hockeytown9

Couldn't agree more.

In spite of everything tonight that still had me laughing. Oh well. At this point I'd like to see the Wings show some heart and not bow out at home.

Haha me too.

The biggest problem is Ozzy has to be pretty rusty by now so I would question putting him in unless Howard is really getting shelled.

I have a 98 Western Conference Finals puck signed by Stevie Y.

Cool! When it was mentioned he didn't like the fit, I figured it would be a standard full mask and not the player helmet and cage combo. Too bad he never wore either of these.

LOL ah I see.

Huh? I was laughing at what our friend from Pittsburgh said.

The Cup has been through so much I wouldn't be surprised. Not sure if that's true though.

Thanks for the classy post! Right now there are still plenty of raw emotions on this forum as you can see. I think it's like when Draper was quoted as saying Lidstrom was upset about the whole Crosy handshake thing. The game hadn't been over that long and being a player involved on the losing side I'm sure he was pretty upset. It's the same way for many fans in terms of what gets said on here after a loss. I personally feel the series came down to the Pens hunger to win and the Wings lack of hunger and tiredness. Again kudos to you for posting your comments in a very classy manner.

Chelios and McCarty were pretty much non-factors in the playoffs. McCarty never played, but, Chelios played limited minutes when we were down defensively (and gave me at least one heart attack). Obviously Lidstrom is the biggest loss we'll have to retirement in the next few years. I think our younger players like Abdelkader can take over for role players like Maltby and Draper. If by the beginning of our "demise" you mean a return to the "Dead Wings" era, no way. Not to say we won't have struggles, but this team isn't going to fall apart.

Sweet! Thanks for sharing!

I'm no guru at navigating the downtown area so I like any easy in and out parking. Since you are coming from the north, like I have, if you run mapquest directions it should have you getting off of John C. Lodge Freeway at exit 1A. You'll probably see a little backup on that exit from traffic to the game depending on when you arrive, but the neat thing is the parking garage for the Joe is right there when you exit. As far as leaving both times I have gone I took a right out of the garage and followed Jefferson down to Rosa Parks and turned right. Go straight on Rosa Parks for a few miles and you'll see signs to get back on 75 North which will be a right turn. That's how I've done it anyway. Mapquest's return directions wanted me to make a u turn and go back the way I came on Jefferson to get back onto John C Lodge Fwy, but it might be a huge pain if the traffic is even allowed to flow that way.

Same thing I was thinking. I didn't want them to lose, but at least I can go to game 5.

Definitely. I dread the thought of any OT when we play in Anaheim.

Probably depends on the site. Personally I've only used ticketmaster and eBay (for Red Wings tickets anyway). If there's a specific site(s) you're looking at maybe post their URL's and other members might have some experiences with them.

The first audio I heard when the audio stream loaded was the goal horn! Sweet!

From 3:30 to 5:00 according to WILX.com. I work 2 blocks from the Capitol so there's pretty much no choice but to go tomorrow! http://www.wilx.com/sports/headlines/20666654.html

Interesting thread. Lidstrom will definitely have his number retired. Osgood, I'm not so sure, but I wouldn't say it's out of the question. As someone else said, had Fedorov stayed around, he could have had his number retired. As much as I wasn't happy to see him sign with the Ducks for less money, he was still an important part of the team and the successes they had.

I was about to say the same thing. As an MSU alum, I'd love to have a chance to visit Stanley if it's on campus! I work in downtown Lansing so it would be really nice if the cup paid a visit to the capitol building. Anyone recall if the cup has been in Lansing in past years? It seems somewhat appropriate to have it there, but maybe more so this year with Abdelkader. I'd like to get my picture taken with the cup while holding my playoff towel from game 2 against the Avs. I wonder if he'd take it to Flint if he had time? I saw him play his last home game for the Generals and the fans definitely enjoyed his tenure with the team. IIRC, the cup was on display at Perani's Arena (formerly the IMA Sports Arena) when they won in 97 or 98.

97: No surprise here. After 42 years of waiting and frustrations from previous playoff losses, this one has to be tops for me. Seeing Stevie lift the cup was just unbelieveable. 98 & 08: I have a hard time putting the 98 cup anywhere but second, largley due to all of the emotions involved with the accident and winning it for those guys. That said, 08 feels really good too. I think of Osgood taking over for Hasek and prooving he is still a winner, McCarty's comeback, the first cup for many of our guys, the close battle to win the cup right up to the final seconds. I think having a chance to go to game 2 against the Avs makes this run special to me personally. 02: Of course there's nothing wrong with the 02 cup, but as someone else pointed out, we were expected to win it that year. Having that ridiculous amount of talent was fun to watch for sure.

Agreed.

Under Drapes' beard there is no chin....only another stick!