Opie

lol at Jagr and Kennedy getting the same offer! You know why, Kennedy's pedophile mustache much closer resembles Sids than anything Jagr could hope to grow.

I would easily swap 39 year old Jagr for Hudler. That salary swap or even paying .5 more for Jagr would be a good deal in my book. If huds is worth over 2 than an aging Jagr (after seeing the Worlds) is worth at least 3.

The money teams used to throw at goaltenders is now being thrown at defensemen apparently?

Your father wouldn't want to hear this, Stevie. This is business not personal. They shoot my father and it's business, my ass! Even shooting your father was business not personal, Stevie!

Contrary to what I was thinking of this offseason's potential, this was not an overpayment!

Of course they are over ripened by other teams standards. Unless you are a make a difference now rookie, you will not see the Wings roster for a couple of years. The fact that Holland thinks Smith is ready now, astonishes me. You can look at it two ways really: Other teams don't have the luxury of not adding rookies to their roster. Lots of guys like Cleary could have used over ripening in the AHL. But due to the team that drafted him he had to make an impact right away. Granted he was a very good player in Juniors, and a high pick but still. I think Tyler Sequin could have the same problems. He wasn't ready, coach was not a big fan of him, and now his confidence should be damaged. However for him he tore it up in the playoffs so that may help. Or you can look at it as the Wings have been so successful in the last 20 years they just don't draft high enough to get immediate impact players. Either way to me it appears to be working, so it is all good with me, until the team misses the playoffs and is not competitive for the cup multiple years in a row. I am happy with what they are doing.

Hey I am glad that Holland is being this aggressive, a good sign if you ask me!

Damn I would have liked him in a Wings Jersey, decent deal for them, he was a good during the post season for them.

So now they will go from losing 6-5 to losing 3-1? Pronger of course!

I have always liked that guy. Good pick up for Buffalo, their D is going to be better now for sure.

I would love a four division league and bring back the old names!!! I love when trophy names have history tied to them! That is what makes the Stanley cup the best trophy, the history, the uniqueness. A "World Championship trophy" with some sticks and a puck (Like NBA, MLB or NLF) would not have the same luster. Bring back that history to the divisions! Hell lets go back to Wales and Campbell conferences too.

I understand the beef from Nas and Bos fans. Just as I would if one of their guys won. But I think that is reflected in the voting, and that all three had something they were the best at and something they were the worst at (of the three). Very close race for the Norris this year, but I think we all knew that when the nominees were announced. But I do think that Lids playing in front of the lesser netminder of the three weighed heavily in his favor.

I bet he sits in the corner chair whenever him and his {Friends} meet!

Exactly, conditional picks is common place in the NHL, just recently in the Kaberle deal another pick was conditional on the B's either being in the SCF or re-signing Kaberle.

1: Always good when an O6 team wins, no doubt about that, if it isn't the Wings glad it could be an O6. 2: Glad it was the B's, it is fun to live in this area and be a sports fan, people live and die with their teams, I spent every game night of the playoffs texting with buddies about the game. 3: Tim Thomas was the man, no other way to say it. Luongo gave up more goals in 2 games than Thomas did in the series. Now to my point, after Bobby Lou ran his mouth, am I the only one who found myself thinking: "hmmm, pretty sure Thomas makes that save." I mean he was so deep in the net it is like he is allergic to white paint. Tim Thomas played inspired, hard nose, aggressive hockey and it was fun to watch him outshine the entire Van team himself. Very well deserved Conn Smythe Win or lose, but glad he got the W!

Beautiful, that post is all WIN! Stevie was a fraction of his former self, he was playing 3rd/4th line role. I love the guy, but he was no longer a point per game player, not saying he wasn't good, and that he wasn't still the best Red Wing Ever, IMO, but there was a dip in performance and some very tough injuries. Steve was a warrior no doubt and played with a ton of heart through a ton of pain that would have forced others to retire. Conversely Lids is still (depending on your opinion) a or the top defenseman in the game, put up 62 points, granted his plus minus was atrocious and the worst of his career, but he was a Norris Candidate, and IMO was the best D-man in the game this season. He is still the top D man on this team, soon that will be Kronwall, but for now it is Lids. He deserves to be paid the most on the team, he is still the team MVP, again he just played a full season, he has now played 76+ games in every season of his career except 94-95. Lids will never replace Yzerman as the greatest Wing of all time, however he deserves to be paid more than Stevie did at the end of their careers.

