SouthernWingsFan

It would also help if Bettman and co. just scrapped the New Year's Date for this if he wants to try to bring in "new fans", as suggested earlier in here already due to football. While I love watching hockey, I also love college football and last time I checked football is much more popular than hockey for a large majority of people. January 1 is arguably the biggest college football date in terms of the amount of bowl games being played and pretty much all the games are legitimate bigtime matchups, not the Toilet Bowl or other pre-Christmas bowls that more often than not nobody outside of fans of the schools involved will give much of a hoot about. Put it on the second or third weekend of January when college football is pretty much over with/before the Super Bowl, or put it in Febuary when there are no competing championships or playoffs (football is over, March Madness in basketball hasn't begun yet, etc.). And again, I get the obvious ratings deal but like Lebron James or Kobe Bryant in the NBA, it is just so damned tiring after a while. I get that those two are probably the best players in the NBA today, but that has not affected my desire whatsoever to watch an NBA basketball game in its entirety unless I am at it live. I will barely pay attention to that league until the playoffs start. And even then, if an NHL game is on at the same time, 999 times out of 1000 the NHL game will be on over the NBA game. Market other players and teams ALONG WITH Crosby and Ovechkin and let other teams get a fair crack at the outdoor game. Flooding the market with them all the time and them alone just makes people want to see them fail more.

I'm assuming you meant Sharks game 3 when Howard was shaky (Wings blew 3-1 lead in the 3rd and Howard let in the bad goal from the corner)? And the Holmstrom wrister goal came on Brygalov in the Phoenix series I think. Other than that, pretty much spot on. Howard was shaky at times (you can pretty much apply this to any goalie at any time imaginable), but far from terrible and blaming him for not stopping a 3-on-1 rush or 5-on-3 PP goals is pretty absurd. And while Nabakov was the better goalie overall, to say that he just completely outplayed Howard and was the ultimate difference maker in the series is a pretty big stretch.

This is not meant to be a "Who should be starter thread". It is obvious that Howard is the man now, and unless he just falls off the face off the earth for training camp or whatever, he's the #1 goalie. That being said, what's the percentage of starts you would like to see Howard and Osgood get? I highly doubt there's much issue with Howard getting worn out or whatever. And while I wish Osgood could've played in a few more games as the season worn down, I understand Babcock's reasoning and Howard didn't really do anything to suggest being taking out for considerable lengths of time when the Wings were scrapping for a playoff spot. In the grand scheme of things, I don't think it mattered. Howard certainly had some shaky moments in the playoffs (Phoenix game 4, San Jose game 3), but it wasn't enough to cause him to get pulled I think. And any posts that simply say stuff like ZOMG OSGOOD SUCKS HE'S FINISHED or Osgood should play zero games are pretty much a moot point. If Howard can keep up his play from last season and the Wings more fortunate with the injury situation and not sweating bullets as much to make the playoffs, I'd like to see something like 50-55 starts for Howard, 25-30 starts for Osgood.

Owner of a Lonely Heart - Yes

Regular. I like simplicity. Raw sewage or the Smell of feces *shrugs* I don't know...

Nope. Never smoked in my life, don't plan on starting anytime soon. The person below me thinks this is funny. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jYfxr1dgV0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jYfxr1dgV0

Laughing out loud at all 3 of you... What's going to be even funnier is all of you will probably be so serious in your responses like, "WHY WON'T YOU OR ANYBODY ELSE BELIEVE ME?!" or "YOU'RE SO STUPID!" or "NICE RESPONSE *rolling eyes*" Thanks for making my morning!

Pretty much everybody here gets that Bettman doesn't care about us. Doesn't mean that we can't vent or be frustrated about it. It's a bit unfair for teams to be double dipping already in this event when there are plenty of other teams that could play in it as well, and it especially stinks when it will be Pittsburgh in all likelihood which is already shoved in our faces every day (yes I would say the same thing if Detroit was in it twice - if you don't want to believe me, fine).

While his bad stretches were incredibly frustrating, we all saw what he could do with a hot streak here and there, and overall in the playoffs he was busting his tail off and involved even though he only had 2 goals in 12 games. Will gladly be happy if Bertuzzi is back.

NY Rangers vs. NY Islanders/New Jersey Devils, or even the Toronto Maple Leafs or Washington Capitals at Yankee Stadium. Done.

*Raises hand*

James Brown - Ants in My Pants

No, and I don't plan on getting one anytime soon. The person below me has a bad habit of picking their fingers.

Bed head. Clothes still got to look good. Milk or OJ

Pretty much one of my many not happy emotions regarding this. I'd like to see other teams and players marketed outside of these two. And I think other teams should be able to play an outdoor game first before double dipping for seconds is allowed. So sick and tired of seeing and hearing about thou who will not be named, and to a lesser degree Ovechkin. Enough already with shoving them down our throats. Yes, I get that it will probably be a ratings boom.

Ville Leino is pointing and laughing at each and every one of you right now.

Yep. If he still thinks he can play at a competitive level and remain physically healthy, why stop anytime soon doing what he enjoys doing for a living/life and has got the support of family (I am assuming)?

I pretty much just skimmed this post, but your main points are pretty much what I want to get rid off. Agree on the trapezoid, and a play is not dead until the whistle is actually blown. Either the puck crossed the line before you blew the whistle resulting in a goal, or you blew the whistle first then no goal. I know it doesn't help when the puck isn't fully covered by a goalie in a scramble around the net, but something like that probably won't ever be taken care of, for better/worse. As for video reviews, I would like to see it to where the NHL goes by whatever model the NFL or college football goes by. Granted, it isn't perfect, I remember watching the Saints season opener last season (against the Lions actually) and there were a few questionable calls that, for whatever reason, were not reviewable. I don't remember exactly what the plays were. However, the main point I'm trying to make is that I rarely ever find myself seething over the officiating in a football game because more often than not, if referees are uncertain about a call due to natural human judgement/error, they'll go to video review (such as did a running back fumble the football or not before his knees touch the ground/he was tackled), even if a coach doesn't challenge a call. The NFL and college football more often than not has their act together when it comes to officiating.

Real gift if you know them well enough, but it's the thought that counts Thigh or Wing

Hell yeah. The person below me thinks this is funny.

I'd like these superhuman powers, I'd be able to beat the poop out of people a lot more if I had the power of a Greek god! Osgood barely played. Primarily because Howard did very little to suggest getting taken out on a consistent basis, and a lot less with Osgood's play. Osgood is fine as Howard's backup.

Somebody likes exaggerating! Good for Leino for starting to get his game together in Philadelphia on a consistent basis. Thankfully nobody has said, at least yet, that we should've kept him after the fact that he has done better. Pretty easy to say stuff like that after it happened. Bottom line is with the Wings, he barely did anything and I don't regret him leaving. I wish him nothing but the best in Philly or elsewhere.

Nah, not really. I expect it and I have my fair moments of being witty so... The person below me likes to pop bubble gum.

, more active. Spaceballs the Flamethrower or Spaceballs the Breakfast Cereal

Depends, if it is of the obnoxiously over-opinionated stuff, then the opposite. I don't like being opinionated usually. Duck and Cover or Get Down