Rice

That's because there isn't one. Until Crosby/Malkin can play 30 minutes per game while running a team's offense and simultaneously shutting down the best players in hockey night after night, Lidstrom is the best player in the world.

Let this guy find out for himself. He'll be left wondering what happened when he sees Crosby/Malkin/Hossa added to the following list: - Dumont/Arnott - Sakic/Stastny/Wolski/Smyth/Hejduk/Forsberg/Brunette - Richards/Modano/Ribeiro/Morrow Lidstrom has an uncanny way of making stars disappear. Granted, it's not all Lidstrom, but if Sergei Gonchar is running Detroit's defense, you can bet the guys listed above have more success. Plus, Lidstrom has only averaged around 25 minutes per game so far. I'm sure Sidney & Co. will enjoy seeing him on the ice for over half the game this series.

Lidstrom is the best player in the world. You'll see why shortly.

Where is this "best backchecker in the game" mantra coming from all of a sudden? I'm pretty sure some commentator must've said it, because it seems that every Penguins fan on the Internet has taken it and run with it. Seriously. I have read that on this board and HFboards at least 15 times in the past couple weeks. Unfortunately for the Penguins, Hossa isn't the best backchecker in the league. His backchecking may be highlighted by the lack of it amongst his teammates. Every single one of Detroit's forwards is proficient in backchecking, save for maybe Holmstrom and Hudler who aren't all that bad. You've got Datsyuk and Zetterberg (one of which should win the Selke this year) and Draper who has won the Selke before. I'm sorry if I'm skeptical that Hal ******* Gill and Brooks Orpik are going to shut down Zetterberg and Datsyuk. Those guys are in the Adam Foote/Ruslan Salei mold and Foote and Salei were turned into pylons during the Colorado series. If you really think Orpik and Gill are shutdown defensemen, I cannot wait for you to see what Lidstrom can do.

All I can say to the Pens is good luck getting the puck from the best posession team in the league. Why do you think Detroit's shooting percentage is so low? I'll tell you why: it's because they own the puck the whole god damn game so they outshoot everyone. Oh and worse things can happen than having one of the best goalies of all time relieving Osgood. That won't be necessary though.

Great post, BRTD, and this "myth" is one I really have a problem with. People look at the Wings as an old team. While that would be true three or four years ago, it's not anymore. Chelios, Lidstrom, and Hasek are the oldest players on the team. Chelios is a PK specialist, Hasek is riding the pine, and Lidstrom is the best player in the NHL. After that, you have role players like Maltby, Draper, and Drake. These guys are veterans who know how to win and are simply there to grind down the opposition. Then there's Holmstrom, who is the best net-front player in the league. Then you have Rafalski (a top 10 NHL defenseman) who is not too old at 34 and Osgood who is playing lights out at 35. From there, most of the team is young: Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Franzen, Cleary, Kronwall, Stuart, Filppula, and Helm are all under 30. The Wings have an excellent combination of youth and experience and it's the youth that often gets overlooked.

God it's funny seeing how bitter those Blues fans are. So bitter. I could understand the hate if it were reciprocated, but all St. Louis has been is Detroit's *****. It's incredibly funny.

I'm pretty sure that if he were "no question out for the season" the Wings would let everyone know. Why make claims that he could be coming back?

Thanks for posting this...good read but put in some indents and paragraph breaks. It's hard to read.

As far as Franzen goes, does anyone think the Wings beat Dallas without one of Zetterberg, Datsyuk, or Lidstrom? I don't.

It's tough to say. A lot of guys have been huge. I think the Finals will be the tiebreaker, either for Lidstrom or Osgood.

Lidstrom's the best. After that it's all debatable.

I found this picture of him:

Holy s***, totally!

Agreed..not trying to bash Dom either.

No...Osgood has been excellent.

No, Dreger picked the Wings last year.

If you order all the tickets at once are they guaranteed to be together? Nevermind, they're all sold out.

Players can be in the crease but they cannot impede the goalie's ability to make the save.

Thanks for the post and welcome to the boards, but I have to argue with you on this point. Gonchar is not a top five defenseman in the NHL. I would say the following players are better than him: Lidstrom, Pronger, Niedermayer, Phaneuf, Chara, Zubov, Rafalski and Markov...and that's just off the top of my head. Plus, Kronwall has really become a great defenseman. Babcock even said Kronwall has been the Wings' best defenseman through the playoffs. While I disagree (Lidstrom has been), that is a huge compliment. Gonchar would be the Wings number four. Look at Ottawa last year. They blew through the East and everyone was talking about how great the pizza line was -- then Anaheim rolled them with a superior defensive game. I'm not saying that's going to happen, but it's a testament to the Western Conference's style of play.

He came to training camp before the season and was completely out of shape. He couldn't keep up. Holland recently said the Wings plan on severing ties with him. It's too bad, he had so much potential.

Great news.

Good. That contract is ridiculous.

The Senators self-destructed after the first 20 games of the season. Alfredsson was playing on a torn MCL. I thought Jagr was pretty effective in the PIT-NYR series. Shanahan is a perimeter player now and was completely ineffective in his last few years here. Avery's spleen I think helped the Pens in shutting him down, and since when was Avery on the level of Datsyuk or Zetterberg? Hank and Pavel are on the same level as Crosby and Malkin. Those other guys aren't.

Hmm...the Anaheim series last year makes me question that theory.