C-TownWing

2-1 Flames...Barker got burned hardcore, Cammalleri with his first PO goal ever.

For me it's Chicago, easily. I can't stand Calgary (still upset about the cheap crap in 2007), and I'll admit it, I'm happy for the Hawks finally doing something. I'll get to hating them again as the rivalry returns, but for now it's nice to see. The Canucks, Hawks, Flames and Ducks are our only possible 2nd round opponents if I'm figuring correctly, so root accordingly.

Yep, the answer to a Wings trivia question as the captain immediately before Yzerman. He interviewed Stevie during the 1st intermission, and I said to my gf "can you believe they were teammates?" She was like "what, really?"

Still waiting for Versus to flip back on so I can watch Chicago-Calgary...WTF?

Absolutely...we had no business getting out of the first 15 minutes 0-0, but we did thanks to Ozzie. If this is what we're getting from him, we're in fantastic shape. Great win all around. Now on to game 2...gotta win that one too, a split means they win the first two.

Respectfully disagree, IMO Nashville and Columbus stand alone as the worst. Right as I type that, drooling idiots take a dump on our fans for leaving early. "You'd never see that at Nationwide with a 4-1 lead!"

Thank God? Yeah, I LOVE listening to these complete tools. Versus is blacked out for me because I'm local to FS-Ohio. I'm guessing the same thing is true for you, which is why you have wrestling or MMA or whatever on there. Mine just has a message on the screen, but I'm guessing that kind of stuff is set by the provider. I was excited because I thought I'd at least avoid the drooling idiots for games 1, 3, 5 and 7, but now I'm thinking I'm stuck for the duration.

I think it's noteworthy that we've improved our playoff finish both years since then (obviously that streak ends this year even if we win the Cup). Put that together with his run with Anaheim, and it seems obvious to me that Babs is a great playoff coach. No disrespect to Hitchcock, because he's an excellent coach as well, but IMO he's been living on reputation for a while now. His record since leaving Dallas is 234-149-28-49 over 6 seasons, with one division championship and two 2nd place finishes, but also 3 4th/5th place finishes (I combined 2006-07 into one, since he split that season between teams). Three playoff series wins (hopefully that number stays put). An okay resume I guess, but not worthy of the platitudes thrown his way.

I learned that native Detroiters' hatred for Mitch Albom runs even deeper than I thought. Geez! Seriously, awesome read, thanks mindfly!

Actually, I was more worried after seeing the Rangers-Caps game. Caps dominated but had mediocre goaltending=Rangers win.

Fair enough, and good luck in the funniest comment voting! I think I'm on your guys' side now anyway since Carman just brought Datsyuk into this (and crapped on him) for no good reason.

Absolutely correct. And even if he did use the word, it would only be to point out that there's a model for all the franchises written off for dead (Nashville, Phoenix, etc.), as the Pens once were, to turn things around. He is absolutely NOT saying that Pens are a model for the entire league or that they're better run than the Wings or whatever else you guys are grasping at there.

Just because people like to jump to conclusions without reading the article... All Pittsburgh is a "model" for is the Floridas and Phoenixs of the world as far as turning the organization around. He's not saying that they're the best-run franchise or the envy of the Wings or whatever you guys are reading there. I can't really argue with the actual point being made there, and anyone who remembers the Pens pre-Crosby (you know, when they were going to move to KC) should agree. Although that said, making a couple of no-brainer draft picks and reaping the rewards (winning=fans=sellouts=TV ratings) doesn't mean you're well run. If Tavares lives up to the hype, the Islanders will be called well-run in a few years, bank on it.

I think the point about Edmonton and Calgary is quite valid actually. Yes, they each bounced the Wings and did so with a style that just about everyone would call more physical than ours. Fine. But, as you say, where's the hardware for that effort? The Clarence Campbell Bowl? What about the Sharks? There's a highly skilled team with an edge. They frequently carry multiple pure fighters. In fact, they seem to be a perfect representation of what you want the Wings to be. What about their hardware? The Chris Neil thing was obviously meant as hyperbole, but the one reality that can't be ignored with your point about winning more Cups: nobody, no matter how skilled, gritty or both, repeats anymore. This is the NHL right now. It's damn hard to win once, damn near impossible to win twice (consecutively). You act like a properly constructed team should win every year, when even the 2002 team with 10 HOFers (including Bowman) almost lost to Vancouver. This thing is, I don't even disagree with you guys, I wouldn't mind having a skilled guy who can throw. But to complain about the way we're winning or to actually DISPARAGE our success--do you even realize how ridiculous that is?--just makes you (and all of us, by extension) come off as beyond spoiled. That's what gives me the redass--no wonder the rest of the league hates us.

