VM1138

Franzen would not have the same impact. Who cares whether or not Zetterberg/Datsyuk/Holmstrom is actually better than the others? The reality is, NONE of them are as good as when they are TOGETHER. Holmstrom has become a top line player. He scores goals, makes things happen on the ice, and is a solid two way player. Mixing the line up, regarldess of the other player, would not work. Those three have chemistry, and that just doesn't happen based on the level of skill on the line.

I would be fine with losing Lilja, Kopecky, or draft picks and money for the following, ignoring whether or not gaining these players is possible: Hossa Rolston Langkow Ryder Prospal Sundin mats sundin Dion Phaneuf Any of those would bolster our blue line, or give us offense.

The only players who are really, trulye expendable at this point are Kopecky and Lilja. What we would need in return is someone who can kill penalties and block shots, and another player who can score. A lot of teams would give up a veteran or a near-veteran foryouthful prospects.

Nashville isn't a cellar team. I think a lot of people around here dont bother to look at the standings. Every team in the Central Division other than the Wings is only separated by a point or two. ANd even they aren't far behind the Wings. One bad run for the Wings, and one half-way decent recent for any of the other Central teams and the WIngs are suddenly struggling to stay afloat.

It's not as if he's got a pension that takes care of his whole life or anything. He's been retired for years, I can't imagine he'd have that much money left. Let the guy make his money. And as for Stevie's furniture line and Gretzky cashing in on their names, there's nothing wrong with that. Many people ENJOY having businesses not just for the profit, but for the challenge. These are people who've lived their whole life in hockey. Maybe they like to branch out and challenge themselves in an unrelated field. No big deal.

I want Dom to get better, too, but let's not needlessly defend him. Every goalie allows bad goals, but Hasek is doing it consistently this season. THAT is the problem. Comparing him to instances of bad goaltending among great goalies doesn't remove that fact.

It's a little early for othis, but I think it could be an interesting discussion if people actually give reasons. What match-ups are you dying to see in the Stanley Cup Finals? Here are some ones I was thinking of: Detroit-Carolina: This really only popped into my head because I noticed the two were closely ranked at second in the league behind Ottawa. On top of that, the Wings beat the 'Canes in '02, and a rematch is always a good time. Downside: Very few people take Carolina seriously, and I can't imagine that series would be a big hit for the NHL. Detroit-Tampa Bay: Call me crazy, but I really think Tampa has got a good shot at getting the Eastern title. Vinny Lecalvier is really proving his worth on a consistent basis. This would be an interesting match-up, because, frankly, we don't get to see these teams go head-to-head very often. I think there's a decent chance of this one happening, but like with Carolina, it'd be another disappointment for the NHL. Though TB has some great fans, considering their location. Detroit-Ottawa: If Ottawa has shed it's consistent playoff underachieving and collapse, they would be a lock for the East title, at least on paper. They're extremely tough in regular season play for the second year in a row. If they can keep it up, they'll be hard to beat. This could be an interesting match-up. The top lines in the league, top players in the league, and some enormous expectations for both sides. Detroit-Philadelphia: Very unlikely, but every year there is that team that just skyrockets with no explanation and goes deep in the playoffs. A rematch of '96 would be good, but again, I'm not sure how profitable this would be for the NHL. Detroit-New York Rangers: I hope this happens, I really do. This would be HUGE for the NHL, and would provide it with massive exposure. A classic match-up of old-time teams. Not to mention the biggest bases, and two American clubs with a long history. This would definitely capture American attention, if not Canada's. I think this is the best scenario. Agree? Disagree?

In another article Melrose mentions how the Wings are the elite team in the NHL and would have the edge in a matchup against Ottawa. I think he also mentions how he "loves both teams." That was good for a chuckle.

Great game to go to. The Great and Powerful Oz Has Spoken! I agree with whoever said Kariya was invisible out there. I don't remember seeing him even once. Amazing game for all the Wings, way to step it up!

