frankgrimes

Well the celebration is about respecting the game itself, it isn't some PC bulls*** driven by questionable people and medias hungry for every possible nonstory. I mean, a reporter stepping onto the Islanders logo should have been a much bigger story but for some reason it wasn't goes to show you, how much some of the media folks know about our game. Anyhow I'm done discussing this non story. Back to the story: Go Blues and close it out tomorrow

Of course other fanbases won't but I think it's fair to assume that the Wings, Hawks, Rangers would provide better ratings than teams like the Sharks, Islanders, Panthers, Preds, Blues? For me it's very simple as soon as the Wings are out, I'll watch just whatever series but there won't hardly be any must see games.

Had to try a different browser because it didn't work with firefox but here it is: Blashill has rewatched some of the video tapes and doesn't think there is a direct correlation between Mantha and the PP. According to him it's to easy to put it all on Mantha and he isn't sure if calling him up, would be the right thing right now. The final decision hasn't been made but right now it looks like he won't come up. No one even mentioned the possibility of him getting some much needed experience, learn from Pasha or anything like that. tldl: Mantha won't be up because of "PP correlation"

Don't know whats funnier this or some teams doing spanish "soccerstyle" commentating. God I wish hockey would go back to the way it once was. Media should be used to report about the game and nothing else, I don#t care if a player is expecting a baby, what he is or isn't saying I want information about the games nothing else. Disappointed in Shaw if I were him I'd tell the offended folks to find something else to do in their free time...Redskins owners style. Can't believe the Hawks are even talking about a non story, they have to win all of the next games or they are out that and nothing else should be their focus. Of course the Hawks aren't out yet but they need to figure stuff out because one line isn't gonna cut it against the Blues who finally seem to have a very dangerous line with Tarasenko - Schwarz - Lechtera.

While that may be true but did anyone realistically expect the Hawks bowing out in 5 games? The Blues are a fantastic team and are playing the brand of hockey I like but this outcome has to be surprising. If you think about it with the right calls in game 2 they would have swept! the champions already. To me that should be a big story and raise some questionmarks for the Hawks?

Well if push comes to shove there will be no original 6 team in the second round, I.e worst ratings ever. But I'm surprised that the Rangers seem like they don't even have a chance here. If this series is over

Go Blues go if they can close it out in like 5 they'll have a long rest. St. Louis arena needs to be rocking tomorrow

The reason people want him up is to give him a change to learn from Pasha. Imagine how much Smith would have benefited from playing a few games while Lids was still here. Would the outcome have been different with him in the lineup? No but he would have learned a lot for the future

For sure I do and I hoped Z would have learned a lot from his qualities

Blashill can only work with the given talent. In the AHL he had one of the top teams AND coaches against other AHL coaches...now he is in the big league with an average roster coaching against the best coaches in the world some of them with tons of experience and much better teams. His AHL systems simple won't work. Would I love more ice time for the young guns like AA , Mantha..for sure but people are kidding themselves if they think it would have changed the outcome. If people want Blashill fired fine who is better and available?Carlyle has the experience and Bouche the system but other than that? At least this will be a wild off season with a lot of needed changes Don't worry about it for some everything that doesn't fit the pc bulls*** must be racist...You even praised them for caring about their national teams. But yeah in terms of leadership neither holds a candle compared to the captain nor #5. Btw with soon only 1 original six team remaining and no Canadian teams in the playoffs viewership will plummet even more

Don't you know it's all Howard's fault...3 third round exits in a row..maybe that's another streak? Watching Blues Chicago is like watching a much better league not just team Btw. Strip Z of the C it's Pasha's last game and that's the effort? Wow. Go with A's next season and see which Of the young guns emerges as the new leader.

Vets are done, the question is what can the Wings get for Z and Kronner? Sad Pasha's last game had to be a loss, guy deserved better. Average goaltending, no PP, defense and questionable defense...all things that needed a fix since years. At least Tampa didn't sweep the Wings but massive changes need to happen in the off-season and I'm not talking about a new set of Taylor Made irons.Mr. I has to do a top to bottom analysis on this team and decide in the best interests going forward. Hope the 2 more games were worth a better pick..

I want Blues/Kings would be an epic series with fantastic hockey.

Very important game and they add Pulkinnen, guy isn't even in the same ballpark as Mantha but gets to play unreal.

Duclair, Domi and OEL is nothing ok.

At least they didn't get swept. I don't think this team can put together 3 out of 4 almost flawless games so let's see where they are going from here.

