RockyMountainWingGal

Thanks - I would have been rooting for you guys vs the Ducks, so let's hope once the disappointmentsubsides you'll so the same for us. Sharks are my favorite Pac division team - I feel really bad for their fans with their loss again this year. THen again you're talking to Wings fans - we know all too well what that feels like. Good luck next year. Beat the Ducks for the division and that way we can meet in the WCF!

Totally agreed also. I'm tired of the one run wonders making it to the finals. A bit selfish on my part, but I haven't been too interested in the last two finals series. Even if the Wings aren't there - I'd watch a team like the Sabres (although I was kind of rooting for NYR too). Here's to no Southern teams in the mix this year!

Agreed. Patrick Roy was sometimes a jerk - one with 4 rings and a slot in the HOF. Let's admit Hasek has been a jerk a few times too. Has nothing to do with talent as a goalie - goalies are always kind of a strange breed anyhow. This topic should have read "I can't stand Brodeur and I'm glad he lost". Challenging his credentials doesn't really warrant much of a discussion with this guy...

The odd thing is, if the Wings weren't in it, I would root for the Sharks in the West. Can't stand Anaheim. I don't think they can win 2 in a row against the WIngs - including a game 7 in Detroit. Definitely with the way they have not played complete games. A very good team, at least as good as the wings, bigger, fast etc. They definitely could have taken this series from us by now - but for some reason, they don't have that killer instinct. I'm not sure about their coach - I usually think he's very good, but I'm not sure if his tactics aren't backfiring right now. Well here's hoping they don't gain any composure for game 6 - go Wings!

The Lions actually won something? I don't know if I believe it. That was pre-Superbowl right? Well it won't happen again in my lifetime, so I need not worry about it. Besides, I enjoy the fact that the Lions are bad, it sucks all the bad karma away from the other 3 teams -fin with me.

Well I am great luck when I'm out during the game: Wings are not only 3-0, but 3 butt kickings. Luckily I had my satellite radio with me. I wasn't sure what to expect from the Sharks, I just couldn't buy into the 'falling apart' train of thought - they're too good of a team. But, they do not play a complete game, and the Red Wings do (except for game 1, cough). Maybe they could get away with that against our lesser division member Nashville, but it ain't gonna work against the Wings. I'm hoping for a big game 6 victory, no game 7 please. Do the Sharks really want to torture themselves but flying all the way back to Detroit for a butt kicking?

In regards to the defensive forwards - do any of you think they could play a few shifts as a D-man? Remember when Bowman sent out Federov as a D-man and he was damn good at it? I'm just wondering if we have anyone, Draper?, that would be up to that kind of task. Not the whole game, but for a few shifts. Thoughts?

Are you sure? This is what I was thinking also. Who needs to see the dam* pregame race stuff anyways - ridiculous. NBC shouldn't cover the game at all if they cannot commit to showing both. Also, why is the game not on at noon EST or so, wouldn't that have solved this?

Yeah I'm fantasizing that they're falling apart, but I'll need to see a one-sided shelling from the Wings in game 5 before I'll believe that outside of my dreams. This team's still very good, and if they can pull out a win tomorrow, we'd be in trouble. Yikes! nervous for tomorrow's game....

I'm sure he'll be back for game 6. SInce he's not playing that well, this shouldn't hurt the Sharks too much. The one I can't figure out is Patrick Marleau, I really thought he'd make an impact in this series, but I'm very glad he's not! Maybe he's a closet wings fan, hehe

Of course I stay up - 8pm starts MST. However, the league is really missing the boat on this one. Even though we lost, that was one exciting hockey game last night. And who got to see it? Some interested fans in northern Cali and a few brave late night souls in Michigan. They need to put the starts at 6pm so there's at least a chance the EST/CST part of the country will watch. No shame in 6pm starts - anyone with tickets will get their butts there. I've gone to 6pm starts for the Avs, no problem. Of course, the Versus things doesn't help either.

I just got a Siruis and heard their NHL show for 2h today - it was good, I'm excited. No more listening about the crappy Lions for 3-4 hours just to hope they sneak in Red Wings coverage - screw those stations. I've sent them emails to let them know - not that they give a sh87 because they still have their hapless Lions fans to fall back on. It really baffles me, do all of you folks that live in Michigan actually WANT to hear about the Lions ad nausea?? How can that be - it's Wings and Pistons playoff season right now. And at least the Tigers are not in the offseason. Who cares who they draft - they will suck, suck, suck anyways. WTF? the Lions are the WORST franchise in the NFL and there is no bright future - no future at all with Millen and Ford. I just cannot understand why anyone even covers a perenially losing franchise like that??

