LeftWinger

Booo to the officials for using the replay to give him a penalty! What now? Are we going be using the scoreboard and replays for ALL non-calls!?!?! Hey lets give the coachs a red towel and they can throw it on the ice when they want a review! The reviews are for the league! I am sure Avery would've gotten a fine or something after THE NHL reviewed the play, NOT while the refs are watching the scoreboard!!! Those penalty minutes should be subtracted from his total!!! Hey, we ALL loved Bob Probert and his not-so-innoent hits and runs at goalies (Reindeau and Bester come to mind) and this is no different, except that he played it way too innocent while skating up behind him, looking around the rink in the air like, "Wow, I've never seen something this big before!" Other than that, good on him!!

that is great, and maybe he will sign for a cap hit of $5M, that would be even better! I guess we will see what he thinks is "a fair contract." I don't think Holland will try and undercut him, but maybe see what he is looking for as "less to stay." It could very well be $5M instead of $6M. If he doesn't sign soon, then it ain't happening until after the playoffs, so, he'll either wanna to stay and try for a 2nd Cup (three for us) OR not win the Cup and decide that what Holland is offering isn't fair enough. This is a card game, neither guy wants to show his poker face. Holland wants Hossa long term, Hossa wants to be here until he retires. Holland is hoping to win the Cup and have Hossa be a intrical part of it, but still want to be here for less. Hossa wants to win the Cup, and just like last season, be a big scoring factor, perhaps even the Conn Smythe winner and hope that the "far less" to stay is a little more than what it would be if he pooted out in the playoffs, which would benefit Holland. Game on, lets git er dun! Go Wings! In the end, nobody knows what either Hossa or Franzen are thinking, so it's easy for us to say if they want to win, take less! I think Franzen should take $2.5 and Hossa $5, but that probably won't happen! also, when talking about having Osgood and Howard with no cap space, you have to remember how many contracts are expirig AFTER next season. If Lids decides to stay it will be for much less, he will probably be in the $4M range. Holmstrom and Maltby also will be expired, I can imagine if they don't retire they will also be taking paycuts. So we win this year, hold on tight with Ozzie/Howard next year. Then score a netminder the next, if Howard isn't the one. You have to look long term, not next week.

they'll coast the rest of the way. SJC is up 6 points, Bruins up 3 points. The Wings are perfectly happy with the 2nd seed, so, ya, they'll coast the rest of the way, falter a bit in the first round, then come back strong and hopefully go all the way! (just like every season!)

This is entirely possible! First thing, why would they trade Stuart, when he already took a huge discount to stay here? He could have gotten $5M EASILY from somehwere else. He is making very little money and is worth every penny of it! End of Story. We've talked about this plenty before, you have to trade Filppula for sure, that frees up $3M, that gives the Wings a little over $12M in cap space. Hossa cap hit is $6M, Franzen's is $3M. You lose Chelio's salary, trade Lebda for a pick (lose his salary,) lose Sammy's salary, lose Hudler's salary (plus get a 1st 2nd and 3rd after he signs for $4M somewhere.) That will give you plenty of money to bring up Ericsson, re-sign Leino, bring up Helm & Abdelkader and Howard 's salary is a wash of Conklin's. If you don't think a player exchange of Flip, Huds, Sammy, Chelios, Lebda & Conklin for (re-siging long term) Hossa & Franzen and Leino, Helm, Abdelkader, Ericsson & Howard, you are crazy! In this cap world, the kids are going to have to be here soon (or risk losing them like Quincey) so if you do or dont win all the marbles this season, you may as well do it next year. Bring the kids up with a core of Dats, Zetts, Homer, Cleary, Hossa & Franzen up front? Oh MY! Even without Flip and Huds, those are still two VERY lethal lines! Follow those up with Abdelkader/Helm/Leino and then Maltby/Draper/Kopecky? You pretty much don't lose a step! Zetts/Dats/Homer Hossa/Franz/Cleary Leino/Helm/Abdelkader Kopecky/Draper/Maltby Downey (or some other surprise in training camp) Lids/Rafi Kron/Stu Ericsson/Meech Lilja (if healthy!) Osgood/Howard It all fits, its all fine. Lest you forget the 1st, 2nd & 3rd pick for Hudler, the 3rd for Filppula and the late rounder for Lebda! Then make Chelios your NEW defensive coach and call it a day! heck, if you don''t quite fell Abdelkader is ready (he still has GRR options) sign Weight for $500,000 or so (although he'd probably want $1M) and those two salaries would wash (although Abby makes more than $500,000 so that would even provide you with a few extra dollars.)

it is supposed to be about DEFENSE but it has never been. If it was ALWAYS about defense then Orr wouldn't have never won it, ever and Vladdy would have won it in 1997, instead of Brian Screetch.

