Barrie

Right. Maybe it's because I'm not watching for it with the Wings. Maybe too since we have all this playoff experience, we're sneaky with our diving . Also, Maltby's retired, so it's not as noticeable anymore.

I would like to have heard what Franzen said to Thornton when he was lying on the ice like he got shot. I don't know if you saw Game 6 Canucks-Preds, but Tootoo got called for diving, so hopefully they're going to start calling it now. Despite saying they'll call it next round, San Jose better stay on their feet just to be sure, but the Wings fan in me is saying keep diving. What I have been noticing is that San Jose is trying to dive, but they aren't leading to calls against the Wings. Am I wearing Red Wings glasses, or are the Red Wings players NOT diving? I haven't noticed anything from the Wings, but again, I'm not sure because my Red Wings glasses are on. I don't think Lidstrom, Draper, Babs, or Holland would put up with it anyway. Edit: I was just thinking, the NHL should use Game 6 (and 7 ) of the Wings-Sharks as a message to Vancouver, Boston, and TB, that they'll be calling diving penalties.

I'm expecting Niemi to crack, San Jose to panic, and this to be the loudest I've ever heard The Joe (other than winning the Stanley Cup at home in 1997 and 2002). 5-1 Wings! Let's do this! Let's Go Red Wings!

That's what I'm thinking going into Game 6. I wouldn't be surprised if the Wings win 5-1 and Niemi get's the hook in the game, while Howard continues to shine. Maybe it's just me being a homer, and wishful thinking, however, when you have a team down, like the Sharks did to the Wings, you gotta take 'em out! I'm wondering if Nichol, trying to draw a penalty by going down too easy, leading to the Helm goal in Game 4, is the turning point of the series? Also, I was thinking today, with the Red Sox in 2004, the Flyers last year, and the Blackhawks forcing OT in Game 7 against the Canucks this year, how much the mindsets of teams and fans have changed when they're now down 0-3. It doesn't seem like an impossibility and ancient history anymore to comeback. It can happen! If we're ahead in Game 6, I'll be watching for the moment when the Sharks panic and we have them right where we want them (like a stick measurement, or Thornton takes a run a Datsyuk or Lidstrom). Edit: How great would a Detroit-Vancouver Western Conference Finals be? I've been dreaming about it all year.

I've listened to Staying Alive 5 times in a row! It's been fun being the underdog for once the last couple games. We got nothing to lose here!

My neighbor is a Wings fan, when I was unlocking the door, he came out the front door. I yelled, "Yea Wings! We're going back to The Joe!!" He had no idea we won, he told me he turned the TV off when it was 2-0 Sharks. Wow!

I love it! Big win in San Jose! You have to think this could rattle some of the biggest playoff chokers in sports history, they can't put us away! What's going through Joe's mind? All their dives aren't leading to Power Plays like last year. Also where's Marleau been this series? The Joe's gonna be rocking Tuesday night! I'm wondering if Niemi is due for a bad game in Game 6? It worked after Game 4, so I'll post this again after Game 5. The boys are staying alive! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3b9gOtQoq4

Thanks for the clip. Look at that dive by Nichol at the blue line, it may have cost San Jose the game, prolonging the series. Here's hoping for Game 6 back at The Joe.

This seems fitting for tonight. 1 win down, 3 to go. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3b9gOtQoq4

After yelling as loud as I could, I had to laugh, Helm's goal was started by a San Jose dive at the blue line trying to draw a penalty. What a joke! Let's make it hurt! Lidstrom's second goal, when he bounced it in, was a beauty. Just when you think you've seen everything. Great crowd tonight, same with Game 3. All year it's been great. Geeze I hope the Wings force a Game 6. With their playoff history, we could really rattle San Jose. I could see this series going 7, if we win Game 5. Despite the diving by San Jose, this has been a great 4 games. With a couple breaks, it could be 3-1 Wings, that's how close it's been. Tomorrow I invited myself over to my cousin's place who's a Canucks fan, to watch Game 5 of the 'nuck-Preds. Add that to tonight's game, and Sunday, it's a playoff hockey weekend for me. Edit: Oh, forgot to add, I have a cool Mom. When I asked her what she wanted to do for Mother's Day, one of the things was to watch the Wings on Sunday. to the Wings for winning tonight!

We won a Cup and 2 Western Conference Finals in that time, it was a good signing.

I was wondering a couple times in Game 3 why the 3rd and 4th lines were out there when we had a faceoff in the SJ zone.

It's to bad because I really thought we played well. Oh well, that's how it goes. I really don't have much to say, I just thought we could have won. I feel bad for Howard, because he's giving the team everything he has. More flipping and flopping from the Sharks tonight. Geeze those guys are making a mockery of the game! I've never seen so many players on one team fall to the ice in the same game. I've told my cousin, who's a Canucks fans, to be careful if they play the Sharks next round, because they go down easy.

Whatever. If you're a Sharks fan stay on your own board. There's no point for you to come over here. Edit: You should be more worried about getting past the Conference Finals for once.

Yea I feel ok going back to The Joe.

Well we'll see what the boys can do at home, as they say, "hold serve". SJ won their two games, now it's our turn. I kept track of the power plays in the 3rd since we were the team behind, we had 2, SJ had 0. I'm going to do that more often, I'm convinced the refs are told to keep the game close and not call penalties against the team that's behind. It's to bad however, the way the games are officiated, it cost us Game 1, this series should be tied. Despite that, either way we'd still have to win both Games 3 + 4 at home. Also I think for the next 10 years our goaltending is in great hands with Howard. Hopefully the offense can help him out this week. Lastly, for now, I appreciate the refs not taking the bait on the Sharks falling all over the ice trying to draw penalties. That was another bad display by the Sharks, no wonder I've read on here they're the most hated team in the league by the players. How can grown men in the NHL get knocked down so easy?

They say it's not a series until the home team loses.

4-2 Wings.

The offense was fine the previous 4 games, it's probably only a one game thing. If they get shut down again in Game 2, then I'd get worried.

Yea but it's still more fun to complain Edit: and I still don't like that the team behind in the 3rd never gets penalties called against them. You can't tell me the team ahead is always the one breaking the rules.

Say what you want about Franzen, but one shot from him can turn a series around. The only switch I'd make is Draper for Miller.

And notice it's the North Americans using soccer tactics, not the Europeans. That puts to bed any argument Don Cherry and other Canadians think that it's only the Europeans who dive.

Agree, what bothers me is that you know the refs are looking for something to call against the team that's ahead. The team behind can get away with murder sometimes. I noticed there's an article in the Free Press today titled Wings can't afford penalties against the Sharks, that's fine, but what can you do when they're only going to call penalties against the team that's ahead? Edit: Take Game 7 in the Vancouver-Chicago series, when Vancouver got a late Power Play when they were up by a goal even the announcers were shocked Chicago got called. That's what's wrong with the officiating.

What we need to do is go into the 3rd period behind a goal. Penalties never get called against teams behind.

I've been thinking the last few years the refs are told to make called based on the score, not on what actually happens, to keep the game as close as they can for exciting finishes. Tonight is another example of that. Detroit should have had 2 more power plays in the 1st, but since they were up 1-0, there were no calls.