Opie

Are you ok? Should I call a Dr!! Just Kidding!!

Another one by Larry Lage http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/preview;_ylt=A...805&prov=ap

Good article, the team does seem to have a real bond, not a forced one!

Yeah he came back and posted in the Morrow thread!! BTW one of the best hits I have seen in the last I don't know 2 Post seasons!!! That is what happens when you put lightning in a bottle, shake it up, and then take the top off!! BOOOM!!!!!

Nice thanks!!!

Not questioning your truthfulness here but where did you hear that? Out of curiousity.

Ralf 4 more years Kronwall 4 more years Lids 2 more years Signing Stuart for 4 years would solidify this d for a long time!!!!

Leftwinger remember that, so before you tell me to chill out you should remember how you post. YOU BAILED ON YOUR TEAM BECAUSE THE GM DIDN'T SIGN FEDS!!!! Edit: You didn't say Hossa, because he hadn't been signed yet, that was another post you said it in! Therefore you are the worst type of bandwagon fan, the kind who bails when their team is the best team in the league!!!! I am so glad I found that post you look like an idiot for two reasons now, the fact that you thought the Wings would be out in the first and the fact that the Wings OWNED the Avs that you thought would whoop the s*** out of the wings!! To those of you not Dabura or Leftwinger: Enjoy reading that quote, I know going back over it again made me smile!!

How dare YOU call some one a Osgood hater, and ***** about people's UNBIASED opinions. You are one of the most opinionated people ever to lace these boards. Also, aren't you now a Red Wings Hater, and since Osgood is a red wing, that would also make you a.... Osgood hater!!! Hey go back to rooting for Feds and the caps to kick the Wings' ass in the finals!!! Oh wait you can't!! It is amazing that you and Dabura were no where to be found, right up until the Wings' waxed Col, now you guys are back before the next series can even start! I have an idea, hand your Red Wings' card back in, go see if you can pick up a Was one, or if you can get a "Which ever team Feds is on" card!!

Everytime Malone steps on the ice I want him in the winged wheel a little more. This kid is going to be a great asset, and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see the Pens offer Hossa or some one else big money and not have enough left to sign this kid. He is grinding, pk playing, very solid, young kid and he is hopefully going to get better from here. The wings could definitely use him. I happen to notice in your lines you got rid of Helm and Huds in favor of Downey and Maltby, Man I loved the grind line too, but that line is not what it once was, neither is Malts, hence his Playoff minutes.

This may sound weird, but it is the fact that he is as good as he is and as cheap as he is. 3.5 for a POTENTIAL #2, and honestly he could be the #2 on a lot of other teams. That makes him easy to trade and a very interesting piece to trade for. Think about it you get a hard hitting responsible D man who can play pp point if need be, for 3.5. Stuart has been traded mostly during the season, which in my mind those trades are need based trades, where as Off season trades are more of a want based trade. But that is just my opinion!

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news;_ylt=AoZp...p&type=lgns Don't recognize Larry Lage as a writer but the article seemed LGW worthy!

Mullets: because it is nice to know you are better than someone!!

Here is an idea, The NIN song Starf*ckers inc. any thoughts as to a good photoshop for that one?

He will get his name on the cup, he played 42+ games!

Are you basing this off of your newly found hatred for the wings or the 1 good year Morrow has had in the playoffs. Yeah you are right if there is one guy left in the playoffs that can hurt the wings it isn't Crosby, Malkin, Hossa, MA Fluery, Martin Biron, Marty Turco, Brad Richards, RJ umberger, Briere, nope just the one guy who over his career has shown the kind of success that Morrow has shown!!! edit:oops wrong name! Is it the hit that brought you out of Retirement or the fact that you are tired of waiting for the wings to fail so you can say I told you so? Just curious!!

I think that is what is so good about this team! Babs realizes that Lids, Dats, Z, Cheli, Draper, Drake are all assistant coaches on the ice. He lets his players have an impact on the game physically and mentally, without feeling like he is giving up control to the players. He is being a players coach (a term that has always bugged me) yet at the same time he is doing it within his system. Also the right guys are there to make the system work and to work within the system. I am not so sure players like Yashin and players of that same ilk would work for Babs or Det. They are too involved with their own success and not willing to use every attribute they have to help the team. Dats and Z (Z is a superstar and can't go anywhere in Sweden without being recognized ) are very happy to be less of a media superstar, as long as it leads to team success. Lots of players just want to play their game (Jagr) and will not change their game for their team, coach, or org. They will just demand to get traded or wait to be a free agent and head where the money is.

Another Yahoo article http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news;_ylt=AjDy...p&type=lgns Same guy wrote it, anyone recognize his name, remember I am not from Det!! Ozzie, great line:

I love in the Boll fight how Downey keeps telling the refs to back off, no don't stop it yet!

If you guys are tired of the media picking the stars, go to Yahoo. Almost every Hockey expert on Yahoo is picking the Wings to win the whole thing. The redundant answer they keep giving is: The Wings are the most Skilled team in the league and skill will beat __________ A. Pit's Youth/skill B. Dal's hot goalie/ style of play C. Phi's Toughness and grit/skill Pretty much they are saying that there is no way any one can stop the Wings amount of skill. One guy went on to say that if Det wanted to be cruel to Col they would have split the first line up and rolled 4 lines of skill that would have been a meaner way to beat up Col. On Around the Horn yesterday both Woody Paige and Tim Cowlishaw picked Det to go all the way, TC didn't pick CF winners from either conference, just saying that Detroit's skill would over take the other teams strengths

They "Lucked out" because there was still the possibility of a game 7, Dallas won the series 4-2. So in essence the wings "Lucked out" and got a week and a half rest.

That my friend is the biggest reason this transition is possible IMO. Babcock can want them to play that way all he wants, but if they don't have the desire/work ethic/ tenacity to make it work it won't. As a fan I love nothing more than when the Superstars on my team are the hardest working guys as well, that leads to success and lots of times it leads to other players playing over their head. Because they see these guys working so hard they can't help but work harder. To me when reporters talk about the ability of a player to make others around them better a lot of that comes back to how hard of a worker they are in practice. How many times do you hear people say A.I makes players around him better, now how many times do people say that about KG. There are athletes throughout history that make others better, and to me that is because they earn respect by busting their ass, and then when they ask a player to do something extra for them or the team, the player has no problem because he sees his teams star player busting his ass to get better.

Hey, If Greg Maddux can switch up his game, why not Z and D. If they play in a system long enough and the coach has them working at being tougher, than yeah it can happen that they can learn to play that way. Look at Jordan, when he first made it to the playoffs the Pistons would literally beat the s*** out of him and then he couldn't beat them. His desire to win was such that he hit the gym, bulked up, learned to take a beating, then eventually learned to use his physical strength. Think about the winning shot he hit over Bryan Russell of the Jazz, he pushed him off with his off hand and was free for his famous pull up Jumper. I think if the player makes a commitment to the style the coach and or team wants than the player can adapt/change his game. Perfect example, Yzerman! Bowman wanted a defense first game out of him. Granted it is not as drastic as going from hittee to hitter. But still players have shown that they can adapt. I see no reason why Dats and Z can't become more physical. Now they will never make it to the ranks of a Scott Stevens type physical hitter, but if they learn body control (which both obviously have a lot of with the puck on their stick) when giving and receiving a hit, that can change their game/success/style dramatically.