TheOwl

Weren't we all calling the Franzen-Dats-Homer line the best in the regular season? The Wings are weak 5 on 5, simple as that. Top to bottom. It's not that Homer is ineffective. Homer has been doing exactly what's he's been doing all season, this game, and nearly every game of his career. That's what he does. It works, it works when the shooters actually get a decent shot. Hossa and Datysuk aren't getting the puck in the net, even strength, or powerplay. That's the fact here boys. The line isn't working. Maybe it's Hossa, maybe it's Datysuk. The only way to know is, stick Hossa on a different line.

Pfft the NHL is like Bush during the Iraq war. Bureaucratic excuses across the ******* board. Can't they just say they made a damn mistake, and that they'll think about possible rules changes? I don't even understand what happened. Didn't the puck cross the line before the whistle anyways? That's what it sounded like to me. Every goal should be reviewable. I hate these bulls*** talking heads. Just say "I screwed up, I hope it doesn't happen again."

If the Wings can't pull it together and beat Hiller, what chance would they have against Luongo. I'd much rather see the Wings lose this game, have some damn adversity, pull together and win the freaking series, then cruise in 4 games and lose in the finals to Vancouver. This is the first test Detroit has gotten in the last 2 years in the play-offs. Last year was more or less a cake walk. At no point did it look like Detroit would lose. Now their in a hole. And now it's time to see what this team is made of.

What? Man that makes no sense. San Jose played badly, they lost. If the Wings keep playing badly, they'll be out as well. Everyone loves an underdog, but Detroit will seal it's own fate, and if Anaheim eliminates them, blame the Wings. Don't blame the refs and that horrible call, don't blame the structure. It is the way it is. Don't even mention the NFL play-offs. They make ZERO sense.

Yes he has. He's the top payed forward, and has 2 goals in 7 games. He has one job, score. If you can call shutting down Getzlaf his other job, he's failed that too. Chances are meaningless. He's been a ghost, simple as that. No debate.

It's stupid that they put so much faith in the refs. Every call, every call, should be reviewable. Give the coaches 3 reviewable calls a game.

Pfft, Hossa and Datysuk are playing poorly, and it has nothing to do with Homer. Although I would agree that Homer shouldn't be on the 1st line 5v5. Helm isn't the answer. The wheels are off. Mix up the lines, put Zetterberg and Cleary with Hossa, Franzen with Dats.

Next game is a must win for sure. But even though that was an awful call, the reason we lost this game is simple, Hossa and Datysuk not stepping it up.

I'd rather have a guy who can put the puck in the net when it counts. Franzen is much more of a clutch player. But on the subject of Sammy, at least he isn't a bench warmer right now. This is when it really counts, and Sammy was able to put the puck in the net. Sniper or no sniper, Hossa isn't scoring when it really counts. Those are the facts, and in the post season, sniping isn't as effective (see Ovechkin in round 1).

Franzen, Cleary and Zetterberg are playing amazing, breaking up the top scoring line isn't something to do on a wim. Hossa and Dats played well together during the first half of the season, no excuse why they should be ineffective now. Maybe even take Homer off the 1st line, and save him for the power-play/4th line. Helm, Dats and Hossa may work. Either way, first line sucks right now, defensively and offensively. Stuart and Ericcson are really turning it up though, after this season I would of never thought Hossa and Dats were the reason for a loss.

Can't blame Ozzy for this one. The coaching staff needs to change up things. The Wings are completely incapable in shutting down Getzlaf, it's pretty embarassing actually. The Dats-Hossa-Homer line not only isn't getting points, they are playing bad defensively as well. Hossa isn't looking good defensively either. It's just one game, but if Anaheim takes Game 3, the Wings will be in a heap of trouble. Stick Franzen back up with Datysuk. Franzen and Hossa shoot a lot, but Hossa takes too many impossible shoots from the top of the circle, while Franzen is much better at getting to the net and getting his chances closer to Hiller. Everything is clicking, 4th, 3rd and 2nd lines playing great, the D as a whole is nearly perfect, Ozzy is on his game, but Hossa and Dats isn't working. Either Hossa needs to pass more and let Dats shoot, or just split up the line. The fact is, if a game lasts longer then a single OT, it's the forwards fault for not finishing it off. Not Ozzies fault whats so ever.

