GMRwings1983

And that team had Downey and Lilja. That kind of manhood is totally absent on this roster.

Well, it has hard to hate that Ducks team. They didn't really have anybody that I hated. You're right about the last Olympics, though. That's my blunder to have forgotten that on my list. Looks like a few people didn't read the thread title. Well, I was thinking more of series. If we're talking cheapshots which ended careers, I'd throw in Beukeboom and LaFontaine before Steve Moore. I remember that. But then San Jose would have likely faced Philly in the Finals. Because we still wouldn't have gotten past San Jose in either the next round or in a later round.

How come the Pens were going on win streaks with their best player out? Sometimes even with Malkin and others out as well? It'd be nice if the other players just stepped up and played that much harder. But instead, we have a built in excuse for this next week or so. It's a little frustrating to say the least.

Cleary is playing so poor, that I don't even notice him falling down anymore. He may think about retiring in the offseason. Either way, if this continues and he does nothing the rest of the year, he shouldn't be brought back.

The Wings are falling faster than Mitt Romney right now. At this rate, we'll be in 5th by the weekend.

No, but they have tried the "dump and don't chase" approach.

Well, if we finish 6th, we can play Dallas in the first round.

Whoever designed these Kings jerseys has a crappy sense of imagination.

If this was done by a Wings fan, then I'm president of the "Peter Forsberg Fan Club"

How many Cups have the Blues won in their illustrious 40+ year history? This is why I've always found their fanbase annoying, much like Vancouver's. Their bragging would sound more justified if it came from a franchise that's actually accomplished something in recent memory. In their case, they've never won anything at all. Screw the Blues and their fanbase.

Well, it looks like that streak will be broken this season. His durability has always been incredible, but at 40 years old, it's natural that it may take him longer to recover than a younger player with a similar injury.

And your boy Callahan is likely to join Tardif company. Holland just has a certain philosophy with smaller players. The sad thing is that his philosophy carries over into the 3rd and 4th lines as well, where a little grit is needed. Obviously, all these skilled guys in the system can't all play in the top 6. So some of them will have to play on the lower lines, like Mursak is doing now and like Hudler has done so many times in the past. Needless to say, skilled players are wasted if you play them on lower lines where they can't score and aren't effective checkers. I wish they'd start drafting bigger, more physical players to groom them into the lower line roles. And before you say that we can get such players easily in free agency, we haven't really been doing much of that.

Has Lidstrom ever missed say 10 games in a season? I can't remember it. If they know they're not going to win the division, I wouldn't be surprised if they sit him for a while longer. Maybe even until the playoffs start.

Last time the Blues won the division.

I doubt the teams that finish 1-4 are looking forward to playing Detroit, Chicago or possibly San Jose in the first round.

Why, because they won tonight when Datsyuk and Lidstrom were out? Preds are not a team we should worry about in the playoffs.

He won't fix our powerplay. McDonald isn't to blame for this game.

Jan Hammer?

Our 4th line is a joke. Emmerton is useless, Mursak is not really a 4th line type player, and Holmstrom is an old man who's been relegated to the 4th line for the first time in his career permanently.

It'd be hard losing both Lidstrom and Stuart in the offseason. And there's no telling if we'd get Suter. There will be a lot of teams after him, and we are no longer in the pre-salary cap era, where Detroit can just throw him the biggest contract.

Maybe, but that's his job. The forecast didn't turn out right in this case. I don't remember if Ericsson has a no-trade clause, or if anyone will want him even if he doesn't have one. But like I said, we're likely stuck paying that big contract to a guy who'll be scratched a lot. Kind of like Jeff Finger.

Smith should have been starting all season over those two. I still don't know why Holland paid so much money to Ericsson, when he could easily be replaced with guys like Smith, Kindl, or any other defenseman we sign in the offseason. EDIT: Forgot about Quincey. He's another reason why Ericsson should have no place on this team in the future. However, now we could be stuck paying 3.5 million to a guy who's not even in the starting lineup. Bad move by Holland either way you look at it.

I voted Ott as well.

Why are people afraid of playing Nashville in the first round? If we can't beat them, then who are we kidding about a possible Cup run? I'd rather play them over Chicago or San Jose.

The league should change that rule. A team should not have home ice over another team which finished ahead of it. Especially in this case, it would be a wide margin of points. I remember the NBA having a rule (maybe they still do), where a 3 seed would sometimes have home court over a 2 seed, depending on who had a better record. I meant in the second or third round actually. If they're a 3 seed and we're a 4 seed. Who would have home ice then?