jim3033

Well, at least Filppula shot the puck.

Friday: Atlanta @ New Jersey Washington @ Florida Columbus @ Detroit Dallas @ Anaheim Calgary @ Los Angeles Saturday: Buffalo @ NY Rangers Boston @ Toronto Philadelphia @ Montreal New Jersey @ Ottawa Atlanta @ NY Islanders Florida @ Carolina Washington @ Tampa Bay St Louis @ Nashville Los Angeles @ Phoenix Edmonton @ Vancouver Sunday: Colorado @ Chicago San Jose @ NY Rangers Detroit @ Dallas Columbus @ St Louis Pittsburgh @ Buffalo Montreal @ Philadelphia Calgary @ Anaheim Nashville @ Minnesota

Expanding the NHL seemed like a good idea in the 90's when the US economy was booming. I'm guessing it was a lot more logical to put a hockey team in any large market then because blue collar people could afford to go to the games and to play hockey. But hockey is one of the most expensive sports out there to play. Now the US is in a recession and it's hard to spark interest in non-traditional hockey cities without anything short of winning a cup and standing on your head because people don't have a plum nickle to get their kids playing hockey and go to the games. Just look at the ticket price cuts in Detroit and southern teams like Dallas. Interest in the sport is synonymous with having enough money to facilitate that interest Bettman! The thing with football, basketball and baseball is that people all over the country play that growing up, in highschool and college and it's cheap. Hockey is way more sensitive to the economy though because it is so expensive and difficult to play. Also, it hasn't been played in the south for a 100 years like baseball. I think Bettman was gambling when he grew the league too fast in the 90's. If the economy had stayed strong he might be a hockey hero in the US. But then, when it didn't, the weight of all those teams blew up in his face. I suppose you could wait it out and see if the economy surges again but honestly, it is so bad right now I think even if it did surge it would take several years of a strong stable economy to see that translate into hockey flourishing in those southern cities. Even then, you've got to have the right people doing the job. Hockey can be a dominant sport even when the economy sucks but it will only stay stable in places where lots of people play and love hockey. So I hope we don't see another lockout and definitely no more rule changes. Eliminating a team or two and putting a team in a town that loves hockey will do a lot more for hockey in the US even if that town is in Canada. If not, they'll probably keep throwing parity at us until the quality of hockey is so diminished all the hardcore fans will start to leave. And what the heck is with all these rule changes. If I wanted a game more like football or basketball I'd just watch football or basketball. Players get hurt just as much now as they did before and scoring is probably the same or less. Except now I don't even know what the players can and cannot do from game to game because everything is a penalty. 25% of the games are determined by questionable calls and they might as well replace the refs with superhuman robots because it is impossible for a human to catch the little things these guys are calling on a consistent basis. For heaven sakes, it's not the way the game used to be played or is played that people aren't watching the friggin' game!! Bring back the glow puck!

Wow, these guys are dropping like flies. Hope everyone else is healthy.

Dang you internet sarcasm. That guy has played for many teams. EDIT: This is like him.

Who's that guy? Is he good?

Here is what some fans expect every night! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBEMyPOokn8...feature=related

I doubt the Wings will get Hossa. If he doesn't get dealt by the trade deadline it would be cool to imagine a second line with Brunnstrom and Hossa on it. Looks like the Wings have their eyes on LA though. When do all the GM's meet? Feb 15th?

I am totally going to the playoffs this year.

You know, that is a good deal both ways. Meech and Quincey may flourish on a team like LA. It would be too bad to lose Hudler but the wings have the depth to fill the gap. LA would get some good young players that would likely be a better fit for a team like LA.

It became an exciting game in the second. Wings almost made it 3-2. Things almost started clicking but there were one too many turnovers in the second. Samuelsson had a pretty bad turnover and filp and huds had some big opportunities to shoot the puck and didn't. I don't think Ellis is good either.

Ken Daniels postgame - "I don't think I've ever seen a defensive breakdown like that in the 11 years I've been here." That can't be good.

YESSSS Laperrier was fighting Getzlaf!! Awesome! Getzlaf needs to get his ass kicked. EDIT: Wow Getzlaf is such a pansy. He totally lamed out on that fight. McCarty-Getzlaf fight in the playoffs!! Make it happen.

Wings will be fine. Franzen is playing better but Huds and Filp can't execute. They were doing some slick passing but then they wait 5 minutes to shoot the puck. The Preds were playing really quick there in the first 8 minutes and shut down the neutral zone. Wings should have established puck control better in the first few minutes. On a side note I really hate Getzlaf. (Ducks-Avs game)

Wah Wah WAHHHHHHHH!!!!

The Avs and San Jose would supplement Anaheim well. Those Anaheim players are so cocky.

Running out of time. I did not think the Wings would lose this one.

Wow that stick shattered like kronwall during warm up.

They called back the goal Colorado scored. Ref said Giggy dropped his purse!

5 on 3 beeches! Do eet!

Every now and then the Wings peak out to say Hi and then they go back into hibernation.

Hooray for the MULEE!!!

Funny Lidstrom clip.. We can get back in this game in the second.

Oh totally didn't think this would happen. YESSS HERE COMES HOWARD!!!!

Holy Mackeral!!