Opie

Eva, Can you name a goaltender in the HOF who didn't play for a great team? Can you name a great team who didn't have a great goaltender? It is funny Ozzie gets nailed for having great teams in front of him (not by you obviously), but I have a hard time coming up with a HOF netminder that didn't do good things with a good team in front of him. Even Hasek had a good(not great not all world, but a good) D in front of him in Buffalo, the offensive was putrid and he needed to only give up 1 or 2 goals a game to win. If Hasek's teams were losing everynight would he still be HOF worthy. I guess we will find out if Luongo gets into the HOF, as he has not won anything as far as team accomplishments (cups) go. I was an Ozzie hater, I guess because he was so quietly going about his duty. It wasn't until he came back and posters started arguing his HOF worthiness and posters like you threw out his stats. He did in fact carry the Isle and Blues on his shoulders while there, he may not have to carry the Wings very often however, last year he carried more than his fair share in the post season.

??QUE??? what in the hell is with me putting in random quotes! That is such a great analogy I expect to see it on the SATs, well if the SATs even matter any more!

Apparently it is like a good wing man, trying to get you laid? LOL

atdhe.net is working

These posters put it exactly as I would. Just because the words Bettman and Pittsburgh exist in the same sentence doesn't mean he thinks it is the best team/franchise in the league. Check the link before you wreck yourself!

Great read, great post!

OZZIE!!!OZZIE!!!OZZIE!!! OY OY OY!!! OZZIE!!!OZZIE!!!OZZIE!!! OY OY OY!!! OZZIE!!!OZZIE!!!OZZIE!!! OY OY OY!!! LETS GO WINGS! edit: Yahoo: Ozzie reluctantly in the spotlight Teammate Kirk Maltby chose to expound on the topic.

I cannot remember a year where they didn't at least struggle in the first round, for that matter very rarely do any teams cake walk any round. Both teams have potentially 7 games to get there sh!t together. Last year it took replacing the netminder, in 02 it took Stevie and a 70 foot shot, 98 it was Phoenix. I know that first round match ups are usually mismatches (1-8,-2-7 at least the others are a little closer) but it is the playoffs and it is a brand new season, teams like C-bus, Nashville and other young orgs will be gunning for the Wings and Sharks, to prove that they can hang with the big boys. Even if they lose the series they can still leave a mark by playing a hard fought series. This could lead to a young team being highly motivated and a veteran (winning team) being a little casual to start the post season. I have a feeling this will not happen this year, but I have red glasses on so it is hard to see anything blue at the moment!

Have you seen one Pavel Datsyuk go into the corners, Johan Franzen? Cleary is not the only Wing to do so. However I do agree he is a great fit for the third line.

Maybe, just maybe, Holland has already told Hossa that he just doesn't fit under the cap, and out of respect he and Hossa are putting on this display to drive up Hossa's price tag? Maybe, just maybe, Hossa really will stay in Det for 6 a year, I highly doubt it seeing as he had as good of a season as last year (if not better) and his value on the open market would be easily 8-9 mil. He could be LA's franchise player (or another team.) IF Hossa stays here that is a huge kudos to him and his team/championship first mentality and he is cut from the Red Wing Cloth, however I would not blame him, nor will I hate him for leaving this offseason. He was an extended rental that I hoped the passion that flows through the winged wheel would infect him and have him here long term. And until he signs it is still that, a hope that Holland and Lids, Z, Dats, Babs, Yzerman, Nill, Illitch's can all make him want to stay. IF Hossa stays here at lets say 6. Lets add up the POTENTIAL numbers that players have left on the table. (Leaving Dats out because while he is worth more than he is paid, at the time I am not sure he "left" money on the table.) Z 2 m (at least) Lids 1.5m +/- Hossa 2 m (at least) Ralf 1m (there are rumors he had an 8 mil offer not sure how true, but for this exercise in futility why not) That right there is almost enough money to sign a star player not superstar, but a damn talented player. Crazy and it all starts at the top, the Illitches do a great job in running a hockey family. Congrats to them!

That Crayon one is the SH!T

I said the same thing in another thread, the Burke's of the NHL will not be happy! But then again I Could give 2 s***s about any other teams feelings about this! Lets go Wings Ken Holland Best GM in sports, tell why he isn't!

Are you really attempting to tell this fan base to have realistic expectations? Really the same fan base that wants to Murder Sammy because he is a waste, the same fan base that thinks Flip is a waste, the same fan base who s***s on Hudler, the same fan base that currently is debating whether or not anyone on this team has the heart to be a true captain, the same fan base that last year wanted to strip Lids of the 'C', the same fan base who thought Dats was overpaid and would never produce in the postseason just a few years ago, the same fan base that predicts doom and gloom every year (even though this team hasn't missed the playoffs in years), you sir have the unrealistic expectations, what you are saying is true, but what you are expecting won't happen until the Wings go through a Dead Wings era again, and that won't happen unless the Org goes through drastic changes. Winning brings in fair weather fans of all types, it brings in bandwagoners, nay sayers, negative nanceys, and even the complete homer, realistic expectations are not usually brought on by lots of winning. My take: (If anyone really gives two sh!ts) I still think Howard could be legit, I also advocate that GT over every other position takes a lot longer to develop (sort of like Center in the NBA), I think with patience this team can find the starting netminder within their own system, but the pressures of fans will always impact a teams decisions.

