Chris L

I loved that one! LOL This I never understood... Wasn't Hossa a mid season signing for the Pens? Hasn't he spent more time with the Wings than the Pens? Since when did the Pens ever own Hossa? Sour grapes, that's what it is. They have two of the three best players in the league and they're pissed that Hossa signed with us? WTF?!?!

Reminds me of a time at the All-State Arena. I was there for game of the 2001 Calder Cup finals (they lost to the Orlando Solar Bears, backstopped by Norm Maricle, once prospect of the Wings, he got pushed out by Manny Legace for those with long memories here). Anyway, I was walking around in my Konstantinov jersey, and my buddy (Don't laugh) was in his Avs Sakic jersey and we drew more than a few looks. So this was a few days after we were put out by the LA Kings and this stupid Hawks fan comes up to me and says "How about them Wings!" and I said "We made the playoffs, how about them Hawks!" Then he turned bright red and ran off, as the whole concourse was laughing at him.

question about the projected lines ... Abdelkader-Datsyuk-Hossa???? is the first line? Everywhere I read today says that Z-Mule-Cleary is the first line. And several articles on the freep say the Homer-Dats-Hossa line is still together. Weird.

No. But the Ducks sure think so. Just like the Hawks. Imagining a rivalry that isn't there.

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http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/story/2009...oy-reports.html

Cleary has earned his spot on the top two lines and he's clicking well up there. I'd leave him exactly where he is now.

I work in an office in the Loop, those are actual things I heard on Friday. The Hawks fans may have been regurgitating an article, but I wasn't. Granted the ones I know are not very good a processing information, then saying something about said process or information. They are, however, really good at spewing talking points they read or heard somewhere. So if they were repeating something from a Columbus newspaper that the Tribune dug up, I wouldn't be surpised. Another quote from a manager in the office: "Osgood doesn't impress me, he's middle of the pack at best." "Really?" I asked, "So being a top ten goalie, lifetime, is middle of the pack? What does that make Khabibulin? Have you compared their numbers?" He stopped talking hockey at that point. Ah, living in Chicago... They live and die by their sport teams and come unglued when they loose in about two seconds. Apparently all teams must live up to the 1985 Bears or the 1991 Bulls. Anything less is a catastrophe.

I don't like seeing Dats with Hossa because they seem to have zero chemistry together. Dats makes almost anybody great on the ice, except Hossa, weird. They both see the ice too diferently and that combo is bad. As for Homer, I don't know what's up with him. He seems to be not his normal self. A bit slow to get the puck, sometimes confused where the action is, getting pushed out of the crease easily. I dunno what's up with him, I can't figure it out. Maybe an injury? He doesn't seem to get in the corners and dig out the pucks like he used to. The Demolition Man seems to have put his wrecking ball away.

Prior to Sunday's game, in my office: "Osgood is Detroit's weakest link", "He's a soft goaltender.", "He's not a playoff goalie" I laughed and laughed.

Ozzie is one of the few goalies to every score a goal. He can handle the puck fine. Babcock doesn't want him to play the puck. I read in the Freep the other day... Ozzie was asked what advice Babcock gives him, and Ozzie said: "Stay out of the paint, be big in goal" Babs doesn't want Ozzie to go wandering off like Patrick Roy. He wants Ozzie close in goal and filling it up as much as possible.

I've never been to Detroit (maybe next year I'll get up there for a game.) so I know little of the music at the Joe. But I can tell its changed over the years. In the late 90's the DJ seemed to have a sense of humor, now a days, I don't get it half the time. Also, I miss the Imperial March that used to play at the beginning of the Power Play. But I understand why they quit that, seemed like, a few years ago, every arena was copying the Joe with that. Sucks. The William Tell Overature just doesn't do much for me, as its been used in just about every sporting venue ever.

Wow Andrew, that poster is a tool.

Over on the Ducks boards: http://forums.anaheimducks.com/index.php?showtopic=370036 A classy dude.

The Hawks haven't had a defensive system that I could tell all season and post season! I'd be shocked if they suddenly started to play one.

True that. Khabibulin is hot or cold. There's no in between for him. Either he's unstoppable or he's swiss cheese.

Now, pretend that we beat the Hawks, who would we like to face after that? A replay of 2002 or a replay of 2008? *sheesh* I'd rather face the Pens over the 'Canes. Maurice's defensive style of smothering the puck and velco on the other team is boring and annoying.

Ozzie is total clutch.

Hawks are chaos incarnate. Fast, tons of natural skill, but no system what so ever. Khabibulin though is very beatable. Of the remaining goalies playing right now, he has the worst save percentage .896. Ozzie, (not counting tonight's game) is a .924. We play a tight puck possession, you can't do end-to-end, chance-for-chance chaos hockey when a puck possession team is playing their game. I say Wings in 6

Thanks Ducks Guy, you're a class act. You and DuckFan over on your boards here: http://forums.anaheimducks.com/index.php?showtopic=370036 Well played series, tough, gritty, brutal. It was war, dude, and your Ducks brought it to us. Anything we face after the Ducks will seem somewhat less.

