dat's sick

Pasha!

Vladdy is there

Bettman :/

These interviewers are pretty annoying. Can't they find something more interesting to ask than "who would play you in a movie" ? How about their thoughts on the playoffs, the SCF, the off-season, you know, something hockey-related.

CBC really had some great montages this year. Fantastic series, probably the best I've ever been able to watch every game in. It really felt like it was the two best teams in the league fighting for the cup, even though it didn't quite turn out that way.

Sure. When you sign Goligoski for the bargain price of 1.8 mil you know you're on the path to a dynasty.

No. Filppula is a key part of the Wings future.

I think the Norris is pretty much up in the air. Anyone could win it. Green is probably the front-runner just because of all the hype. After seeing him in the playoffs it would feel pretty ridiculous for him to win it though. Shame the voting is held at the end of the regular season, but I also realize why that is. It would be a huge upset if Pavel won the Hart. I'd say there's a 1% chance he does it. I do expect him to win atleast the Lady Byng, and probably the Selke. Cheli has no chance of winning the Masterton.

Fallon is bad, but I think Avery did a good job. Say what you want about his antics on the ice, he's one of few NHL players with real personality.

First of all it's written by a Chicago Blackhawks blog, and just posted on PuckDaddy. Secondly, I think PD has done that kind of mocking eulogy thing for every team knocked out of the playoffs. It's all in good fun.

*raises hand*

Afinogenov?? What have you been smoking? I have to think there are a dozen players in the KHL, such as Morozov, that are ahead of him on the list. They do have some extremely impressive names. But the problem with having Datsyuk, Malkin and Ovechkin on the same team is that they all like to have the puck. And so does Kovalchuk. Who controls the puck on the PP? Who takes the shots? You need players that go in front of the net and do the dirty work, so I'm not so sure Russia will be the unstoppable force some are expecting them to be. Btw, I think Leino is pretty likely to make the Finnish team. They don't exactly have a wealth of NHL players. A decent first half of the season and he should have a spot on there.

Seriously. Add Draper, Kopecky and Lilja to that list, and I can't believe the team managed to get one win away from the cup. After reading all this, I hope no one is doubting this teams willingness to put their heart, soul and body into winning games anymore.

Hudler isn't really used on Center for the Wings, we already lots of depth and skill down the middle. Leino is the same age, is similar in style (probably less of a playmaker and more of a scorer though) and has about as much or even more potential. Hudler is getting a pay-rise next year, either from us or from another team. Leino is cheap. Hossa is the kind of player that you try to find a way to keep. Bottom line is that Hudler is expendable. I think he's great and would love to keep him, but I think it might be best for both him and this team to let him go. We could find better uses for his salary, and he could probably find a team that is willing to give him more than 3rd line minutes and limited PP-time.

No way. To most Penguin-fans Hossa is their archenemy, their nemesis. He's worse than Judas, he's the embodiment of evil, the spawn of satan.

My final words.. I'm bummed that I didn't get the chance to call out this moron and hold him to his promise: (after a loss against the Blues in April, also notice he mispelled literally) Shame. I would have loved to see that vid. This season had it's shares of downs, moments when the team played the most terrible hockey I've ever seen the Wings play, but it only made the ups (and they were many) feel even better. Overall I'm just happy to be a fan of this team. Two straight years in the SCF, and so close to back-to-back cups, and we're still not happy. We'll win again, and we'll lose again. We need to enjoy the fact that we have a team that does a hell of a lot more winning than losing. There are many, many teams that would kill to lose a Game 7 of the SCF. Just to be able to say that they were there. Thank you Red Wings for a great 2008-2009 even though you didn't go quite all the way. And thank you LGW'ers for making the season a lot more fun :beerbuddy:

I wish Quenneville could be the coach of every team we face in the playoffs.

Anyone who wouldn't want Hossa for a 4-mil cap hit is an idiot. He is a huge bargain at 5, underpaid at 6 and probably worth atleast 7 (to some teams). He didn't have a huge playoffs this year (though 15p in 23 games and solid defense isn't choking imo), but neither did Datsyuk and a couple of other guys that didn't have half the pressure on them that Hossa had. That said, the article just seems to speculate. I have a feeling Hossa will be signed, but I see him getting closer to 5 mil.

We're lucky Leino even put up with playing one year in the AHL. With any other team he'd already have a full NHL season under his belt. Abdelkader is a victim of the Wings being stacked down the middle, there just isn't room for another Centerman. Let him play big minutes in the minors, developing his skills, practicing at playing the wing etc. He'll get his chances to play during the year I'm sure, but Leino is the one that should be full-time on the team.

fixed. but I'm not sure I like our 3rd and 4th lines in that scenario. we could go with something like this instead: Franzen-Zetterberg-Cleary Homer-Datsyuk-Hossa Helm-Filppula-Leino Maltby-Draper-Kopecky That would give us a potentially awesome 3rd line, as well as two really strong top lines.

Yeah I don't understand the reasoning at all. Seeing the Pens win would have been even worse if we were knocked out in the 2nd round by the Ducks.

It would be amazing if either of them got back there next year. How often does the same team make it to the final 3 years in a row? Can't have happened since the 80's. That said, it's not impossible. The Wings won't have a much different team next year. In a way they might even be improved, with guys like Helm and Ericsson on the team full-time. The Pens will probably have a tougher time. But if they can find hungry players to replace the guys they'll lose they could negate the cup hangover and be dangerous next year as well.

He's talking about what has already happened with the Wings. Zetterberg, Franzen, Lids etc. signing for less then they could have gotten elsewhere. And Hossa coming here for a one-year deal, declining tons of money from other teams. He's saying that the Pens could get the same kind of situation, where players want to come there and take a discount for a chance to win. It has nothing to do with unrealistic ideas of signing Fedorov and Sundin for less money than Hudler and Sammy.

Yeah he's getting better at speaking english. I saw a post-game presser with him in the playoffs were he was joking around and stuff. He seems to be learning faster than Pavel atleast haha.. Anyway I don't think Malkin really "tore us a new one". He was held without a point in the last 3 games. If he had a healthy Datsyuk to go up against the whole series he wouldn't have gotten much done.

The backup plan if Hossa doesn't get signed is keeping Hudler, Sammy, maybe Conklin, etc. Don't expect any big acquisitions this off-season. Actually, don't even expect any small ones. We've got a ton of kids coming up (Helm, Leino, Ericsson, Abdelkader) that will fill any holes made by players leaving. And as much as I like Sundin, he's not someone I'd want on this team.