Matt

All of the available spots have been filled! Thank you to those that expressed an interest and good luck to those that made it in!

A large batch of invitations were just sent to those that expressed their interest in playing this year, so check your e-mal inboxes! Also note that the number of invites sent out exceeded the number of available spots in the league - so time is of the essence! The first to register are in!

Correction: It's the worst thing that could happen. How awful.

Deja vu all over again! Reminder: Non-Photoshopped images will be deleted! For those getting nostalgic: 2008 Stanley Cup Final Photoshop War

Either kill the personal attacks/insults or I'll kill this thread and, if need be, the posting privileges of certain accounts. I understand that emotions are running high right now, but let's not let the conversation nosedive further. Thanks.

Thanks for the kind words, everyone... Wish this season could've ended better and I'll admit, aside from a quick login on the website to remove the playoff graphics and get the post-mortem up, I've avoided the computer altogether today up until now. I've pretty much spent the day in a bubble finding it really hard to believe what took place last night. Oh well. Can't win 'em all, but I can't help but get the feeling out of my head that if they weren't going to repeat this year that it could've happened at any time other than Game 7 of the Final on home ice. With that in mind, this team has brought more than its fair share of unforgettable moments and memories and despite the loss those are full ingrained in my mind. I want to take the rest of this post to give a HUGE thank you to the moderators on here. They're well aware that my work situation had changed over this past year to the point to where it was very difficult to maintain the site during the day. They selflessly give their time to help keep up a place that I (and they) love dearly and it never ceases to amaze me. If you want to thank ANYONE that helped maintain the forums during the regular season and this playoff run -- then it's the moderators here. Anomalously, ARice89, betterREDthandead, BlakChamber, BlueMonk, CopenhagenWing, Heaton, Jedi, NeverForgetMac25, norrisnick, sjradio, Sting 11, Turkey and vladdy16... Thank you -- you guys (and gals) have been tremendous this year! I look forward to doing it all over again starting in the fall. Go Wings!

That was quick -- CBC has their fan! Thanks all!

CBC Newsworld associate producer Laura MacNaughton is looking for a local "energetic Red Wings superfan" to conduct a live television interview at 10:30am tomorrow. Interested? Laura would like to conduct a short pre-interview with candidates today in preparation for the live interview tomorrow. You can either PM or e-mail me or Laura directly at (edited)!

Game 2.

Admission: I've changed it to 1955 posts. A lower number, sure. But why? 1955 Stanley Cup Final. Last time the Wings won the Cup in a seven game series. At home. With the home team winning every game of the series. Who's going to be our Gordie Howe (GWG) Friday?

Seems pretty clear to me he's playing hurt.

Well, that's what happens when you start putting in an effort with 15 minutes left.

They played pretty flat over the first period plus in Game 5 last year. And while I fully realize they ultimately lost that game, they did come on like gang-busters over the last 20 minutes in that game to take the lead. Different setting, obviously, but 2 goals in 20 minutes isn't a lot to ask when you consider what we've seen from this team this year. Just play.

Wings need to keep it simple in the 3rd: Play fast, forecheck hard, drive the net, shoot. Get the Penguins back on their heels a bit, get them running around in their own end and the rest will take care of itself.

And not much of a forecheck in that period, either. I'm wondering if Hossa has a groin issue because I was immensely disappointed that he passed the puck when he was the lead man on a rush. No extra push, no explosiveness that we're used to seeing. Need more shots. Can't pass up shots.

I said after the first that if the Wings' put the pressure on 5-on-5 that the power plays would come. Pretty safe to say that they're not doing that. They're sitting back big-time in this game. Not seeing the aggressiveness at all. Too worried about making a mistake, standing around, not skating, not playing fast. There's no hard drive to the net. Nothing. Seems like they're also really, really worrying about the matchups, too. Too a fault almost, I'd say. They're making it easy for Pittsburgh. Got to earn that 16th one, fellas.

