Nev

He's an RFA in 2009, and the talk earlier in the year was that he was going to try and test the market. Having said that, the Wings have the right to match whatever he is offered, and even if he jumps ship we still get compensated with draft picks on a sliding scale based upon his salary. I forget the exact details, but if he signs with someone else for say $3M, we get a 1st and a 3rd. I think anything up to that we can match easily, above that, and will teams be prepared to give up those picks for a 2nd line player? ps, yes he was terrific, and really elevated his play in the finals - that weeks rest did him the world of good IMO.

What pissed me off the most was the way they went "let them play" and then called the BS penalties like the one on Hudler. If you're going to swallow your whistle then fine, as long as the players all know that, and as long as you still call the totally blatant stuff that prevents (or in the case of the Datsyuk trip with 10s left) creates a goal scoring chance. Calling a BS hook with 2 minutes left to give a team with 1 shot in 18 minutes a last chance PP after you have let EVERYTHING in that time.....infuriating. Even worse when just about the ONLY way the Pens got any goals (or chances for that matter) was on the PP.

Big up to all the mods and admins, and a special mention to Aflac for the GDTs. Sorry to hear you won't be doing them - no more PAIN TRAIN?

I said earlier in the season that if Ozzie won another cup he was a legit contender for the HHOF and for number retirement, assuming he would do it *after* Hasek retired. Then he goes and does it this season! For sure if he has another couple of strong 30+ win seasons, All-star appearance(s) and more playoff runs, he should get in. Like others have said, no-one ever brings up the stifling defense of Dallas or NJ when talking about Belfour or Brodeur why is Osgood different?

Yep, he really used his speed to his advantage, especially getting the puck out of the zone (cos lets face it, Lilja's outlet passing game is brutal). Was a treat seeing him pull away from old man Roberts time and again

Well, yes, he did that call right - however, despite the popular conception here that he was the only one to see it, that's not the case. Watch it with the original audio, and you can hear the volume of screaming (more like shrieking actually) rising as the pens fans behind the goal realise the puck has dribbled through. If they'd not called that BS hook on Hudler, and then called the trip on Datsyuk, I'd be much happier. Still bitter that the ending closer than it should have been

QFT. I want another Dallas Game 6. Score early. Score often.

Good luck mate - my dad has lost half his bowel and 1 and 1/3 lungs to Bowel cancer, but he's still going strong.

FWIW, Drew Sharp is an idiot, and probably the least respected writer in Detroit sports - by both fans and players. I don't attribute a gram of worth to anything he says, neither should you. It was a correctly called double minor for high sticking. End. Of. Story.

I think Hasek is done and he knows it - which is why he's such a smiley back-up. He's accepted his career is over, is at peace with it, and wants Ozzie to win the cup cos 1) Ozzie is his chum 2) Dom gets a 2nd cup on his resume.

I agree - but Nick only has 2 years left after this, so I expect Hanks contract to rise after the first couple of years to the $8M mark

This week I'm off work, so I'm recording the games and getting up at 6am to watch them. Game 4, Sunday night - I wake up @ 3am (10pm US time) having dreamt about Nick Lidstrom flying the EE Lightning (a 60s/70s interceptor) in the RAF (!) Game 5, last night, I wake up at a similar time, having dreamt about Mike Babcock asking me questions about my education, how I ended up doing my job, stop-whining-you-did-all-this-yourself, and generally being a hard-ass and asking me penetrating questions. Do you think I'm getting a little bit stressed about this Stanley Cup thing?

He sure is an awesome coach, and I think he did a little bit more than just change the lines Great quotes in the post game presser too I love Babs. I'd hate for him to be my dad, but damn if he isn't a winner (and not a whiner, eh MT?)

soooo true. I'll be nervous as hell watching the game, but I always am in the playoffs. But nervous about the state of the series? Not in the least. Question - how many periods of the 18 so far could you say Pittsburgh have been the better team? 2, maybe 3. Like someone else said, 5on5 you incapable of *anything*. You live and die by your PP and MAF. That might get you 1 or 2 games, but it ain't good enough for a series. When the Wings bring it, Pens simply cannot live with us.

Yeah I have noticed it - the Pens have been repeatedly going behind the net and trying to stuff it in on the short side, seems to be one of their main strategies.

That save on Samuelsson was the save of the playoffs. Still, gotta give Sammy credit for actually getting the shot on net...

Yeah, with all the weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth the fact that Hank has set a Franchise record has gone un-noticed. Congrats Henrik, now go and increase the record in Game 6 when you win us the Cup

Confucious say: Learn the past and you shall know the future. What history shows, specifically that 30-1, stat is how incredibly difficult it is to come back in the finals once you are down.

QFT. We were the better team for 5 of the 6 periods of this game, but we did NOT lose because of the refs. You want someone to blame for our loss? Blame Fleury/Osgood/Franzen/Samuelsson/Hudler. Not the Refs fault (horrendous though those 2 goalie interference calls were).

1st goal - shot into top corner, no chance for Ozzie. 2nd goal - Shot by Kronner into top corner, no chance for Ozzie 3rd goal - made initial save but NEVER got his skate/pad against the post at any point. If he does that, that puck doesn't go in. Sorry, but Ozzie is at fault (as is Franzen, who had a chance to clear the puck but didn't) 4th Goal - screened, top corner, but near side. I'm sure he'd like that one back, but meh. We're still better than them.

Funny, cos people were saying that after we dropped Game 5 to Dallas....look how that turned out. Luckily Game 6 will be played on the ice, and not between the ears of panicky Wings fans. And Detroit is better than Pittsburgh on the ice.

Yep I too have noticed that games 3, 4 and 5 the Wings have been constanly kicked out of the face-off circle, seems like every other face-off (no exaggeration). F/Os was meant to be a huge advantage for us this series given that we were top and Pittsburgh were bottom in that category, and yet they're almost 50-50. I too wonder if that's another thing Therien has been bitching about. And Crosby totally pwned Zetterberg on them last night.

Happened repeatedly to the Rangers against the Devils and Canucks in '94

Wings have repeatedly shown in this series that Pittsburgh cannot live with them when Detroit bring it. Games 3 & 4 were both toss-ups that either team could have won, depending on who got the bounces. We have shown that playing in their barn does not imtimidate us. It will not be easy, but I cannot believe a clearly better Detroit Redwings team can lose this series.

Only other Goalie that I've really heard the same level of criticism as Ossie is Ken Dryden (although he admits in his book, the last few years all he had to do was not lose the game for Montreal)