:beerbuddy: To Lids!! Great post! Almost as good as the one where you pointed out what a Great 'C' like Pronger(or Needabreak not even being there at the start of the season) did the year after his team won the cup!

This from the person whose whole persona on this board is a lie, and now you want to turn it on me. HAHAHAHAHA Maybe for reference people need to see what you wrote me, oh wait your expectation of privacy prevents me from doing that, oh wait no there is no expectation of privacy here. Go ahead ignore me and continue to pretend to be Pro-goon while I and those who read your message know the truth! Facade it is not just the face of a building! BTW I never referenced you until you attacked my stance on enforcers and then I went off on a tirade at you. True, I guess if I were to get the chance to play one shift in the NHL I would be happy as hell and that would be me playing for free! One thing I never questioned with Downey was his character!

Don't see any rule of the sort here: http://www.letsgowings.com/forums/index.php?act=boardrules Back to the topic. Micah, I don't think Downey's character was ever a problem, concern, or an issue, no one on here was ever comparing him to Steve Downie or Chris Simon. I think it was evident last year that he was a stand up guy, probably no one better to get a beer with (based on the articles about where and how he grew up). The discussion has always been about whether or not we (as fans not the team) want to see him in the lineup. That argument will never die, but it is good that he has such a team first attitude about it. He easily could have been whining and complaining about being in GR or not getting a call up. However I think he realizes the cap situation or it was explained to him by Holland and he for all intense and purposes seems cool with it, even though he still wants to be in the show. OR he is just that easy going off the ice. I do wonder what would have been with this team had Hossa not been signed, do you see a lot more Helm, Leino, Downey, and Ericsson. Who knows, I am glad this team got Hossa, but I am not too sure they would be much further down the standings with out him. But you never know, he could have been what motivated them through the lack luster performances early on. But anyway good read, thanks for the post!

Then Babs says Then looks up at the camera and says Complete AWESOME!

Check your list of so called Captains with Heart, notice a correlation?

To rebutt that, your posts sound like this Screw you all! You deserve to be Cut! You are all horrible leaders, it's clear that you're should be in the KHL! Booo, everything about the wings is s***ty and every player on the wings is weak and has no heart, just because they're are not Canadian. BOOOOO team! I gave it a shot but man do I feel like a pessimist who is covering his ass in future so that IF the wings don't win the cup, I can say I was right, but if they do, I can say I supported them the whole time, but you guys were misinterpreting what I was saying! (BTW the odds are they won't so that is the safe bet, it is actually a bigger risk to say your team will win then to say it won't).

The Taint?

[sarcasm]You're right what kind of a 'C' would put his team's success ahead of the all star game. Friggin' Piece of s*** Lids!! Screw it, Holland needs to dump the entire roster and start from scratch next year with a bunch of 3rd line North Americans. That will work way better than these no heart having, pansies! How on Earth will the Red Wings ever win a cup with Lids as 'C', Dats or Z as an 'A' never happen, not in a million years will a team with a soft Euro with no heart ever win a cup, EVER! [/sarcasm]

I think his personality is more suited to being the 'A', not because he couldn't hack it or do a good job as the 'C'. But he seems very content to defer to Z when ever possible and I think he would just rather go out and play. Some people just like being in the background better, and he seems to defer to hank a lot, almost always giving Hank credit. I also think the org has done a lot to show Hank that he is the next 'C' from sitting him next to Yzerman, to him being Pav's social setting helper, the guy seems more the mold of the next 'C" than Dats. And after Lids, Dats is my favorite player in the league and I think after Lids he is the best player in the game (as in complete player) but I see Hank (oddly enough 3rd in the rankings I just listed, no I am not biased at all!). as the leader after Lids, but I have been wrong before! But make no mistake about it, it will be their team. They are (relationship wise) what I saw in Stevie and Shanny in late 90's early 2000's. I truly think they are best friends (may not be) and have a great deal of respect for each other, and obviously the org!

Of all the threads to post this in I find this one the least appropriate (that sounded like I was telling you where and what to post, not my intention), I didn't see any panicking just people wanting the Wings to play harder, no one is predicting doom and gloom in here, just saying the boys need a wake up!

MY worry is the same, can you turn it on in the playoffs when you have coasted for so long, yeah they are a great team and the fact they played lackadaisical most of the season and are still in 2nd is a mind boggling notion. In fact it makes me excited to think what they could be like in the post season when every game does matter, my worry is that can you do that. Can you turn it on because the games now matter? I guess we will just have to wait and see! Come on boys prove me right for having faith, no first round exits!!! Then hopefully they will be in playoff mode by the second round!