puckloo39

I am not sure it's as simple as that. They're both playing well, even though they are very different goalies. I think we should not worry so much about who's "better" and who is being snubbed or over-hyped. They both have the same ambition. I guarantee, they will both be glad to have their names on another Cup, regardless of who plays the majority of games. I love that they both want to be there equally. Babs can be the one who decides who plays and when. Lucky him. Ozzie and Dom are on the same team, even if some of us in here are not. Earth, great post, thanks! Glad to know someone else gets it.

I don't know who's better or who will end up the "best," of Crosby and Ovie. I like them both and they're both amazing and good for the game. There's just something about Ovechkin that screams superstar hockey player to me. I love to watch him. Plus, he's funny and clever.

OMG, Matt! You are my BFF!! I love this...of course I do! Awesome job, you made my day. thanks!!

Dallas, sometimes you seem to be criticizing Dom, but I think you actually are not. Thanks for the clarification above in your post. Dom's style is all part of the wonderful mystery that is Hasek, and why some of us love him so much. Call it luck, call it other-worldly instinct... call it whatever. I am not sure Dom himself knows exactly how he does what he does. But much of the apparent randomness about his style is actually very calculated, if you have watched him for long. Those who had a cow over the sliding tackle on Gaborik have not seen Hasek play much, apparently. It's not a new move or something he just thought up. Click the link under my sig for some examples of the same move, back to 1990 when he was a Blackhawk. He was probably doing it before then, in Europe, I suspect. I've seen analyses of Dom where "experts" would directly contradict one another, one saying he is constantly out of position and another, that he is actually almost always in position --just not in any classic stance or fashion that has a name in the NHL. You either have what Dom has, or you don't - it can't be taught. There will never be another one like him -- that is for certain. The cool thing: Dom can win games with his style, and Ozzie, while a very different goalie in a lot of ways, wins them in his own way. I have noticed that this season, Oz is stacking the pads, making spectacular diving saves, tossing in the odd death-roll here and there, and yes, even tossing down the goalie stick on occasion. Wonder who he's been hanging around?

I am a big believer in intangibles. Hasek is the x-factor in a lot of situations, even still. Dom is a legend and he gets into players' heads -- and not just the opposition's, either. Age might have take a bit of the edge off the enigma that is Hasek, but he's still got "it." I think the Wings are just as confident in front of Ozzie this season as they are Dom. That's the beauty of the situation we're in.

you are exactly correct, sir. Either goalie is capable of winning, if the team is on target as well. It's probably just me, but the turning points in the Ducks series had more to do with bad breaks and officiating than anything the Wings did wrong. Neidermeyer's "goal" that should had been blown dead, Pronger costing us a 100%-healthy Homer, and a couple of other incidents cost the Wings just enough traction that they couldn't get past the Ducks. I think Detroit would have smoked Ottawa, BTW. I am glad the Wings don't play dirty hockey, but I am glad to see them a bit more physical this season.

Some people think he's been "lucky" for the past 15 years. :rotflmao: <<< Dom, rolling around in the crease, or me, laughing? Take your pick!! ** This is me being sarcastic, Pack, and agreeing with you on all your points above** Hasek didn't lose the Cup for the Wings last playoffs, far from it. Fact: the Wings got to the third round for the first time since 2002 with Dom in net. Coincidence? Nope.

Bryz is bitter because he's in Phoenix, and isn't a Red Wing. I laugh when anyone says a team or player excelled because they were "lucky." You don't excel in the NHL because you're lucky, although luck sometimes seems to favor one team or another (sometimes "luck" appears to wear black and white striped shirts...) Ozzie stole this game for the Wings. They played like they had a vacation-hangover, and he kept them in it until they woke up. The save at the end was the vein-popper for Wayner. Did they show him cussing this time? I missed it if so. I love Nick and understand the award of first star to him, but I'd have given it to Ozzie last night.

If Dom starts in the playoffs, perhaps it's because Hasek has been better for a longer period of time and more consistently. Barring injury*, Dom will play every game in the playoffs, I suspect. I would be interested to see them play tandem/tag team. Knowing how they work and play so well together, it could work fine even though it's unusual. What's "usual" about any of this? At least Ozzie and Dom don't seem to have a problem with one another -- unlike their fans in this forum. *be careful what you wish for. Edit: one other comment -- if Hasek is starting the playoffs only because of the name on the back of his jersey, one might want to consider what he had done in his career to merit such consideration. Hasek may be one of a half-dozen names in hockey that casual fans recognize. There's a reason for that.

ya'll just kill me!! Lanny's 'stache is great!! Poor Sammy. Don't the Preds fans throw catfish on the ice, instead of octopii?