One thing is for sure, it's going to be a great game. Two of my favorite goalies going at it, great players on both sides, and the fact that EVERY game against the Blues is great. Here's hoping for the Wings to get back on track with a vengeance.

Going to the game tonight and I hope Ozzie has a great game.

Let's not get crazy. For each brainfart Raf has, he makes three good plays. And let's not forget his point production. Rafalski has been a huge boon to this team. He's more than filled the gap Schneider left.

You guys are forgettin ga lot. The Wings are good at swinging amazing deals. Even if all the picks don't pan out, and the young guys can't carry the team, there is always the influx of new players through trades. This is how the Wings do things. Shanahan, Chelios, Hasek, all through trades. If the Wings aren't the guaranteed top seed in the next few years, it'll only take one player to make them so, probably a goalie. So no, I don't really see the WIngs dropping out of playoff contention. Maybe the Wings will face more of a challenge from the Central division, but let's not forget that their teams can fall apart, too. Trades, sophomore slumps, utter collapse the second half of the season, etc. I think odds are good the Wings will remain the elite for along time to come, even after Lidstrom retires.

So I'm picking a game to go to, and I guess I never thought about this scenario. Since the Wings so badly outshoot their opponents most nights, which end do they shoot at twice? I'm looking for tickets and I want to know which end of the rink to get tickets for.

The Captain would be an awesome GM. Great talent, I bet. Ron Francis is another one, so I agree with the sentiment in this thread. Also, I'm beginning to feel that a Carolina-Red Wings rematch in the Finals this year would be really cool, but probably not a ratings getting. So I'll still root for a Rangers-Wings matchup. NHL dream come true.

He is.....such....aaaaaaa....pleasure to....watch....................................................................on game....nights.

Great! Thanks for the speedy reply.

Before people freak out too much (is it too late?) let's not forget that EVERY season the Wings have a really terrible month or two. It's nothing new. The Wings still stay atop the standings. I'm not too concerned witha nything except Hasek's play.

I'm not going to say he's too old, or anyting cliche and simplistic like that. The fact is, he's not stopping shots. He's allowing way too many soft goals, there's no certainty that we will win anymore when he is in net. And we talk about "he needs more shots to be good", but let's face it. He's not going to face more. Our defense makes sure of that. And even last season, we all have to admit. He isn't the dominator anymore. He is not that solid anymore. Maybe he will be come playoff time, but how many games do we want to sacrifice to find out? He needs to go into backup mode for a little bit. We need to get going on a streak again, and then let him play again.

Frankly, the only thing not "working" on our team is Hasek and Lilja. I'd rather not mess with the chemistry elsewhere. Even if Drake isn't doing anything right now, he's not hurting anything either. Hasek has been a total disappointment. Lilja is really sloppy. If Osgood were in net, we'd at least have a shot these last few games.

Christmas comes early for the Coyotes. Overnight they've suddenly gotten a great goalie.

It may be just one game, but let's face it. When there's a breakaway and it's one-on-one against Dom, how many of you feel confident he'll stop it? Virtually every time there is no defense in front of him, Dom collapses. Osgood does not. I do not feel confident with Hasek. I'm not a fairweather fan, and I realize he starts slow, but when I hear he is in net for an upcoming game, I no longer feel like a win is a given. With Osgood, I have to say, I feel much more confident.

Just a thought: Has any player in the history of the franchise cost us as many goals and games by stupid errors as Lilja has? Sometimes he plays well, but now it's beginning to get a little ridiculous that 90% of the goals scored against us are off of Lilja making a mistake.

Is anyone else watching the special on Datsyuk? He just said something in his stinted English that was really funny to me: "I can't explain what I want, but....where."

There's really no goalie controversy, since at the end of this season Hasek will probably be retiring and Osgood taking up the top spot. This is more of a ridiculous goaltending blessing this season. You know, they say goaltending wins Cups...