Being successful is a combination of a lot of things but let's look at the last cup winners, what did they have in common? - very good to elite goaltending - check - superb defense - check - at least 1 elite center and yes, I do include Bergeron into that category The Kings and Hawks got there by drafting in the top 10 and surround those picks with other great players, i.e. proven veterans that know how to win. You can't solely rely on draft nor can you rely on UFA. But you also can't have a GM who is going to re-sign players out of loyalty or unwilling to change his plans, i.e. not trading them before they hit a wall. Sure, not every team has the luxury of having the best coach and GM ever like the Hawks do in Scotty...but there are stables on how to buildf a team and after this year, the Wings will have one heck of a time getting these things. So yes, I think the term "mess" is very apropriate here and if it were me I'd rather have the Oilers lineup than the worst Wings edition in over 2 decades and again no top 10 pick, a defense that only has 1 top pairing guy in Danny D. and starting next year no top 6 center. Personally I think the ownership was nuts to fire Don Maloney, the guy won't be without a job for long and I would love to see what he could do with a blank check. Do I think he will be better than Holland has been lately? Yes, because he would bring a different approach and maybe also a new voice and direction for the franchise (maybe that's exactly whats needed here). But fixing this mess will not be easy, neither for Holland nor for Maloney the only difference is Holland created it and if the last couple of years are any indication of whats to come..well then I must say I have lost faith in him. Thinking about what ifs (i.e. Stamkos) isn't go to do much for me because we've seen the past couple of years that the Wings aren't the goto destination anymore, this honor now belongs to...the Hawks so other than a guaranteed top line center spot there is nothing the Wings can offer him. Money won't be an issue for him because everyone knows Stammer will get at least10 mill per but I think it will take 11 + to get his signature under the dotted line. Of course the new GM would need some time to work things out but the Wings are looking at a 5 - 6 years (at least) rebuild anyway so why not try something else and promote Holland to the VP of hockey operations. He would still be involved, could share his awesome knowledge and also get paid very well that would be a win-win.

Don Maloney? Look at what this guy has done in Phoenix with a fraction of the budget the Wings have.WAS Holland a great GM? You bet but he has lost his passion and has become way too loyal to his guys and seems to be afraid of hard decisions. Starting next year he is going to have a team that's lacking the 2 most important positions. for whatever reasons he seems to think rebuild is a bad thing but maybe only till it's too late and then what? It doesn't even matter much right now because the holes can't be fixed in one off season...given that he has been unable to fix 1 hole (defense), why should I have confidence in him fixing defense and centers? Maybe he is just out of ideas or whatever it is, I'd rather not wait to find it out. Yes, this is his mess and if he can't fix it someone else with new ideas has to do it.

Why should I? Brendan is better than a lot of the players on that team and he deserves a chance to prove it.

Same, not fired but moving into a more managerial role like Burke did in Calgary. Imagine what Don Maloney could do with a blank check.

Well that's something the boxscore doesn't show so of course it doesn't matter to some people which is a shame. I don't care about how many points Smith brings or doesn't bring, his job is to prevent the other team from scoring.

I agree about Nyquist and Tatar. I guess the problem was people had way too high expectations for them, after both came up I've said I would be happy if they can become annual 20 - 25 goalscorer so far that's exactly what they are. It's not their fault that they don't have NHL size could they some serious bulking up for sure? Is it possible I guess yes, with the right supplements of course and an NHL summer. But there is also a fix to this add someone with size to their line, someone who can and will create space. Heavily disagree about the future. Z is done as a top 6 center, Pasha is about to leave, Kronner's decline is scary so that means, the team will need 2 bonafide top 6 centers with an excellent 2 way game. It's way too early to ask for that from Larkin, this would just be so unfair to him. Other than Mantha there isn't much highend talent left in GR, so were does that replacement come from? Stamkos is a pipedream at this point. Buying out Z would be a dumb thing to do, sitting down with him and talk about the possibility of LTIR this or next year on the other hand would be smart. If people truly believe the last few years have been down years, just wait how this team is going to look without Pasha and the current defense...Holland either gets his fire back or else I would say it's time for someone else maybe Don Maloney. If this offseason turns out to be the usual one, people will see and realize why rebuilding 4 years ago would have been the smart move. Rich: Neither Backes nor Lucic are going to take such lowball offers, it's isn't always about the points. Looooch is bringing so much more than just points, guy is one of the last powerforwards in the game he will easily get paid north of 6 so will Looch and why would they waste their prime on a retooling/building team with an uncertain future? Doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

Well they can't really afford to lose this game because the series would be almost over by then. It will come down to shuttdown down the triplets line if the team still can't do it Tampa will win if they can we might have a series.

Only the hardcore Mrazek supporters would do that. Everyone realistic understands, that a goalie also needs his defense to help him out. It is so comical the guy let in stinker after stinker and yet there were still all sorts of excuses for him, unreal.

Sharks suck at home this series is far from being over