Opie

Umm not to be a dink here, but the kid was playing on a team missing its top 4 d-men and in the midst of its worst stretch in about 5 years if not longer. Add to that it is his first trip to the big club and a - 5 isn't that bad. Now had he been playing during a streak when lids, ralf, Kron, and cheli and the team on a 5 game win streak and he was -5 then I might owrry.

You are wasting your bandwidth, the people who call him a turnover machine are still focusing on the turnover last post season. No matter how much some one points out that he plays the PK, is a solid defenseman, blocks shots, posters will always say "Yeah real solid when he spoon fed Teemu!!!"

The amazing part about it to me was watching the Russian players watching the US kids celebrate. Some of them commented on the HBO Do you Believe in Miracles Special that they had forgot what it was like to take so much satisfaction from a win. That they had become so machine like that it was good to see guys celebrating like the us team did. Being Machine like before the tourney (years before it) is what I think cost them the most. They could have pulled the goalie, but I don't think anyone on that team remembered how to pull the goalie. It had been so long since they had been anywhere near a loss, that they didn't know how to do it, plus with the back up in net who knows if he even knew what to look for from the bench. BTW a good story that summarizes the game is here at this link: http://www.miracleonice.us/story.html If you haven't seen Miracle yet, I would recommend watching this documentary first: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0276918/ It gives a bit more of a historical point of view, where as Miracle has a lot more Movie to it, than substance. If that makes sense to anybody.

It was the catch from this years superbowl where half of the pats team had a chance to tackle Eli, didn't and then he threw up a prayer that Tyree caught with Rodney Harrison all over him. He pretty much caught it using his hand and his helmet!

I am hoping for these pairings Lids Kron Ralf Stuart Cheli Lilja PP unit one Lids Ralf PP unit two Kron (cheli if need be) Stuart

I truly see this as the best course of action, because I am thinking about the future. In GR Ericsson will get more minutes, so he is the obvious choice. It was nice to know that he could step right in and perform, however his game needs a little more polishing. This question becomes difficult when Lids comes back, then who sits, Stuart no way in hell, Lilja, Lebda, Meech. My thought on this is Meech at first and if Lebda struggles see ya and welcome back Mr. Meech, same could be said of Lilja as well. EDIT: I am dumb, I was thinking of the 7th spot as still playing for some unknown reason. Wow when lids comes back what do they do, Meech has to clear waivers to go down same with Lebda!

The point is that his help was not needed!! It is like that whole Blue on Black thing (thanks Kenny Wayne Shepphard). Or a better analogy it is like the empty net goal when you are up by 2 already. Did it technically help, sure but did it really change the outcome, not really!

The issue with this is that either the Wings have to trade for him this offseason which would require an absurd amount of prospects and/or roster players to get him. Or they trade for him at next years deadline when it will be obvious what the Wing's need and then the price will go up from there, unless he is having a s***ty year! Or they sign him off of UFA, which means about 16 of the 30 teams will be also looking for a franchise goalie and he will be the only one out there. He will cost some where in the 6 mil for 8-10 year range. Dipietro got 4.5 when the market was low, Luongo got 6-7.5 per year for 5. With salary cap going up and Miller being the premier goaltender available he will probably garner Luongo-esque numbers as far as the 6-6.5 goes not the tail end of it at 7.5. Assuming Dats, Z, Lids, Ralf are still all with the team in a season you will have the following damages already on the cap: Dats 6.7 Lids 7.4 Ralf 6 Z 7+ (assuming that he signs for a home town discount) Miller 6+ That would be well over 30 mil in those 5 alone (33.1) and those last two are just guesses, could they be lower, sure, but odds are it would be higher if anything! Where as the Ozzie/J-ho option looks more like Ozzie 1.4 Howard 1 Obviously Miller is a proven netminder, but skill is no longer the only requirement the Wings look at, thank you very much Mr. Salary Cap, screw you. Sorry about that last part!!

Next year will be a big year for the goalie situation in DET. The way I see it would shape out like this: 1) Howard wows the org next year playing back up for Ozzie and wins the starting job for the year after. NO Miller. 2) Howard looks good but the Org is unsure, Ozzie is under contract, the team stays with J-ho and Ozzie. NO miller, but there will be a goalie hunt at the Deadline or in the following offseason. 3) J-ho bombs out, the team signs Miller in the offseason before 09-10, J-ho becomes a permanent fixture in GR until the wings draft the next goallie. 4) Ozzie continues to shine and J-ho looks decent but not starter ready, the team goes for one more year of Ozzie/Howard before jumping to Howard/Ozzie. NO Miller! Other options that the team MAY consider: -Lehtonen RFA at season's end, would cost them a boat load, probably would only happen if they pulled a thrashers/flyers agreement. Sign and trade or trade rights to DET. Other than that any goalie that looks like a for real starter is locked up long term, with no real great back up behind them. Miller is the only netminder getting ready to hit UFA, most other netminders that you would want starting are locked up for at least 3 years. Maybe Vokoun asks out of Fla. Who knows, maybe SJ puts out yet another quality netminder. But the wings are basically looking at 3 -4 options and they all have question marks: Howard ? does he have the stuff Ozzie ? Was this year a fluke Miller ? what kind of coin will he look for, he will be bar none the most highly touted UFA, seeing as a good quality starting netminder is hard to find and there are a lot of teams with goaltending issues. Hasek ?? Health, retirement

It was one of the more highly watched events, what GMR in his typical overreaction posting nature is refering to ( I am guessing) is that most American's didn't see the game live as it was played at 5pm and tape delayed. In fact most Americans watched it due to the cold war, US v Russia thing.

Auxlepli: I wouldn't recommend holding your breath!!!

