awingsincebirth

I think that this is a very important point. Bobby Orr redefined the defensive position. That is the one thing that Bobby has that Nick will never be able to (He perfected it, yes, but he did not singlehandedly alter it)....that, and the word "Canada" on his birth certificate (This is another important factor that would keep Bobby ahead of Nick even if Nick WERE to out-Norris Orr)

I feel like it may be a bit closer than it was this year, but Lids will still win it in convincing fashion. Phaneuf probably will be #2 again, because he tends to put up the right numbers in the the right places, despite the fact that he will never even be close to what Lidstrom is. In my eyes, Lids has locked up a spot as both the #2 d-man of all time, and the #1 European of all-time after this year's Cup. Nonetheless, he will never be considered the best defenseman ever, and rightfully so. Bobby is numero uno, Lids is numero two. If Lids can remain dominant, he can narrow that gap a pit (subsequently widening the gap between himself and number 3, whoever that may be), but he will never quite close it entirely. However, I think that those two will stay atop the pinnacle of all-time defensemen for many, many years to come.

I was thinking much the same thing while I was reading it. I think that Holland knew that he had to jump on the opportunity when it presented itself. This was not like a trade or RFA situation in which the Wings had to sacrifice something in return. I think Holland would have made this deal go through even if Hossa said to him "I guarantee you that I will only be here for one year." Nonetheless, I do think that it is possible that the scenario that he puts forward will actually present itself, bit it will hinge obviously on a number of other factors

I think it has to be Kronwall. Why? I think he tends to get lost in the shuffle a little bit when you place him behind the All-Time great Nick Lidstrom, and another big name in Rafalski. These guys kind of make you forget that Kronner could probably be a number one guy for a bunch of other teams. Other nominees: Hudler (timely goals), and Draper (great energy and a faceoff beast)

Then he won't win the Stanley Cup this year....and one has to wonder why he would decide to make a move that would be theoretically horizontal.

To my 88 year old grandpa who taught me how to be a Wings fan!

Man, I'm so happy right now I wanna post on everyone of these threads. For sure, thanks a tonne Matthew, your hard work and dedication has made this site a great tradition for a lot of fans, and hopefully it will remain that way for all of us well into the future. God bless.

WHY I AM NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS AS MUCH AS EVERYONE ELESE IS: -It reallly sucks that there isn't gonna be any more NHL hockey for months after tonite. -I'm gonna miss watching the Wings play after tonite. -The Toronto Maple Leafs are gonna be tied for first in the league after tonite. -We're gonna have to see our beloved Captain fraternize with Gary Bitchman tonite. -Sidney Crosby is gonna shave his "facial hair" and all the ladies are no longer think Im as good looking as some sort of man model in comparison...after tonite. I don't know what you guys are all so excited about, this is downright depressing. GO WINGS! BRING 'ER HOME WHERE SHE BELONGS!

QFT. I've come to really loathe Crobsy and the Pens, but the fact is that Sid is one of the best players in the league right now. However, in every era of hockey since the beginning of time their have always been a host of players who qualify as "one of the best". Most of those players went about their business, had great careers, got inducted to the HOF, etc.etc. Crosby will almost certainly do all those things. However, he is lauded as a player who is exponentially more significant than he really is. He is great, but he isn't the best of his generation, and when all is said and done, it is very likely that he won't be considered it. It becomes almost shocking watching this series and thinking, "Wow, this guy isn't nearly as dominant as you'd think he was based on his exposure." The bottom line is, he's overhyped at this point, by no fault of his own. If the idea were to give the most exposure to the best players, then I think there is no question that Zetterberg deserves more than Crosby RIGHT NOW. At this point in their respective careers, Z is better than Crosby. I'm not trying to just ***** and whine that our guys don't get enough exposure, I'm just saying. I bet if it were the Sharks v Pens, we'd be saying, "YOu know what, Thornton is just better than Crosby". Same if it were Iggy and the Flames. Crosby is good, not the best, Period. I think his constant bitching comes largely from buying into his own hype. If you are constantly being told that you are the most important player in the league, it would be nearly impossible to naturally expect some preferential treatment. He's a product of the environement that has bred him, and as a result, he's a *****.

I don't think we'll have to worry about it, TBH. Here is how it is gonna go down. Whether or not the Wings win the Cup, Bettman will call up Crobsy, kiss him gently and tenderly on the cheek (both of them with tear-filled eyes), and then he will let Crobsy hold it first. Then, IF WE ARE LUCKY, Crobs will give it to Nick, just because Sid is a generous standup fella. Honestly, we should just feel blest that our team gets to play in the Crobsy Hockey League (***-HL).

Hey guys, I wasn't here for the GDT, and I don't feel like scrolling through page after page to find this out: Was there the general consensus that the refs were trying to tee this one up for the Pens? I mean, I'm not one to buy into conspiracies and s***, but I thought it was unreal what the refs were overlooking in this game on the Pens side compared to the Wings. I told my buddy that I wasn't getting pissed at the calls on us, I thought they were all fairly justifiable, it was the missed calls on them that happened the ENTIRE game. The can opener in the first, giving Franzen a matching penalty when he got jumped by 2 Pens for barely a thing, a few cross checks, hooks, and general obstruction that the refs were seeing and not calling, and the retarted s*** that they were doing in the faceoff circle so that the Pens could win the faceoff battle. Nonetheless, the better team prevailed, but I still thought the officiating was pure horsepiss and should be dealt with. OZZZIE! GO WINGS!

