Autika

I'm interested to see how the rest of this plays out. Seemed like a head-scratcher at first, but upon further pondering, what could it really hurt?

I tire of trying to reason with you. You say that a team's history doesn't matter, fine, we'll leave history out of it. We give you examples of the current success of our team next to the lack luster performance of the wild, and that doesn't matter because we're old. Then the wild's prospects are so much better than the Red Wings and because the Wild's prospects are so ready for the NHL and are future super stars while ours just plain suck. Your entire argument is just one slippery slope fallacy after another. The past isn't giving you the answer you want, and the present certainly didn't give you what you were looking for, so now the future is very uncertain in Detroit? the future is uncertain everywhere. sure, Parise might go to the Wild, or he might go to Detroit, He might even sign in the KHL for eleventy billion dollars. The future success of the Wild is just as uncertain as the downfall of the Red Wings. So you can keep having this, "me against the internet" thing you've got going on, or you can just have a regular conversation with the rest of us.

Oh, so injuries were your problem? I thought only old players like the red wings got hurt and that's why we are declining! The Wild have 3 players over the age of 30, so what were all these injuries that destroying your teams production? And for the record, you had Heatley AND Brodziak play the entire regular season, The Red Wings had 1 forward and 1 D man play every game, Z and Kronwall. And lets for a moment pretend that you are right and the injuries to your players, who have an average age of 27 so they should be bouncing back from their injuries much quicker than a team like the red wings should, was the real reason the wild crapped the bed again this season. Are you telling me that there is so much depth on that team, this up and coming power house which is going to knock detroit from it's lofty perch, that they finished dead last in the entire league in goals for? And I'm a little tired of typing this all out, so I'll let Rafiki cover my final bit.

... yeah, throwing quotes around certain nouns isn't strengthening your argument. You keep going on and on about how the red wings are on decline and you make it sound like they are going to finish bottom of the league next season. Everyone here will admit that the wings haven't been as dominant the last couple years as we would have liked, yet we still have some rather impressive stats going for this team which someone like Parise would probably take into account. You say the Wild are on the upswing. I do not believe you. Since their inception the Wild have made the playoffs 3 times. this season will mark the 5th year since they had a post-season appearance. The Wild have not had a 100 point or higher season in 6 years. I do not see improvement over the years with the Wild, I see stagnation. They had one player over 50 points last season. The red wings had 5 players at 50 points or higher, one of which was Jiri Hudler. Jiri... Hudler. The red wings have not had a double digit finish since 98-99. The red wings are coming off a season where they set the new record for consecutive home wins. The wings have not missed the post season since 1990. If the wild's prospect pool is so deep and so much better that what we have in grand rapids, then the wild need to start bringing these young phenoms up the the big leagues because quite frankly, the Wild need more help then Parise can give them.

*sigh*

Get er done Kenny!

You seriously just said "If he doesn't get caught, it is a great play." I didn't even have to type that. copy and paste.

So corked bats, cut baseballs and playing the puck from the bench is ok as long as you don't get caught?

no thanks.

I wish there was some one dedicated enough to go back and see if we have historically complained more about Mule or Hossa. I think it's a pretty even split.

Godwin's law.

... so anyway, I found the article quite entertaining. I thought it sounded a lot like that story where Mickey York was trying to find some dirt on Lidstrom.

Well you get put into the NHL offender database, which means you won't be able to watch hockey unless supervised by a league rep, and if you move you have to go door to door in a 5 mile radius of your new address to alert your neighbors that you're an offender.

While I can see why people would be put off by some of his more... coarse behaviors, he does have some redeeming moments which makes me think he might not be as bad as everyone thinks. I really do think that if he ever came back to Hockeytown, he would be a favorite after about 4 games. The worst thing that would come out of it would be another scapegoat to take some of the heat off of Hudler. I think it would be very interesting to see him on a line with Abby and Helm. If only one of them was a right winger. Oh well. (Disclaimer: I do not think Avery will return as a wing.)

Hasek. Dear lord Hasek. We could use some slinky spine.

alright, that's just plain cool.

I think he was just killing kittens.

I'm drawn on the idea of the wings moving east. Sure, I like the idea of playing the leafs more, and I do think Detroit would have an easier time out east (not that they have a hard one now). I just think it would be bittersweet to move away from our more current rivals. I know the Avs aren't what they used to be, and chicago isn't going to be as difficult with all it's cap troubles, but I do find myself enjoying how much I root against the both of them. anyone else feel similar?

Grab him.

Think Kenny will call up Ville and ask if he's seen the error of his ways?

Perhaps I'm just being foolish here, but I do not understand why everyone is so eager to see Miller leave. I think he and Eaves are great together and reasonably priced for a defensively strong grind line. Sure he's not a 50 point player, but he stays reasonably healthy, plays hard in the corners, and he doesn't cost us that many penalties.

The girlfriend was watching with me and all she said was, "Seriously?"

not exactly photoshop buuuut.

Nah, it's just that we don't watch the NBA finals.

This past Saturday I worked an 8 hour shift painting a factory. I got off around 5 pm and my girlfriend picked me up so we could get something to eat. We end up getting done around 7 pm, and she starts driving back to my place. I was quite tired and just wanted to go to bed. Just before we get to my subdivision she veers wildly right. "Ummmmmm...... home is that way." "I know." "ok... where are we going?" "you'll see." She continues driving down route 74 towards Moline IL. "Why are we going to Moline? there's nothing in Moline. Moline sucks." "You'll see." by this point we've been driving for about 20 minutes and I'm becoming quite paranoid from my lack of knowledge on my current situation. "Are we going to be gone over night? I didn't bring my toothbrush, my breath wreaks! Who's going to watch the dog?" "The dog is taken care of. We can stop and get you a toothbrush." After another 10 minutes of driving we turn onto 88. I begin to glean the happenings. "Are we going to Chicago?" "Maybe." I begin salivating. "are we going to the United Center?" "Maybe." "Is this my birthday present?" "Mhm." "did you bring my jersey?" "yep." I quite abruptly find myself wide awake. I've never been to an NHL hockey game, and every time I've thought about buying tickets to see the Wings in Chicago I have to back out because of work or some other hoop la. Now I'm just a little kid who is worried about his lack of preparation for the slight chance of this actually happening. I look down at my feet which are housed in my old college flip flops. "... did you bring my sneakers?" "... we can get you some sneakers." We spend the night in the burbs and I buy a cheap pair of kicks from Target 10 minutes before they close. We take an 8AM Metra the next morning and walk the 2 miles to the United Center. My first Red Wings game is sublime. Surrounded by Hawks fans more intent on chanting about how the Wings suck than cheering for their team (which needed it). I cheer wildly each time The Wings score, standing alone in my section of the nosebleeds. The only downside of the entire experience was that there wasn't anyone else to chant, "Count our cups" with me. And that is the story of my first NHL experience. anyone else got a story to share about theirs?