LeftWinger

Stampkos embellishing for a penalty? Refs with late whistles on Mrazek covers...Bishop stopping everything...booga!

Shutout....said it! Booga Booga!

I have a GREAT Bryan Murray story from when he was Coach/GM for the Wings that I have told here before. Long story short, I met him one day, had a nice conversation with him, then a few days later he saw me again and remembered me and started talking to me. It was more in depth than that sounds, but this is thread is about him, not me. He is a great person, helped assemble the team that eventually won the 97 Cup and will forever be part of Red Wings and NHL history! God Bless!

Didn't like the player, but appreciate the couple of seasons he had where he was the go to guy on this team. More importantly, just because someone isn't liked as a player, doesn't mean he is not respected as a man/husband/father. That I do. Get well for your kids and yourself, hockey is nothing compared to family. It has to be hard because that is all he has known since a little boy, and hanging em up early has to be a real hard decision. That being said, and as much as I believe he should LTIR retire, I also believe he will attempt a comeback next season to see where he is at, but with the years of problems he has had, I don't think it will turn out in his favor as a player. He'll always be part of this team, and always be remembered as the player that dominated the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs helping the team win the Stanley Cup. That is his legacy, and nothing, not a forced LTIR retirement or a loudmouth, fly off the handle, talk too much out of his ass forum user (MODS, am I aloud to verbally attack myself? ) can change that or take that away. But one more hit can take away your livelihood and precious time with your children. Good luck in your life and good luck if you attempt to come back, but mostly, and this is coming from that loudmouth user, Thank You for those few magical years and Thank You for the 2008 Stanley Cup! Goodspeed Johan Franzen, you will forever live in Red Wings lore!

Well, I am happy with the choice to go with Mrazek. He mostly struggled when playing back to back games...as long as NBC doesn't screw us with Sat/Sun matinee games, we may be ok!

..before you get upset, this is not another "What the team will look like next season" thread nor is it a "What I/You think this team needs" one. It's simply this, even though it was The Hurricanes, but this is the first time we got to see the "future wings" play a game. That is, without our current leaders. That being said, sure the current leaders still have a few more years left to tutor and pass on experience to these guys, but soon the team, for the most part, you saw yesterday is going to be the team that carries on the torch and tradition. Are you happy with the way the "new blood" handled the game yesterday and what impressed you the most or who? I am so impressed time after time with how the Wings have so much new blood, yet can continue to not turn into to a "rebuild" team like Edmonton is, Chicago and Pitt were and like Buffalo is going to be. It's simply amazing that players like Marchenko can come up and just play like he has been here and actually play better than Vets that have been here a few. Can't say enough about Mrazek, once he finds that consistency he looks like he is going to be lights out. Nyquist and Tatar along with Sheahan? My goodness, I can think of no less than 29 other teams that would sell their wives to have that trio on their team. All in all, IMO, this team has the brightest future of at least 95% of the rest of the NHL, and the other 5% their future is starting right now or next year. Once Pav and Z hang em up, these "kids" if we can even call them that anymore, are going to have so much more knowledge and experience, the Red Wings future, which may not start for another 3-4 years, is going to launch this organization into a new orbit. I can only hope that these players (and the projected ones in GR) continue the direction they are headed! Oh and I think the biggest reason the team can play so well without their leaders, most of these kids played and won a Championship together in GR. They know each other and know each other well! Good on you Kenny Holland, for as many of us that question your draft picks, you just keep proving us wrong! Keep it up Kenny! There is no reason that this (future) team cannot keep this winning tradition up for years and years!

I know Swatch Watch came out in 1983....but for the life of me, never heard of a band with that name...

