep Chelios around for leadership, I really don't see Lidstrom wanting to quite while he still has an ounce of talent.

Well, we're either playing someone from the Central or Anaheim. I don't care who we play so long as we beat them.

Love, love, love the effort tonight. That was a playoff ready team.

Not much of a fight but that one punch he threw looked like he has a lot of power behind it. And yes, I like what I'm seeing from the Wings. They're hitting, they're winning the small battles, Ozzie came up huge tonight, they're battling hard for everything they get. T otally different team tonight than we've seen all season.

I think people might think Cleary is an ass because of his senes of humor. He's probably a really nice guy who takes jabs at people in good humor and they just don't get it.

Sigh. I knew when I saw mindfly was the last poster I'd be in for a dash of pro-Wings optimism.

If Lilja is ready, he's locked in at #5. Rotate between Ericcson and Chelios. Chelios, like last year, will have to be relied on less as the playoffs progress, due to his lack of speed, but he may be anchoring there the whole time if Ericcson isn't adapting well. But yeah, Lebda and Meech should be nowhere near the playoffs.

Because people jumped all over Ozzie like they are doing this year and they decided to pursue Hasek instead. I love Ozzie, but if you have a shot to get the greatest goalie in the league, you do it. Yes, he has been a little inconsistent over the years, but Ozzie is a quality goalie, one of the best goalies over the past 10 years, believe it or not. The stats show it. And yes, he was solid for NYI and STL, when they both had absolutely horrible defenses. He's having an off year, the whole team is.

Look for another strong showing by the WIngs, but this time they manage to keep the other team down. Conklin starts playing out of his mind.

Pretty sure the only thing you'll hear on the mic is "over here, over here," "pressure, pressure!," "yeah!"

I hope today's game isn't as boring as most Minnesota-Detroit matchups.

Look, performance aside, Ozzie has been messed up thsi season. You can see it in his face, his demeanor. He has had no confidence and has looked near suicidal all year. I hope he's ready. He certainly has the talent, but it doesn't seem as if his mind is the same place it was last year, where nothing could touch him mentally. I have faith, Ozzie!

Yes, the expanded roster will help. They played really well when the kids came up before, and it looks like Babcock has no intention of playing Maltby, Draper, and probably Kopecky during the playoffs, if recent games are any indicator. I think the whole team will step it up come playoff time (probably around Game 2 or 3), but especially those young kids. Helm is born for the playoffs, Leino was born scoring goals, and the others are just really energetic as well. Ericcsson as well will play more physical and hopefully be on the point for the PP. Quote me for posterity somebody!

If we have to play Nashville again I'll puke.

People love him there. He's one of core of the future Kings according to them. I wish he hadn't been sent away from Detroit, but let's be honest. If he stayed his development would've stagnated anyway.

He'd be a good fit for us for cheap, especially once some spots start opening up.

Women are no good at hockey. I know I'll get beat over the head with that, and it IS a little sexist, but I watched the women's Olympic hockey a few years ago and it aws horrible. Slow, non-physical, disorganized. They play like a pee wee club.

The Wings are coasting now without the President's trophy. The fact of the matter is that they will have to turn on a switch when the playoffs start. We can all only hope that they can do it.

Never. Ever. Ever. Settle for Second.

Love the repeated replays faster and faster on the second clip.

AMen. I hate the bashers as much as the next guy, but they're not pretending like losing a game is the end of the world. It's the repeated screw-ups, game in, game out, even in games we win. Let's hope the playoffs brings a whole new Wings attitude to the ice.

These refs are absolutely blind, on all sides. What a joke.

The bright side, guys: Most of these guys won't be playing in the playoffs with any luck. Most of them will be replaced with Griffins. I still can't believe how absolutely horrible our goalie and defense has been this year. They were amazing last year. I will never understand how they could turn to absolute s*** in less than a year. I hope we can win the cup, and I won't turn into a basher, but I have my worries now. It's just too close to playoffs and they haven't turned it up a notch.

Just got out of work, someone catch me up to speed: Why is the game taking so long? On the schedule it's already into the post-game block. Was thre a massive fight or delay or something?

He has the skills to be a crappy stop-gap. That is all. The roster won't be THAT different. Two or three players gone, maybe one new player, that's about it. Either way it's going to be tough rigging it so this team will work.