Jersey Wing

In the salary cap age somebody should sign the sniper known as MAF's ass to a long term deal. 2 goals in 2 consecutive Final games, IMPRESSIVE

I swear to God, if I were someone who didn't know much about hockey and I read all teh supposed experts previews I'd take from it that the Wings were lucky to be on the same ice with the Pengiuns and had no chance. Lots of 'experts' are gonna be eating a LOT of crow

Det/Pit 4-1

I think the Wings are sick of being looked over for the next hot thing. Osgood made mention of the NHL Center Ice commercial earlier this year, and Babcock made mention of it (along with others) two days ago. The Wings are a prideful bunch. The fastest way to get your butt kicked is to tell them they're not all that or question their heart (Like Patrick Roy used to like doing). The Penguins, via the NHL marketing machine, have done just that. I think they are sick and tired of being disrespected and they have the weapons to go take it out on someone. The Hawks young guns and fast fresh legs were supposed to give the Wings fits. Didn't happen. The league learned the Wings aren't all that old to begin with. The Wings were supposed to be battered and broken by the physical style of the Ducks and yet the Wings outhit Anaheim for the series. The league learned the Wings are no softies. Now the Penguins roll in supposedly a year older and wiser and because of that a much bigger threat. They have two superstars and a motley cast of backups who are supposed to wear the Wings down over six or seven games and break their will. Look, the Wings have faced every young or huge scoring hot line (Legion of Doom--Forsberg, Sakic, Hejduk--Crosby and Malkin last year, the big Carolina line in 2002) for the last 14 years. They've faced all the supposed impenetrable defenses out there and done quite well. They'll win the same way they always do; by being harder working, more focused, better prepared, never flinching, deeper in talent and smarter than any of the other teams that were supposed to be able to put one over on them for WHATEVER reason. Tonight my guess is that they will come at the Penguins in waves chomping at the bit to send one clear message they've sent countless times before; Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

I love this story

WIN!

It is somewhat surprising. I felt a shade like some of them do LAST year after reading all the pro-Pittsburgh coverage everywhere. I wondered "Do I know less about these teams than I think I do?" Then the day before the Final started I read an article by the Windsor Star's Bob Duff that was carried on MSNBC and he basically told me, "No, you know what you're talking about, the Wings will win for X reasons." He was spot on. Here is Mr. Duff's article on this year's Final If Wings healed, they'll be able to deal with Pens http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/30990108/

No matter how hard the NHL brass and certain media outlets want to make the current Penguins out to be the Oilers of 84 it's a bad comparison. #1 it's a LAZY comparison and they're using it just because the last time two teams met in back-to-back Finals one was the 1984 Oilers with some young superstars. The 1984 cup Final has zero to do with the 2009 Final. 1) The rules are different 2) Pittsburgh has nobody even close to being a Paul Coffey type. 3) Sans Chelios (who may not play) Lidstrom, Draper (who may not play) and Maltby, the age of the Wings stars is very much in line with the age of the Penguins stars. All under 30. The Wings are hardly the old grizzled Islander team in this made up equation. 4) Unlike Grant Fuhr, Marc Andre-Fleury is not a cokehead. 5) The Red Wings aren't coming off of FOUR straight cup championships like the Islanders were which means in no way are they as leg weary. It's even more amazing the Isles did what they did with all the wear and tear on players playing every year into June. It's just a stupid analogy somebody in the NHL PR office started pumping to get people fired up and so they could co-opt the Gretzky era Oilers int he promos all over again.

Or fictional movie characters as their screen name. How's Lil?

You have to excuse certain Penguino fans, you see even when they lose they are told by the league they really "won"

Thank you my friend!

Islanders

For all the talk about how Crosby and Malkin are a year more mature and playing well and the defense is improved I notice not many Pens fans are talking about Marc Andre-Fleury and that he's not playing nearly as well as he was last year. If you have issues in net vs the Red Wings you have tee times

What would you expect from a guy who supposedly has a blog about hockey and has a rassler in his banner logo

You're right but we managed against Anaheim's forecheck better the longer we saw it. Plus I'm guessing the Wings can't start slow as Pittsburgh may just score a goal before they head home this year

It's games like this you realize the AWESOME depth this franchise has. No Lidstrom, Datsyuk, Draper and Ericksson tonight. Add to that no Lilja and Kopecky and they're STILL winning the WCF in 5 games. 3 of what would be the top 6 defense, an MVP candidate, two Selke winners, two brilliant faceoff guys, a solid stay at home hitter and a guy in Kopecky who was really starting to play some solid playoff crash and bang hockey. My friends, we really really are witnessing a very special team

Wait, something's not right, you mean the Wings BEAT Pittsburgh last year? I've been watching Versus and those NHL Center Ice ads and I could SWEAR I saw the Penguins winning everything

I thank you! Keith Jones, keep picking against the Wings turd brain, you're perfect so far

To any stat gurus, has ANYBODY in NHL history scored this many goals (Helm) in the playoffs while having never scored a regular season goal?

Good man Zetterberg, just say NO to the Campbell Bowl

Guys and gals, on other boards I have a reputation as one of the greatest trolls of all time. I was one of the ones who helped get the Yahoo news comments turned off. Simply let this guy talk and talk and talk. He'll simply get tired of hearing his own voice. Then, when things start to go south in another week, you'll never see or hear from him or her again. EMALKIN certainly brings nothing new or cutting edge to the trolling game, just paragraph after paragraph of sixth grade material. How do I know? I had an EMALKIN crying like a baby for an admin last year during the Final on the Pens board on ESPN. The middle school speech pattern sounds amazingly similar.

I just found this on YouTube Play off Havlat Keyboard Cat

The Q-Stache Press Conference joined live

Looks like my strength and honor comment before the game was right on, they Wings showed strength and the Blackhawks lost their honor while the Wings kept theirs