^ This ^, and with the cap going up, crappy players are going to get more and more and thus demand more and more on the trade market. Look at the signings and the trades since the Summer of Finger. I know he was the odd deal that was the most outrageous over payment. But since that summer what player wasn't overpaid for $$ or player in trade wise. 3rd liners are costing a lot, Burns would take at least two roster spots, a top 9 forward (more than likely a top 6 winger) and a top 4 dman to get. Not to mention probably a pick and a prospect. Look at what Boston paid for Peverly **(Wheeler and Stuart) and Kelly (2nd round pick, not expensive, good deal, but I couldn't leave it out because it didn't help my argument) and Kaberle (2 first rounders*, and Colborne). Or just look at what Tor paid for Kessel!!! * second one was conditional on them making scf or signing Kaberle. **EDIT: Boston also got Valabik. Detroit very rarely overspends, ROI is huge for this org, and shipping Mursak, Hudler, a pick, and anything else short of D or Z will not get this deal done. UNLESS.. Fletcher is super desperate to build his own team, then maybe he lets them go cheap, but I doubt it highly. Remember there is always a Hossa err umm chance!

Got to feel bad for Horton, first off he went from Florida to Boston, he goes cellar dweller to playoff team. That team goes to the playoffs, his first trip, and he has 3 game winners including two in game 7's. His career looks to finally be coming around, and now he could be the next Marc Savard. That was a severe concussion, think how long Crosby was out and his concussion was not as severe as Horton's. Tragedy if this ends his career or derails it in any way. Think about this Bruins team with Savard added. I echo the sentiments that emotion and desperation got the B's through last night. But I am unsure how far that can carry them. Van looks like a bunch of punks, they act all tough and then dive all over the place. They take cheap shots and act tough, but who was acting tough when Thornton was yapping at their bench, when Ference was daring Sedin to try it! They Pussied out, Dats would have gone with Ference. Well maybe not a real fight, but atleast get into with him like he did in the earlier round this year, throw a few gloved punches. I know Detroit is not the toughest team, but they don't pretend to be. I was rooting for Van, but am losing respect for them fast.

What Barrie said!

Make that two votes!

Ahh no Eaves scream face?

I think he sticks with what works. Play the lines as they are, at about the 15 min mark of the 3rd he starts double shifting D and Z rotating Cleary and Holmer, as he has been doing.

I have watched a lot of Wings games over the past 2 + years thanks to the internet and streams, I have watched almost all playoff games since I can not remember when, and never has the crowd be so overwhelming at the Joe as this post season. Has the crowd dynamic changed? Lot of college kids? Less corporates? What is the difference, this place is nuts and it comes through on TV very very well. One thing I must say, for all of the crap Emmerick gets for his DRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE, and other crap, he knows when to shut up and let the moment unfurl. As soon as Helm scored he shut right up, let the crowd take over the moment. Even the announcers were talking about the level of noise it the barn, these guys have been coming to Detroit for the post season for years now, and they understand this year at the Joe is different, this is not you Dad's Barn anymore. That building is becoming one loud SOB!

Couple of points and no quotes, so I hope you follow me: 1. Ceiling fan puncher, don't worry the fan understands, after all it is a fan, right. Am I right? Ok bad joke aside. 2. It seems as though Abby has taken over Berts bad penalty bug, last year and most of this season, it seemed it was always Bert taking untimely penalties with careless stick or hands. Now Abdelkader. 3. Ken Daniels must have been channeling my screams, my pregnant wife asked me to not scream tonight as she was really tired, so I had to mute myself, Ken took care of that for me. Although I did manage to step outside, toke, and scream for the Hank goal. I wasn't wearing a jersey, simply forgot, at the start of the third, I was about to put my Lids Winter Classic on, and said I will throw on my Z and that way he can score the first goal. Well it turned out to be the second of the period, and at first I thought it was just going to be a +1 for being on the ice. BUT NO!! Z with the tip! 4. Howard has been exceptional, I am an optimist by nature and have high hopes and expectations for the former Black Bear (as I root hard for U Mainers), but come on, the rebound control, the positioning, the patience, the glove hand, damn this kid is playing great right now! 5. Dan Cleary gets two of the luckiest goals you ever saw Thurs. All of his bad luck this game, the Hockey gods will reward his effort and his bodily sacrifice to them and he will get 2 bad bounce, of the partition of the glass while Niemi is headed behind the net to play the puck type of goals, you heard right 2! 6. Win or Lose, this is the Red Wings team we all want to see, this is what makes being a Red Wing fan during the regular season so tough. They are going through the motions. Very rarely do we see them play this hard, this focused, and this driven for 60 minutes, until the reach late April and it is a new team.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news;_ylt=Anl_GT9VV6_nJvJ6cWD0fWt7vLYF?slug=ap-sharks-redwings The Dats quote at the end, Comedy gold Jerry, GOLD! Pavel Datsyuk(notes) wouldn’t acknowledge if he aggravated his right wrist that was broken in December. The Russian only said that he is looking forward to getting back on the Red Wings’ plane for Game 7. “Have good seats,” Datsyuk said. HE STOLE THAT!! Go get Kook!