In answer to my own questio above, all the games are natioanlly televised on either Versus or NBC. MLive kind of implied like FSD was the only station showing the game for a few of them. So, for people like me, out of market, I get to see all of the games. Round 2 Wings TV schedule, Versus and NBC

Good assessment. I am looking forward to this series - it's been very rare that the Red Wings play a team I actually like in the playoffs. I have always thought Patrick Marleau was underrated and I always drafted him high on my fantasy team (when I had one). Now I have to hope he doesn't score too many goals in this series! Unfortunately, when I've pulled for the Sharks the last two playoffs after the Wings were out, you lost to the same pesky teams that beat us. I'm not sure who will be hungrier: the Sharks are pretty close to getting over the hump into the SCF, but they seem to keep falling short. The Red Wings desperately want (need for us fans) to get at least back to the WCF. Should be an interesting series....and one with more pure hockey and less goonery....

I have the opposite question: by exclusive coverage, I assume that means for those particular games Versus is the only station showing the game. So for everyone out of the Detroit market, I am assuming the ones on FSD are ALSO on Versus. I believe this was the case in round 1? That is completely ridiculous that every single game is not shown on the local stations - wtf? THe NHL needs to get its act together and get a real tv contract.

Well, Turco would have been better for the Wings than either SJ GT. However, I think we can definitely put up some goals on Nabokov. He's good, but Kiprusoff is better and we got them by him when it counted. Of course, Nabby has a better team playing in front of him....

This should be a great series. The Sharks are one of the other West teams I like, and I root for them in their series - EXCEPT for this one obviously. One thing about the Sharks in recent playoff years - they never seem to get over the hump and get into the finals. They always have a good team, but fall just short. Should have beat the Flames a few years ago imo. Definitely should have beat the Oil last year. So will this be the year they get through? I don't know. The Wings always have a tough time in the first round (understatement); but the further we go, it seems like we have more success. Our record in the WCF is pretty damn good. Looking forward to it. p.s. I cannot believe all those idiots at ESPN ALL picked the Sharks - that is ridiculous considering this is at best, a pretty even match-up.

I think he'll win. He is a whopping +40 while a few of the points leaders are in the negative. Neidermeyer is the only one that's close. The only reason Neid will win is if the voters are just tired of giving it to Lidstrom. But Nick was the best defenseman hands down, so I have confidence they'll get this one right........

This is a huge mystery to me also. I feed both Detroit sports radio stations over the internet at work - and they actually talk about the F*&ing Lions most of the time. I turn it off every time - I've emailed to say shut the F987 up about the pathetic, hopeless, boring Lions during Hockey season and playoffs - my God. The Pistons I understand right now - it's NBA playoffs too. I personally think WC Ford pays them off to give the Lions air time - seriously sometimes the announcers even complain they MUST cover the Lions. In Colorado - the Avs coverage is actually decent. Of course, since they're not in the playoffs, you won't hear a word about hockey other than reporting the scores, until the fall. ps edit: they're actually talking about the Lions as we speak - wtf? it's April. I'm going to email and complain I want wings-sharks previews. morons - do you people actually care about the Lions?

Well maybe Dallas was looking too good to be true. If the Wings play like they did most of the series vs the Canucks - we'll be OK. Yuck to west coast travel - except the game times are better for me (and others not in EST). Wings need to win. Anaheim-SJ WFC might be good for Cali, but boring for many of us - go wings!

Nice article; if they could write something negative, they might after losing the series, but nothing bad can be said about Nick. Shows you he is the class of the NHL. I'd say he's my all time favorite hockey player - but then there's Yzerman - but no shame in being right there at #2. Here's hoping for another (well deserved) Norris). Look out West if he plays like this every series!

I'd love for the Wings to win tomorrow and Dallas win game 7 of their series. I fear Turco not - the Wings own him. Dallas would be a great match-up for us. I'm sick of these long west coast and canadian trips.... Neither Vancouver or Dallas have a good game 7 track record.....hmmmm go Stars!

A rivalry? perhaps. But totally on a different level than the Avalanche. Combined the wings and avs won the cup 5 out of 7 years. The only real dirty thug on the Avs was Claude Lemieux, although there were other players I despised. Sure there were brawls, but mostly the two teams beat each other with skill that was fun for all hockey fans to watch...I don't really see a comparison to Calgary at all.

Yup I'm pulling for the Stars also. Not to get ahead of the first series (crosses fingers) but I look to avoid to long West Coast trips as long as possible (Vancouver, SJ, Anaheim). I would look forward to a Wings-Nashville series - rooting for the Preds (yuck) also...

I'm totally hoping for the Avs, ironically. For selfish reasons it's fun to have the local team in the playoffs, plus I'd probably have a shot at tix for one of the first round games. I was actually hoping Minnesota would drop out - my LEAST favorite team to watch play - I don't think I could make it through a Wild playoff series - then again the first rounds probably won't even be televised with the NHLs non-existent TV contract..........