puckloo39

I just got home and came straight here for results. Woo! I am glad I have this DVR'd... what a way to finish up the season, and head to the playoffs with momentum. I don't care if it was "just" Chicago, the Wings have to feel good about themselves today. Nice that Ozzie got an easy game for the finisher (based on comments I skimmed through). Sounds like he had to be sharp when called upon, even though he didn't have a lot of work. Very glad he's OK after tha collision with Big Bert. Hawks collected 62 minutes of penalties? That's an entire game worth. Lilja, fighting major? Did he win? Good for him, I bet whoever he went after deserved it. Just my gut feeling, but I don't think Babs will sit Hudler over Sammy in the playoffs. At least I hope not. Did Lids look OK? Too bad he didn't get one more assist to hit 50. Anyway, congrats, Wings on winning the West. We don't want the President's Trophy anyway, let Buffalo deal with that burden. It's snowing in Texas right now, folks. Sammy scored twice and Hell really is apparently freezing over... or at least Austin is. Happy Easter to all!

I was perusing the NHL.com trophy section and wondered who you all think should win the Masterton Trophy? Not a very "important" award really, but some pretty impressive players have won it. The Masterton Trophy is given to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. The winner is selected in a poll of all chapters of the PHWA at the end of the regular season. Last year's winner was Teemu Selanne, who came back from knee surgery and a horrible year/mistake in Colorado with Fallie Paulie and then the lockout, to play spectacular hockey in Anaheim. He's an acknowledged fan-favorite (certainly in my top five favorite NHLers). Steve Yzerman won it in 2003, for reasons I don't have to outline here. Saku Koivu, Bryan Berard, Mario Lemieux are among past winners, having overcome obstacles and come back to play stellar hockey. You all can guess who I think should win it this year. Perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey pretty much sum up Dom this season. He won't win the Vezina, having played 20+ fewer games this season than the front runners -- a sacrifice on his part. For the greater good of the team, he agreed to do whatever it took, even if it meant not playing when he could have and wanted to. I don't think even his harshest critics can cite him for poor sportsmanship this year (Kris Draper called him "the perfect team mate"), or his dedication to a game he loves and lives for. The fact that the media are the ones who decide this award will be the reason he doesn't win it, most likely. I can think of a couple of other candidates. Anyone else want to play? edit: PHWA = Professional Hockey Writers Association

Just got called in to work, so I won't be able to watch at home. DVR set! Bert and Lids are probably going to play, and Dom is not. He's fine, by the way. Bert has promised not to steamroller Ozzie today. Just kidding!! Wings will win, no prediction on score, I just hope Pavel is insprired and they manage to find more than 2 goals on less than 60 SOG - that shot total vs. results was just ridiculous last game. Khabibulin is not that good, he just benefitted from the Wings' patented "Insert Goaltender's name here" for Vezina program. GWG from Robert Lang.

Brodie vs. Luongo Here is a nice article about Brodeur and his "rival," Luongo. I believe Roberto could eclipse Brodeur in years to come. It will be interesting to watch, assuming our beloved sport survives Bettmanization. It will be interesting also, to see if Luongo can rival Hasek's achievements with a similar team to the one Dom backstopped for 9 years. Canucks are the Sabres of the West... small market, under the radar, not so talented but they want to win. We probably won't see the actual comparison one-on-one, due to the fact that I doubt Luongo will stay in Vancouver for the next decade. I've avoided this thread because numbers only say so much, and you can manipulate them to present whatever aspect of an argument needed to "prove" a point. Hasek is the most recognized and influential goaltender of his era -- more Vezinas (Plante has one more, with seven), only goalie ever to win back to back Hart/Vezinas, Gold medal on a Cinderella team ... I could go on with lots more examples, but much to your collective relief, I won't bother. That doesn't mean Brodeur isn't great, but he's certainly not better than Dom or Patty Roy, nor is Brodeur the greatest "ever." Too many variables, as several posters have mentioned. Mathematically, you stand to win the most games if you're a talented goalie and you play virtually every game. Brodeur's back up has played 5 games this season. Hasek used to do that, too, in his hey-day with Buffalo. He didn't win the most games due to the team to which he dedicated what were arguably his best years being not the greatest. Dom dragged the team along with him and won games all by himself, night after night. If you don't believe me, all I can say is you didn't watch Buffalo play in the '90s. Of course, it's all subjective, as we've said already. I don't agree that Brodeur is the classiest guy on Earth either, but I suppose there are cases to be made in pretty much every player's career where someone could criticize something they said or did. Except for Stevie Y, maybe. Does that mean they aren't great players? Nope. If whatever they did or said off the ice didn't harm the team, then I really don't care. Brodeur's legend is partly in his own head, but who could blame him for that, either? I think all great players have to know they are great, that's part of who they are.