Outside of a couple sloppy outlet passes in our own zone, I think that the Wings played a pretty solid first 20 minutes. The GI call on Zetterberg was horrible, but the Wings have looked solid on the PK and I think if we get some maintained 5-on-5 time we'll get that sustained pressure in the offensive zone. Wings are up on the forecheck and forcing turnovers. It's somewhat funny to me in that the litmus test for how the Wings are going to play seems to hinge on if they're willing to ramp up the pressure on the opposition's defense. Penguins will continue (and have after one period) to turn th puck over. ZDC looks great. Seems like it's just a matter of time before the connect after a trifecta of great chances in the first. Fleury made a great save on Zetterberg's chance, but it also looked like Zetterberg didn't get it where he wanted (looked like low post, stick side). 3 saves isn't much a good gauge on how he'll be tonight. Keep it up guys. Get that 5-on-5 pressure and the power plays will come...

A shameless plug, I know... But I couldn't resist after Saturday's performance. I made up some shirts in the LGW.com Fan Gear store for Johan 'The Mule' Franzen: Full line of shirts here Some of them are a play off of Mickey Redmond's emphatic "FEED THE MULE!" post-Game 2 comments, another is the 4th "iPod" riff called "iMule". Availability in a few different configurations and red and while for nearly every one of them. If you guys have some ideas for some other stuff, please feel free to let me know. (I wanted to get these out on Saturday but was delayed as the artwork wasn't approved until this morning.)

Thanks. It's incredible how many of these have sold over the last year. For the first time I saw one (besides mine) was at the Joe for Game 5 on Saturday. Saw a guy down on the glass during the pregame (looked to be with a group of friends) at the bottom of Section 106 or 105... right around that area. Brought a smile to my face!

It was freakishly loud. As for the Crosby chant, he got a double-dose of that. The other one came moments after the 2nd period ended and Crosby slowly skated to the middle of the ice and chatted up one of the referees for an extended period of time. The crowd instantly got on him again with an extended thunderous "CROS-BY SUCKS!" chant a second time. There was a "MALK-IN SUCKS!" chant after the hit on Franzen, but it probably wasn't as clear on TV. As I mentoned in the GDT, Malkin's parents were sitting down a few rows in front of us -- it was hilarious. Be careful with that "CROS-BY SUCKS!" chant -- if old man Malkin sees you, he's likely to flip you the bird.

Whew! Fantastic experience out there. First Final game for me in oh... 14 years, and that first one didn't turn out so well. Got home and had to go through the Tivo recording to see if the Joe, in the last three minutes specifically, was as freaking loud singing on the TV as it was in the arena. That place was dynamite tonight! The icing on the cake was that Malkin's parents were sitting a few rows in front of us. It was absolutely glorious watching his father squirm there... Does Malkin have brothers? Maybe it's two friends he had travel with his parents (they were sporting Russian Malkin jerseys).... Those guys looked like they were absolutely smashed even before the game started -- or maybe they were just "that way". Bonus: We stuck around the Joe after the game had finished and walked to the concourse and actually ran into NeverForgetMac25 and his wife. While talking with them Malkin's parents came out from the arena onto the concourse and waited for a bit. They had at least 1 bodyguard (probably 2, one was obvious, but the other was in a suit jacket that was trying to block as many people from taking pictures of his parents as possible. A group of Wings fans must've saw them and started chanting "Cros-by Sucks!" (not sure why him and not #71), to which Malkin's dad popped the middle finger. Absolutely priceless. Fantastic game, fantastic experience. End it Tuesday.

In case anyone is wondering why there's a delay in getting that "15" up there later tonight, it's because I'll be at the game. Go Wings!

Absolutely they do.

For me, the bottom line questions to answer: After four games, are the Penguins making the Red Wings pay the price to win the Stanley Cup? How about vice-versa?

The Wings' power play -- or lack of one -- was the turning point in this game. The absolute inability to mount ANYTHING resembling pressure on back-to-back chances and then a half-assed defensive effort by Rafalski on Staal's shorthanded goal... ugh... Epic failure. That's the difference in this game. The power play has gone in the tank since the latter half of the Chicago series.