...and unlike the BJs, the Wings have a national following. Actually, screw "national," we have several Europeans on this site alone. They might care about the TV schedule. I dare you to find 5 BJs fans that are even out of state.

It's nice to be on the good end of that one for once--last year for the Avs series and I think for a couple games of the Preds series too, we were the "late" game (in quotes because it started at 8:30 or 9), joined in progress after the early game was over. I would've been more upset if that was a competitive series with Colorado

Great news for me. The fewer games I have to watch on FSN-Ohio with those drooling idiots, the happier I am (assuming we'll have the TSN feed on NHL Network). I was pretty much resigned to having to watch them for every non-Versus game, since the BJs are blacked out on CI/GameCenter as the local team.

If Shanny's a "fighter," then Lilja is too and we do have a fighter, although not a healthy one. Going by the number of times they fight (from hockeyfights.com), they're pretty comparable. Shanny had 3 in 5 of his 9 years with the team and 4 in two other years, Lilja's had 3 each of the last two years. Then again, Lilja might've had a couple more this year if not for his last scrap.

I must've been asleep when Edmonton and Calgary won their Cups this decade. Damn, if only we had Chris Neil for the last 7-8 years, we would've won like 3-4 more Cups! Whoever made that 49ers comparison is dead on. Waaaah...we only have four Cups in 11 years. Waaaah...we don't have 12 Milan Lucics up front. There's going to be a day--maybe next year, maybe 10 years from now, who knows--when we suck, and you're going to regret not enjoying this more.

I can't see the Caps getting past the 2nd round TBH, especially with that goaltending. I really think it's going to be the Bs out of the east. Although I wouldn't be surprised to see the Pens or Canes either, just based on how well both are playing.

As a fellow out-of-towner (but a Wings fan), I completely agree about Detroit, it's a great city with an undeserved bad rap. I have a blast every time I'm up for the Wings, now I'm planning on getting back for an Indians-Tigers series this year, just because I like it there. I've always parked in the JLA garage, mostly due to familiarity and it being easy to get to...however, my last time up, the I-75 closure threw me off my game and sort of by accident, I ended up on the Cobo roof (getting up there is just going up a long spiral ramp from the street). I thought it was fantastic. Easy walk to the Joe, and for $10, you won't find a better deal in event parking that close to the venue. Getting in and out was a breeze too, especially compared to the garage. For what my opinion's worth.

According to my NHL 09, I'm the leading goal scorer for the Wings this year. Oh, and I also tend goal for the Griffins in my spare time, although I'm still pretty much 50-50 with Howard there. Grain of salt, kids. Especially when you sim on that game, some really crazy stuff happens.

That is freaking hilarious. Well played. To answer the question, it's hard for me to compare the two, because in 1998, I was still in high school and arrogant enough to think that because we won in 1997 that the Cup was our birthright until the end of time. The Colorado series in 1999 really rocked my worldview on that one. And actually, adding Hossa to the champs reminded me of what we did at the deadline that year, adding Cheli, Samuelsson, Clark and Ranford to the back-to-back champs. 11 years later, I'm pretty much the exact opposite. The guy you all hate because I was convinced we'd blow it against Dallas and Pittsburgh after losing game 5s at home. I think we're probably in better shape to repeat than just about any winner since we did it, but still think it's somewhat unlikely. So I guess my answer's 1998 with an asterisk. Like someone else said, the biggest question then, as now, was Osgood. I like what I've seen from him lately and think he'll be there for us. If we lose, I don't think it'll be because of him, but more just because it's damn hard to win once, let alone twice.

That's really the argument you want to go with there? All of a sudden, I feel less good about this.

IDK, I think anyone who cares enough goes through the emotional swings of being a fan, and sometimes that involves saying stupid things that you wish you could take back. It's a big reason why I never post during games--that way I only have to explain myself to my gf, and not to all of you fine people. I'm not going to call someone less of a fan for being pessimistic--as long as they keep showing up, keep caring, and root for the Wings above all else (including the urge to be right) they're true fans. "Bandwagon" to me means you stop caring when the team isn't doing well or you jump from team to team depending on who's good.