SouthernWingsFan

Perhaps some comfort can be taken upon reading this... http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic.../703150329/1128 Those are Zetterberg's words there. So, if he can give a somewhat optimistic and upbeat response, that makes me a bit more comfortable with the situation.

Care to elaborate on why it is better other than the reason that the Red Wings fans do it?

Score More Than The Other Team

The key question is, can the Wings show that they can CONSISTENTLY win w/o him in the lineup? So far, I'd say yes, but that will remain to be seen when the games matter more soon. The two things that the Wings will have going for them concerning this is... (1) Soon, the Wings will have some pretty solid depth. Assuming everybody is healthy, it'd be my guess that Rex or Flipper would be scratched. However, I take some pretty good comfort to know that they can probably be counted on, given how well they've been playing lately. (2) IMO, nobody really knows how severe/un-severe the back injury is. It might not be bad as we think. I wouldn't say the Wings are sitting Zetterberg out for "precautionary reasons" this long, but maybe he'll be fine by the end of March. I'm not saying the Wings should try to play w/o Zetterberg, I hope that's not the case. Just trying to be half-glass-full man, at least for right now. Hopefully they can carry over in mid-April. It is nowhere near time to be sounding off alarm sirens yet.

Man, do the Wings sure suck in the tail end of back-to-back games!

I can 2nd this. And let me play devil's advocate here... Many Wings fans in here don't claim Nashville games to be a big rivalry yet. Some don't think anything of it at all. If that's the case, why is this thread roughly 100 responses long? Why, if Nashville is supposedly not a rival, is this deal with catfish getting so much talk? Is it because they can't have anything of their own? Is it because, heaven forbid, some here think Detroit's traditions might be challenged by another franchise? If they aren't a rival, then why is something seemingly mundane as tthrowing catfish such a big deal to many then? Looks like Nashville might be turning into a decent rival for Detroit, for better/worse, than some of us are willing to admit.

Remember the Barry Melrose Best <blank> in Hockey thread back a few seasons ago? That thread was a trip! Barry Melrose: Best "tacky suits" in hockey today. If he grew fangs for teeth he'd be Count Dracula's twin.

No worries here as of now. I'd definitely like Zetterberg on the ice and it'd be nice to win division, but I want this team as healthy as possible and have some momentum before the playoffs, winning the division or not. If that means Zetterberg has to sit out a bit longer to get healthy for mid-April, then so be it.

Calder no longer the worst eh? If this isn't reason to celebrate nd party, I don't know what is!

I've predicted it before and will predict it again: We're gonna win by 10 touchdowns!!!!!

Yep. And while it's the AP press' job to get the names right and do the checks, I still mispell Filppula a lot (might have done it just there). I just refer to him as Flipper now, easier that way.

Bootland's been fine, neither outstanding/flat out terrible. He's pretty much just done his job, try to provide a little spark with some extra hustle/energy and try to play physical. Any offensive production would be a bouns.

I wasn't really listening to the announcing that much, I was pre-occupied with other things while watching the game, but if one of them said that, total complete disrespect there.

And the Wings have won three Cups the past decade. I'd hardly think that's overrated either, in-spite of a few early round playoff exits. Devils have won a fair amount of Cups recently as well, but they missed the playoffs completely after winning the Cup one year and have had a few early playoff exits as well. Does that make them overrated for roughly 10 years?

Not directly attacking you Kass, but seriously guys/gals, who really cares if it is "copying" the Wings. It is their tradition/things that they do to make them stand out. It's not classless, there's nothing wrong, let it be their identity. It's not copying Detroit's tradition, and it's not all about how someone/something slights the Red Wings. Other teams' fans can throw different objects on the ice as well.

I'll spare myself the heartache of reading 50+ pages of posts, but thoughts... Big win obviously. At the very least now the Wings break-even in this home/home (although not the desired final result ). So, no major wounds in all likelihood from these two games. As shaky as Osgood looked early, he was magnifique late. Kudos for him for remaining mentally tough like he usually does. Calder-Lang-Hudler is turning into a neat line. Very sound defensive game by everybody for the most part. Refereeing was a wee bit silly with the calls for both teams. Hopefully the Wings won't be gassed out starting tomorrow night.

I'll pass as I really don't care what their fans think. And for the love of God can the hillbilly/redneck crap from everybody. Not everybody from the South are those types of people so enough already.

You don't become 1st in your division by mistake. They are not overrated.

It's their tradition in their short history of decade. Let them have it and enjoy it, there's nothing wrong with it whatsoever. It's no better/worse than Wings fans throwing octopi out on the ice or Panthers fans throwing plastic rats on the ice back in the mid/late 90s.

You don't like to listen to 'em, here's a solution.

My whole two cents on this kind of issue... I obviously didn't hear the interview not being from the area, but from the blurbs and comments in here it doesn't seem like the two were being just Debbie Downers. I cannot stand both ends. I don't like blind homers who guarantee us to win the Cup, nothing will ever stop us, rah-rah-cis-coom-bah people who won't listen to ay logical rational that a team has flaws. On the other extreme, I get so annoyed when people say that the Wings are done and have absolutely no shot to win when the games haven't even started yet. I'd be lying if I told you I am 100% confident that this team will make a deep run in the playoffs. This isn't taking any other recent year/early playoff exit into consideration. But I refuse to already think that this team will absolutely get mauled by San Jose or get piped by Minnesota's trapping style and that the team should just not even play then. Overall physical play/continuous tenacity will probably be the Wings biggest challenge again in the playoffs, but I don't see them etting absolutely mauled by anybody.

Samuelsson isn't going anywhere for a few more seasons, and he's not that bad. Sorry. We need Markov's defensive prowess and his edge more than we need Schneider's brainfart turnovers. If Schneider wasn't so good offensively and on the PP right now, you wouldn't see me complain if he left. He's replacable though with Lebda and Kronwall developing. Schneider's good, but I wouldn't call him a Norris candidate by any stretch of the imagination.

Who knows. Every team at this point has a fighting chance. I don't see any playoff matchups bringing any guarantees for any team involved. Wings have as good a chance as the other teams if they are able to get healthy.

Good for the Penguins, it'd be a shame to see them go. Hopefully this brings re-newed interest to the city of Pittsburgh.

I'd definitely like to see the Wings win the division, but not at the expense of many more injuries. As long as they are fully/close to full health and going into a good groove and some kind of winning streak going into the playoffs, that's what matters most to me. #1/#2 in the conferece going into the playoffs would be nice, but going #4 wouldn't cause me to lose any sleep.