RockyMountainWingGal

Great point - I never thought of that. s***! Why couldn't that puck drifted Maltby's way! Ahhh, what ifs... I was a bit surprised at the 3 year extension. But I've got no problem with keeping him around for that price. The Wings have made good decisions on their grinders. It was tough to let Mac go, but obviously they could see he wasn't going to be the same - and he's sure gone downhill fast in Calgary imo (plus he's loaded w personal problems). Love the guy, but the Wings made the right choice, and I think they made the right choice with Malts too.

Video of Cheli in Vancouver sticking it to the Canucks fans in 2002 - just too damn funny! Compliments of Norrisnick on youtube. I could lmao at this all night....

Don't keep apologizing because Pronger is on your team. It's not your fault he laid a dirty hit on someone - and not the first time he's done it. Personally, I thought the Ducks had a great team before they added him - he has been a great player for your team though and has seemingly pushed the Ducks over the top. I feel he's a bit lucky his suspension didn't cost them the series. If the Ducks win (looking likely now) he's really the only one most people don't like lifting the cup. But every team has guys other teams hate (like Bertuzzi is an angel )- I'm not going to lose sleep over it. I wouldn't like it if he got the CS though - I just don't think that would be fitting with his behavior - give it to your guy Giggy - noone could argue with that.

Well congratulations to the Ducks - two well deserved wins. I guess I expected more out of the Sens, but i'm a Western conference person and I rarely watch the east games, so I took alot for granted about the Sens chances from expert analyses and the few playoff games I've seen them play. The West is clearly the better conference. The Sens cannot even hang with the Ducks. If it's any consolation to us, we gave them a hell of a series that we came close to winning (kind of). Thus, unless the Sens can really turn it around and impress me, the Red Wings look like the second best team in the league. The last few SCF the West has not given the East it's best teams - the 8th seeded Oilers? I cannot believe the Canes needed 7 games for that one. Now were seeing what the top seeded West teams can do. Personally, I think the Wings could have taken it to this team like the Ducks are doing - which is kind of sad in and of itself to realize how close we actually were.

California and the West is a much better place to build a fan base for hockey than the deep south imo. The Kings have been around for how long? 60s I think. Anyhow, Bettman is just determined to cram hockey into Nascar country and it won't work. Just look where all the most recent expansion teams went. They would have been much better off putting the Thrashers or such into the NW - like Seattle or Portland. The agenda of the NHL just perplexes me sometimes...

Just curious here- but can I ask why? I don't really care what the national origins of a teams' players are. I'm more interested in the character of those guys and the types of players they are. For example, I think Lidstrom and Alfredsson are great captains and players - why would I root against them because they are Swedish? All teams have some Canadian players regardless. Anyhow, no harm meant, I just wonder why it matters to people so much; a hockey player is a hockey player. Maybe because you're geographically closer to Anaheim than Ottawa??? Just a thought. Ottawa is closer to Detroit - maybe that's why we like them more (other than they beat us; but they beat the Canucks too).

Ooooh, yuck. That dirty logo is a disgrace on this board.

I wouldn't even single out SCal. If you polled the average American, they will have no idea who is the NHL finals - or even that there is a finals going on. The guys on sportsradio couldn't even figure out when the games were being played. I myself was combing NBC all day yesterday waiting for the puck to drop. The NHL has terrible PR...

Don't kid yourself - at some point in the future they're moving. Of course everyone will say the right thing now, but once the new owner is approved (if) he can more or less do what he wants. Sure, there are some clauses about moving, but if you've looked into it, he'll be able to get around them. I'm not sure why Bettman is so gung-ho to shove hockey down Southerners' throats. They love Nascar - their choice - I've got no problem with that. Personally I thought a few of those franchises should be relocated or contracted during the lockout (not necessarily the Preds) but Bettman refuses to see the futility in all this...

I tried the basement for game 6 myself - didn't work. In fact I watched the last 3 games on the 3 different TV sets w satellite in my house - and they lost them all. What to do next year now?

Yup. Remember the arguement against UM last fall - they didn't win their conference? Well the Mavs won that conference, SA is the 3 seed, but they still get home court - BS. Personally, I don't think the Pistons can beat them in a seven game series w/o the home court. I will never count this Pistons team out, but it is one team they will struggle with. And I hate them which makes it worse...

It would really suck for the fans who buy season tickets there. But sadly in professional sports, the fans don't always factor into business decisions. To me, this does all add up to the new owner moving the team at some point in the future. I've listened to some discussion on it and it seemed convincing to me. Personally, I think there are a few other teams that should be moved before the Preds. How about the Panthers? Florida already has one team - it seems like two there is ridiculous.....

