VM1138

Whoa! That last shot just showed Parros trying to eat the mammal on his lip!

Anyone else tired of these last minute rallies against Anaheim when Giguere just won't let anything in?

Chelios is so important to this team, even with reduced play time.

What the hell died on Parros' upper lip?

"It opens the door a little bit." Just a little?

Franzenstein! I spoke too soon!

Damnit, the Wings are NEVER in the right place today!

"Doesn't seem to me that there was much contact." -announcer Erm...Osgood tipped over from a body being thrown into him. These people are pretty well....dumb. "Anaheim is furious." For what? Getting called for once instead of being able to knock goaltenders over at will?

I'm not one of those fans who complains when things aren't going well, but this is ridiculous. How logn can the Ducks keep running our goalies and interfering with them (or near-intereferences), and then the Wings get called for Holmstrom being within 5 feet of an opponent's goalie? My God, I'm so sick of seeing a team get away with so many cheap moves.

These commentators are terrible. One of them just said taht the Wings need to find better goaltending, because Hasek and Osgood just aren't good enough. Erm...what? Two of the statistically best goalies in the league on one team "just aren't good enough?" That's abuot the sixth utterly retarded statement I've heard someone make on this NBC broadcast.

Speaking of bad celebrity commercials, I'm sure we all remember that ridiculous car commercial with Chauncey Big-Toothed Billips talking about how sexy he is?

Amen. You'd think after watching hockey for so long, it would become obvious to analysts (and fans) that the better team does not always win, and the stats from three years ago hardly ever have any relevance to a 7 game playoff series that could go either way. That's what I love about hockey, upsets are almost the rule.

Hilarious article. Gotta love appreciate for Holmstrom, especially that last part about Datsyuk and Zetterberg never giving him the puck so he has to go in and fight for it.

Are you kidding me? He gave one of the best reasons not to go to a team any player could have. I've always had a dislike for Forsberg, but I respect him for having principles in this. Whiners are just sounding like sore, arrogant losers who didn't get our way and we should respect his decision.

I think winning by one goal is a good thing, especially come from behind wins. That's how playoff games are played. So far I see this second half as similar to last seasons. A struggle, but we came out on top. Best training for the playoffs, and we'll be ready. And it's kind of stupid to judge a team that played in different eras by the same standard. No one said that a very good Wings team this year is as good or the same as a freaking dynasty in an era of crappy goalies. The Cup is not wrapped up, but it's ridiculous to imply that the Wings don't have the best shot at it right now.

He'd definitely be a better fit than Drake (I mean, let's face it, at least Roenick can score once in a while, and he has grit), he's really good friends with Chelios. Yeah, there'd be drama, but there was drama with Hull in town and look what happened in 2002. Every year since 2001 when all those trade rumors were going around before the BIg Ones I have called for Roenick to join the Wings. He's past his prime, sure, but he can still be a third or fourth liner with more of an impact than Drake or Kopecky.

Of all the rumors floating around the one about Blake coming to Detroit seems to have the strongest legs. I'd like to see him or any other defenseman who can clear the front of the net and break up cycling plays. I don't really think we need offense, but if we can pick someone up for free or cheap, why not? I do NOT want to see Hudler, Filpulla, Franzen, or CLeary going anywhere.

I'd hardly say this is dead in the water. All the signs point to momentum increasing. What with the papers and Holland saying McCarty should treat the Generals like training camp and that he should be readyu to move up to the Griffins soon.

Why is it that a team full of goons gets all the breaks?

People harping on McCarty's 3 goals in the IHL in 9 games (omitting his points for assists) have overlooked the fact that that could roughly translate into a few points every 15 games in the NHL, which is better than Drake and Downey, and if he can still fight (which, frankly, who knows), that's a plus. Now, let's look at all of the bonuses and decide if McCarty is worth it: 1) The Prodigal Son returns storyline carrying into th eplayoffs (if he makes it in time), he's always been one to thrive with pressure and excitement around him. Would benefit the team. 2) Puts butts in the seats. Enough said. 3) Grinding style of play. Would work well against a team like Anaheim in controlling the puck and breaking up their cycling. 4) Point producer. With limited ice team he won't make a huge impact, but I think we can still expect timely goals once in a while and certainly some assists. I'd say he could finish a full season with at least 20 points, which is all that is expected of a 4th line grinder at this point. 5) The will and the drive. That personality clicks with the current Detroit team. It's all about willpower and determination and drive. 6) A fighter who can win. This is a mixed bag. Maybe he's not the best fighter any more, so this shouldn't go here, but then again, maybe if he's back in shape he will be a decent fighter, and so it should be listed as a pro. 7) Cheap depth with a reliable history in the playoffs. CONS: 1) Well...I can't think of any. If he made it the Wings he'd obviously be in shape, so I can't critique his current phyusical state. ALl in all looks like a McCarty deal would pay huge dividends for what it would cost.

Here is my thought out, objective opinion. People here are missing the point. Anaheim is NOT better than last year, even with Selanne. They are at the same level as last year, considering their acquisitions of Bertuzzi and Schneider balance out the losses. So Anaheim is at the same level, which is still a huge threat. Detroit is considerably better than last year, on paper and in performance. There's no way Detriot would walk with a playoff series, but they're a better matchup. So what we have is two obscenely talented and powerful teams, and the rest of the NHL. THere's no doubt in my mind that the Ducks and Wings are the best in the NHL. It's a repeat of the Colorado rivalry in my mind. Constant battling between the two best. Who knows how many years the Ducks will be good is a different question entirely. WHereas the Wings have longevity, we've seen by the first half of the season that Anaheim is based solely around Neidermeyer and Selanne. So let's face it, for either team to win a series against the other, a large amount of luck is going to have to be involved, just like last year.

The reason the Wings did as well as they did was because they had to fight back going into the playoffs. THey need to play a game like last night every night from here on out.

Yeah, you can only watch the same three commercials so many times.

Yeah, but I want a fighter who can play hockey, unlike the type of player some people want. You know, am I the only feeling like the lucky boucnes are going the Wings way? A lot of buzz has been over how the Ducks got lucky last year. This year it seems that dropped sticks seem to be breaking up Anaheim's play (and other things) whereas last year the WIngs were frustrated by things like that. A good sign for this year's inevitable playoff rematch? EDIT: That isn't to say the Wings are outplaying them (they are), but if this were last year the Ducks would have scored off a few bizarre bounces and freak accidents.