Didnt Cofffey win a Norris with Detroit also? Cant remember...

yeah, but he is also +24. I agree, but the writers (NHL actually) will be so happy to be able to award it to someone OTHER than Lidstrom, that he will probably get over 90% of the first place votes! I tell you what though, after accepting his award the first words out of his mouth should be something like, "Thank you, first I'd like to thank Nick Lidstrom for actaully being "HUMAN" this year!"

Cool! $4M for Franzen! That means we'll be getting a 1st, 2nd and a 3rd when Hudler signs elsewhere for his $4M!!! YEAH!!!!! Hossa & Franzen at any expense! Bye bye Huds, Flip & Sammy!

wrong they do have a lot to say, but its more like, "our company is close to bankruptcy, we need to lay off, we need to destroy the unions, we need HUGE concessions, oh yeah, we promised executives bonuses so we are obligated to pay them, even though our comapny is in bankruptcy and cant afford to pay our retirees what we promised them. If we dont get concesssion, we will ave to liquidate, oh,but I still get my $10 MILLION bonus as well." CEOS have plenty to say,too bad it's just blowing smoke up the publics ass and not facts. F**k Gary Bettman, F**k Doug Steenland, F**K Richard Anderson, F**k Rick Wagoner, F**k Robert Nardelli, F**k Bill Ford, and F**K Obama for his bait and switch with the unions and blue collar workers in this great country! Vote for me, I support the Union! Hey, thanks for electing me president, now, YOU MUST GIVE UP YOUR RETIREMENT AND WAGES AND BENEFITS AND QUALITY OF LIFE! Gee, thanks Obama! Democrat, Republican, it doesn't matter, we're all a bunch of sheeple/debt slaves to these people! Obama is just another puppet! Just like Bush, Clinton, Bush, Reagan, Carter, Ford, Nixon, etc, etc... Oh, sorry, got carried away! Hey, maybe Bettman will raise the Cap enough for us to keep Franzen under contract so he can be part of the Swedish opening!

I can see it now, 500 threads named Franzen-Hossa or Weight! Actually If he came in for lets say McCartys salary, I wouldn't mind seeing him play his last seaon in a Wings uniform. Also my dad is friend of Doug Weight, Sr. (from their time at Chrysler together)and I know he has said before that he would love to see his son play for the home-town team. Of course he is proud enough to have had a superstar son play ANYWHERE in the NHL, but to play for the team that they both watched a routed for as his was growing up would be even a bigger dream come true! Of course, I hope he doesn't want to come here to win a Cup, its gonna be hard enough to repeat let alone threepeat!

Well, you may have your wish next season, Lebda could very well be traded for a low pick (or the ever popular $1.00.) I am not of authority of course, but I fully believe along with Ericsson, Kindl will be on the roster next season. Especially if Lilja can't get his act together.

players that will be in Detroit for the playoffs (to cover injuries, crappy play) 1. Ericsson (of course, will start if Lilja is scrambled eggs) 2. Helm (earned it last season) 3. Abdelkader 4. Leino 5. Downey MaCarty is D.O.N.E. in Detroit. If he weren't then he would have been up for the two games that Downey played just recently.

I know it's the last ten games, I know they are solidly in the playoffs, I know over the last few years, the last 10 games really haven't had an effect on their results in the playoffs, but Gosh Damn it, I am sick and tired of watching th Wings go into cruise control EVERY SEASON for the last 10 games! Sure, it doesn't really matter whether they win the Presidents Trophy, sure they already won their division and pretty much sewn up the 2nd seed in the West. No I am NOT panicking, and no this is not a anti-Wings, anti-Holland or "First Round & Out" thread. But as a fan, I am tired of paying good money to go down to the Joe and watch a minor league club play. Their lack of effort in the Islander game (which I attended) deserves nothing less than a full refund for the price I paid for tickets, parking, and beverages! Sure, they need rest for the playoffs, sure they don't want anyone injured, and sure I'd rather see them win a Cup, than beat the lowly Islanders (or Predators) but, c'mon! It was so obvious that the "efffort" wasn't there, so obvious that there should be reprecussions from the NHL. An NHL team should give it's 100% EVERYTIME they step on the ice, the fans are paying 100% of the tickets and concessions, they aren't paying 50% of, lets say, a game that may have some kind of playoff ramification to it. If the team isn't going to give 100% there should be some kind of reprecussion. It was like in 2002 when Scotty Bowman was accused by playoffs teetering teams of not playing Hasek on purpose and it was hurting their chances at making the playoffs! Same thing, when I left the Joe that night, I was not entertained, I was not happy that I was finally able to scrape enough money together to go see my home team play, I was not happy period. I wanted my money back, I wanted the wasted three hours of my life back. I think I would have had a better time watching paint dry that night! I know any team can beat any other team on any night. I understand, but the effort was not there. ok, rant over, not panicking, not jumping off the bandwagon. You don't have to respond, just needed to vent. Some of you may wish you had the last minute of your life back after reading this, that is fine, if I could refund it I would. That is more than Ilitch would do. Sorry to waste your time. Lets just end the season now,so we can watch REAL hockey, I am tired of this end of season CRAP every year! We are so spoiled here, that we have forgotten what it is like to battle for a playoff spot, forgotten what it's like for the Wings to give 100% for 82 games, and yes I am guilty of that spoiledness, and I understand totally the reasons for not giving 100% against the Islanders, but if that is gonna happen, make it worth while for the fan too! I guess if they win the Stanley Cup this year, everything will be worth while, but we took someone who has never been to a Hockey game ever, and she was very, VERY bored and said she'd never waste her money again! She was so excited before we got there too!! Sad that the Wings failed to attract a new fan, but hey, they got her money, right? 100% of it.

