McAwesome

I followed your advice, hoping my head would explode (since it already feels like it's going to thanks to stupid Florida allergies) and I agree, the teams in question, Tampa Bay, Columbus, Carolina, Nashville, Atlanta, Phoenix (and I would add Florida to that list, they were 25th in attendance) would benefit in every conceivable way by relocating to a more traditional hockey market, and by his own admission he wants to give Winnipeg and Quebec a second chance at a franchise, and in today's economic climate it would work, then he could take a closer look at putting a team in Southern Ontario. That takes care of 3, now where do we put the other 4? Not that I want to steer this thread into a realignment discussion, but I hear what you are saying, if Bettman is so concerned with doing what's best for the NHL as a business, why is he, more importantly why is the BOG, allowing franchises to hemorrhage money and teams to skate in front of half-empty stadiums, what does that do to promote the game? They say numbers don't lie, and these numbers actually expose a very ugly truth: Hockey is not catching on in the Sun Belt, try putting it back where it belongs.

That is frickin hilarious, those guys were definitely hammered when they made that, I've never seen a white guy dance that well sober

If we don't re-sign Bertuzzi, then Lombardi, Plekanec or Fedotenko, in that order, for the 2nd/3rd line tweener scoring winger. If we do re-sign Bertuzzi, then Chimera, Asham, Nystrom, Artyukhin, in that order, for the 3rd/4th line demolition derby role. Also, I agree with many here that Brookbank would be an affordable upgrade from Lilja that could 'keep the flies off" if we don't sign a forward who fights.

Bolded: it's not really the offseason yet, the Finals are still going on, the draft is not for 3 weeks and free agency signing doesn't start until next month. Holland has done what he can for now, talking to players who are under contract but up for renewal, making qualifying offers, etc. I don't expect much excitement until July 1st, and even then I don't expect much from the Red Wings as Holland has already stated his intentions, re-sign Homer, Bert, some of our RFAs, and add a 3rd/4th line player in the mold of Dallas Drake. Unless Bert walks and we have the money to go after a top 6 guy like Plekanec or Lombardi, I don't anticipate much fireworks. Underlined: I don't have time to dig up the links, but Maltby and Holland have both been quoted as saying that it's a foregone conclusion that he won't be back next year and if he does play another year it will be elsewhere.

I wondered about this last year too, how does Chicago average almost 10% over capacity? Do they purposely overbook, like airlines and hotels do, or they have a really big standing-room section?

Well, now that is interesting, not only are they the closest team to where I live, but I have always kind of pulled for them, especially back in '04 when they made their Cup run, now with Stamkos and Hedman, they are a team that you cannot help but enjoy watching. I'll always be a Red Wings fan first and foremost, but since Stevie Y is my all-time favorite player, I cannot helo but have more interest in the Lightning, and who knows, maybe I'll make it to a few more games this season other then when the Wings are in town.

Whether you believe Leonsis' opinion that the NHL as a whole is in better financial shape than the NBA, he does have a good point about the CBA, as many people that advocate for a luxury tax in the NHL, you need look no further than the NBA for examples of how that can backfire. True, it would allow teams like Detroit who have the money to pay well over 57 million in player salary without losing money, it could seriously ruin other franchises who have smaller fanbases or owners with shallower pockets. Like it or hate it, the parity that has been created by the current cap rules has leveled the playing field in many ways, and it has allowed teams to compete for playoff slots that normally wouldn't happen. If teams were allowed to spend whatever they wanted on player salary, then they would have no choice but to relocate or contract teams like Nashville, Atlanta, Phoenix, and Columbus that would not be able to afford to attract free agents or retain prospects that turn into stars. That being said, maybe the league should try to get Mark Cuban or the Maloof brothers to buy the Coyotes

I'd really like to see Chimera in a Red Wings uniform, but he's under contract so it would have to be a trade, his cap hit is 1.875 mil, a little high for a 3rd/4th liner, but he's good for about 15 goals and 30 points a season, he forechecks, kills penalties, has great wheels, and he fights regularly. Nystrom and/or Glass would fit our system well and provide punch (pun intended) in our bottom 6, and would be reasonably priced.