Sens goalie woes from the Hockey News, a fair assessment of the bind that the Senators find themselves in, re: Emery and Gerber. I don't feel sorry for Emery at all. He makes the same money in three days that I work for all year, so I am having a tough time working up much sympathy for him. He deserves some consequence for being lazy and irresponsible. It's not like it's the first time. Poor Sens. Lucky for Emery, the Sens apparently can't move him, or I expect he would be gone already and some other team's problem by now.

well, thanks, esteef! It may be a long-shot, but as a believer in the power of the human spirit, I will be pulling for Mac. I hope he makes it all the way back to Detroit. I am currently putting air in the tires of the McCarty Bandwagon. Reem, wanna ride shotgun? I will even let you drive.

golden age for Dom and Cheli Here's a great article on two of our "senior" players. "I invited him to do some bench presses, but once I started warming up, he was already doing his max in weights," 25-year-old Tomas Kopecky said. "My warming up is 170, and that's almost as much as he weighs. They did drug testing recently, and we were joking Dom shouldn't even get tested, he should just go and pull his shirt up because obviously he is not on steroids." He needs birthday cake... but he may get a birthday "pie" from Draper, instead. **HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DOM!!!**

My lousy day at work ends on a bright note! Even if Mac doesn't get back to the Wings -- and I hope he does -- if he's motivated to get his health and family back, that means more than his career, even. Mac is saving his own life. I couldn't be more proud of him. Keep up the good work, buddy, we're with you... and we never forgot you. D-Mac, you rock!

When a player acts like this, it puts the coaches in a bad spot and is tough on morale, especially if the team is at all brittle emotionally. I don't know that Ray is going to have to worry about being responsible to the Sens for much longer, unless they really are stuck with him. And that could be the case.

If one thinks life in Detroit as as goalie is rough, it's 10x worse in Ottawa. The fans there turn on a dime, from gushing praise to murderous rage. I was not at all surprised to see that Paddock is "just tired" of it all, and that Murray had been plotting to dump Emery all season. Lucky for them, Gerber has hung in there. He was treated badly his first season, and his numbers reflected the lack of confidence he must have felt. It's a thankless job being a goalie anywhere, I think. My job is thankless, too -- but I don't get paid near as much.

looks like they might give Emery one more chance to straighten up and fly right. My Sens fan friend just emailed me to tell me Emery was on the ice this morning, and might start tonight. Way to reward Gerber for busting his butt, huh? edit: correction, now the news is Emery will be allowed to suit up, not nec. start v. the Islanders. AHL is on all-star break so they can't call someone up from Binghamton club. I am watching this game tonight, for sure! Apparently the Sens tried to unload him earlier, no takers, per: Garrioch/Sun garrioch on emery

The Sens organization is not a particularly forgiving or tolerant one, unlike the Wings. I'd say Ray ought to consider packing for a move soon.

Al's our mascot so says Wikipedia, for what that's worth. Named for Al Sobotka, who else? I am glad the Wings don't have cheerleaders or a smelly mascot running around scaring kids and bothering people at games. Our local low-level team here (Ice Bats) have a guy who runs around in a bat suit -- his name is Fang, which always makes me think of Phyllis Diller. If you're old enough, you'll get that reference. Anyway, he hugged me one time, toward the end of the season. I thought I was going to pass out from the fumes -- that costume's never met a bottle of Fabreze, shall we say?

I think you're dead on, Hank. This isn't an issue of race or color, it's a matter of personal work ethic and character. His behavior has nothing to do with his talents as a player... and everything to do with it, at the same time. Murray won't stand for this, not for long anyway. It's a shame, too -- I thought Ray had grown up a little, but Gerber's resurgence as #1 in Ottawa has apparently rattled Emery's unstable psyche. **Happy Birthday, Dom!!!**

Why should we care? Emery doesn't play for Detroit and he never will (I hope). He's apparently not all that serious about a career that so many would do anything to have, but few will get a chance at. Perhaps Murray will send him down to the AHL, where Ray-Ray can learn something about work ethic from the Bingo Sens goalies.

You have to be a real old-timer to remember Unagi. Duckie, you look after Teemu for us, OK?

Niyo re: Petey John Niyo posted this morning in his detnews blog that Petey is more than likely to head back to Phillie: The Forsberg-to-Philly talk was the prevailing opinion here in Atlanta [at the ASG]. No surprise there. I've had at least one member of the Wings' management team tell me in the last week that Forsberg feels he has "unfinished business" with the Flyers, not to mention a good friendship with Simon Gagne and the fact his girlfriend still has a nice place in downtown Philly. Forsberg's supposed to meet with a foot specialist this week and he hopes to play in a tournament in Stockholm Feb. 7-10. There's even speculation he'll be signed by the Flyers as early as Valentine's Day. Sounds like he's looking for a reasonably-priced deal for the rest of this season and next year, too.

"Though cancelling the game seems a little harsh, there are proponents of that route in the NHL headquarters" don't tell me they are finally going to get something right?

Me, too. I kinda wish he would stay retired, so I could remember Emu finally hoisting the Cup. That was the ONLY thing about the Finals last season which was positive, in my book.