GMRwings1983

Their goaltending is terrible and always has been since Hextall retired. They had Bobrovsky but let him go (though he's not a playoff performer either). Also, that SOB Gudas needs to be let go. He's either a mole for the Penguins or is just a terrible defenseman.

I was talking about the season as a whole. Not just the playoffs. Both Robitaille and Hull had 30 goal seasons that year. I'm well aware of Franzen's postseason. His goal scoring playoff run was probably better than any Wings player, including a prime Yzerman, Zetterberg, or Fedorov. Still, we're talking about the season as a whole. Let's be honest here. The only roster spot a Samuelsson, Hudler, or Filppula would have in 2002 would be either Datsyuk's or Deveraux's. Otherwise, they don't regularly start for that roster. Your talk of a 200 foot game is irrelevant when comparing eras. I think the 2018 Wings would play a better 200 foot game than the 1952 Wings.

No s**t. That Avs team would have smoked the 2008 Predators and 2008 Stars. The rosters were not comparable. Yep. Pretty sure Yzerman, Hull and Robitaille had better numbers in 2002 than Filppula, Samuelsson, Hudler or Franzen had in 2008.

Maybe. The 2002 Avalanche finished with 99 points and allowed the fewest goals of any team in the league. Before that sounds like a small accomplishment, please remember that they played the entire regular season without Peter Forsberg. That team was loaded with talent all over the lineup. They'd be a tough out for any team. Even though I hated them immensely, time has allowed me to appreciate those teams more for how good they were.

Outside of Chicago, the league doesn't have any big market teams playing in the Western Conference. LA may be the second biggest city in the US, but do they really generate big TV ratings for the league if they're making a deep playoff run? The Western Conference has always had that issue except when the Red Wings or Blackhawks were making the Finals in the last 20 years.

I disagree. Teams like the Heat, Magic, Timberwolves and Hornets all joined the league before Jordan even won a championship. The only teams that joined the league in the 90's were the two Canadian teams. The Hornets then moved to New Orleans and the Grizzlies moved to Memphis. Jordan didn't have any effect on this. Sure he made the game more popular, but the NBA's best ratings were in the 80's during the Lakers/Celtics/Pistons rivalries. I can't say the league expanded in the US because of Jordan. Gretzky, on the other hand went to the Kings right before the NHL started expanding and moving into new markets in the South. Whether that's all because of him is debatable, but there's certainly an argument to be made there.

I want to see Vegas in the Finals, just to see what their ice conditions will be like. I've been to Vegas before in June, and it's very HOT.

He was upset at the way Russians were portrayed by the American media, so he left. Not like he went to play for the Bruins or something.

Did expansion to smaller markets in the South happen because of Jordan, though? The NBA had a big boom in the 80's because of Magic and Bird.

What about the idea that he saved hockey by going to LA, as after that move, the NHL greatly expanded to non-traditional markets. Is that all B.S?

Seriously? Gretzky didn't have any contribution to hockey besides numbers?

The Penguins probably will retire his number. He might make the Hall of Fame depending on whether he can bag another Cup, reach more wins, and maybe win a Vezina. You have to remember, though, that two of those Cups belong to Murray more than Fleury. So he hasn't won 3 Cups as starter.

Kid is a walking advertisement. Hideous euro hockey league jerseys. If it means not seeing Nyquist wearing it anymore, I'm all for it.

Mercifully, it's over. Sucks that Kenny and Blashill are returning. Let's hope they get lucky in the draft because there's not much else to look forward to.

The whole organization is, sadly. Bad leadership starts at the top.

What's this rich boy the Governor of exactly?

So offense wins Championships?

IMO, the 2003 Ducks were a better team than the 2004 Flames. Their playoff record was more impressive, as was the quality of opposition they knocked off in relatively easy fashion. It wasn't until the Finals where they finally ran into serious problems. We have to agree to disagree, but I don't see the Lightning as being good enough to beat the top two or three Devils teams of that decade, including the 2003 team. I think Jersey would shut down Tampa's fowards and would be able to score against Tampa's defense. They had the playoff experience on their side. I trust Brodeur more than Khabibulin in big games. To me, that Devils team wasn't that much different than the 2000 and 2001 version that went to the Finals. A few different pieces, but the same solid machine.

Arguably, the worst draft in recent history. Look at the other names on that list. Burke really did pull a great move there.

Two of our Hall of Famers, namely Yzerman and Chelios, didn't even finish that forsaken series. That Wings team was good in the regular season but that was that unfortunate stretch where they kept losing in the playoffs to no name teams with hot goalies. The 2003 Devils were tied for the league lead with fewest goals allowed. They had the best PK in the league. They had 108 points. They may not have scored a ton of goals, but they didn't need to. They were a great team, and were going to win the Cup whether they played Anaheim, Detroit, or Dallas in the Finals. They were the best team in the league that year. I've said this before, but I put greater stock in teams that won it more than once. I can't see the 2004 Lightning beating the 2003 Devils with their pedigree, talent, and experience. That Tampa team was, pardon the pun, "lightning in a bottle".

Overrated. His points per game sucked compared to the Sedins.

The Devils were not just a team that played a system. In 2001, they scored 295 goals. I don't think any team has scored that many since. In 2000 (which many consider their strongest team), they finished second in goals scores. Their top line was legit with Elias, Arnott, and Sykora. Over the years, they had other offensive stars like Gionta, Langenbrunner, Mogilny, Lemieux. Guys like Holik, Madden, Pandolfo, and Brylin were there for multiple Cups. The 2004 Tampa team was a one and done deal. They didn't do much the rest of the seasons around that. The 2007 Ducks were also a one-time Cup winner, but they had good teams for many seasons around that time. They beat a good Wings team and got past the Senators in 5 games. Tampa struggled in a 7 game series against a Calgary team full of scrubs. I don't see them beating the Ducks.

Twins are weird. The Sedins are no different. I wonder if they always wore matching clothes everyday and that sort of thing? Both will likely make the Hall of Fame and were very consistent players. Both members of that 2006 Swedish team (which will end up having an impressive list of HOF players). Came so close to the Cup in 2011, which will be the only knock on their resume.

They actually didn't beat Calgary fairly, as that Gelinas shot looked to be a goal. It was a tainted Cup in some ways. You're right that they had a good regular season and had some very talented forwards, including the MVP that season in St. Louis. Khabibulin had one of the best playoffs a European goalie ever had up to that time. They're one of the weakest Cup winners for several reasons. For one, can you even name five teams in the last 40 years that were weaker Cup winners? Hey, there's no shame being a weak Cup winner, as you're still a Cup winner. It's like the doctor who finishes last in his Harvard class. Someone has to finish last and they're near the bottom for me. The other reason they didn't impress me is they were relatively thin on defense. It wasn't a strong group of names on the blue line. I don't remember them having good forward depth either. Lastly, I do give more respect to teams that went to multiple Finals or even came close. That team never did much of anything else before or after that season. I know the lockout didn't help, but they still kept their core forwards together after the lockout and still not much came of it.

Didn't Osgood outplay Hasek the entire season? It was only a matter of time, unfortunately, for Hasek to be replaced that year.