Wing Across The Pond

Was just about to post this... Don't know if the second quote means anything but was interesting to see

Might actually be able to see them in Tampa if I plan a well timed holiday to see my girlfriend's grandparents in November... that would be sweet would be my first Wings game! Although my second Bolts one >_>

Agree with what you on Flip. Wings don't really give the big vocal guy the 'C' but the person who exudes the most professional outlook that the rest of the team has to follow. For that reason I reckon Flip could be really good one as a captain one day. Probably just a shame he's on a team that has potential captains all around the locker room (looking at people like Cleary, Kronner, Dats even though he doesn't want it, Helm, etc) but that's the way the organisation is run I guess and never a bad thing!

Indeed, I am 22 and am currently drunk but have sufficient experience from my university days to be able to type flawlessly whilst mashed on vodka-cokes and shots of Jagermeister. It's ok though, as I wake up every morning to a pot of fresh coffee to start the day, which I Irish up. Now I've finished being flippant, this guy embarrasses me as someone in their 20s and you know what, I have nothing against you for having the expectation that people in their 20s are drunken idiots. Heck I know it to be true. I find it sad how people (including a lot of my friends) will seek out the bar that serves shots for £1.50 or a jug of some rancid cocktail for a fiver rather than going to a place where they can have a good time with friends and enjoy a drink rather than stumble outside at 1/2am and introduce it into the gutter, ready to start again. And sadly this happens EVERY WEEK. People in the limelight like Patrick Kane (although I have to admit over here only one person I know would have any idea who he is but it's universal to young sports stars this side of the Atlantic as well) seem to encourage this sort of behaviour not through endorsement but through persistant representation. A player on the rugby team that I support was caught twice driving whilst drunk and was subsequently banned from driving, fined, and dropped from the England team. As someone who is paid quite a bit of money (not as much as most other professional sports) he admitted the driving and the fine were more an inconvenience but losing international rugby was devistating to him. Patrick Kane wont care if you fine him or ban him from certain bars or what-have-you, but a US court telling him he's banned from US hockey for the next Olympics would soon sort him out. All that remains after that is to see whether USA Hockey stands by the decision or values winning over setting a good example for developing players and kids and therefore the future of the game in the country. Lol... I wonder what they would have to put in the box that states "Injury" when registering him for LTIR?

fixed... unfortunately

I shall say (Holmstrom - Howard) + Smith = 63 Sounded much bettter than saying Joakim Andersson

I nearly threw my chair across the room and prepared to punch you from over 3000 miles away as the crow flies... but the granite settled me down I was born in the 1990 so I don't remember those pre-Madonna days but I'm sure they were better for the overall standard of music

I thought that if you signed after a certain age (as Comrade mentioned 35) retirement through anything other than injury meant that salary still had to be paid/counted against the cap as a way of stopping teams front loading contracts until players were like 50? Not too knowledgable of the salary cap and the CBA though so may well be wrong. Even buying out a contract still counts towards the cap doesn't it, just means that money is off their books in one lump sum and they can forget about it. Wondering if there is any way to void a contract as Nightfall said? (Sorry still not great with peoples actual names and their profile names.) Only way I can think of is if one or the other of the party breaks contract rules and they have a legal opportunity to terminate a contract. However still don't know how that will affect the CBA as it could still require them to pay towards the cap. Very weird move by Thomas but quite simply, I think he doesn't really enjoy it much anymore. I gave up playing soccer because I simply lost interest in it, some of the time it happens. But then again soccer is rapidly falling apart so it was an easy decision EDIT: Forgot to mention, with the Long-term IR, I wonder if a team could lobby on grounds of mental health? Has that ever been done before. I think with a lot of hockey players untimely deaths recently and some having suspicious circumstances surrounding them, that a team could put together a good case for a player needing time off such as this. Would have to be strictly enforced though to stop teams getting big contracts off their books. This is bullplop... Coca Cola has never been known as 'Coca Cola Inc.' but is traded as a public company under the name 'The Coca Cola Company'... Jeez get it right!

God I know I'm so late to the non-party but I haven't been on the computer for the last two days, see my friends Twitter post the link from NHL.com and now don't want to get out of my pyjamas. It's nearly 11am over here but man I'm seriously bummed about hearing this news Might just get changed into one of my jerseys. Also kind of makes me regret not taking it into the shop when I was over in the US and getting LIDSTROM 5 on the back... will have to do that when I'm next over. So very very sad. But what a great servant and a great maker-of-memories. Will always be a favourite of mine even though only a regular season game...

If the Rangers get there as well... they could win a perfect cup (sort of). #1, #2, #3, and #1... technically speaking the 4 toughest teams you could draw.

Yeah, never thought he should have chosen Ozzy over Luongo, but just reiterating that many thought he'd choose him anyway as he's a friend and someone who he knows turns it on in big games. Was simply stating that Stevie likes Luongo and would probably take a shot at him if given the chance in the summer. Don't necessarily see Tampa having to give much up as Van will be looking to move him really. That puts Stevie in the driving seat and we all know how good a deal he gets when he seems to call the shots only problem they could face is cap space, but that's about it.

