STL-Wings

We do need healthy finances, revenues, etc. But, yes, there does need to be a balance. Gary has gone way over to the "money" extreme over the purity of the sport. I would be opposed to someone who cared nothing for finances just as much. As for outdoor games or such, I would love to see (even just pre-season) an NHL team vs KHL hosted in the States or Canada. Like how the MLS does their All Star game when they bring in a Euro team. Outdoor games should be 1 or 2 at most a season. The best part is HBO's 24/7.

Porque?

Preds always gave fits for their defense and goaltending. Even in their off years they were never easy. It is still something to see how long Trotz and Co were with that team. It is one of the big reasons the Preds have found success in a non-traditional market...stability and identity. Now they need to push it higher and further in the playoffs. And is it just me or would anyone else here if they had the last name Korn sign papers but write it in the fashion of the band?

Michigan is at least an area where there is a large pool of talent. Not many other American locations can claim that. I like how the Wings are able to draw on it (not from Michigan myself). Kinda like the Habs of old without the attitude and politics.

The only way I see Z being traded is if we really sank low and we traded him to a team with a legit chance to win a Cup in his last year(s) and that is partly him asking the Red Wings to trade him. I don't think he would. As enticing as a 1st pick would be, Holland dumping Z, of all the players, in Florida doesn't strike me as going over well with this organization. Nor would I think Florida would want Z over the first pick or one of our other players. The other teams want Nyquist, Tatar, DK. Just need to find a GM drunk enough to accept what we need to clean out... But would def love to have the first pick.

They aren't done. Wait till their kids get some seasons under them. The Kings will be better than this. They could have picked Williams, Kopitar, Gabs, Doughty or Carter and not have picked wrong. It's simpley insane. But great fun to watch and be around.

Wow talk about a finish! Great job LA! Loved this game more than Game 6 in 2012. Kings are def building something fantastic out West.

They do. In the regular season, there are times where the Kings are just...weird. And when they go in the playoffs in the middle pack and lots of people focus instead on Chicago, St. Louis, Anaheim. I think the most telling moment was when Drew Doughty was yelling about a high stick and you could see the bench telling him to knock it off and shut up. The Kings could honestly care less about bad calls, being down in goals or games, etc. Whereas we have listened to nothing but an iffy call out of NY. Chalk this up to Kings coaching. Mentally, they are better than most. While Coach Sutter doesn't care, I would like to see another dandy dive by Nash again. Must want a trade to Boston or something...

A key point being that Quick has shown up huge in absolute must win games most of the time. The Kings, in general, show up in monster games. That's what makes them an elite team. Even on some of his off days, 29 other NHL teams would be glad to have Quick in the net. Course I would take just about anyone off that Kings roster.

There are some bad ones. But LA really shows up at Dodger Stadium, esp as a Cardinals fan which was fine for many years till the last couple of seasons. But then I catch the Kings and Wings much more when they visit the Pond than anything.

As much as can be said about the third goal, NY should really focus on coughing up lead after lead if they want a chance to win this thing. Letting a call/non-call dominate will only allow the Kings to win faster.

We still have All Star games?! 1. Nashville and Detroit should have hosted for some time now. 2. My God I wish we still had Wales/Campbell format with those wicked good jerseys. and for 3. If we can't have that give us one roster of All Stars and have them play a pro team from Sweden, Russia, or Germany. Or an all-star team from their leagues.

He doesn't play 200 ft hockey and rarely ever plays the hockey is supposed to be good at. With an attitude on top. Stewart isn't a waste of money, he would be embarrassing. Not many like Franzen, myself included, but Stewart is a worse version of floating. He was given numerous chances on Blues and never would show much to earn such chances. I would want him no where near our kids.

I would sign Franzen for ten more years than a single year of Stewart. A floater with a worse attitude.

Not sure the Penguins know what they are doing anymore with anything. In two or three years from now with, more than likely, similar or worse results does Tort's "favorite" players begin looking elsewhere?

It was a pretty ugly season no matter which part of the roster or game we examine. The highlights (Tatar, Nyquist, end of season push to playoffs) simply couldn't overcome an immense amount of injuries, goaltending that was absent for long periods, and a hollow defensive corps. Our offense had old players that shouldn't have been there. And our defense had young guys that clearly need work and time (Smith, to me, shows he is improving). We were in a weird spot in needing the old players because the young ones aren't ready yet to take over. Like Babcock says, we are rebuilding on the fly. We can tank five straight years and rack up picks like CHI and PIT did but the organziation doesn't want to do that to the fans and the business. Our approach may take longer but we also are somewhat competitive as we do it. Epic collapses will be a part of this as the kids have to learn. And learn the hard, brutal way.

Feel like Animal House: "This is going to be great!" I am siding with the Kings, but I have no hate towards the Rangers at all if they were to win. The Rangers won't be push overs either. They may not be the Hawks, but the Kings need to clean up some of their play. My man crush on Jeff Carter knows no bounds this post-season.

It does make 2009 all the worse. If any of the current powerhouse teams did a repeat soon, I would actually love it to be LA. That organization is very open about how they are building and crafting themselves along those Red Wing teams.

Several egos in that locker room will hate Babcock. Kinda would relish that in all honesty just to see local reactions around me when in Saint Louis every fall and winter.

Thank God! What a game and that was one of the best hockey playoff series in quite some time. I hope the Kings win it all now but if the Rangers were to win it I am still good with it. We avoided the Montreal/Chicago series from hell.

Davis Payne did the same thing with Blues and failed. Coach Babcock level of talent is a very, very rare thing to find. Not to say he should be given some ten year contract, but I wouldn't just let him walk away either, unless he personally just wants a change. I would say he is visibly frustrated, but then he always looks angry. When he smiles, I am concerned.

Not at all. I am simply warning that there is a danger of bringing up a coach that will have already coached much of the roster in the minor leagues. Coaches can tend to be softer on those players and those players can in turn think they know the coach and if their minutes drop or such and dissention begins to spread. Now, I think the Red Wings have much more mature and professional players than most of the league due in large part to them having to play in the minors longer than normal. And, yes, professional athletes at this level should be professional, but human nature is human nature. It generally does the coach some good if there is that healthy element of fear the first time he sees his team, hence why it is often good for coaches to move to different organizations when graduating up a league level. If the Red Wings organization thinks he is the best man for the job in one to three years, by all means he has my confidence and support. I also know that the Red Wings, as a business, will always be keeping an eye out and feelers to outside coaches given how much circumstances change in a season, much less multiple seasons. We could range anywhere from top five Eastern team to draft lottery winners. Odds are we will be in a similar place, slightly improved. The long winded point being proceed with some caution.

I thought Babcock was going to walk across the ice during the first Red Wings/Peguins game next season and just start coaching them. Or was that Toronto. Whichever one TSN wants to tell me any given week. Personally, I never liked a minor league coach graduating to the big club along with the same players from both levels. Like when you become an NCO, it is best to move units. Fresh leadership start.

Iphone, Ipods, Ipads, Itoilets, Ishoes suck. Wife buys Ipad. Of course she does. But then she is a Devils fan. Can't help some people.

What a disaster. But I have to say that was a really entertaining display of hockey. How many candles in a church to light for Sutter's team to steal a monster game in Chicago does one have to light? I am collecting animals for sacrifice as well. Anything to stop the Hawks.