Couldn't agree more. The best part of our rivalry with Chicago is how one-sided it has been, the entire hockey mindset of the city seems to be an inferiority complex, and I for one do not want the status quo to change. Besides, the Sharks are the only team remaining that has no fans who work at my company, so if they win then I don't have to hear any bragging over the summer. So, as much as it pains me to say it so soon after losing to them, Go Sharks! Edit: Just found out that the Flyers fan just got fired, so screw the Sharks, Go Flyers!

Fixed it for me, thanks.

Tough call. He plays his best when he is the one bringing the puck up the middle into the zone, but he does seem to be shooting more and gaining confidence in his shot since he was moved to the wing. His defensive responsibility and faceoff abilities are an asset when he plays center, but having him on Zetterberg or Datsyuk's wing allows for more options, especially since Zetterberg gets chased out of so many draws. Ultimately, he needs to be in the top 6 to stay, and the best way to do that right now seems to be as a winger, unless Babcock decides to reunite Datsyuk and Zetterberg, in which case Filppula ends up centering the second line.

Link

Eye of the Mule..errr..Tiger

Blasphemy! Given the circumstances, I would give almost anything to hear this song coming through my TV at around 9:50 tonight.

I decided to alter my game-day routine a little in hopes of generating some positive juju. I had a gyro for lunch (always reminds me of Greektown) and for dinner I'm having Swedish meatballs in honor of having an additional Swede in the lineup tonight. Lets Go Red Wings! :clap: :clap:

Dude, that is killer.

Yes, everyone knows that, besides there is no "South Detroit", downtown is right on the river and the only thing south of that is Windsor Ontario. On that note, how many songs have been written mentioning San Jose? Aside from "Do you know the way to San Jose", you guys should play that at HP Pavilion during every Sharks game. GO WINGS :siren: :siren:

I screwed up and hit null vote, I was going to vote for Detroit/Pittsburgh the third. I could see that as being the best possible scenario for the NHL (they wouldn't have to spend much money on creating new ads ), both teams have very large fanbases both in the local market as well as scattered throughout the country (higher ratings), and why would the league not want their most marketed player back in the Finals against the most successful US franchise again. Personally, if the Wings don't make it I want to see Vancouver win it, my reasoning is as follows: I have co-workers that are fans of each of the remaining Eastern teams and Chicago, so I can't stand to hear the bragging that would go on (it was bad enough hearing my Pens fan co-worker and he was very gracious about the whole situation) and if San Jose knocks us out I want them to go down in flames at the hands of their next opponent (I'm not opposed to the Sharks winning the Cup, just not at our direct expense).

I think that Filppula has done enough to silence his doubters, or at least give his defenders more ammunition. His value to the team outweighs his contract, he has worked very hard on improving in the areas that have been pointed out as weaknesses in the past, aside from having stretches where he plays passively in the offensive zone, I would say he is the most versatile forward on our roster behind Datsyuk and Zetterberg. He plays center and wing, plays effectively on the powerplay, kills penalties, is good at faceoffs (except in this series ), skates hard, and has shown an increased confidence in his shooting ability. Now, as others have said, if he works on improving his wrist shot over the off-season, I see no reason why he can't be a consistent top 6 forward and if healthy he should be able to put up 50-60 points regularly. That being said, if a deal came along where there was a realistic opportunity to add a pure scorer without crippling the organization financially, I would not be so foolish as to turn it down. As much as it would disappoint me (Filppula has been my favorite current Wings player since I saw him in the preseason 3 seasons ago) I am in favor of anything that would increase our chances of winning the Cup again.

I was wondering what changed, in the Phoenix series each game that we lost happened to be on days when I didn't get to do my normal pre-game routine, didn't even make the FS-D connection. Now I feel better, we lost game 1 despite my strict adherence to my pre-game rituals. Glad to have Ken and Mick back on board, hopefully GameCenter uses the FS-D feed tomorrow so I can hear their calls, but I have a feeling they will go with the TSN feed like they did with the Chicago game tonight. Either way, I will be rocking my black Wings jersey, listening to my pre-game playlist, and drinking copious amounts of Cherry Coke in preparation.

Dang, Sharks fan beat me to it

Epic pwnage (is pwnage even a word?)