redwinger4747

For as long as I can remember watching the Red Wings, I only seem to remember them losing OT playoff games. So I went back and checked out their record, and just as I thought, it was bad. Since 2000, the Red Wings are an abysmal 8-19 in playoff OT games, for a winning percentage of .296. I have no idea why they have been so bad so consistently, but this obviously explains why I am forced to be so pessimistic whenever a playoff game gets to OT. I'm not saying this means Detroit will lose the series, but man would it be nice to actually win an overtime game here or there. Interestingly, when I went back further to the beginning of the current playoff streak (also the beginning of Lidstrom's career), I found that between 1991-1999 the Red Wings went 12-5 in playoff overtime games for a .706 winning percentage. So over the course of the entire playoff streak, its not far from even (20-24). But boy has playoff OT spelled doom for the Red Wings in the past decade.

Shades of 1996 Red Wings anyone? The team with the best record wins a brutal and highly emotional series in game 7 OT, only to bow out in the next series. How about Nashville in 7.

Why not throw 4 mil at Brad Richards and see if he wants to play for a perennial contender? And then after NEXT year we go after Weber when he is an UFA (if he signs for 1 year this summer). He can step right in for Lidstrom so we can throw 6-7 mil at him.

Geez did ANYONE on this board watch Salei play in the olympics? This guy was a BEAST playing almost 30 minutes a night as Belarus' number 1 defenseman. He played on the PK and PP and played against the other teams' top guys. He's older and won't be around in the NHL for more than a few more years, but this is a great signing for a short-term 6th defenseman for cheap.

This is wrong. He was traded from Florida to Phoenix at the 2008 draft with 2 years left on the contract he signed with Florida. He was then dealt to Calgary in March 2009 and then to NY Rangers in February 2010 where he finished the contract.

What about Afinogenov or Jokinen? For cheap, that could help us get more secondary scoring, since our defense (with lidstrom), goaltending, and primary scoring (Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Franzen) should be set.

"The Sharks have had plenty of secondary scoring, now they need more FIRSTDARY scoring." Umm you mean PRIMARY?! What an *******.

Completely agree. Its time to move forward with our young developing players. I think Maltby is done, and Draper retiring would be real nice. Bring back Lidstrom (obviously), Homer, Lilja, Bert (for cheap), Helm, Eaves, Miller. Get Hudler back, bring up Abdelkader and Kindl full time. And get Brendan Smith and Gustav Nyquist out of college and in Grand Rapids, with a chance to crack the lineup along with Tatar. Franzen Datsyuk Holmstrom Bertuzzi Zetterberg Filppula Hudler Helm Cleary Eaves Abdelkader Miller Tatar/Nyquist/cheap 4th liner Lidstrom Rafalski Stuart Kronwall Lilja Ericsson/Kindl (possibly Smith) Howard Osgood

SJS/ANA 4-2 DET/CLB 4-2 VAN/STL 4-2 CHI/CAL 4-3 BOS/MTL 4-1 WSH/NYR 4-1 NJD/CAR 4-2 PHI/PIT 4-3 SCF: DET/BOS 4-2

I agree with this as well, Shero made all of these mistakes. But just because its Crosby, the NHL's golden boy, the next Yzerman or Gretzky, the classic Canadian who dreamt every night of winning the Stanley Cup, and now he has no wingers because he's eating up all the team's salary cap (and set the standard for Malkin to follow).

^ It seems this pretty much sums up everyone's sentiment to my post. Alright fine, everyone disagrees, I can handle that. Crosby is almost exactly my age, and if it were me, I would have done what I said. As for Shanny, Stevie, Lidstrom, etc, none of that mattered before there was a salary cap. So that doesn't really apply. Okay, there isn't a great example of a player doing exactly what I said, taking less money right off the bat, in their prime, to really show commitment to wining. Someday maybe, someone will...

Geez, I must say I am surprised that I am pretty much alone in this debate. Sometimes I can be surprised by how much people care about money, especially when we're talking about the difference between 6million and 8.7million. You're going to be REALLY rich either way, why wouldn't you want to look back on your career and know that you did everything you could to get your name on the Stanley Cup?

Yes, that hilarious. Not even a comparison. But If I was Crosby, I would have done exactly what I said. turned down 8.7 and taken 6 to send that message. Because if I was lucky enough to be an NHL player, I'd have the foresight to know that when I look back on my career, its championships that will last, not a few extra dollars.

Obviously thats not what I'm saying. But Crosby is going to wake up and it will be 6 years later, and he'll finally realize that Pittsburgh hasn't gotten past the first round and it's because of his giant contract that he has had no talented wingers to play with.