blues_demitra38

Thing is, he would be a legitimate top 2 line winger on the Red Wings. Put him on Datsyuk or Zetterberg's left wing and that is as scary a duo as any other on the team.

Maybe for a team like St. Louis who are a few years away from contending for the Cup. But for a team like Detroit I would like to think that Ken Holland has at least contacted Kariya to see what the asking price is. The potential is just too great to ignore.

And why is that?

So it's 3.8 million for the two years total? Someone ought to fix the subtitle of the thread.

Are you actually comparing Holmstrom's worth to the team to Bertuzzi's? The two should not be mentioned in the same breath when talking about how important they are to the team.

Almost 4 million/yr? Is this for real? Frolov, Whitney or Kariya could have been signed for that amount or close to it. Uncharacteristically bad signing by Holland.

The guy piles up secondary assists on his way to the finals, mails it in on the biggest stage and is awarded the Conn Smythe? I think, more than anything, this speaks to Chicago's depth. Personally, I think Niemi was more valuable to his team throughout the playoffs but it could have also gone to Duncan Keith or Patrick Kane as well. Yzerman look out, Johnny Toews is about to steal your legacy.

Interesting fact that may have been overlooked during these playoffs is that the Hawks completed a near miraculous comeback over the Predators in Game 5 of their first round series where they tie the game SHORTHANDED and then win it in overtime, closing out the series in Game 6. That game is the one you look back to as the pivotal one during the Hawks' Cup run. Now, think back to 2008: What moment really defined that playoffs for the Wings? Yup, Game 5 versus Nashville where The Mule netted the game winner. Both were Game 5's, both could have gone either way and both served as a rallying point for their respective Cup Champion teams.

That PK was pretty clutch, but I was never worried during that series. It always looked like it was professionals (Wings) and amateurs (Penguins) out there. When Sykora scored that triple OT goal the only reason I was upset was that Detroit wouldn't win it on home ice. The Nashville series could have legitimately gone either way, and that's why I think Franzen's game winner was THE moment of the playoffs in 2008 for Detroit.

Niemi actually stole Game 2 for the Blackhawks. Toews did nothing in the series whatsoever. Niemi>Toews.

1) Features a team from the Midwest against a team from Pennsylvania. 2) Also features an extremely overrated player heralded to be something he is not (Crosby:Gretzky Toews::Yzerman) 3) Home team goes up 2-0 despite being outplayed 4) Home team has held serve up until this point 5) Both game 5's resulted in blowouts for the home team If the pattern stays true then we should be in for a close victory by the Flyers in Game 6 and then an "anything can happen" scenario in Game 7. Stay tuned, it should be a good finish.

The closest Philly ever got was within two goals. Chicago was in the driver's seat for about 90% of the game.

Both Toews and Crosby are also Finals choke artists. Neither one of them produces when it matters most.

I understand the instigator rule to prevent s*** like what happened with Morris/Abdelkader from happening. Abdelkader hits Stempniak, Morris protects his teammate by fighting Abdelkader. Did I overlook a major portion of the rule or was Detroit shafted?

How was that not an instigator on Morris?

Anyone know the name of the music/song played after the road team scores against the Coyotes? It's a bluesy theme and I've grown an appreciation for it during this series, not unlike my feelings towards the Coyotes. Win or lose, they have gained my respect and proved to be a worthy adversary for the mighty Red Wings. Dave Tippet should be at last be nominated for the Jack Adams, if not win the award entirely.

Good lookin' out, thanks!

That's not it but it is similar. It could just be a tune played by the local organ player at Jobing.com Arena. Watching the video in my original post reminded me of the annoying posts clangs that I heard all last night whenever the Coyotes skated up ice past their own blue line. Anyone else notice that? I guess it's Bryzgalov tapping the iron out of habit.

Here is the simple formula for successful television ratings: follow the NBA model. Why choose between VS and ESPN when you can have both? The NBA has TNT, ABC and ESPN, the NHL could likewise have VS, NBC and ESPN.

Exactly. Franzen has been the X-Factor in the early rounds of the playoffs and he NEEDS TO BE THAT PLAYER AGAIN if they are to advance. Teams focus all their efforts on shutting down Zetterberg and Datsyuk leaving Franzen to fly under the radar a little bit. I think he needs to be on a line by himself (i.e. without Z and D) to throw off Phoenix's defensive concentration.

A lot of people have abused Todd for his lack of intensity and physical play so this thread is aimed to appreciate the man who "calls the goalie Suzy." In Game 2, Bertuzzi's willingness to take a hit to make a play led to Filppula's first goal, his instinct to throw the puck on net as Zetterberg was crashing it let to Z's second goal and him going to the front of the net to give Bryzgalov and the Coyote d-men all they can handle led to Filppula's second goal. He ended the night with two points but played a key role in three of the seven goals scored in Game 2. While he may not be big, bad Bert from his Vancouver heyday he has shown that he will certainly a play a big role on this team if they are to make a Stanley Cup run with his good hands and hockey IQ.

In fairness to him, he probably doesn't wanna go anywhere near that road again (cheap shots, dirty hits, etc.). Think about all the physical players in today's game (Ovechkin, Downie, etc.) that have injured someone because of their physical play. A player turning into the boards too soon or looking the wrong way will open a new can of worms I'm sure he wants no part of. The fact that he's changed his game since the Moore Incident is no coincidence, he's a man who's built a reputation and is slowly trying to clear his name. So far, I think he's done a good job of that. But to say he's ineffective is not only unfair but downright false. The Wings brass knew they weren't signing Betuzzi circa '03 but that doesn't mean he's not a valuable asset.

The Western Conference representative in the Stanley Cup Finals has been either the Red Wings or the team that ousted them. Take a look: 2002: Cup champion 2003: Swept by Anaheim 2004: Ousted by Calgary in 6 games 2006: Ousted by Oilers in 6 games 2007: WCF loss to the Ducks 2008: Cup champion 2009: Cup finalist This means that in the event the Wings are bounced by the Coyotes we all know who will represent the West in the Stanley Cup Finals.

No. Pronger and Niedermeyer are essential components of that team. I think the problem with Team Canada is what everyone else has alluded to, that there are too many stars and not enough role players. Needless to remind everyone that it was Maltby and Draper playing against the opposition's top line in 2002.

If David Backes is rotating his spot on any line with some other shmuck (i.e. Drury, Callahan) then something is seriously wrong. Backes has been USA's best player thus far and he will play a key role in Sunday's game against the Canadians.