GMRwings1983

I know. I was talking about lack of pace in midfielders like Barry, Gerrard, Milner, Lampard. England needs to develop technical, possession based midfielders, instead of guys who are always kicking balls 50 yards down the field when pressured, hoping some tall Cockney idiot can win a header. That won't win you games against the top squads. Anyhow, I was hoping more posters would create soccer lineups. Lidstrom and Kronwall playing football (American), somehow sounds like a bad idea for those guys.

I doubt it. Pav and Z are past their primes and are only better than Malkin/Crosby as defensive forwards. Offensively, it's not even close. The Pens needed goals from their stars and didn't get them, against a big and physical Boston team. I don't know how Pavel and Z would have done better, not being big guys themselves. That's true, but I remember Anaheim having a great checking line when they won the Cup in 2007. We had a good checking line with Draper and Maltby as defensive stalwarts too. Oh yeah. Forgot that point.

Of course. Datsyuk is many years older and has hinted about playing in the KHL eventually. No such trade would ever happen straight up, of course, but I'd make that move if it did.

I would gladly give up Datsyuk's two way game if he could score like Malkin can. Datsyuk is too streaky offensively in the playoffs. Hell, Gretzky and Lemieux weren't great two-way centers. Did anyone care about that? Hell no! Get a 3rd line that can play as a shut down line. Then your star players won't look gassed having too much defensive responsibility.

Only agree with you on the Datsyuk thing. But Malkin is a much better playoff performer throughout his career. Who has a better playoff points per game than Malkin, since he came into the league?

Bryan Bickell will play like a scared little mouse in this series (like Bieksa in 2010). Not playing against the (powerplay is our enforcer) Wings anymore. Boston should try to impose themselves physically like they did on Vancouver.

Every series in these playoffs has had at least one OT game. Only the Finals left. I wonder if that's ever happened before?

That's what I thought about this series. The Wings may end up being Chicago's toughest test.

I will not cheer for Canada unless Dan Cleary is on the team.

Did you support Canada last time, when they had Crosby, Iginla, Pronger, this ******, that ******, etc?

I will be rooting against them. Go Soviet Russia!

I grew up in Europe, so I watched soccer as a kid. Big E is too slow to be a defensive midfielder. Kind of like England's national players.

Right on. Unfortunately, we don't have much of a striker. Chelsea fans will understand.

Not trying to be biased towards my list, but I don't see these guys being good at any team sport besides soccer. Many of them likely grew up playing it in Europe.

Soccer (4-2-3-1 formation) Howard White - Ericsson - Dekeyser - Kronwall Helm - Filppula Brunner - Datsyuk - Zetterberg Franzen

97 points in 82 career playoff games. Yeah, he's to blame for their problems the last few playoffs. Total choker. I can't imagine them wanting to trade him.

The whole farm baby!

I'd love to see Jagr back in the Finals. Has any player gone that long without Finals appearances? Has to be a record I would think.

Ah, I see. I noticed there was still someone on the roster who played for the Ducks, but I guess Tampa never picked that player up.

There's no telling what would happen if Iginla went to Boston. I think it'd be a success for both, but there's still no telling how it would change their current chemistry.

I thought the Syracuse Crunch were the Ducks affiliate in the last few seasons? Doesn't that mean their roster and prospect development is more the Ducks doing than it is Yzerman's, being only their first season as Lightning affiliate and all?

I've thought of that before. I like those pictures. Looks better than the Canes crap, but of course, not as good as the original Whalers jerseys.

These were better.

Screw the Hurricanes ugly jerseys! Then ugly "rose" logo has never done it for me. And there's too many teams in the league who wear red and white. I can't believe this is the same franchise that once donned those green beauties I posted a picture of above.

Boston is like a walking zombie, terrorizing the NHL right now. Down two goals with a minute and a half left against the Leafs, they shouldn't even be alive right now.