mjlegend

Maybe not the full D-Mac treatment, but certainly if he hasn't been healthy enough to play in the most important games of the year, then they might be able to stow him for awhile on LTIR early next year so he can rehab properly. As for waiving him, does anyone have the room next year to pick up even half of his $1.6 million? Not many teams consider faceoffs and penalty killing as important as this one (thankfully) does. I'm sure Draper is such a team-first kind of player that even he regrets on some level putting the Wings in this awkward position next year. I think everyone was under the impression that the cap would keep going up and up and up... Draper at the very least has to know his days are numbered. This year's playoff run has proven above anything else that the Wings have the players available at the ready to replace Draper and Maltby.

It would essentially be what they did with McCarty this year, although I don't know if D-Mac will be given an organizational role next year.

Or else enter a wink-wink, nudge-nudge deal with Kenny where he spends the whole year on the IR with (undisclosed) while the Wings use his LTIR money to re-sign Hudler., followed by an assistant coaching gig in the AHL. EDIT: Draper, I mean (for clarification)

With no Wings: Ovechkin (you can't teach 60 goals) Dunc Keith (good two way guy, I see him as a Norris candidate down the road) Cam Ward (never lost a playoff series until this year) With Wings: Datsyuk Kronwall Oz.

Did it bother you as much as the interference and hook that led to Malkin's game 1 breakaway?

Wrong, the Pens become a one "little pubestache boy" show.

Let's give some credit to the teams the Wings are playing. Chicago was playing for its lives with a dynamite offense revolving aroudn two of the speediest and best U-23 forwards in the conference, that lit the hell out of some Roberto Luongo guy last round. And the group these Wings are playing right now happen to have two of the top three scorers in the league this year. I'm also not sure Lidstrom is at 80 per cent this round, which is a big blow to the D. He just doesn't seem as fast in his skating or decisions, although his positioning is always good. But yeah, full credit to Oz for bringing this team up and not letting them miss a beat.

Damn, I liked Hoss. It's so difficult to gut a player off this current roster because there's no obvious Derian Hatcher-contract to cut from this team.

I heard on the radio tonight that it's been 38 years (Chicago 71) since a team won the first two games of the finals and lost the Cup. It doesn't mean the Cup is in the bag, but it's a very good sign.

Meh. We have someone on this board suggesting we should dress Downey.

Jesus... They describe Sidney Crosby on these Pens boards as if he was Chuck Norris or Bill Brasky... Les74 on the ghetto pens board looks like Samwell.

This, plus another million years.

Also: Gretzky had a secretary named "Sidney", and Crosby has a bodyguard named "Wayne".

Wow! They must have booed the hell out of him in Pittsburgh after that! Oh wait, no one went to their games for a decade.

Copied for evidence. I guess you're just not a Penguins fan unless you want someone to die.

I'm pretty sure 95 per cent of the Penguins current fan base wasn't even alive B4 1997, Sparky.

You're right, but also: 07-08 Pens > 08-09 Pens

Warren Young. Scored 40 for the Pens in Mario's rookie year, signed with the Wings and flopped. Then he went back to Pittsburgh again.

Ken Holland is lazy and he sucks!

Can't find it there. You'd think since it was on, like, Sunday, they'd tell us.

I love the priority the NHL is given on the NBC Sports website two days before the game: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/ NHL coverage comes waaaaaay down the page after: NBA, baseball columns, tennis, Hollywood Buzz, College basketball, baseball, NBA, NFL and Olympic Sports. Luckily, we're ahead of horse racing and golf, NASCAR and College football. You can apparently move their coverage boxes around so the NHL is on top, but really, why the hell would you?

Leino's the same age with less proven NHL experience. I love his skill set, but I don't know about putting him in the Hudler role of an everyday player/PP threat. If and only if Huds walks for $16 mil/5 years would I consider him a viable option. Plus, I love watching that clip of Huds at the parade. WHY DO THE WINGS HAVE TO HAVE SO MUCH DAMN TALENT TO CHOOSE FROM???????

Lines I've seen have the Wings (-1.5) with an O/U at a remarkably low 5.5. I think game one sees at least six goals, but I do think a lower-scopring game helps the team in red. Found it: http://www.point-spreads.com/hockey/052809...tting-odds.html Wings are (-155) to Pitts (+125) to win the Cup.

If the Wings are up 2-1 after Tuesday, I like this team's chances of closing it out in five. These first three games are so crucial. I even think that if they win Game 1, the Wings should more or less 'play for the home split' (roll four lines equally, play Chelly for 10 minutes) and then play balls to the wall for all 60 minutes Tuesday and do everything they can to win that game. I would like their momentum going into Thursday even though they're on the road and lack rest. Despite what NBC wants - a sprint to the final so they can have their show with that 6'4" Irish American - the finals are as much a battle of attrition as it is hockey.