Screw him. I liked this article syndicated in the Denver Post - lol for Avs fans to read. Future favors hot wings

You truly believe that every little thing you do (or don't do) during the course of a WIngs game day could actually affect the outcome even though you're a thousand miles away...

I'll probably miss it because I'm at work. But the fan posts podcasts of their interviews and Cheli's are all there. I'm guessing after they talk to him today it will be available tonight or tomorrow.... WDFN podcasts

The Pistons will coast into the finals obviously at this point. I really wish they would play any other team besides the Spurs. I hate the damn Spurs. Plus, I think they're the one team the Pistons will have a hard time beating. The fact they threw some dirty tricks to cheat in their series vs the Suns just puts a whole cloud over the NBA for me anyways. I'm gonna barf if I have to watch Tony Parker play in a series. :puke: Two points. 1. the conference finals are completely boring because the NBA doesn't use the NHL system where the top seed always plays the lowest one. That way you never have the two best teams playing in the second round - and the anticlimactic conference finals. 2. Supposedly the Spurs have homecourt for the finals. Huh? The Pistons are the 1 seed the Spurs are a 3. So they go by record. But the Pistons won their division and the Spurs didn't - happens in hockey all the time. Their system sucks.

I think he meant first European captain to win the Cup. Obviously Nick already bagged the Conn Smythe - first Euro there . I'll pay attention but won't be glued to the tv. Mostly because I have kids and alot of stuff to catch up on - and I've been blowing far too many things off to be glued to the set for the Wings games for 6 weeks. Ironically, I will be in Toronto for 5 days for work the first week of June - I will probably watch some there - or go sit in the hotel bar and watch...

Maybe you can convince him to become a Duck fan. We don't need that kind of bad karma for the Wings.

Stop! We all love Shanny but it's over. I think this playoffs proved the Wings are heading in the right direction. We're not bringing back Shanny or anyone else - move on. (coming from someone that had a hard time letting him go...)

Good luck Duckette. Come visit again after you're done swarming the Sens boards - lol. I'm glad there a few good threads between the two teams' fans. There's always a few bitter people after a loss - don't be scared away. The only Ducks fans here I have a problem with are the few that joined just today to rub it in... Why not join when the series starts and go for the ride??? Oh well, we all have those fans. Keep a tight rope on Pronger, will ya?

Hmmm the only Duck I might have called "classless" would be Pronger - but that's not really the right word anyways. I've already said he should have gone through the line. However, I don't think it's a "rule" that you have to do it. I would think the Wings organization might not like it since it reflects on them, but I don't know if you can force someone to do it - just like you cannot force someone to be nice on the ice...

Most of us aren't doing that. There are always a few bitter ones after losing a series (have to say I checked out your boards after the Pronger suspension and there were some bitter folks there too - saying some nasty things I can't repeat). You guys won - congrats. That was a great entertaining series - if hockey showcased that product, we wouldn't be in the basement of sports popularity. My suggestion, give it a few days for some people to calm down (most of us are) - come back and talk hockey all you want and don't take the comments of a few personally. This is what you get on a Wings board after a series loss....

I'm kind of partial to the Sharks myself. I'd be curious why you don't think the Ducks deserved to win the series though: you have to win 4 games no matter how ugly (or pretty) and they did. We did NOT capitalize on our opportunities. The only way I would say they didn't deserve to win, is if we find out Homer was hurt alot more than they let on. If he did get a concussion (which I doubt because they would never let him play) or has a lingering head injury that took him out of the series - than I would have a big issue with "deserve". Otherwise, it is what it is, a 4-2 win for the Ducks, much to my dismay.

Probably turning the puck over to Selanne in front of our goal (no blame on Lilja - team takes the blame imo). Second, not clearing the zone on the tying goal, taking a penalty with under a min left (no blame on Franzen or Dats). But we made big mistakes the last part of game 5 that cost us the series - I just don't agree that the Ducks didn't deserve that win - they lingered like we did vs San Jose and benefited from it. Did the Wings deserve to win that game? Yes - but you have to earn what you deserve and they didn't do it. Ask that of any of our last three playoff squads...

Ditto - Homer was NOT the same player ever since the hit. I hope to God he didn't get some kind of head injury. Bert- yes back still hurt Zett - not 100% but close Lidstrom: nope. The guy doesn't get hurt (knock on wood). My guess is the toll of the extra minutes set in...