I agree with you Dickie. Although there is "potential" in GR and even younger in our system, the "near" future doesn't show much of a legit #1 center. Sheahan and Helm and possibly Glendening will probably still be around after Z and Pav are gone, but outside of that, will we be able to develope one that is maybe in GR now, or will we have to wait for a "newer" draft pick to become that guy? Right now, the line of Nyquist - Sheahan - Tatar when played together is a great line, even if you had Jurco on it and put Nyquist on another scoring line, its still a great line...but is it or will it be great enough in 4-5 years to be our #1 line? I think Tatar and Nyquist both have top line potential, but will Sheahan develope his game even more to be a #1 center? I think we are in good hands with him as a top 6 center, and even as impressed as we all are with that line, are they top line material? Will the prospect of a Larkin/Mantha combo become a top line in the NHL? Can either of them be as good as Pav/Z together or Getzlaf/Perry? They are still part of the distant future, but the near future is here now, and with Oullet and Marchenko NHL ready, they are part of it. I think after watching how the "young" players stepped up yesterday, we will be in great shape in the "near" future as well as the distant future. But yes, the lack of that lights out #1 center is a bit concerning. Maybe that guy gets signed as a FA or a trade is made in years to come. Once Pav and Z are gone, maybe there will be a 27 year old UFA center out there who is ripe for the picking, we won't know until that day comes, but after watching yesterday, I'd say this team is in great shape to reamain competitive enough to keep making the playoffs, even after our leaders are retired...

*PUBLIC ADDRESS ANNOUNCEMENT* I cannot photoshop from work, but isn't this a Photoshop WAR thread, not pay homage to Steve Yzerman one? Way too many positive things towards the enemy's leader right now. I know Steve is a special case, but in the end, he is trying to beat us! All of you awesome photoshoppers out there just may have to swallow some pride and get busy destroying the Lightning! That is All...

and we're mentioning Franzen like he even had an inkling of playing? Why mention him at all? Its not like he has played or will ever play (at least this season) again. He is not just "out" he is done. I am not even sure he even travels with the team anymore, hell he may be "recovering" over in Sweden.

Love the flashback pic though! Poor Erik Cole! But alas, he is one of us now!

That would be a TON of salary with the RFA's that need to be re-signed this season AND next. Anyhow, if Holland were picking apples from the Sharks, I can almost gurantee he's be pick Marleau over Thornton...just my opinion because Holland has for a long time now, be in the rumors concerning Marleau...Not that I would chose him, but frankly, I think getting Joe and Dion would most certainly cost us to lose a couple of our prized RFA's due to cap issues.

From what I remember from capgeek, Jensen is out of options this year and the other three have until 2016. But, I mentioned this one time and somebody said they seem to think all 4 have until 2016 for exemptions. Of course that also depends on how much playing time any of them get next season. In the other thread, I figured that Jensen would be the most obvious choice to come up and be the #7 because of the 4 kids, he seems to be the only one not "projected" to be a top 4 NHL player. Also, its my belief that none of the other 3 kids will come up to sit in the press box 75% of the season when they can being getting that last long season in GR. Smith makes me angry, just a few years ago he was the top defensive prospect and when we lost out on Suter, a lot of us, me included, were bragging how Smith was going to develope into a better defenseman than Suter anyhow, boy were we wrong. For a couple of seasons now, I have been ok with the prospects of trading Smith, especially this season as he is set to become an RFA and if he goes to arbitration we get stuck with him for a least another year per CBA rules. It's better to trade his rights at the draft of sometime before the arbitration period. I am not, though, in favor of trading for Phanuef unless is a salary wash or they retain salary. We are going to need Cap to re-sign Gus, Pulk and Jurco, and then next year, I think Sheahan, Dekeyser and Mrazek are all up. They will most certainly get big raises. The best scenario IMO is trade Weiss, Smith, Q if possible. That would free up $9M in space, plus send Smith off somewhere to where he can get fair market value. Dumping Kindl is also going to free up over $2M more space. But if acquiring Phanuef means losing anyone named Mantha/Larkin/Tatar/Nyquist/Marchenko/Oullet/Sproul/AA, then no thank you. I'd rather see them trade the other players for picks, then re-sign Zidz and try to land a top d-man come July 1. Not that it has anything to do with Smith, but it could have something to do with a trade package, IIRC Louis-Marc Aubry is also out of exemptions after this summer and an RFA. Plus against the Cap, if indeed Jensen is out of options, he is also an RFA that would need to be re-signed. He won't cost much, but every little bit counts.