None taken, I fully understand the reasons, but it is just frustrating as a fan, especially when you shell out the amount of cash you do to actually go to a game (finally) and you get to watch that. It's the nature of the beast, but it irks me, I know full well what we have done for the past 24 seasons, and the wear and tear is hard, undestood. Maybe lower the ticket prices for the last home games! Yeah right! Just wanted to rant for a minute, not too upset.

no its more like, "Would you just watch the hair! I work for a long time on my hair and you hit it, he hits my hair" - Tony Manero.

Absolute BEST game I have EVER been to! This game was a birthday present from my buddy, I remember after the brawl, we looked at each other and said "I don't even care if they win or lose, this is absolutely the best game we've ever seen!" They were losing at the time of the brawl, of course when they did win! OMG! "Those were the days!"-Archie Bunker. Thanks Dave! Thanks Red Wings!

Career on hold? Man! That must have been some punch to the head! If this doesn't clear up, the Wings just might be re-siging Chelios again in the off season to take the place of his rostor spot. Lids - Rafi Stuart - Kronner Ericsson - Lebda Chelios (Meech) Of course I prefer that Lebda be traded, Chelios let go and give Meech the 6th spot and bring up Kindl with Ericsson!

Hossa with 4 goals,so he can reach 40 and REALLY become a bargain when he re-signs with us!

ok, not bashing Ozzie, BUT I have noticed his problem and it will probably not change for the playoffs. It is still mental. Remember Manny Legace, everytime he gave up a bad goal, he looked up in the air, got down on himself, pretty much psyched himself out of the game. The was the major difference between him and Osgood. The ocassional bad goal didn't rattle Osgood. He'd let in a center ice goal, scoop the puck out take a drink of water and get back in the net with little drama. Look at ALL three goals last night, he looks up, shakes his head, and gets himself thinking too much about the next shot beating him too! He's got Manny disease and there is no cure. He was the ultimate easy going goaltender, nothing got to him. This year, that has changed, everything gets to him, and I hate to say it, but the 10 day sit down did not help, it only hurt him. Now he is thinking what happens if I give up a bad goal? How long untul I give up a bad goal? When will I get yanked? As we've all seen in Manny, it is ir-reversable. Osgood is done, he has lost his coolness and lostr his advantage. Don't know if he'll start the playoffs, but if he doesn't get out of the psychological funk, he won't finish them. C'Mon Ozzie! Snap out of it!

not to play the advocate here, but maybe that was a tongue in cheek statement? Maybe he was saying "yeah sure they are one dimensional, they probably won't make the playoffs because of it!" You know being funny. Then again, maybe not. Osgood is such a bad goalie, he'll never be more than a back-up and never win anything!

I am not bashing Ozzie, they were all bad goals, but how can you compete with a team when thy are allowed to hold, impede and trip you all over the place with no ramifications? Keenan got his word across to the refs and Bettman was listening (especially since it was Detroit he was screwin!) It was blatently obvious that the refs didnt have a whistle when it came to the Wings gettting mauled, PLUS so many quick whistles when their goalie didnt even have the puck! Two goals disallowed because of two quick whistles! Whatever the case, the intent to blow, or lost sight of the puck, there was certainly alot of losing sight of the puck last night and alot of infractions NOT called against Calgary. Even with all the adversity the Wings still made a game of it and that has got to piss Bettman off to no end! I dont get it NHL, why do you hate the team owned by the BEST owner in your league, possibly in all sports? MIke Ilitch has done so much for the NHL, if it weren't for them, the Western Conference would be WHL caliber and they would have lost a lot of teams in the 90's and early 00's!

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All I can say is, I dont think there was EVER and better line EVER assembled EVER in the history of the NHL. A while back we had a debate on which line was better Hank/Pav/Homer/Lids/Rafi or the Russian 5. After watching that, hands down, Russian 5 beats that line or even any combination of a Swedish 5 Babcock could assemble. I miss those days, even Sotty was dumbfounded after Sergei's 5th goal!

this IS the matchup that means the most! A Wings victory over the Devils will finally put to rest our Demons (no pun intended.) All the debat about which team was the Dynasty, which team was better, well they were the team who beat us in 95, so if the Wigs draw them this year and win, the debate will be over! The better team has always and will always reside in Southeast Michigan! Now we just need to prove it!