Dom nominated I am not the only one who thinks Dom deserves to be recognized for his dedication to the game, after all! "Hasek was a natural choice for the Bill Masterton Memorial trophy, awarded annually to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. At 42, he has overcome severe groin injuries to be among the NHL's elite again. His 2.05 goals-against average is second overall, and his eight shutouts trail only the 12 racked up by New Jersey's Martin Brodeur." PS - on that last stat, if you play every game, you stand a better chance of racking up more shut outs. I don't even know NJ's back-up goalie's name, do they even have one?

Wow, HC, you're fast!! Thank you, Stars!! GO, WINGS!!!!

Stars have done this all season, they wait til the last second to score. Their fans are all slightly paranoid, and always "sure" the Stars are going to lose. Sort of like us.

it actually was, esp. the OT and Shoot out. Ladislav Nagy is the Stars' equivalent of Calder, by the way. He's been quite the influence there since being traded from Phoenix. I expect him to be big for them in the playoffs.

Stars know how to put on a show and make their fans insane! Wow! Thanks, Stars!!

POST!!! Nagy? NAGY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dallas scores, and Bryz is losing his cool. Turco says no, and Dallas wins!!!

Zubov, no. Getzlaf, uh oh.... NO! says Turco. He did a Dom move and laid down in the crease!! Modano. No. Here comes Emu.

they're saying Bryzgalov isn't a good shoot out goalie. Turco has to turn away Selanne, yikes! I wish I was there, dangit! Jokinen, no way... zubov, and modano are the other shooters for Dallas. McDonald on Turco. Save!

Morrow is earning that "C" on his sweater tonight, boy. Love those Dallas announcers, they called Zubov a "big avuncular Russian." That means genial or friendly... I love Zubie, but didn't think of him as particularly jolly. This is a great OT. Both ends fiery, and the goalies are amazing. Here comes a shoot out. I say Dallas wins it.

Stars are very good in OT and Shoot out, should it come to that. Way to give the Dallas fans a heart attack, Stars.

do you believe these guys? I sure wish I had begged my boss for tickets to this one.

1-0 Anaheim, end of the second. Bryzgalov looks unbeatable. Stars are getting no bounces tonight. Stars are a very good third period team, however, so they can easily come back and win it.

don't give up yet! I haven't and I won't. If anyone is motivated to get through this and be there for the team, it's Dom. He'll play if he's able to, and possibly even if he isn't able. Frankly, as important as Dom is to the cause, I think Nick may be more critical. Maybe that's just me, though.

bit 'o good news according to Helene, Dominik, Lids and Bert all practiced this morning.

No problem. Ozzie is such a mensch*, I get tired of people picking on him. And yeah, I bet Dom will step up the dinner location to Appleby's this Spring, at the very least. *good person, stand-up guy...

Go, Ozzie! how can anybody not like this guy? He'll be there if/when we need him!

I think Lids and Dom are probably OK, but they're key players and older, so the Wings are resting them. I always enjoy the side-stepping and nebulous reports about "injuries" this time of year, don't you? I am glad Ozzie's OK, that collision with Bert had to be no fun at all. Wings will come back and make some of those 58 SOG count on Saturday, I say! Make Khabibulin sweat, but for a different reason this time.

update on Bert and Lids a little more from this morning regarding injuries. Aside from Hank and Kronner, of course, it sounds like they will all be back for game 1.

now that's a good point, and one I keep meaning to make! There are no bad teams in the playoffs, so by definition (Wings-style), the good guys will play up to speed every game, no slacker 20 minute or 40 minute poor efforts. "A" games all the way!

thanks for the lecture. I don't know any of those girls, and don't care to. You don't know me at all, so don't attempt to judge me or project your opinions on me. I am hardly ashamed of myself, by the way. If they are working their way through college, good for them. I worked my way through college and two graduate degrees, but not doing anything involving a squeegee. It is my opinion that the girls don't belong on NHL ice, but the marketing groups in some franchises think the ticket buyers want this. Perhaps they are correct. I don't like it, and neither do a lot of other people I know, male and female. If you want to go look at scantily clad girls, there are other places besides a professional hockey game to do that, you know? Three pages of this is plenty.

I am making a poster of that picture! Everyone is welcome to an opinion, but I would be more likely to listen if there were something reasonable about the ... arguement? Ozzie will be back, and I hope Dom is, too. They are great together. As for tonight, Wing have to play the entire game, and score more than two goals. Jeez, I think I've said/heard that before. Go, Ozzie!!