aarond

Hopefully the Sharks players have the same lack of respect for the Wings as the Sharks fans do. Although, I seriously doubt they will. They’re not as stupid as their fans. Most professional athletes are smarter about their sport than the fans are. That’s why the players are players and the fans are fans.

I actually agree with you on that. Fear of losing is part of fandom. But like you said, calling out the team's supposed lack of heart, desire, calling for the coach's head, etc., is irrational and knee-jerky. Once again, hockey can be a flukey sport at times. It's one of the only sports where your team can totally dominate and outplay a team but still lose because of certain equalizers, such as a hot goalie or a bad break. Just because you lost doesn't mean you didn't try, it doesn't necessarily mean you lack heart, or got outworked, or any crap like that. The Wings have had early exits in recent years, but if all of those teams that beat us went to the Finals and lost in 7. They all had hot goaltenders. And they all got ridiculously outshot by the Wings in those series. So yes, fear of losing is always legit. But the brazen personal criticism of the Wings, essentially implying that they lack character and manhood, was obnoxious. It's embarassing.

I wonder if any of you watched or paid any attention to the Calgary Flames this season. If so, how can you not realize that the Flames are a completely different team at home than they are on the road? They’ve been that way all season long. They’re one of the few teams in the NHL whom home ice advantage really makes a substantial difference for. I don't know exactly why that is, I just know that it is. So the Wings completely and utterly DOMINATE games one and two, and everybody was riding high after those two games. Then they go on the road to play one of the toughest home teams in the NHL this season, and they lose two close, tough, hard-fought games and now there are a bunch of you are stepping out onto the ledge. What the hell is wrong with you people? The Wings probably aren’t going to win the cup. There are a few teams that are better built for the playoff war of attrition. But how in the blue hell can you people who are now predicting our demise in this series be so F-ing fickle? You call yourselves fans? You’re an embarrassment!

Perhaps the best demonstration of how ridiculous our fans can be is the fact that there are people starting threads where the essential theme is "we're not out of it yet," "it's not over yet," "we still have a chance," etc. And this isn't a knock on those starting those threads. Those threads exist because there are people who need to hear it. Think about it: the series is TIED and there are people who need it explained to them that we're not out of it yet, we still have a chance. IT'S TWO TO FREAKING TWO! NO F-ING SH*T WE STILL HAVE A CHANCE. Are you kidding me?

Do the Flames factor into the equation at all, or is it all about the Red Wings. You missed one of my main points entirely: the Flames, for whatever reason, are way better at home. And they still barely beat Detroit in both games. And while Detroit played grittier in games one and two compared to how they played in games three and four (and once again, the Flames had something to do with that), they still weren't grittier than the Flames were in games one and two. Even Hasek admitted that after game one: they may have been tougher and more physical, but we were better. I just think that a lot of people are knee-jerk reacting to two tough, close road games against a good home team.

He had similar comments after dropping game 5 to the Avs in 02. It's not an indication of things to come, one way or the other.

Explain to me how they have changed strategies? they're playing the same style that they played in games one and two: possess the puck, use your skill, take a lot of shots. The only difference is that the Flames, for whatever reason, play better at home and their goalie played better than he played in game one. They didn't win those first two games by being scrappier than the Flames. The Flames are grittier. Everybody knows that. They won those first two games by controlling the puck, taking a lot of shots, and they were able to cash in on them. But it's like clockwork on this forum: the outcome of the game determines the cliches you see. Our fans are fickle.

Look at the stats in this series. The Wings have had the puck the whole series, and the last two games are no exception. The difference right now seems to be the minders.

There comes a time in every playoff run where your team absolutely has to have the next goal. You would think that your goal scorers become the most important players in those situations. But they aren't. Your most important player in that situation is your minder. The goalie can't score himself, obviously, but he can sure as hell make sure that the other team doesn't score. In 2002, Hasek rose to the occasion a few times. He got it done against Vancouver in a hostile environment, and then after losing game 5 to the Avs, he made sure that Forsberg's overtime winner was the last goal that team scored that season. We haven't had a must-have stopper since then. Eventhough Joseph was fantastic against the Flames in 04, he didn't put up a brick wall when they absolutely had to have it, when the rest of the team wasn't playing great, but we needed the goalie to hold down the fort until they got their act together. So that's what this series comes down too: the most important player over the next few days is Hasek. Does he still have what it takes?

Plus, they were horrible all year long. But if you go to a game where their team is competitve, don't take your mother, grandmother, or children.

Flyers fans aren't just vocal, they're belligerent, abrasive and assaulting. They're borderline dangerous. Hell yea they're the most intimidating fans. If Al Qaeda had a favorite hockey team, then that team's fans would be the most intimidating. But until then, it's the Flyers...easily.

It's amazing how the Wings can lose a one goal game, and you come to this forum and the verdict is "they got outplayed," "they have no heart," "they didn't want it," "they got dominated," etc.

2001-Get out to 2-0 lead, then injuries to Shanny and Yzerman, poor goaltending, and lose next four. 2002-came from behind in three of the four series they played. 2003-Swept. 2004-First round: Won first two, lost second two, won last two. Started strong, finished strong. Second round: never led in the series, but still nearly forced a game 7 at home. 2006-Red Wings win game 1, but never led the series again. So really, the only series where the wings started out really strong, but then wound up losing, was 2001.

Before game 3 began, this team could do no wrong. Then they go on the road and lose two close games to the toughest home team in the league this season, and the doom and gloom starts enveloping the forum like a virus. Wings will win in 7, with the home team winning every game. Ordinarily, home ice means jack squat in hockey. But it makes such a huge difference for the Flames this season, for whatever reason.

You're right, it is enough said. The Flames have a mighty power play. THe Flames PP was better than Detroit's for most of the regular season, so why are people surprised by it now? edited to correct factual inaccuracy

Both of their PP goals came off of 5 on 3 situations. What the hell do you want? Against any NHL team, that's tough. But against the Flames, one of the better PPs in the league, it's almost an impossible task.

According to an ad in the Detroit News, however, they are also looking for fans who don't hyperventilate after two tough road games against a solid penalty killing team that plays its best at home.

Floaters from the blue line during PPs aren't going to cut it.

Better atmosphere? It may be noisier, but noise isn't necessarily atmosphere. Have they even figured out what off-sides is down there yet? There’s nothing like the buzz at the Joe before a game. The Joe doesn’t get loud like the Saddledome or GM Place, and I don’t agree that it’s nearly the toughest place to play, but you can sense that the fans have an understanding for the game.

Remember when the Kings beat the Wings in the playoffs in 01? I bet the majority of the DB's holding themselves out as Ducks fans today were Kings fans back then.

Detroit actually hasn't gotten outplayed by all that much. Calgary had a 5 on 3 and yet, it's a tie game. They're forecheck has been nastier and they've been scrappier in the corners, but we already knew that about them.

That's worse than Go Get'em Tigers

Toronto and Montreal are pretty much the only cities that don't have an abundance of bandwagon jumpers. Edmonton and Calgary are failry solid as well. Remember the Joe in the 70s and early 80s? Giving away cars just to get people to show up and whatnot.

Hockey is such a crap-shoot these days. Who knows. The Wings could lose in the first round, or they could go all the way. I wouldn't be surprised either way.

At least we don't look as bad when they go ahead and do that.