Zion

Amazing. Whoever comes out of this destruction will face a fresher Buffalo in the east.

Thanks for the heads-up. Watch out for Phaneuf. That kid's good...

Let's hope so. I feel the Wings could take Nashville, but San Jose is the one team I didn't want them to face in the 1st round.

I don't believe that he deliberately tried to put Cheech out of the playoffs. The leg thing is instinct to a lot of guys, and, like your stick, you are responsible for it if you hurt someone. I agreed with the call. I'll have to watch the replay again, as I saw Cheech bleeding, but didn't see a stick or elbow come up. I'll watch again.

Not bad, and they poke fun at some of the Flames, too. Good read.

Enough with this Hasek babble. Here are the real unspoken advantages for Calgary: 1) The schedule 2) Bertuzzi out for game 1, maybe longer? 3) The schedule

Wow, how idiotic are you? Do you think Henrik Zetterberg would NOT play for the rest of the season if there weren't anything seriously wrong with him? Teams always hide injuries until after the season. Not having Bertuzzi in the line-up hurts us drastically, but if he's not going to perform, then sit him until he's ready. We don't need to see Calgary's players putting our guys out for the season because they stepped into the line-up too early. Detroit would never hear the end of how "Phaneuf put Bertuzzi out for the playoffs with one hit", or "Zetterberg needed surgery because the Flames hit him so hard", and my personal favorites: "Bert/Zetterberg sucks in the playoffs" because they were playing before they were healthy enough to be inserted into the line-up.

Keep us posted. If both Z and Bert are out, our odds of winning game 1 are significantly affected.

Damn. We don't get Vs. in HD.

If Detroit can't win it in 5, game 6 in Calgary can almost guarantee a loss, given that it will be a back-to-back game in Western Canada. I noticed the only other series with back-to-back games are the Sens/Penguins and the Rangers/Thrashers, and that's games 6 and 7, if it goes that far. Big advantage for Calgary, woudn't you say? That, and Kipper, of course.

I wouldn't say that, as I was extremely impressed by the back-to-back sweep of Nashville during our last home-and-home with them. Just remember two things: 1) Detroit is older and doesn't travel as well. 2) Calgary is more physical and has, in my opinion, a better home-ice advantage.

Stay on the bike, Bert. Get out there and hit 'em!

Wow, that is just idiotic. Perhaps you didn't know that Patrick Marleau was 2nd on the team in scoring, with 32 goals, or have never heard of Bill Guerin. While Mark Bell has been a disappointment, Joe Pavelski on the 2nd line, has not. And big players like Ryan Clowe, who hit, score and fight, are the type of guys who are effective in the playoffs. Considering that Nashville has never won a playoff series and that SJ beat them last year, I think that mentally they have to have a disadvantage. Forsberg and Voukoun will be the key.

Wow. After seeing how poorly Nashville played down the stretch and how hot San Jose had been, I can't see this going 6 games, let alone 7. Goaltending will be the only X-Factor here, as we all know anything can happen in the playoffs. I've got SJ going deep this year and meeting Anaheim in the WCF.

Well said. I couldn't agree more. Pronger out-played Lidstrom last year, and that was a major factor, along with the obvious methods used to beat the Wings in the playoffs. I'm glad the boys don't start until Thursday, as I'd like Bert and Hank to get as much time to get ready as possible. Go Red Wings!

I disagree. Kipper seems to thrive under pressure. Playoffs are just his game. I agree.

I hope you're right. I'm sure the arenas and their activities may have something to do with this, but I agree this definitely makes game 5 a must-win for both teams. I disagree. We all know how poorly the Wings play out West, and granted they won't go far if they can't win on the road, but the oldest team in the league and back-to-back games are not a recipe for instant success. I see Kronwall's loss as even bigger now, especially if Zetterberg doesn't last long in the playoffs.

There are simply too many close-calls when considering that this is the playoffs. The West is ridiculously good, and makes the Eastern Conference look like a joke. I pick Detroit in 7, but Calgary can easily win this in 6.

I also have Detroit in 7. Where did my "picks" thread go?

This is an extremely boring game. I do agree, however, with the "sit Dats/Cheli" comment. How about Hussey/Langfeld/Booter plays in the last game with Quincey?

They must be prepared to play without Zetterberg, which means finding Dats and Homer a 3rd winger. Franzen has been good, but could we get a shooter up there? I thought Dats and Flip had good chemistry, as well... maybe give him a shot?

Why not? All we need to do is lose one game at home, and we can expect to lose in Western Canada. I said Detroit in 7, but how about Calgary in 6?

Yeah, I watched the San Jose/Calgary game. Calgary is still faster, harder-hitting and made a decent comeback against the Sharks, who were up 4-1. If Lidstrom isn't 100% and Zetterberg doesn't return, I can easily see another 1st round exit.

Exception: Wings are never good in Western Canada.

Calgary is unbeatable at home.