VM1138

We can do this, we can do this, we can do this, we can do thsi. Damn, Minnesota is a really boring team, aren't they? I hope they never do anything in the playoffs. Nothign would hurt the NHL more than Minnesota going deep.

Just got home from work and I'm not surprised to see 4 goals allowed on Howard. I thought the general consensus as of a year or so ago was that he didn't have what it took and would never be an NHL-level, or at least an average NHL level goalie. Larsson however... EDIT: Jesus guys, I thought the game was over. I kept seeing people say we lost. It's 4-1 in the third. The Wings can come back from this.

Never pick your poison. I refuse to say who I would or wouldn't want to play come playoffs.

Going to miss the first half of the game tonight due to work, hope we play a great solid game and Howard plays well!

Me, too. Even disregarding stats it's been pretty clear to me that Babcock has known what he's doing and outcoached his opponent almost every game he's played. There are other great coaches, but I honestly think (even when trying to be unbiased) that Babcock is the best coach of this era. Just look at his accomplishments and how successful his philosophy has been.

I think he's NHL ready. He's just not going to be a magnificent NHL player. I like Meech for his heart but he's never been that great on defense.

Not that I want to toot my own horn or anything, but this vindicates me in disagreeing with many people around here who claimed Ozzie was going to play non-stop until he got better. I said no, that's not how it works, he needs time off to clear his head. Bingo! Hope it works, Ozzie has always been one of my favorite players. I think it will, though. And we can finally see what Howard can do.

Plus/Minus ANA Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, George Parros: +8 DET Pavel Datsyuk: +30

I have a hard time taking Canadian crime bosses seriously. What do they do, not say thank you when someoen buys crack from them?

Sinatra made a career off knowing mafia bosses. I fail to see how this ruins Montreal, three players liking to party with a low level crime thug.

Yeah, no kidding. What about that whole deal with "the cops are waiting on the runway" BS? For all we know, those gangs stole their identities. SCANDAL! NHL Players Identities Stolen By Street Thugs! O NOES!11!! There goes the Canadiens! Meh.

What the hell? This is the big news? This wouldn't even crack breaking news in any other league. Man, the NHL can't even do a scandal right.

Can you blame them? They'd have to escape Kopecky somehow!

Well, to be fair, it's obvious SOMETHING is going down, and something huge. Unlike our goalie threads where people panic and fight each other just to do it.

That would explain a lot and give me even more respect for Kovalev.

Me too. I can't imagine anything less severe "shaking the foundations" of the Canadiens. This isn't a PR issue. This is a serious criminal activity issue, my bet is.

Well, there goes their goalie of the future. Man, as much as I love to hate Montreal as a rival, I did not want to see this happen to them. Maybe Anaheim, like someone mentioned. I wouldn't even wish this on Colorado, though.

To hear Canadiens talk about it "shaking the very roots of the franchise" it's gotta be more than steroids or cheating or whatever. I don't want to start spreading rumors, but I'm betting it has to do with a LOT of drug use by many players, or some sort of underage prostitution (I don't think legal age would be as big a scandal as it's being made to seem) or whatever else. Man, this could be bad for the NHL. But on the other hand I have trouble imagining anything as bad as they're making it sound. Maybe I'm too used to hearing about things from the NBA and NFL, though.

Because none of those can be used ina conversation if you know the guy. I'm pretty sure that when giving an interview none of Gretzky's teammates called him "The Great One." Those are historical nicknames, Hoss, Dats, Mule, etc. are current nicknames given to people who are currently playing.

Would hate to have him as our announcer. It's funny...but in a dumb way. As in, the unfunny part of a Will Ferrell movie. What a joke.

Other than our sometimes-shoddy defense, what's not to love? I think I'll remember most this as Hudler's breakout season and Hossa's general awesomeness. But then again, Datsyuk finally being recognized as one of the greatest players in the world is pretty awesome, too. And then there's Helm and Leino, our next generation of Wings, etc, etc.

Me, too. I was mixed on Lilja and during the summer actually supported letting him go, but he's really one of the premier shot-blockers in the league. He's really stepped up this season and been great.

And Hossa defends him? Awesome, but where the hell was ANYONE else that probably should have stepped up instead? I'm feeling more and more confident about a Cup win with Hossa on the team. That guy is freaking HUNGRY.

I walk out of the room for a few short minutes and I miss Hossa fighting? Cool replay, though. What caused it?

Unfortuantely.