xtrememachine1

The only changes I would make are swap Hudler for Modano. They're about the same offensively, while Modano is better defensively. Yes, keep Datsyuk and Filp together. Filp looks like a different player when he's on that line.

If Lidstrom retires at the end of this year, I can't think of a reason why they wouldn't make an offer to Shea Weber. I mean, by him leaving you'll have $6.2 mil available. Weber will probably sign for $7 mil. It will cost the Wings 1st rounders, but that's almost par for the course. Plus, it would also hurt the Predators in a big way to lose their best d-man and captain to a division rival. I can't think of why they wouldn't even give it consideration.

I think Modano would be much better on the PP than Hudler. Give us another big shooter from the point or let him unload from the right circle.

‎"Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing." - Muhammad Ali Lets go Red Wings!!!!!

The defense doesn't need rebuilt, but it needs to look different next year. New defensive coach, new defensemen. Hopefully Lidstrom stays, Rafalski will be back for one more year and Kronwall are all solid. As for everyone else, I wouldn't miss them. I feel like the more responsibility Stuart gets, the worse are defense is. I have some hope for Ericsson, but then I had hope for our other Eriksson (Anders Eriksson) years ago and see how well him turned out. Salei isn't anything special and can be easily replaced by someone better. Pitkanen, Hannan, Bieska, Ehrhoff, Jovanovski will all be UFA's this summer. We have very few shot blockers on this defense and that needs to change. Our PK has been horrendous for the last three years. I really believe that if we sort out our problems on defense and really focus on fixing that, we'll have a lot less people wanting to change up the forwards and goalies.

If by bigger and tougher you mean having more guys like Bertuzzi and Homer, then no. Team speed has always been what makes this team great.

Its called being a die-hard fan. In the '95 Finals, we were down 3-0 in the series and losing by two goals in the third period and I was like "Okay, now if we can just score just one goal in the next 10 minutes, we'll have the rest of the game to tie it up... okay, now one goal in the next 8 minutes." I'm nuts like that.

Yes we can come back. Just win this next game. Then go to SJ, bust your ass and hopefully we'll get a break that goes our way for a change. If there's a Game 6 in Detroit, the pressure starts to set in for the Sharks as they don't want a Game 7. Sharks crack under pressure, Wings win and force a Game 7 where anything can happen. A lot of "ifs" and maybe's but its possible. Getting that 4th win is always the hardest.

Its been done twice in the past year. The Sharks coming back from a 4-0 deficit to beat the Kings was unlikely. The Wings sweeping the Coyotes without Zetterberg was unlikely. The Bolts sweeping the Caps was unlikely. The Wings going down 3-0 to the Sharks again was unlikely. There has been a lot of "unlikely" things happening in this playoff season. What's one more?

With this possibly being the final game of Modano's career, he has to be given a fighting chance. Bench Hudler and put Mo in.

The way the Sharks play defense is the way WE need to play defense. Every pass we make gets intercepted or deflected. Almost every shot gets blocked or partially blocked. Its the year of the comebacks in the NHL playoffs. Let's hope there's another big one right around the corner for us.

For the last few years, I've said the Caps won't win the Stanley Cup with him as their coach. Another year with all that talent and he can't get past the 2nd friggin round?

Good post. I like the idea of getting Laich, but I can't imagine the Caps letting him go. He's their true leader. I like the trades you have, but no way would the Blues give us Stewart and Bogosian isn't going anywhere. Lose Hudler, Kindl, and Bertuzzi? Yes. Lose Kronwall? No. I've been saying since last year that we need to start looking to rebuild the defense and not really because of performance either, but simply because they're not going to be around forever. Lidstrom has maybe another year left and Rafalski will be gone after next year. I think Kronwall is good enough to be on the top pair, but not Stuart and our 5th and 6th defenseman are barely good enough to hold those spots. The strength of this team needs to be the defensemen and I feel like Holland has been paying maybe too much attention to the forwards situation and needs to put the focus back on what drives this team the most.

We'll see our game during the intermissions of the Bruins-Flyers and after that game ends, assuming it doesn't go into OT which it probably will. OR you can flip on NHL Network and watch two guys sitting at a desk telling us about the game. I mean, why would you want the thrills and excitement of the ACTUAL game when you can have a couple suits tell you when a goal is scored and promise highlights soon?

Yeah, I couldn't believe that wrap around didn't go in. Then I saw the replay and Franzen messed up. If he had shot it straight in on the left post, it would've been a goal, but he, I guess, lost control of the location of the shot and basically shot it right into his pad. Pushing the goalie into the net is irrelevant. If the goalie's on the top of the puck, you can't push him into the net and have it count... that is unless you're the Ducks pushing Hasek into the goal (2007 playoffs).

I'd like to see Modano on a line with Z or Datsyuk. Mo isn't physical and won't win battles along the boards, but he can still skate pretty fast and still has a good shot. We need offense right now and he could spark some.

Nobody wins the Stanley Cup without facing a little adversity. 3 of the next 4 games are at the Joe Louis Arena. If we win the games we're "supposed" to win and one road game, we're headed to the next round. Never give up on the Wings, they'll make you look foolish.

Tampa Bay for sure. Get Stevie's name on the Stanley Cup once more. But if not them, the Caps so I don't have to hear "Crosby has a Stanley Cup and Ovechkin doesn't."

Pissed that we lost. The refs helped it feel like last year all over again and Howard played great, but the team as a whole didn't play that great. Although, I do like the fact that we killed off all those penalties, which was a concern coming into the game. I was expecting a split in SJ, so let's hope it happens tomorrow. I don't know if we NEED lineup changes, but I would like to see Draper back in there. Since he joined Helm's line, he almost seems rejuvenated out there.

Bert cleanly checked a player and got penalized. You can't expect a physical player not to check.

Yeah, Niemi looks shaky when he's had to stop shots. If we got a PP in the 2nd or 3rd periods, we'd all be going to bed happy right now.

Its the same effin story with the refs again. We're winning, ridiculous penalties in the 3rd and the Sharks come back. What is the deal???

The final score was only 1-0, but it may as well have been 10-0. You knew Nashville wasn't going to score last night based on how lousy they were playing. As soon as Higgins scored that goal, they may as well have pretended like it was OT and just left after that. Hopefully Nashville remembers how to play like a professional hockey team on Saturday.

Not saying I wouldn't want him on the Wings, but he's not a top 3 player in this league anymore. Even when he was healthy, he wasn't good enough to be considered a top 3 talent. Right now, I would rank the Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Stamkos and the Sedin twins ahead of him. Just my opinion, of course.

The Caps were the road team in the Winter Classic this year, so they're already in the Finals and ready to lose. All these games are just for show.