Yeah baby!!!!!

Hiller's flipping out!

Urgency, 60-minute effort top Red Wings' Game 7 list (from CBC sports) http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/stanleycup...gs-preview.html Fans of the Anaheim Ducks would say they frustrated the Detroit Red Wings and got the defending Stanley Cup champions off their game with Tuesday's post-buzzer brawl. Those in Detroit probably didn't fancy watching Ducks forward Corey Perry pounding on defenceman Brian Rafalski or Pavel Datsyuk tangling with fellow all-star Scott Niedermayer instead of scoring goals. But perhaps the Red Wings' lingering fire will have them focused and hungry from the outset of Thursday's seventh and deciding game in the NHL Western Conference semifinal at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 7 p.m. ET). "Everything is on the line," Detroit defenceman Nicklas Lidstrom, a veteran of 224 NHL post-season games, told reporters Wednesday. "We have to play with a sense of desperation from the start, and we have to do that for 60 minutes." Failing to do as much in Game 6 allowed Anaheim's checking line, led by centre Todd Marchant, to keep the Red Wings' top scorers to the outside and away from goalie Jonas Hiller, who backstopped the Ducks to a 2-1 with 38 saves. Datsyuk's linemate, Henrik Zetterberg, believes the emotions from Game 6 will carry over to Thursday's contest, but not the fighting. Besides a burst of energy, Detroit must also get back to intimidating Hiller by getting bodies in the crease — like Games 4 and 5 — if it hopes to book a date with the Chicago Blackhawks in the West final. Experience a factor? From there, the Red Wings will put plenty of stock in their experienced lineup, a strength of theirs in winning four Cups in the previous 11 seasons. "We've hung our hat on the experience this team has gone through," said forward Kirk Maltby, a four-time champion. "A lot of guys here the last two or three years have been through a lot of ups and downs during the course of a playoffs. I think that's going to go a long way." Detroit is also banking on home-ice advantage playing a big part. After splitting the first two games with the Ducks at the Joe, the Red Wings thoroughly dominated Game 5 en route to a 4-1 victory. According to Elias Sports Bureau, home teams are 79-46 all-time in the NHL in Game 7s (63.2 per cent). Detroit is 11-7 in such situations but hasn't played a Game 7 since its 7-0 rout of Patrick Roy and the Colorado Avalanche in the 2002 conference finals. Anaheim, which won the Cup in 2007, is 2-1 in Game 7s. Most recently, the Ducks blanked Calgary 3-0 in a do-or-die match in Round 1 of the 2006 post-season. "We showed the first two games [of this series] that if we play our [edgy, tight-checking] game [in Detroit], we always have a chance to win," Hiller said. "There is a lot of experience in [our dressing room]." Pronger, Niedermayer pack a punch Indeed. Veteran defenceman Chris Pronger and Niedermayer, who were paired by Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle in Game 6, lead a Anaheim power play that has converted seven of 22 chances in the series. They will also be assigned to check Datsyuk, who hasn't scored in eight playoff games and has just two assists in 10 games in the 2009 post-season. "Even if stat-wise he hasn't had a huge impression, he still has quality chances and creates a lot," said Carlyle of Datsyuk, who came inches away from an overtime-forcing goal in the final seconds of Tuesday's game. "I never give up," said Datsyuk, who led the Red Wings in regular-season scoring with 97 points. "Never frustrated. Work hard, help team. "Playoff, it's totally different. I think I need [to] work harder and more shoot." Babcock is hoping for Datsyuk and the team, his scoring drought ends against Hiller, whose first NHL post-season has been nothing short of sensational. "Any time you're a scorer and you haven't scored, no matter what anybody says, you always are squeezing a little bit," Babcock said. "The big thing for him, he's a real good, dominant player is to just play. Don't think too much. "It would be a good time for him to break out."

I stripped myself of all my superstitions last year. For 1998 cup win, I couldn't wear a stitch of red anywhere all day. And If I so much as touched a winged wheel, they'd loose. In 2002, when they'd flag during the game, I'd have to shave between the periods to get them going. Then, last year, I realized removing all trappings of hockey so I could watch hockey was stupid. So I got shaggy and wore Wings stuff or not, it was totally random. I have a Wings Zephyr hat that I like, but its really comfortable so of my hats, that one usually wins. The boys will win or die tonight on their effort. Its up to them to dig deep, play the full 60 minutes, stick to their game and make the Ducks play to the Wings system, not the other way around. If our boys do that, we'll win this one by two goals.

Hell yeah, that's how they won games 4 and 5. They played a full 60 minutes.