....and Edmonton will, miraculously, get the #1 pick. Of course The Yotes are Uncle Gary's pet project, so a #1 overall would be pretty prestigous.

Black Eyed Peas! Moist Amphibian Gear

don't think anymore...thats it!

heck even the guy who only watches his NHL team only AFTER his NFL team is no longer playing *cough cough, ahem, Pittsbrugh, cough* is also a fan, but this is more of a bandwagon fan...as is the guy who "only watches the playoffs."

The Kingston Trio a distinguished male established caring routine or habit that's present, appearing or found everywhere... whoever gets this wins the internet! UGH!!!! Atfter all that, I just realized that its the name of an album!!! You can try to guess that name if you want but here is a band: A city once divided in two

We are all fans of the patch on the front of the jersey. Yet, there are players that don that jersey that some just don't like. I have been a fan since 1979 (9 years old) and remember well the "dead wings" the "cant win the big game" and the "lose every year in round 1" Wings teams as well. Just because you are an old timer who likes the game the way it was, or if you are someone who doesn't know anything about Red Wings Hockey prior to 1997 or for some 2002. We are ALL fans, and fans, whether watching through rose colored glasses or fans that criticize their least favorite players or coaches or GM's or as simple as a line combo or starting goalie, we are all still fans of this team. I can look over the last 30 years of players on this team and can come up with at least 5 or 6 players I could not/cannot stand. Most of you know them well, but even when a player shows up that you may not like nor enjoy watching, and you talk (very) harshly of that said player, it doesn't mean you aren't a fan of the team, nor don't want the team to do well even though said player is still playing on the team. I firmly believe that even though being able to ***** about the bad and cheer for the good doesn't make either side a "better" fan, but I do feel that having conversations with the "critical" fan makes for a more enjoyable fan experience. I maintain it would pretty boring if all "fans" just licked the ice the team skated on and had nothing to say but that "nothing the Wings do is wrong, no mistakes are huge, no one does anything wrong because they are Red Wings..." But even that "fan" is a "fan." Informed fans are awesome to talk hockey with, but still doesn't mean they are "real" or not. Just because someone didn't think Lidstrom was the be all end all in the world, doesn't mean they aren't a fan. As well, just because someone thinks Hudler is Omnipotent, doesn't mean they aren't a fan either...of course he is pretty popular in Calgary right now. I still don't miss him, but that doesn't mean that I didn't wish the Wings would win when he was here... ...as much as I cannot stand Franzen and Howard (amongst others) I still want the Wings to make the playoffs every year and get a chance to win the Cup every year whether they play or someone else plays. Yes, even folks that say "tank it" are fans. Go Wings!

lighten up Francis...they're in. May not last long, but it does give them an outside chance. Way outside. they'll be better next season, more experience plus Holland will get the summer to try to make tweaks to better the team...

because it doesn't feel like they earned it. I didn't see the penalty to make it 5 on 3, was it legit? Pathetic powerplay, couple of bad goals, but also some great saves...remember when the PP was #1? Sure their #2 still, but since march they are like #28... Pretty ironic we couldn't get help from the best teams, yet Florida helps them back into the playoffs. Guess they owed us for all the losses this year. Thanks Florida, see ya in 4 games.

we got to win, we aren't getting any help from NY or FLA...

that's it Pav! Show me that Russian ass to kiss!

******* pathetic! Brutal goal, team doesn't seem to be playing like this game matters... Ottawa on the other hand...

funny that folks think the any of Sproul, Marchenko or Ouellet will be promoted to be the #7 guy...that would be a waste of time and talent. May be the same for Jensen, but at least of the 4 kids, he has the least potential to be a top 4 guy in the NHL. Holland will not continue to pay Kindl over $2M to be a #7 and he will not pot ANY of his prized defenders in the press box for 75% of the season. Lashoff, maybe, but if he were good enough to be here, he would still be here...