rick zombo

A good Canadian boy. The kind that, lately, ends up playing for a team like Vancouver, Chicago, or Anaheim. I love the Swedes into the ground. And there's an emotional joy I experienced when watching a guy like Hudler scored today. Also, Dastyuk is easily one of my top 5 Wings of the past 20 years. BUT, having Helm in the line-up at this exact moment is an earth-shattering, poignant breath of fresh air. I think Carlyle would sacrifice his left ******** to have Helm in his line-up right now. And, given the way Anaheim's drafted and built their team vs Detroit, this is irony at it's 100% most blissful peak.

See: Last year's playoffs.........

True dat. I was mostly just giving you a hard time. Not trying to be mean. Anyways........GO WINGS!!!!!!!!!!

Well, that's your fault for not inherently knowing that contracts are not allowed to be signed during the playoffs. So there's no way this could be anything but a recycled post.

Highest praises for Ericsson came from Bob McKenzie during TSN's game 2 coverage when he said that he wouldn't be suprised if Ericsson one the Norris at some point in his career.

Keep in mind, in the playoffs the term "upper body injury" = "body injury". The most likely scenario is that it's his groin. It probably tightened up on the days off after the Columbus series and he proabably aggrevated it badly when he went back on the ice for his first practice. Hence the bicycle, but no skating. But who knows.......

I expect the Wings to catch a lot of breaks. Especially early in the game.

But being down 3-1 is a HUGE DEAL. And that might be what we're facing after tonight's game. Hence the freakout.

I'll bite: Zetterberg - Datsyuk - UFA (bearded Canadian prick) Franzen - Filpulla - UFA (bearded Canadian *******) Cleary - Helm - Leino Maltby - Draper - Holmstrom Lidstrom - Rafalski Kronwall - Stewart Lilja - Ericcson Osgood (equipped with oversized pads) Howard

Anyone in this thread that's using the "parity" argument has to sit back and consider the fact that Anaheim isn't some virginal, unclaimed hockey landscape. THEY WON THE CUP TWO YEARS AGO. They are, in severe actuality, one team (Detroit) removed from being the defending champs. Explain to me how soft-serving them another cup is of any advantage to the league when they had 30 people at their parking lot "parade" when they won in 07. Let's remove: - Detroit, Chicago, and Boston from the equation (original six, long time fan-base status teams). You're left with Vancouver, Pittsburgh, Washington, Carolina, and Anaheim. - Carolina won in 2006. - Anaheim won in 2007. So let's scrub those two teams from The Official Bettman's Pets chalkboard. You're left with: Pittsburgh, Vancouver, and Washington. Considering that OMG ZORG!!@#$! a Canadian team will never win the cup, combined with the cold hard steely reality that the Penguins trail the Caps 2-0, then we can, based on thread-logic, crown Washington as the 2009 Stanley Cup Champions. Which, in itself, contradicts, Bettman's man-love for Crosby (rather than Ovechkin). To many contradictions here. The Wings need to play 60 minutes of hockey.

I like words that begin with the letter "A". Consonants are hard work.

You know what really sucks the crank about all of this? Everyone was talking about the defensive depth all year. How we have 8-9 guys who are all top 6 guys. Well, 2 of them are hurt, leaving Detroit with 7 "NHL calibre" defensemen. Only Babcock is scared to play 2 of them (Chelios and Meech) and rightfully so. Defensive depth me arse. I could sure go for some Corey Cross right about now.

Put Draper on Helm's wing. Sit Maltby. You get two faceoff guys................

Hossa has fully integrated himself into the Wings system. Which, to me, means he'll be one of the 7 Wings on the Conn Smythe ballot this June. Seriously though, this isn't the Eastern Conference. I don't expect Hossa to get 26 PTS this playoffs. But he may very well get his name on the silver. There would be no complaints from this camp if that were to happen.

This is trouble. And although it's only one player, I've gone from feeling very confident that the Wings would win this series to very uneasy. This will hurt the PP in a bad way too.........

DET/ANA 4-2 VAN/CHI 4-2 BOS/CAR 4-3 WSH/PIT 4-2

Yep. Can't wait to see the Balckhawks and Rangers square off. That's what you meant right?

IMO, 2nd round match-ups: 1 Boston vs 6 Carolina 2 Washington vs 4 Pittsburgh How awesome would an Ovechkin vs Crosby showdown be?

Every game. After every whistle. WTF is going on? Discuss. Also, could the Wings possibly win the cup this year on the merits of something as simple as team discipline?

Datsyuk didn't instigate, he was upset with Verm(in)ette. That was real emotion. I have no problem with that. Same way I don't have a problem with the Calgary players going after Burrish last night either. That was in response to a cross check (almost) to Bourque's face. Anyone of you that's watched enough of the 09 playoffs thus far knows what I mean when referring to the difference between real hockey emotion and all of this other minor hockey-esque posturing garbage that's been going on. Edit: bad english

I should have expanded on my original post. I personally love the physical intensity of playoff hockey. And I have no problem with fighting either. It just seems like after every whistle, especially around the goalie, there is a scrum in every single game. And we're not talking heavy-weight fights. We're talking about non-fighters like Crosby, or Koivu, or Oshie punching people without dropping the gloves. None of these players have any intention of fighting and they know that either their team-mates or the officials will get involved. Just seems like a lot of posturing. Annnnnnnnnd when it happens 8-10 times a game it loses it's effect and becomes lame. Like "eye rollingly" lame. And I'm not even talking about the shameful amount of stick work that has been going on.

Howard, Leino, and Abdlekader are all looking ready if the AHL playoffs is any indication. I'd say Abby stays in the minors for one more season of top minutes: Sammy walks. One of Stuart or Rafalski will be traded to make room for Hossa. Sammy walks. Lilja's status? Hossa - Datsyuk - Homer Franzen - Zetterberg - Cleary Hudler - Filpulla - Leino Kopecky - Helm - Draper Maltby Lidstrom - Kronwall Stuart - Ericsson Lilja - Lebda Meech Osgood Howard

Only one upset? Improbable.

Unless I'm mistaken, if the Duck loose tonight and the Blues win tomorrow, Detroit will play Columbus. A tie for St.Louis would mean that Detroit gets them. A zero point effort means Wings vs Ducks.

I think a 1st round collision with Anaheim may be the best thing for this team. No underdog nothing to lose opponents like Nashville/St. Louis. Detroit will not underestimate Anaheim. The risk is there for any other 1st round opponent. Plus, they have something to prove to Anaheim, as a result of the 2007 loss, that goes beyond their cup defense. In short, a first round win against Anaheim, may be the only emotional or team-building jump-start the Wings can build on in this years playoffs. And in may be enough to get them on a real roll. Otherwise, they loose to Anaheim in the first round, playing the same type of hockey that would eventually see them loose to SJ, Calgary, Van, etc. The 2009 playoffs: Better to burn out then fade away. Bring on the Quacks.