ESPN put up this story, very well written and similar to the TSN story. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=joyce/080229

Mad respect for coming back and posting. There is a difference between bitching and overreacting than overreacting and giving up on your team,. TO answer your question, I think so, with a healthy Kronwall, a bruising Stuart, I think this team has a better shot than last year. I think Stuart was exactly the type (not that he is the Shanny of this year) of player this team needed for a playoff series in the west. Playoffs in the west have become very physical and if you don't have a player or two who can go out and beat on the other team physically you will eventually be worn out. Not that I didn't think the wings could win before Stuart he just makes the odds better.

*Knocks on door* The enforcer are you home, crow delivery for you, hello, The enforcer, hello, anyone home, crow delivery. *Knocks on door* HUH, looks like no one is home!

OSGOD!!!!! HOW DARE YOU !!!! You posted something negative about this team without once doing any of the following: Having an aneurysm Giving up on the team Yelling and screaming for the death of Holland Torching Flip and Huds Bashing Sammy and Lilja Throwing Kronwall or Lebda under the bus and instead you made a logical well thought out post!! DAMN YOU!!! Seriously though, I think secondary scoring will be an issue just as it was last post season, however I still contend that is was not secondary scoring that lost the WCF, not that secondary scoring really helped at all. I think solid secondary scoring could have saved a game or two (damn only needed it to save one game).But with a healthy Schneids and Kronwall you don't have so many untested D men, nor do you have two guys (Cheli, Lilja) logging important minutes that would have probably been Kronwall or Schneids minutes. As we have seen with this years team a lot of offense comes from the passing from the back end. A guy like Schneids, Lids, Rafalski, get this teams offense flowing through the neutral zone, which is were Dats, Z, Flip and others get the play started (Other than PP). From there the play develops. That puts a lot of pressure on a guy that is used to logging 8-12 minutes a night and not being the primary passing option out of the zone. Now you put Lilja in a spot where every pass he makes is 10x's more important, unfortunately we saw why Lilja will never be a top 4 d-man. He does well as a 5-6, put is not cut out to be a top 4. Now that may sound like a dig, but I don't mean it that way, my point is he was put outside of his comfort zone (for lack of a better term) and was not ready for it. Maybe if the same were to happen this year he would do better in that position seeing as he is filling in for Lids right now(sad, sad statement). Also I think Holland's hands were tied as far as getting a top 6 forward, the only true top 6 forwards moved really came out of the central. Dupuis was a part of the Hossa deal so to say the wings could have got him is a stretch to say the least. Other than that there was Hossa and Richards, to expensive and truly are top 3 forwards. You are right though at some point in time if the wings don't look to get one true top 6 forward or develop one or two they will be in a world of hurt. Dats and Z are some how managing to put up great numbers (when the team is healthy) but as with any one line team that will get shut down. I guess the beauty is that Babs can do a lot of things with the forward lines when Cleary is back.

Kane is 5'10 like I am 6'10 (6'1 btw)!!!!!

Yankeebaddabing, You put too much stock into the opinion of a fair weather fan and a band wagoner. If the Wings win the cup he will be back here with a new login and a new attitude, if some other team wins it he will be on that team's board. But other than that you bring up some great points about Stuart, he will be a great fit for this team. All of the posters that were screaming about Sammy on the Point now have to give up on that mantra and find a new theme because as soon as the D is healthy Sammy will be off of the pp. So not only does Stuart take the 2nd pp, he gives this team depth at D (something that cost the wings last year dearly), a guy who does not shy away from hitting in the least, usually a very healthy guy, is 28, 6'2 215. The only real downside I see to him, and this is being really picky, is that he is another lefty. I am not sure I can remember a team so lefty heavy as this wings team!

Seriously Dude, are you questioning the authenticity or credibility of LGW.com posters, you have got some brass my friend!!!! (Quoting the Guinness St. Patty's day Holiday commercial!) /sarcasm!!!

I could not agree more!!!!!!! Due to the fact that they have been a regular season dynamo for 12-15 years, they have won 3 cups, the only team that has been that successful over that time is NJ. Everyone seems to gun for the wings, especially in the post season. Richards will be great in Dallas, he would have been great in DET too, but Dallas gave up a lot to get him, and there is no way Det was going to match that offer because any offer to TB had to start with J-Ho.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news;_ylt=Agcg...o&type=lgns

Sore right knee mild mcl situation whatever that means

Horrible circumstances but that is a good story. Must have been a tough night for those young men!

Damn you OP, I had the perfect thread title: Down goes Hossa, down goes Hossa!!!! Seriously though, this could really suck for the penguins!

My preference would look like this in order of top choice Rolston Demitra (doubt this will happen with his relationship with Gaborik) Malone Naslund Other than that if Holland does make a move great, but I don't see a lot of those UFA's being on his list or Det being on theirs, he may not like the 4 I put on my list so who knows.

Chelios is the present, Quincey MIGHT be the future, or he might be another career AHLer. Chelios has played great as a 5th D-man. He and Lebda and Lilja have all struggled when put in a 1-2 position which has been required of them lately. Patience is a virtue, Cheli will more than likely be back next year, Stuart maybe, Lilja doubt it, even though the team said they want to sign him. Quincey and Meech are expendable due to the fact that Ericsson and Kindl are waiting in the wings. Ralf is around for another 4 years, Lids 2, Kronwall 4, Lebda 2 that only leaves 2 spots one will probably go to Cheli and the other will be Ericsson or Quincey or Meech or Lilja or Stuart or some other UFA. Quincey and Meech while talented will struggle to break this roster, much like Ellis, Hartigan, and with the talent that is coming up behind them I don't see them around for too long. Especially when you consider that Quincey will be RFA at season's end. I can see the wings trying to deal Meech or Lebda in some off season deal. But this is all my opinion so I could be completely wrong!