Theophany

If we're dumping people that don't appear to have any hunger, I guess we're dropping everyone but Filppula and Helm? They were the only ones that were out there giving 210% the entire time.

Yeah, if you can get Hossa for $4 mil/year, you don't bother waffling, you get out your pen and get that s*** signed.

Right, just saying that you--if you were the coach--would probably be mentally retarded if you were to play Malkin, AO, and Dats on the same line. Sure, on the PP, but Malkin and Dats are too good at the center to put them on the same line regularly.

I agree with you, but Filppula was a 3rd line center coming into this post-season. It was really Dats going out that forced us to put Filppula in the #2 center role. He proved that he can handle it (and handle it well, at that), so I think in the coming season we should see Dats and Zata together more often with Filppula centering the second line. BTW, I'd have Zata center over Dats, but that's just me.

Not gonna happen; putting those 3 on a line together would be stupid. Malkin is great at center; I could see AO being paired with either Dats or Malkin, but I doubt other than a PP, Malkin and Dats won't see the ice together.

Yeah, I mean other than the fact that he's 24 (and is still growing as a player), I can see a lesser Datsyuk emerging in Filppula. He was great this post season, and at times, he and Helm were really the only two guys fighting for the puck. If he just gets a shot I can see him being almost as good as Datsyuk by the time he's 30.

To add to what GS&T said, how good are Sammy and Hudler at two-way play compared to Hossa? Homer will play out the rest of his contract and retire, IMO. Maybe take another few years at league minimum if he wants to keep playing after that. He's still great with Lids and Rafalski on the blue line. Hossa is a responsible contract to pick up if you can get him at a discount; he's had a taste of what the Wings are like, who's to say he doesn't take a significant discount to keep playing for us? I just fail to see how people are willing to pass up on one of the best two-way forwards in the game if he's willing to take a significant discount to stay.

Oops, you're right. I was wondering why I was having to use Kopecky and Abdelkader. I'd probably put him where Abdelkader is on my 3rd line and let Abdelkader grow some more in the AHL.

It's actually better that he doesn't mesh with our top forwards; it gives our second line that much more scoring potential. Though you need to remember that we ran Filppula at 3rd line center and Dats at second line center a lot this season; I'm thinking that with changes to the roster, we should see something like this next season: Dats - Zata - Homer Franzen - Filppula - Hossa Abdelkader - Helm - Leino Maltby - Draper - Kopecky (if we keep him) I think that's a pretty solid set of 4 lines; I really like the GR line in that third spot. Lots of energy, forechecking, and still lots of puck control potential.

I would think that Leino would play next season, since IMO he's at about Hudler's level of skill and he's going to sign for less than Hudler.

I love seeing people saying that they don't want Hossa no matter what he signs at. "40 goals during the season sucks and isn't worth any amount of money." That's pretty much what you're saying, nevermind that Hossa will probably be taking a significant discount (something like ~$4 mil, possibly less since we also need to sign Leino and maybe one or two other players). Hossa has said that he wants to end his career in Detroit; I'd be willing to bet that he'd take significant discounts to play for a team that's been a Cup contender (on top of having the most veteran presence of any team still playing) for the rest of his career. If he signs for $2-3 mil a year, I guarantee that 99% of you would change your tune, especially if he has another 40 goal season.

One play shouldn't have been a goal because of the puck being iced, and the other (when Stuart tried to pinch the puck on the blue line), Hudler came to support him instead of being the second man back. If anything, Stuart and Hudler blew the game, but I don't think it's fair to put it on any one guy. Had we actually shown up and played, we would have been up 4-2 or 5-2 by the end of the game, based on how we played at the end of the third.

I would love to keep Hossa, but not at the price tag he's running. I'd be more than happy to give him $4 mil a year, but there's no way in hell I'd throw more than that at him, with the cap troubles we have.

If Crosby is such a weak player, why did we go out of our way to shut him down every game? I hate Crosby as much as the next guy, but I give credit where credit is due. You've obviously never watched a game/series where Crosby was allowed to run roughshod over the other team's defense.

Pyramid Hefeweizen, probably.

The first goal is always huge until it isn't.

No, not really. I think it's gone both ways. I don't really think anyone can say that the officiating has been great or consistent in the finals.

It's hard to be tired when you forecheck once or twice a game, and coast to backcheck. Oh man, that 3 seconds of skating in the offensive zone sure takes it out of a guy!

It's more like ~5 or so, but that was because of the meltdown your Pens had in the 2nd period of game 5. And I believe most of the penalties that the caller was talking about was in earlier rounds of the playoffs. Nevermind that the Pens are averaging ~2 less PIM per game in the postseason versus the regular season. Calgary (who had a much lower sample size to take from, so one more major would have heavily influenced their post-season's numbers) was the only other team whose PIM/G average went DOWN from the regular season to the postseason by more than 1.5 minutes per game. Your opponent getting on average one less power play per game is kinda a big deal. I'm of course not looking at a conspiracy here, just stating facts. The Pens must be an extremely disciplined team to not take so many penalties (especially with game 5 in there).

The Wings won't care, TBH. Oh no, he made fun of the economic situation of our city... Like the article said on Yahoo, most of our players are euros. They probably all drive Italian/German sports cars anyway.

I don't think throwback jerseys as a whole are limited-production, but the Winter Classic ones, to the best of my knowledge, are. Winter Classic sweaters being ones with the Winter Classic patch on them, the throwbacks being those without.

All reasons why I'll be getting a Helm sweater after he gets re-signed to a long deal.

Yeah, I forsee Helm taking over years down the road after Zata is ready to give up the C. (That is, of course, after Lids gives up the C to Zata.) He may not ever be Stevie Y or Mr Perfect, but he's already been fantastic for the team, and 10 years down the road, I can definitely see him as a leader on this team.

Not even that, but Dats will be out there as well when Crosby is, if Babs keeps the same lines.

It should be obvious by now that last change is key in this series more than any other we've played in.