In Crobsy's defense (and yes, I mean to call him Crobsy cuz it sounds less flattering), I'm quite sure its not the real him talking anymore....the mustache has all but taken over.

"Feel my trousers, they're soaked with urine."

Make that four Wings defenseman that are playing better than any single Pens defenseman. I remember reading before the series that the Pens D were underrated. SUre hasn't looked that way until now. If anything, Gonchar looks like he is grossly overrated, at least when you put him up against a team with balanced skill and depth. I thought Stuart and Flip were our best players on the ice tonite. And Zetterberg. And Dats (even though he doesn't have a point yet he is playing great with the puck and being physical). And Lids. And Kronwall. And Ozzy. Sammy looks good. So does Cleary. And Rafalski. Franzen. Drake and Draper. Helm. Huds. Ya, those guys were our best players tonite.

Dude, that is awesome!

I AM PUMPED!!! I'm incredibly confident that we're gonna win this won tonite, quite possibly by a decent margin. Then, the media will all jump ship to the Wings bandwagon thinking we are just to good for the Pens, but the Pens will adjust for game 2 and it will be closer (but we will still win). I think that's how its gonna go.

I can tip a glass to that for sure. In the end though, I like Detroit to win it (surprise surprise) because of D-FENSE. I firmly believe that the Wings have 3 defenseman that have played better than any single defenseman on any team that the Pens have played thus far (Lids, Raffi, Kronner), as well as the TWO best overall defensive forwards in the league). I think its quite likely that the Pens are gonna go out there and try to play their game, get smothered, and then have to adjust. How well they can adjust should tell the tale of this series. Also, it is imperative that the Wings get Franzen back in their lineup. Even if he only produces at like 70% of the way that he has, it will still be plenty. The second line without him doesn't seem to play particularly poorly, they just can't get s*** done. Throw the Mule we know and love out there, and Flip, Clears, Huds, whoever, should step it up as well. How fitting would it be to watch the greatest European born player become the first European born captain to win a Cup? I think it is in the cards. Nonetheless, here's to the first GOOD Cup finals in quite some time with no blowouts like Anaheim last year, and no one hit wonders like Carolina or Tampa. Go WINGS!

It's go time, gents. There is no reason to believe that we'll lose this game. I really believe that we saw the Stars' best effort on Monday. Now, they are just standing at the foot of Everest and looking up saying, "Holy &*#$!". Our boys are on a mission tonite, and the half-ass, little desperation by the Stars that I expect tonite isn't even gonna come close. Let's Go Wings! 5-1 Wings: Z, Clears, Dats, Lids, Drapes Stars: Zubov

I could be wrong, but if Roenick somehow ended up on the Wings this year, I'd just bet that we'd all love him

Das Mule! On the one hand, you've got him scoring 2.25 goals per game in the series, which is ridiculous. On the other hand, you take him, whose a real legit scoring threat every time on the ice, and put him on the second line, and no team in the NHL is defensively strong enough to shut down both of our top 2 lines. Thus, you've got ZDH basically running around doing whatever they wanted for the majority of the series, and the Wings averaging over 5 a game. Basically, if Franzen keeps this up, this team is going to be IMPOSSIBLE to defend against effectively. Add to that the fact that our D and goalie are about as stingy as any in recent history, and you've got a team thats gonna be incredibly hard to beat, whether your Dallas or San Jose. Hopefully Babcock is still pushin the boys hard right now because I'd hate to see them lose their edge. MVP - Das Mule 1st runner up - Sasha 2nd runner up - Ozzy 3rd runner up - Pasha 4th runner up - Lids 5th runner up - (merely out of very low expectations) I though Sammy played a great series in general, with just a couple "O s***" moments. Go Wings!

Not true. The Leafs like to give sub-par to mediocre players ridiculously over priced contracts and then No-Trade Clauses to ensure they can't get rid of them. Do your research, GST!

I really like RedFXs idea of making the first season a simulator and the second season based on real stats, that could be fun. Also, if anyone wants to be the Assistant GM for Montreal: ~Budding young team ~Prime Location, in close proximity to schools, supermarkets, and recreation ~You can't go wrong! (~Downside: The French) Drop me a message if interested

I'm thinkin that him and the Pens need to be eliminated ASAP so that he can shave that little Dirty Sanchez/Upper Lip Surprise thing he's got goin on. GOD AWFUL! He looks like an illegal immigrant.

There, fixed it. Right now he's surrounded by quite the cast of former and current all-star caliber players (Jagr, Gomez, Drury...) and he can't get his s*** together. Granted, when it comes to the Rangers offense, the whole seems to equal significantly less than the sum of its parts, but still. Shanny is in the twilight of his career and he is a shadow of the player he once was, its that simple. For what he did here he deserves a tonne of respect, but you've gotta know when to cut and run, and I think the boys upstairs made the right decision.

I 3rd that question.