VM1138

That happens in sports, though. Nothing can be taken for granted. I think 2006 will forever be a real sore spot in Red Wings fan's memories. To me, at least, that year is just a dark spot. However, I feel this years team is playoff-ready and built for the long haul, and I don't think we could say that about very many of the last few seasons' teams. I'm really excited to see how the Wings have matured since they introduced themselves to the league as the "Newer, Tougher Wings" last season.

I don't really buy that. There are always new fans wanting to go to a game and most others will see a team, good or not. It's the economy and competition with all the other teams. But there's been a HUGE increase in Red Wings shirts and other memorabilia with playoffs closing in. The playoff fans are coming out of the woodwork in droves. And as for Babcock hanging around: Whether the Wings win the Cup or not, this new Red Wings team, that now has an identity all their own in the post-Yzerman years (we're finally out of that transitory funk), is most definitely Babcock's team. He changed the style of play, he gave them focus. This Red Wings team is truly Babcock's Red Wings, and there is no reason, even if the Wings lose this year, to take him out of the equation and send the Wings back into that post-2002 funk.

Exactly. The races are exciting, but there is no reason to check someone on an icing. Slamming them into the boards doesn't get you the puck. I've never, ever seen a situation where it was necessary to check someone in order to touch the puck before them.

FSN+ is a temporary channel I think. It won't show up until game time, though I think you can do a search (if you have Tivo or anything) to record it. So don't freak out if it's not there. As long as you have the right channel number it should work.

Chelios plays at Lidstrom-like levels when he's needed, in the clutch. He's old, and he gets limited time, but he has shown he can help carry the defensive load with top minutes (have we forgotten last years playoff run so quickly?). The guy has a lot to offer, and I'm glad he can come back. Yeah, we need to develop the younger players, but why would yuo want to dump Chelios instead of Lebda or Lilja? Chelios is best for clutch situations and for training the new kids. Bring him back every year he feels capable of playing. The guy may not score, but he's still key in preventing the other team from scoring.

I don't think Sammy would get more ice time than Franzen. It's not an accident he's getting the chances he is, and Babcock is counting on him. Remember at the very beginning of the season, Frazen was getting top minutes on the top line, too. The only reason he hasn't been there consistently was because of injuries (mainly, his own).

They could retire it quickly, but I don't think Lidstrom is quite the historic captain Yzerman was. Now, if he becomes the first European captain to hoist the Cup....then his number will be retired right away.

It's his own damn fault he's not in the NHL anymore to begin with.

I don't know, watching the WIngs last season...that wasn't a fluke. This new Red Wings squad is MADE for th eplayoffs. Just because they had similar regular seasons to past teams means nothing. That is the past. The future is now.

I prefer going in as the underdog, too. Really, it doesn't hurt anything to have everyone count you out. Underdog is the best place to be, really. It's good to see that as the years go by, some hings never change (i.e. Detroit is always the underdog, no matter how amazing they do) EDIT: And while the "hot goalie" issue always haunts the Wings, let's not forget that this season we've got two great goalies and we're keeping other teams to virtually no goals. So even if our scoring craps out, we should still stand a decent shot. If our scoring doesn't falter too badly, we should be blowing out some games in the playoffs eventually. But I'm predicting a more realistic, low-scoring game. And let's all not forget, this is the playoffs, and the Wings of the past two seasons have shown they know how to play clutch, regardless of what they do in the season. A lot of teams can't say that. Will we lose a few games in the first series? Sure. We'll probably need to be woken up, but we've seen this story before. In 2002 we were down to Vancouver and came back. Don't fret. The Wings will win the Cup, or at least, stand the best chance of any team.

I just want someone to go with him. Even if they lose. It's just like the beginning of the Colorado rivalry. The Wings need to show Anaheim specifically that they won't be cheap-shotted. Even if the Wing loses, we need more fights with Pronger. He's got this invincibility thing, and eventually we'd wear him down.

Aaron Ward, right?

This is kind of a weird game. I'm definitely getting excited for playoffs.

It's a pretty nice day outside, and being a Saturday afternoon, I'm betting a lot of people just aren't by a computer right now.

The Wings aren't in the business of overpaying their stars. Thus their success under the cap. A combination of smart accounting, Yzerman/Bowman/Lidstrom/Holland clout in convincing people to come here, the skill on the team, the success, the market, the chance at winning the Cup and the history here do more than a couple million could ever do.

Well, judging from the past history of Pronger/Duck punishment, I bet he's gone just enough for him to come back and make an amazing impact for the Ducks in the playoffs, driving them to their second Stanley Cup and resulting in mad love from the media for being the greatest team and defenseman in history. I can see it all now.

I think it's simply a case of one of the Euro twins stealing the spotlight. It's been like this their whole careers. One of them is playing so well that the other one doesn't look quite as good by comparison, but in reality is still playing well. And, second line, Sammy minutes while being double teamed will do that toa guy. That's why the Wings are so lucky they have Dats AND Hank. If any team ever even manages to shut ONE of them down, that's all they can do. It's nice to have two barrels to shoot out of, isn't it?

I say after what, two more wins, the Wings just forfeit all but the last 4 games of the season, just to recover.

But all those points would have come earlier in the season. Thus, streaky.

I think they're all slipping into playoff gear. I mean, Drake and Maltby, who've been nonexistent all year, are all of a sudden reliable second-tier players. I think most of them just took it easy the first part of the season, especially considering how easy the wins were coming. But I think they're all showing their true colors (i.e. being great hockey players) now.

Don't forget Phoenix has the hot goalie that traditionally gives the WIngs trouble.

No, Drake, like Maltby, has been picking up his game as of late, which makes me think they will both be reliable playoff players this year. Downey has mroe than earned his spot, no matter how excited I am for McCarty. So that leaves Hudler and Kopecky. Maybe Hudler will pick up his play, and maybe against all odds he will actually get played during the playoffs. But Kopecky, his play is the same as it always has been: nonexistent. He is a total bust. I can't even hate him or get annoyed with him like Sammy, who at least brings shots to the table, even if they are wildly inaccurate and ill-timed. But Kopecky brings NOTHING. He just doesn't do....anything out there. Surely McCarty could fit into his spot, or at least fit into, say, Drake's role and have Drake fill Kopecky's shoes. The kid is a spaceholder.

Is that a new picture of Draper, Malts and McCarty? If so, I'm getting pumped for McCarty's return. He must be ecstatic to be back "home".

McCarty may need the money, and need his career to restart, but I don't think a person could pull off what he did just for the money. No one can maintain that level of determination for a simple paycheck. So I'm sure love of the game is probably a little bigger than the money aspect, though he does need money supposedly.

I like the Joe, but the location is terrible. It would be better for Detroit if it was moved to the other stadiums, it'd provide a nice boost to the economy and would help rejuvinate the district. But if we get a new arena you just know it'll be something like the Comerica-Ford-Little Caesar's Arena instead of somethign with character, and it would have levels which would eliminate good sightlines. I can only afford the 40 dollar tickets, and at the Joe we have the benefit of still having a good, relatively close view of the ice from there. I don't see that happening in a new arena aimed at making money. So I'm mixed on it. They should just move the JLA .