He chose him with Team Canada in 2010 (an easy gig I know), but took him over someone like Osgood who was pretty stable at the time and who he knew very well with regards to what he could do. I think Stevie would take a look. However the contract is a big stumbling block. If he's not moved/a deal can't be agreed then he'll be the started, most likely just to save face... "we wanted Lu to stay... always have... never looked to move him... he's our starter" at least that will be the front office view.

Understand where you come from with E, but he's never been too offensive, he's a great defensive piece though. And if Calgary decide to restructure and rebuild then Iginla is well in contention. They are apparently looking to get younger, he wants nothing to do with a rebuilding Calgary team. Or so the news goes but how often can you trust half the conjecture you hear. Doan would be nice but I think the Yotes will feel they're still in that group of playoff bound teams, especially if they get through round 1 this year. He'll be tough to land. Think Parise and Suter are gettable (maybe less Suter after last night) but will cost.

You lost me at 'trade Ericsson'. I think he's been big towards the end of this season and our PK suffered with his injury. He's the best defensive dman we've got. Not to mention Lids will/should get $2mill. I sincerely hope he can do that for this team. After getting $7-$8mill a year for probably 10+ of the 20 years he's been here, I'm sure he's got enough to last him. After all it's not like he's not going to get another job somewhere, i.e. here as a coach or scout. It'll be sweet if he takes sort of £1.5-2mill. Plus I want Iginla with the temptation of a playoff appearance/challenge. Man that would be sweet. But I'm biased and just love the guy. Always plays with heart and passion and can still score. If Calgary decided to rebuild (which he's on record as saying he's not in favour of) throw him $3-4mill I'd say

Bumped. If you think the Rinne save was pointless... how about this from Anderson http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=35&id=173360

I think that's the best darn thing I've ever seen! I know it's been done, but it's a classic...

First off, love how picky this thread is My kind of thread. Secondly, it really annoys me how no one seems to notice that if you're out in the slot, go high, blocker side on this guy, and you've got a good chance of scoring. He's down super early a lot of the time, especially when the pucks behind the net and he's hugging a post. Whenever the puck came out front he was already down but every shot happened to go along the ice. I don't blame him much, his leg span covers the goal line (LOLZ ) but really annoys me! Get the puck up!

I'm ok if Verlander is pitching. Dude's a beast Not to mention a face-to-face meeting usually suggest 5 or more games. Otherwise they do it over the phone like they did with Quincey. Really glad Toews came out and said what he did because a lot of other captains wouldn't have. And it's a shame Quenville will probably be fined for comments that were entirely of a valid (and distinctly truer) opinion.

+1'd your ass, because this is exactly how I feel. Poor you Lenny for getting to go to Game 7 of a Stanley Cup Final at the Joe. Going to the Joe for me, would cost upwards of about $1000, you know, considering a plane ticket across the Atlantic, hotel costs, then not to mention a game ticket?! I mean you go and actually watch the team so you must like or support them in some way? Why not show it? Have some faith for goodness sake that they can at least take the next game, and then really it's who can keep their head. It's 3 seperate 1-game series for Detroit. I'm not saying that they can continue coasting and not hustling as they have been at times because they really need to start shooting from good areas, main thing. All I'm getting at is that for us, it's do or die, and I'll ALWAYS pick them to do. Otherwise what's the point in caring?

The main one being that they showcase the world's most boring sport

Why the heck not? I'm still going to be hoping for us to win this series, so why on earth would I say no? Yeah, it's probably naive but if it's still possible then I'm always going to believe we can win it. Been watching this team for a good few years now and I know what they are capable of if they want to. Franzen needs to pull his finger out and get in front of the net, Z need to stop taking up office BEHIND the net and get in the slot (I honestly don't remember a shot from the slot all game last night), Rinne is a big guy but he's down on his pads early and it's really his sprawling reach that saves him. Get a shot high on his blocker side and he'll have trouble. I mean this goal says it all, Rinne goes down way before Dats pulls the trigger and then can't get his shoulder up in time. He's not unbeatable but pucks need to get up off the ice, not stay low and hope they go between the pads. If they're intent on playing the game behind the net then have a guy waiting in the slot because when Rinne hugs the post he stays down, he rarely stands back up when the puck comes out front. That actually frees up a lot of net. I'm still a believer and always will be. Because this is the team that I love and I'll never bet against them.

Also, the thing about Holland that scares me is that if the league decided to remove the cap for one reason or another, and the Wings had the chance to actually use the money they have, I still don't see Holland moving most of these players. He's 'comfortable'. However, following on from the Downey picture above, I remember reading an article that said Iginla was pretty much done in Calgary. I would move for him... SO bad. Give him a chance at even getting into the playoffs again, and tell him he can roll on the second line, maybe even with some of the kids as he's a guy to learn from.

How you know it's bad? "You shouldn`t wonder what Mario Lemieux was thinking. I saw No. 66 shaking his head outside the locker room like a disgusted parent, and he had every right. He speaks out for the NHL to clean up its act, and his team pulls this garbage?"