Hossa Dats line is not working.

Second line is absent? Franzen leads the team in goals, Cleary is +7, Zetterberg has 5 points. The second line is by far the top scoring one, and the best defensively. Hossa gets a lot of shots, he needs to start putting them in the net.

Hossa is gone too buddy. No cap space. Even if he signed for 3 million a season, Wings couldn't fill a roster.

Hossa has been near silent. Looks like Holland was right, Franzen is more valuable. Hossa can't be re-signed, and at this point in the play-offs, all the people who could be traded to make room for Hossa, have far out-played him. Stuart, Flipulla, Cleary, etc etc all have been much more effective then Hossa. Let him go if he can't step it up. That's such a ******* lie. Don't even try man. Do you watch the games? Datysuk spent more time with Zetterberg or Franzen. That's a fact. Oh yeah? Then what does that say about Hossa? He needs Datsyuk to succeed? Hossa is not useless by any means, BUT remember, he's getting paid the most, and he's getting out performed by everyone on the 2nd/3rd lines. Not to mention the fact Hossa's line has been unable to shut down Getzlaf. Hossa has one? Whats your point?

It's amazing how the Wings top line can have fewer points then the second and third, and still remain 5-0 in the playoffs. The Z-Mule-Cleary line is on fire. Imagine when Dats, Hossa and Homer start getting going.

Anaheim in 5. You heard it here first. Go Wings!!!

It's called managing expectations. Expect the team you want to win to lose, and therefore, you win either way. I predicted the Wings to lose, but wanted them to win. So in the end, I'm happy. But what if the Wings do lose? Then what? Then you'll be disappointed, and I'll be happy because I expected it to happen. And that's life really. If you always expect the negative, then you'll never be unhappy, because you always win, 100% of the time. Why does 1/4 of the US population take antidepressants? Because they don't know how to manage expectations. Can't be depressed if you expected the worst to happen can you?

I hope the Canucks blow it, Chicago would be an easier opponent in the finals for one. And second, I LOVE watching Canuck fans get their hopes up and watch their team crumble. Bulin in his prime was a better goalie then Luongo, hopefully he can pull it out.

Epic chokes by Calgary and San Jose. The Sharks will benefit from this though, when you make the second round year after year, your basically only a few bounces, a little less bad luck from the Cup. Such as last year, or the year before that. Now they can half-re-build, re-assign the captain, make a few moves etc. Personally, Calgary chocked harder. Dozen points up on the division lead, blew it, blew it, then really blew it. Instead they got Chicago, who every Vancouver fan wanted in the first round. Bad bad year for a lot of teams.

San Jose really blew this, no matter what anyone says it was a "MASTADONIC" upset. Losing the first 2 games didn't help, it's actually kind of pathetic really. Anaheim will be no push over though, Detroit and San Jose play very similar games, however Detroit's forwards are less proned to chocking. Osgood has his work cut out for him against Hiller... Whoever wins Game 1 will win the series, you heard it here first folks.

No he's not, he's easily a top 5 goalie in the league. He plays for a terrible team with no decent back-up, much like the Kipper. An analogous situition would be Luongo in Florida. Everyone knew he was a great goalie playing for a terrible team. Obviously Thomas will win. Mason has an out-side chance.

If San Jose wins the series, they'll win the cup. You heard it here first. To make a comeback like that, Thorton and all the other chokers will finally wake up.

San Jose has been a top cup contender for the last 5 years. What other teams can say that? Detroit? Anaheim (maybe). That's about it. The only difference really is San Jose can't deal with pressure. They have equally good rosters I think we'd agree, but certain people just can't step it up. San Jose needs to be the under-dog to win the cup, if San jose was 8th, Anaheim 1st, I'd bet anything San Jose would win.

Man, something is wrong with the Kipper. He used to be clutch. Calgary needs a decent back-up, no goalie can play 75 or so of 82 game season and expect to be ready for the playoffs. I always wondered why other teams don't adopt Detroits style of riding 2 guys in the regular season.